VENTRILOQUISM, the art of producing the voice in such a manner that it shall appear to proceed from some place alto gether distant from the speaker (Lat. venter, belly, and loqui, to speak). The art of ventriloquism was formerly supposed to re sult from a peculiar use of the stomach (whence the name) during the process of inhalation. As a matter of fact, the words are formed in the normal manner, but the breath is allowed to escape very slowly, the tones being muffled by narrowing the glottis and the mouth opened as little as possible, while the tongue is retracted and only its tip moves. Gestures and facial expression are employed at the same time to assist in the deception by stim ulating the imagination of the listeners and to distract their at tention from the speaker.
Ventriloquism, which is still a recognized form of conjuring en is of ancient origin. Traces of the art are found in Egyptian and Hebrew archaeology. Eurycles of Athens was
the most celebrated of Greek ventriloquists, who were called after him Eurycleides, and also Engastrimanteis (belly-prophets). It is not impossible that the priests of ancient times were masters of this art, and that to it may be ascribed such miracles as the speaking statues of the Egyptians, the Greek oracles, and the stone in the river Pactolus, the sound of which put robbers to flight. Many uncivilized races of modern times are adepts in ven triloquism, as the Zulus, the Maoris and the Eskimos. It is well known also in Hindustan and China.
See De la Chapelle, Le Ventriloque, ou l'engastrimythe (1772) ; E. Schultz, Die Kunst des Bauchredens (Erfurt, 1895) ; Russel, Ventrilo quism (1898) ; A. Prince, The Whole Art of Ventriloquism (1921).