iv RELIGION 69

who " made the barb of an arrow come out of his heart so that
he died." The Lashi seem to be only concerned with wild
animals, over whom they are believed to have complete control

In this part I propose only to deal with the various sacrifices 4. Eeli-
which play so important a part in a Lushai's existence, but f JS^sSe
the festivals described in para. 9 are, to a certain extent, monies,
religious ceremonies, and are performed with the idea of
pleasing the gods. Suakhnuna explained to me, when giving
the description of the Thangchhuah feasts, that Pathian resided
in the sky and that these feasts were supposed to please him.
Similarly, the carrying about of the effigies of their ancestors in
the " mi-thi-rawp-lam " is supposed to be acceptable to the spirits
of the departed. In these feasts I think we may safely trace
the rude beginnings of the magnificent pageants performed by
the Manipuris and called by them "Lai-harauba"—i.e.,t( Pleasing
the god." Before describing the various sacrifices it is necessary
to explain some of the terms used.

Hrilh closely approximates to the Naga " Genna." The
meaning is that those to whom it applies must do no work?
except necessary household tasks, and must not leave a
prescribed area. The " hrilh " may apply to the whole village
or only to the household of the performer of the sacrifice, and
the area in which those under " hrilh " are allowed to move about
may be either their own house and garden, or the village
limits.

Skerh.—This term is used to describe the portions of the
animal sacrificed, which are reserved for the god or HuaL
These portions vary slightly in different sacrifices, but, generally
speaking, they are the extremities and some of the internal
organs, such as the heart, liver, or entrails. In every case the
extremities are included. I believe the Khasis offer these to
the " thlen." 1 I have found the Manipuri iron-workers when
about to work a new deposit, also offer the hair from the
end of the tail and from the fetlocks, and a little blood drawn
from the ear of the buffalo, to the local god. Having become
Hindus, they can no longer kill the animal as their forefathers
did, but still make this offering of the " sherh." " Sherh " is also
used in the sense of tabu. Thus a house in which a sacrifice has

1 Vide p. 99 of Colonel P. B. Gordon's Monograph, on the Khasi People.