184 THE NON-LUSHEI CLANS CHAP.

much time to worshipping God had a pet bitch. The sun and
the moon, being envious, tried to take his virtue from the man.
To accomplish their wicked purpose they promised to give him
their virtue if only he would first entrust them with his. The
saint fell into the trap and the celestial rascals ran off with his
virtue. The holy man, finding himself defrauded, ordered his
dog to catch the thieves. The dog brought a long pole and
climbed up it to reach the fugitives, being followed by her master.
She reached the sky and still chases the sun and moon, and some-
times catches them. Therefore, when an eclipse occurs the Anal
call out, ' Release! Release!' The poor pious man took so long
ascending the pole that before he accomplished the journey the
white ants had eaten up the lower end and the saint fell to the
earth and was killed." Thunder and lightning are accounted for
by some clans thus:—Wulai the lizard climbs a tall tree and
shouts defiance, whereupon God from the sky hurls his axe at
him and he runs down, but the tree is burnt up. The Anal and
Kom have also a more poetic explanation of lightning—viz., that
it is the glitter of God's sword as he plays with it in heaven,
while the Purum also say that it is the glitter of his robes.

Earthquakes are accounted for by assuming the existence of
another world below the surface of the earth. The Purum and
Kom say that Yangmal the earth worm took a present of a
piece of earth to the king of these lower regions. On the way
the earth was changed into gold and silver, much to the delight
of the monarch, who sent Yangrnal back to fetch more, but the
worm made excuse that the upper world had been destroyed. To
test the truth of this statement the king shakes the world.
The Anal and Lamgang say that the people of the lower world
shake the upper one to find out if anyone is still alive up there,
and so on, an earthquake occurring the Anal and Lamgang
villages resound with, shouts of " Alive ! Alive !" Rainbows are
accounted for as the lips of God spread in the act of drinking,
or simply his glory.

NOTE.—I must acknowledge the assistance I have received in preparing the
account of these Old Kuki tribes from Babu Nithor Nath Banerji, head clerk
of .the Manipur State Hill Office, My information regarding the Anal, Kom,
Purum, and Lamgang was chiefly from his notes, and in a lesser degree I am
indebted to him for details regarding the Kolhen and Chiru.