How did a Wiradjuri medicine man use a spirit companion totem?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

totem fish mask — Totemism Totem fish mask from the Orokolo Bay area of New Guinea. Painted bark cloth over rattan frame with fringe of dried grass. Height 1.63 m.

Among the Wiradjuri people, a medicine man possesses an individual totem known as bala (spirit companion) or jarawaijewa (the meat within him), which serves as a vital helper and guardian.1

The medicine man utilizes this spirit companion in several ways:

Protection and Warning: The totem guards the medicine man while he sleeps. If danger approaches or strangers arrive, the animal returns to the medicine man's body to alert him.1
Information Gathering: During sleep or a trance, the medicine man can emit the totem from his body, allowing it to travel and collect information on his behalf.1
Sorcery: Through specific singing, a medicine man can dispatch his totem to kill an enemy. The totem enters the victim's chest and consumes their viscera.1
Post-Mortem Vigil: Following the medicine man's death, the totem is believed to stand watch over his grave as a bright, flickering light.1

The medicine man identifies deeply with this totem, and any injury to the animal affects him directly.1