William Crooke opens his study by distinguishing between Brâhmanism—the official religion of the Hindu—and the popular beliefs of the rural classes in Upper India. Drawing on his own ethnographic survey and a wide range of colonial reports, he aims to collect facts rather than theorize, though he hopes European scholars will find fresh examples of familiar principles. The book is structured around specific practices: spirit possession, witchcraft, charms, and the authority of the village exorcist, or Ojha. Crooke repeatedly notes the tension between the high-caste Brahmanical tradition and the local, often animistic, beliefs of the peasantry, a contrast that shapes every chapter.

The Exorcist's Authority and the Mantra's Power

One of the most striking patterns in the excerpts is the hierarchy of power that Crooke reports: 'The whole universe is subject to the gods; the gods are subject to the Mantras; the Mantras to the Brâhmans; therefore the Brâhmans are our gods.' This saying, which Crooke claims is 'everywhere current throughout India,' places the Brahman exorcist above even the gods. The text then details the tools of this authority—Mantras (spells), Kavâchas (amulets), Nyâsas (assigning body parts to deities), and Mudras (mystic finger-interlacing)—all derived from the Tantras, which Crooke calls 'the corrupt fountain head of Sâktism.' Yet he immediately notes that these are 'the speciality of the higher class of professional exorciser' and do not concern the village 'cunning man.' This distinction between elite and folk practice is central to Crooke's method.

Charms for Scorpions, Snakes, and Witches

Crooke provides several verbatim spells used by village exorcists, which reveal a blend of Hindu deities, local spirits, and practical imagery. For scorpion sting, the exorcist commands: 'Black scorpion of the limestone! Green is thy tail and black thy mouth. God orders thee to go home. Come out!' Another spell invokes the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu and mentions cow dung as the origin of scorpions. For snakebite, the practitioner calls on Hanumân and describes weasels emerging from a hole to devour the poison. These charms are formulaic, often pairing a vivid description of the creature with a divine command. Crooke also records a binding spell against witches, which orders the witch to 'go to wherever thy shrine may be; sit there and leave the afflicted person.' The language is direct, repetitive, and rooted in local geography and material culture—limestone, millet, potter's clay.

Folk Medicine and the Material Culture of Healing

Beyond incantations, Crooke describes physical remedies that blend sympathetic magic with everyday objects. To cure dog bite, the healer takes clay from a potter's wheel—'a noted fetish'—rubs it on the wound, and says 'The black dog is covered with thick hair.' For hydrophobia, the patient inhales smoke from a burned dog. Headache is attributed to a worm that can be coaxed out by rubbing the ear with butter. Toothache is treated by gipsy women who extract a worm with charms. These practices illustrate Crooke's broader argument: popular religion is not a separate system but a layer of beliefs and rituals that coexist with, and often contradict, Brahmanical orthodoxy. The exorcist's power is both verbal and material, and his authority rests on local reputation rather than scriptural learning.

Crooke's volume is best read as a collection of field observations rather than a systematic theology. Readers should attend to the specific names of deities, spirits, and practitioners, as well as the regional variations Crooke notes. The book rewards those who compare the spells and rituals across chapters, noticing how the same formulas are adapted for different ailments or threats. Crooke's own voice—sometimes skeptical, sometimes sympathetic—provides a useful counterpoint to the material he presents.