Pointing the bone is a magic ritual used by Australian Aborigines with the intention of injuring or killing their enemies. The man who performs the ritual points or jerks a bone or stick at his enemy and chants a prescribed song. The Aborigine stands in a special position and exercises extreme care while performing the ritual. Aborigines believe that, if he should make a mistake, he and not the intended victim may die. Many Aborigines believe firmly in the magic power of the ritual. The intended victim may even die. Anthropologists theorize that such deaths are caused by stress, fear, or the power of suggestion.