Possession

Possession                                                                     
After ‘opposition’ now what?  ‘possession’?

Yes, but it is not about the foreigners possessing land or property in Goa nor
it is about any minister or MLA’s possessing  their ill-gotten wealth nor it
relates to anybody else wealth.

I am actually, talking about the  ‘possession’  such as evil possession etc.
Did I say Evil Possession? No,  I am talking here about not the evil but the
possession by the dead people (known or unknown to you).

What I am taking about? There is no such thing called ‘possession’ by the dead
or you may say dead people don’t have strength to possess another living body. 
Yet some of you may say  one can only get possessed by a demon.

Today, I am talking about my personal experience (First Hand Information) where
I remember witnessing such possession by the dead people or living people
possessed by the dead.

And again, let me tell you this is not an African tale but I witnessed right in
Goa where I spent my early life.
Many olders (like me) Cansalkar, Utoddekar, Mazoddekars, Velsaokar, Vernekars
etc must have heard about or seen this or  you could ask your elders.



Let’s us first see what is ‘possession’?
In simple words when you are possessed ‘You are not you and someone (the dead
or evil) talks/does through you by taking you completely under his or her
control’

I remember (1970/80s) two most powerful and very popular names of
the times- they are Miss Ana Francisca and Mr. Elizeu (edited:  another one I just remembered is Mr Santani).

I
An-Francis(ca) was a beautiful looking girl hailing from  Cansaulim - Arossim
many men of my age and older that time had an affair with her , in the end she
never got married and died young (must be in early 1960’s). The legend says it
when she died she was put in a bottle (by black Magic) and buried under a
coconut tree.  Few years later, when Kunbbi workers come to dig the area, the
pick-axe hit the bottle and broke and  she was set free and a voice heard ‘
Thanks, …I will never interfere with the kunnbi people’ meaning, 'I will never harm your community'
And it was true, she never harmed Kunnbi / Gauddi people from Nearby Cuelim, Nuvem, Verna etc.
But she did came on to many people (I mean people got possessed by her).
Although she died in early 60s, she continue harming many men even until 80’s
(don’t know if it still exist now).

II
Next Person is Elizeu (forgot his surname) belong to a bhatkar family from
Arrosim/Utorda.
Very good friend of Dr. Luis Proto Barbosa, Ex. CM of Goa, I have often seen him at his
dispensary near Cansaulim market. He died in an accident around mid 1970s (a
train run over)  and his body was found on the railway tracks. But many people
including the youth got possessed by him even till late 80s (as far as I
remember and don’t know if such things still happens or not).
You don’t have to know her and him, you can still be possessed by them/dead.

A guy from our friend circle from Vasco was coming to our area in a pick-up
(tempo) at around 8pm and when he reached near Cansaulim he was possessed by
Mr. Elizeu. He never met him nor ever heard about him and he was much younger
then him (elizeu).

When you are likely to be possessed by the dead?
When you are out alone (usually at night), scared, frightened, weak due to drinking etc
One had to watch out Wednesdays and Sundays nights.

What does the possessed man do?
As said earlier, he is not him, physically it is him but mentally the deceased
who controls him. He speaks his language,  gets his knowledge, his past life
etc You ask him anything about the deceased life or the neighborhood he will
tell you (people even say he can even tell you about your future).  Most common
question put to him are:
Who are you? Why you are here? When will you leave?  What will you take to
leave?
III
In an another case, when one of my neighbours/friend  got possessed by his dead
friend about 2 years after the death (his friend  died in an motorcycle
accident on which he was a pillion rider but he survived)..to a question ‘when
will you leave’? he answered ‘only when a mass is being offered (to my soul)’ by
the surviving friend and at this time people were blaming him for being so
conjus or thrifty for not offering him a mass despite he worked on a Greek ship.

How to get rid of  them (the dead who controls the living persons)?
Once possessed, they fear no one except sometimes, the village dadas or
goonddas.
They won’t answer all your questions unless they get a good beating from the
dadas, unable to bear all the beating or due to the fear, very rarely they may
leave and go but in most cases one had to wait till next Wednesday or Sunday. 
On this day many time holy water  (Azment) does the tricks with the presence of dadas. 
But before doing anything like this there are other important things to do or arrangement to be made such as:
1. To know the place/spot where the deceased person died.  At the spot keep
ready a earthen pot full of water, fresh clothing to replace the old ones, towel etc.
2. Keep enough people to join the rally/race midway or at regular intervals
depending upon the distance. The route is never known.
Because on the day (after holy water etc) he will run and run at a high speed
to the accident spot and once reached there he will bite the ground / earth / spot and
only then he is free from  ‘possession’. 

Give bath (empty pot water/head bath) and change clothes and bring him home as a patient.
He now needs rest and healing with pain killers etc.

That’s it? Will he ever get possessed by the same person again?
In most cases, the answer is ‘yes’ but there are ways to keep him (dead) away such as offering mass to the soul, never be out alone in the night, return home before dark, not drinking over the limit etc

FAQs
Only the men should worry about it and not the women?
I remember one two women got possessed too in our area.
Besides, one could see many ‘possessed’ women at a place called ‘Kirbotta’
Nuvem the road going to Raia from opp. Nuvem church.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk73/33665724090/

Did you hear anything like this during the last 25 years or so?
No,  I don’t live there now but I can find out.

So what you say? People on their own should not pass or drive  through
Cansaulim/Arossim at night?
No. I didn’t say that.  All I said is that such thing did happen in that area
about 25 years ago and I don’t know if it is still happening now.

So, why telling us?
Well, when I tried to tell this to few others they did not believed me saying I
was lying and making things up.  I also wanted to write on this long time now.
Would appreciate if any body else  come back saying
he/she too remember or seen or heard similar cases in the above areas or any
part of Goa

Wait, wait! Before I go, let me also tell you this..
If you don't hear from JoeGoaUk for next 2/3 days or so, you can well assume
that he is being 'possessed' too either by AF or E for talking about them in
public

NB: This is my 10 year old post copy pasted here/dates year updated

Pic a typical ritual - Salt and Chillies burnt  to drive away evil eye / spirit