The word mah song is translated as entranced horses or horses of the gods, because the mah song carries a god within them. A person can be chosen by a god to become a mah song at any time in their life, as long as they are unmarried and celibate at the time. In some cases, purification rituals can qualify a person. Often, a person is contacted during a dream, vision, or period of long illness, and a god tells them that they have been chosen to become a mah song.