The story itself, however, is probably devoid of
foundation, since the practice of putting up dummies to divert the
attention of ghosts or demons from living people is not uncommon.
For example, the Tibetans stand in fear of innumerable earth-demons,
all of whom are under the authority of Old Mother Kh?n-ma. This
goddess, who may be compared to the Roman Mania, the Mother or
Grandmother of Ghosts, is dressed in golden-yellow robes, holds a
golden noose in her hand, and rides on a ram. In order to bar the
dwelling-house against the foul fiends, of whom Old Mother Kh?n-ma
is mistress, an elaborate structure somewhat resembling a chandelier
is fixed above the door on the outside of the house. It contains a
ram's skull, a variety of precious objects such as gold-leaf,
silver, and turquoise, also some dry food, such as rice, wheat, and
pulse, and finally images or pictures of a man, a woman, and a
house. "The object of these figures of a man, wife, and house is to
deceive the demons should they still come in spite of this offering,
and to mislead them into the belief that the foregoing pictures are
the inmates of the house, so that they may wreak their wrath on
these bits of wood and to save the real human occupants.
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