THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
/<^vP
The Religion of the Kuvi-Konds,
THEIR CUSTOMS
AND
F o i^ k:-ij ore:
«-»-4»-
FROM ORIGINAL 80VRCE8,
BY
Rev. F. V. P. SCHULZE.
SALURU.
PRINTED By QRAVES, COOKSON AND CO.
1912
ii7
PREFACE.
— («#»> —
1 3 p 'i>'-:.
This publication consists of three parts —
\8t. — The Rehgion of the Konds.
^nd. — Their Customs.
3r^.— Their Folk-lore.
It has been compiled with the object of creating
feelings of interest and sympathy in the minds of those
who have to come into touch with this simple and
interesting race of people, be they Government servants
or others unconnected with that service.
The whole contents of this little book is original and
not compiled or taken from any other book. Everything
was related to me in the fine Kuvi or Kond language.
These Konds, as will be seen by a perusal of this
work, retain the old patriarchal form of government,
their religion, like the old Grecian and Roman theocracies,
invests the forests, streams end lakes with ruling deities,
while Paramushesa takes the place of Jupiter. Besides
this, there appears also a great difference between Roman
and Grecian theocraties, whilst here Jupiter has a great
swarm of deities round him, who all take some place in
his relationship, similar to the Vedic deities. There is in
the Kond religion only one God. He is the fathei-, the
creator of the world, he is good and wise, helping the
poor and punishing the wicked. He himself told his
people to worship evil spirits, that they may not harm
them. So the efiPSS^^^f^^'^^^P ^^^ '^^^^ introduced
u
by Paramushesa himself. Stories concerning Paramushesa
in the Folk-lore throw a bright light upon this character.
Some of them are very touching, some of a real philosophi-
cal character. To understand the religion of these
Konds, it is absolutely necessary to read their Folk-lore,
in connection with the first part of this book.
The ignorance and simplicity of this race is hard to
comprehend. One small instance will serve to illustrate
this. Once, on a certain day, when many of these Konds
were standing in my office and I had to open my cash
chest repeatedly, to meet a number of different payments,
these Konds formed a group of interested spectators.
They watched me, as I opened the chest, and putting my
hand in extracted from the bag the exact number of
rupees I required for each payment. After much delibera-
tion and argument, as to how and whence this constant
flow of silver rupees came, they decided that the chest
possessed independent generating power of its own.
" The " mother rupee" is hidden in there which brings
forth all these rupees," they said. This supports the
story in Folk-lore of the Oilseller who attributed gene-
rating power to the beam of his house.
If the publication of this little book succeeds in the
object for which it was written, the Author will feel
amply repaid for the trouble that he has had to overcome
in its compilation, as he received all his information by
personal association with these Konds.
Saldeu, >
Uth March 19 12,) F. V. P. SCHULZE.
P^RT I
m RELIGION OF THE WUMK
THE RELIGION OF THE KONDS-
The Kond believes in the existence ol: one good God
and many evil spirits. The name of the good God is
Paramushela or Paramushesa or Paramusheasi. Dharmu is
another name of God, but this name is spoken with refer-
ence to the Sun, and cannot be used by a Christian Kond
in his prayer.
Paramushela is the Creator of the whole universe.
He loves his creation, but seems to be too weak to extri-
cate his helpless people out of the power of evil spirits.
There exist still many prayers directed to God the
Creator. The address to God consists in the following
words : " 0 Paramushela, Dada, Dhormu, Kadigei, and
Gundukutteni." All these are names of the one great God
and some stars to whom and to which Konds supplicate
when they are in distress.
When the earth became more and more populated,
sin also increased to such an extent that Paramushesa
could not bear it any longer, wherefore he determined to
destroy them all and sent a great flood over the whole
earth.
After the flood was over and the earth was dry
again, Paramushela wished to know, if any living being
still existed to repopulate the earth. He therefore sent a
crow with the order to And out if any one was still alive.
The crow flew over the whole earth but could not
find anybody. At last it saw some leaf plates which
people appeared to have lately used for their meals. The
crow took these leaves and showed them to Paramushela.
^ THE RELIGION OF THE KONDS.
Then he sent a woodpecker to find out the where-
abouts of the people who had eaten from those leaf plates.
He supposed that they had hidden themselves in a hollow
tree. The woodpecker flew to the place where the leaves
had been found and began to listen quietly round all the
trees. At last it came to a big tree. From inside it
heard the voices of two people talking together. Kejoiced
that it had found out their hiding place, it quickly flew
back to Paramushela and reported the matter.
Some servants were now sent out to fetch those men
before God. Two people were found in the hole, a brother
and his sister, who had lived together in this hollow tree
since the great flood. On their appearing before God they
were asked by Him three times who they were, and three
times they replied that they were brother and sister. At
first Paramushela was puzzled how to act, as their con-
sanguinity precluded their marriage and the repopulatiou
of the world again.
After deliberation God infected both with small-pox,
and when their features were so distorted as to be
unrecognizable by each other, he married the two to each
other and by them the whole earth was repopulated.
Another version of the same legend states that the
two were saved from being drowned in the flood by find-
ing safety in a pot in which they were subsequently dis-
covered.
After the Deluge all men lived together as brethreu ;
no caste existed.
After some time, however, wht^u people began again
to sin, Paramushela changed their languages and created
the different castes, " that people might learn to obey."
THE RELIGION OF TflE KONDS. 3
Another version states that the first man and woman
had five children, who were always quarrelling, so God
gave each a different language which stopped all future
disputes.
The Konds say that castes are as varied as the trees
in a forest.
When, after some time, men became more gregarious
in their habits, they had much to suffer from evil spirits.
The collective name of these spirits is Penu, (plural
Penka). These penka have a variety of names, such as
Gangapenu, Sonnolipenu, Zakiripenu, Horupenu, Baali-
penu.
They, therefore, appeared before Paramushela and
asked his assistance against their enemies, these evil
spirits, whereupon God issued the following instructions
and order :
You shall live in future upon and between these hills,
cultivating the land, and although you are living amongst
tigers, bears and leopards, they shall do you no harm, if
you observe the following order :
You shall on stated occasions offer sacrifices, a cow,
pig or fowl, to which must be added an offering of
cereals and fruits whenever you receive a good harvest of
grain or fruits.
In each Kond village there are usually three little
temples for these Penka. The worship of each of them
is different. There are four classes of priests distin-
guishable for one another. The Bedsani, the Sisa, the
Dihera and the Tromba. The Bedsaui, mostly two, are
priestesses and their duty is to sing: the three others.
4 THE EKLIGIOX OF THE KONDS.
are priests. The Sisa offers incense, while the Tromba
beats the drum. The Dihera is the astrologer.
The Kond has no person or committee which
exercises jurisdiction in caste matters over all or even
over a particular district. Each village has its own
Naidu or Hauta who is reverenced as their father. He
is not appointed by the villagers ; but from time im-
memorial the family of the Hauta has inherited this
position. When the Hauta has no children his brother
or his children will become Hautas of that village.
Each Hauta has as his assessors, the Tromba, the
Sisa, the Dihera, the Bariki and the Salaua or Dandasi.
The l.Vomba is the village priest ; the Sisa is the village
musician ; the Dihera, the village astrologer ; and the
Bariki and Salana are the village servants. This com-
mittee of six persons exercises jurisdiction over all
offences against morality or caste regulations. When a
man is expelled from his caste in one village, the sentence
is communicated to the members of other villages who
accept the ruling.
The village Hauta, as the head of the village, rules
it together with his five abovenamed assessors in quite
a patriarchal form of government. He deals with all
classes of offences, be they of a public or private character.
This can best be explained by illustrations.
Offence against Caste reduction.
If a man is charged with having committed an offence
against his caste rules, he is brought before the village
Hauta and he exhorts him to speak the truth.
THE RELIGION OF THK KONHS. 5
If he denies the cliarge, the Hauta asks him to Bwear
the followinsf oath : —
I swear before these twelve collected men in this
holy place that I have done no wrong, and to prove it, 1
pass my hand over the head ol my accuser. May my
strength be reduced in proportion to the number of liairs
that fall from his head.
After this oath is exacted from him, the Hauta
declares before the whole assembly that this man is free to
go where he wishes and that no fault is found in him, de-
claring " as fire burns the wood to which the fire ls
applied, so may the man suffer harm by whom sin
is wrongfully attributed."
Then the Hauta turns round to the accuser and says,
"You have brought false evidence against the accused,
therefore you are liable to pay all the costs which the
accused would have had to pay had he been found
guilty."
There is no help for it. The accuser has to pay for
a big dinner which costs about Rs. 5. At the dinner the
accuser calls for the accused and says " consent to par-
take of my meal ; but if you are guilty, this meal which
you take will prove injurious to your life," meaning
thereby that some calamity will overtake him, a ticker
may devour him, or a serpent may bite him or thieves
may rob him or he may be attacked by some dangerous
illness.
Then the accused again strongly protests that he is
not at all guilty and is not afraid to partake of the meal
and does so. After this is over the Hauta waits for a
month to see if any harm befals the accused.
6 THE- RELIGION OF THK KONDS.
If nothing happens durmg the month, a new meeting
is called and the accuser is again punished by having to
stand the expenses of a second costly dinner. If, how-
ever, some calamity does overtake the accused within the
given period, he is at once declared to be guilty and a
heavy fine is inflicted upon him. He then confesses his
fault and asks to be re-admitted to all his caste privi-
leges, whereupon he is ordered to produce one rupee's
worth of arrack, a rupee's worth of rice and about two or
three rupees in ready cash. Then the whole village is
invited to a big dinner. Before they begin to eat together,
the Hauta takes a little gold ring which he heats and
with it burns the tongue of the accused twice.
He tben lifts the hand of the accused which is filled
with the new cooked Zohorba rice to his forehead, utter-
ing the words Zohorba, Zohorba, and turning to the
assembly pronounces that this man is forgiven and re-
admitted to all caste privilege and that no objection shall
be raised by any one. Then he begins to eat the rice
and all the others follow his example.
If an out-caste runs away and joins another village,
unknown to his former village people, those villagers
not knowing of his offence admit him into their society,
but when the matter becomes known, they force him to
pay the fine inflicted upon him. If the accused obeys he
is admitted, and if he return to his own village, the pro-
ceedings of the 2nd village are recognized and a second
fine is not again demanded. The sentence passed by
the Hauta upon all out-castes is as follows : — As you do
not obey and esteem us as your relatives, and me as
your father while we regard you as such, none of us from
this day ahall enter your house, none will give you fire.
THE RELTGTON OF THE KONDS. 7
nor are you permitted to draw water from the well we
use.
Offence against Morality. — A villager may (1) disobey
the order of the ITauta, (2) He may be guilty of some
offence against the public, (3) He may have committed
an offence of a purely private nature. If he is found
guilty and does not obey bis Hauta, this sentence is pro-
nounced against him. " You scorn and despise me to-
day, in like manner I despise yon. From this day a stain
rests upon me and the same stain shall also rest upon
you. Whenever any one who bearing your family name
gets into any trouble, neither you nor your family shall
have share in the meal which the accused has to pay." If
the accused obeys the order of the Hauta and pays the
fine which is inflicted upon him, which may be anything
from four annas up to Rs. 100. (Let us take as an example
an ordinary fine of Rs. 5), he brings some arrack, rice,
an old cow and two pieces of money. A big dinner is
given again to the whole village and all have to partake
of it. The Hauta receives as his share one ear with a big
piece of meat and one of the coins The other coin the
Hauta offers to the accused saying, " You have committed
wrong, however we forgive you. Accept thy portion."
In addition to this the Hauta presents him with a four
anna piece.
After this all the village people dine together. At
this time the Hauta divideu his big share among those
who rendered him their help, and the remainder between
those who helped liira in cooking and bringing firewood,
and so forth. No one should presume that the Hauta has
received the largest portion of meat. He takes only
a comparatively small portion of it.
8 THE RELIGION OP THE KONDS.
The accused has a right to appeal to any other
Hauta. The two Hautas rehear the case and pronounce
their decision. This verdict is conclusive. As all the
inhabitants of a village live close together, all rumours of
offences easily reach the ears of the Hauta who at once
summons the accused and enquires into the case. The
way usually adopted of bringing the complaint to the
notice of the Hauta, is to talk over the matter first with
the village Bariki, who is paid two annas, and thereupon
carries the case before the Hauta. The Konds also
recognize the ordeal as a test of guilt or innocence. A
Kond, who is accused of a crime, if he denies having
committed it, is asked to prove his innocence by an ordeal.
Standing before a pot of boiling oil, the accused swears
that he has not committed the offence and dips his hand
into the boiling oil. If the hand suffers, as suffer it must,
the guilt of the accused is established.
Gangapenu.
On a certain Wednesday the inhabitants of a village
go tu the temple of Gangapenu. There they kill a fowl.
By the side of the temple is a small platter made of
twisted bamboos. The priest takes some earth and some
of the blood of the fowl and places them on the bamboo
platter, which is decorated with flowers and painted with
saffrou. The priest begins by lifting up the dish, but,
as it seems too light, he again adds some more earth to it,
when it appears sufficiently heavy, he places it upon his
head. All the people singing and beating the drum and
making much noise follow him as he carries it to his
house. After they reach the village, the dish is put on
THE EELIGION OP THE K0ND8. 9
the aground , the priest goes in to his house and brings
out an earthen pot that was used the previous year.
This pot is painted again with saffron, oil and rice.
Then the earth in the bamboo platter is put into the pot
and is covered over and a light fixed upon it.
Now the pot is taken again into the priest's house, a
corner of which is newly washed with cowdung and
painted afresh with saffron.
A kuncham (three seers) of rice is poured over the
place and the pot is put upon it.
The next day all the bearers complain that their legs
ache owing to the heaviness of the pot. This complaint is
however groundless. The following day the priest comes
round the village with the pot upon his head, the second
priest opens the cover, then the villagers put cooked rice,
potatoes and vegetables, &c., into it, while others put
uncooked rice in another dish, which is being carried by
another. This is repeated every successive day for about
sixteen days. The bearers and Trombas eat the cooked
rice. On the sixteenth day all the village people go to
the temple. There they offer some rice and saffron to
Gangapenu. The Naidu of the village has to offer a sheep.
The blood of all these animals belongs to Gangapenu, the
heads to the priests, and the remainder to the public, who
share it amongst themselves.
When this ceremony is over the pot is taken to the
nearest river or tank and is again washed. It is then taken
to the house of the priest and is kept in its old place to
serve the same purpose the following year.
The feast is held in the end of September or in the
beginning of October at the time of Dipala Amawasia.
10 THE RELIGION OF THE KONDS.
Sonnolipenu.
On the first day all the grown up girls go to the little
temple of Sonnolipenu, clean the same, washing it with
fresh cowdung and making the prescribed signs in
chunam.
After this they all go back to their village and in-
form the Bezani that everything is ready.
The two Bezanis take a bamboo basket from house
to house asking for food. Each house has to give some
flowers and rice.
The Sisa and Tromba also follow. Each woman in
the house takes some water and pours it upon the feet of
the priest and puts a bottu (spot) of rice and saffron on the
forehead of the priest and even on the baskets and drums.
After this the priest does the same to the woman of
the house.
When in the morning of the day the grown up girls
decorate the little temple, other visitors and children, in
the meantime, engage themselves in building a little hut
in the middle of the village. Subsequently rice and
flowers are received. The two Bezanis go into the little
hut and begin to sing and pray. As the song and
prayer gradually become more and more excitedly repeat-
ing, the other people round the hut say that the Penu
has taken possession of them.
Then the Bezani comes out of the house and begins
to sing a hymn in which the villagers join. Then
suddenly the Bezani ceases and all cease with her.
Then she commences a hymn in which all the villagers
TnE RELIGION OF THE KONDS. 11
at once join. In this way they all follow their Bezanis
out of the village crying and singing. Each of them
carries a fowl or a goat or some pigeons into the little
hut temple. The pigeons are presented to the
Horupenu (the hill spirit) which comes to this feast.
Now begins the service in or before the little hut. A
small light is placed before it and rice is poured around ;
then a goat and several fowls are slain. The heads of
all the fow^ls are cooked in front of the hut and every
one quits the place. The attendants receive a small
fraction of it. The Bezani suddenly rises, takes the plate
with rice with a light over her head and proceeds back
to the village sinsing. All people follow her.
The Bezani carries the rice and light into the small
hut in the middle of the village, and when she reappears
outside all the people begin to sing without ceasing, and
dancing during the whole night. This is repeated during
seven successive nights. On the eighth day all the vil-
lagers prepare a pot full of small cakes. When the Bezani
makes her round again through the village, each house has
to give her four of these cakes, after which she makes a
bottu on their foreheads.
The Bezani now takes the full basket and enters again
the little village temple and puts the basket into it and
begins to pray thus : —
O Mother, Sonnolipenu ! look here upon the full bas-
ket : You have now enough food to eat. We made you a
sumptuous feast, grant us now good crops, excellent
seeds, &c. Then she rises again and all go to the 'hut out-
side of the village.
12 THE RELIGION OF THE KONDS.
Each one has to bring a living creature along with
him. A fowl or even an egg is sufficient. The whole village
now offers a goat.
The priests receive the heads of all the slaughtered
animals. The remaining flesii, eggs, and everything else
that has been brought are put together into a big pot and
cooked before the hut. All partake of this cooked meat.
Then the priest speaks to the Penu: " Look here, 0 Mother,
we have given you such a sumptuous, luxurious meal and
celebrated a solemn observance; now please, graciously
bless us all and bestow on us good and copious crops,
prosperity and health. If you condescend to grant us our
humble request, we assure you that we will prepare a
grand feast next year again, otherwise we shall discontinue
it for two or three years."
This feast occurs in the month of December, Karti-
purnam.
Zakiripenu.
Outside of each Kond village there stands a small
temple about 1^ feet square, built entirely of stone slabs.
At sunset before the feast, one Tromba, one Dihera,
one Sisa and two Bezanis, betake themselves to this
place or temple. There they all five engage themselves in
cooking some rice and preparing some fowl curry. Then
they reniove the stone slab which covers the entrance.
The Tromba makes a bottu of saffron just in front of
the entrance and places the dish containing rice and
curry in front.
A cow and a pig are then led to the place, some of
this rice and curry is put into their mouths and they are
THE EETJGTON OF THE KON'DS. 13
then slaughtered, their throats being cut with a knife. A
certain quantity of their blood is taken and given to
Zakiri Linga, after which the flesh of the two animals is
cooked up with different kinds of pulse.
The Sisa brings some leaves and places three of
them at the left side of the bottu in front of the temple.
The Tromba puts rice and curry upon them.
A little further away, about thirty or forty leaves
more are placed on the ground and on them cooked meat
with rice is placed.
Now the three priests Tromba, Sisa and Dihera
begin to pray thus : ^ 0 Paramushela, Dada, Dharmu,
Kaligu, Pattagu, Besihanna, Chitra, Utra, Asta, Tanassa,
Rnhuni (names of stars) give us from this day each thy
gracious help that we may no more commit sin and that
our fields may yield excellent crops bestowing upon us
many measures of corn and great heaps of grain and l^t
us not be low and mean.
Before this a man is sent out to collect the " sun-
penny" from each house. Every one pays. Arak is pur-
chased with this money. Some quantity of arak is poured
over Zakiri and the remainder is drunk by the congrega-
tion.
After this is over the dance begins. It is nrenerally
restricted to unmarried boys and girls. A line of girls
sit on the ground and opposite to them a row
of boys. They rise when the dance commences. Each
one entwines his left arm round the neck of his
companion to the left and his right hand round the waist
of the one to his right. First the line of boys moves to-
wards the girls singing, " 0 girl ! I am a poor boy,
14 THK RTILTGTOX OF THE KONDS.
if you marry me what can I give you ? I live on wild roots
and herbs, bamboos and leaves. What can I give? I
have no cloths nor fine dress. You have much . -money,
but I have none. I am a poor boy living in the forests."
Then these boys move back and the line of girls advance
sipging, " O boys, what can I give you ? What can I
give you, I am a poor girl and cannot give you anything.
I live in the forests eating leaves and roots, you are rich,
I am pooT', I have no cloths nor fine dresses."
This dance continues the whole night or till the
participators tire of it. ,
This Zakiri feast is held in the month of March.
Horupenu (Hill Spirit).
Nobody knows the whereabouts of this hill spirit.
Offerings that are tendered in worship are held out to it
in the following manner: —
A.11 the inhabitants of a village assemble beside their
fields, which adjoin the forest at the time when the crops
are ripening.
The Bezanis, the Si^'a, and Tromba, and Dihera, fast.
Then the Bezanis begin to sing and pray, and after a little
while they begin a forward and downward motion of
their heads to show that the hill spirit has possessed
them. This spirit is supposed to have a head as big as a
basket, to be very heavy and to have taken its seat upon
the head of the Bezani. She begins now to shiver with
cold and announces that the spirit has come.
She now stai'ts a dance which lasts an hour. She
receives seven grains of rice and swings her hand up and
THE RKLIGION OF THE KONDS. 15
down about fifty times, after which she lays down the
grains. If one or more of these grains are lost, it
shows that the spirit is dissatisfied with the people's
offering. A new offering must be made — usually a pig, a
sheep, a pigeon, or a fowl.
All these animals are now slain and some of their
blood is sprinkled upon the fields as SMcrifice to the spirit,
after this the slaughtered animals are cooked and enjoyed
by all. Some of the people make a vow to offer another
fowl or something else in case their fields turn out fruit-
ful and. provide a good harvest. When this offering js pre-
sented, the meat is distributed to the coolies who help at
harvest time.
Baalipenu.
In the beginning of February the two Bezanis resort
to the nearest river and bring four baskets full of sand,
in their belief that this sand is the spirit of the earth,
called Ba'ali. In the middle of the village a small bower
of orreen bushes is erected. In the little hut the Bezanis
place the four baskets ; in these they sow some grains of
rice or any other corn.
For seven days the Bezanis pray inside of this hut.
On the eighth day the little seedlings are taken out of
the basket and are carried by the Bezanis from house to
house and pi-esented to their inhabitants. The villagers
fasten them to hairs of their heads, where they remain
for some time, after which they are taken out and
thrown into the river. All the villagers now otter
rice and flowers and proceed singing, whistling and
beating the drum to the river. Here the feast begins;
16 THE RELIGIOX OF THE KONDB.
sheep, fowls, etc., are killed and rice is cooked and all
partake.
If any villagers are prevented from attending the
feast, their relatives or friends reserve half of their own
supply for them. No food may be taken home. This feast
is held once in the year.
The Jatra Feast.
This feast is held on New Year's Day, which is called
Kotha Amavasia and falls in April or May. It is sacred
to Durga. Here and there, there are small gardens, about
one to twenty villages. Among the trees of these gardens
knives are hidden which represents Uurga and are named
Maridi. A big buffalo is tied before the Maridi.
A whistle by the Tromba is the sign for all people to
hasten down with their knives, axes or spears, to attack
the beast.
In former times, it was the invariable custom for
all villagers to invite their relatives to this feast, and the
sons-in-law of these villagers had each to bring a rupee.
These rupees were all thrust into the mouth of this poor
beast which was forced to swallow them, and as each man
was anxious afterwards to recover his money, they used
to search for the same while the slaughtered animal was
still living. The whole procedure was most inhuman and
merciless. As the excitement increases, they sometimes
inflict serious injuries on themselves. Some one may lose
his arm or finger or even risk his life.
In several places the people tie up the animal to a
pole or tree and take its life sooner and not so cruelly as
THE RELIGION OF TEE KONDS. 17
above stated. Even in insignificant localities a pig or a
sheep is slain at this Jathra feast.
Omens.
(1) If, when one is on his way to call a doctor and
he meets a snake on his way, he will not complete his
errand, for, if he does, the belief is that the sick man will
certamly die. The snake represents the stick upon which
the dead man is to be carried away.
(2) Either parents or young man, before asking for
a girl in marriage, will take three times three grains of
rice and place them in three difterent lines, covering each
line over with a little earthen pot. The next morning, if
one of these lines is broken, the marriage will not take
place.
(3) When people go to a village to ask for a girl in
marriage, if they meet with any empty waterpots on their
way, they say goodbye to such a marriage.
(4) If a hawk happens to rest on a house where
there is one sick, death is the anticipated end.
(5) AVhen a man goes out early in the morning, if
he meets a childless woman or man, who is not addicted
to smoking, he considers it an ill omen.
(6) When a person wishes to borrow some money
and hears a parrot ciies " chia, chia, chia," instead of
" kudisa, kudisa, kudisa," he concludes definitely that he
will be unsuccessful in his endeavour.
(7) Nobody should start on Saturday as Oheuni will
be against him, and similarly none should start on a
3
18 THE RELIGION OF THE KONDiS,
Monday, as this day is an evil day ; the other days are
held auspicious.
(8) If people moving from one place to another
come across a bear or a monkey, they value the omen as
auspicious.
(9) If they dream of an elephant, it is auspicious: if
they divulge the dream, it is inauspicious.
(10) If they dream of a tiger or a monkey, famine
will light on them.
(11) Tuesdays aud Thursdays are reckoned auspi-
cious days for sowing.
(12) Seeds sown on Sundays will bring forth crops
fair and in abundance, but they will be destitute of seeds.
(13) Huts must be erected on a field on a Friday. A
little story explains the origin of this custom. There was
once a man who wished to erect a hue in a field and asked
the chenni what day would be auspicious. The priest told
him to build it on a Thursday, and accordingly he did so.
That very evening a tiger came to his house and asked
him why he had built that hut on a Thursday ? He told
him that he had erected it by the order of the priest. The
tiger asked him to go into his village very quietly and
find out if anybody was still awake. So, the man obeyed
the tiger's orders, went into the village, and returning re-
ported to the tiger that all were asleep except some one
in the priest's house. While the man was in the village en-
quiring, the tiger had gone away but returned by the time
the man came back and the tiger gave him a pig for his
meal. The man was rejoiced at it, and while all was quiet
and still in the village, the tiger went in, caught hold of
THE RELIGION OF THE KCNDS. 19
the priest aad ate him up. Ever since these people build
their huts on Friday only.
Obsequies.
If a Kond dies, the customs tor all of them are gene-
rally the same except those for un weaned infants who are
burned without any special ceremony. On all other
occasions all the village people take part.
When a member of a village dies the whole village
weeps. A small portion of rice with pappu is cooked
and a little of it is put into the mouth of the deceased.
The remaming rice is laid near his head. Saifron water
is thrown over the bady and the corpse is conveyed
upon a bed or upon some branches to the place of cre-
mation .
All meet of the whole village and even the food then
being cooked must be thrown away and the water reserv-
ed in pots for home use must be poured out. The
bariki of the village only is allowed to receive these
eatables.
One man out of each house ought to accompany the
corpse to the burial ground bringing with him his axe.
The whole property of the deceased, such as his rai-
ments, his pots, rings, ornaments, and even the money
which he possessed, is brought with him. The women who
remain at home take all the pots and furniture of their
houses to the nearest river and wash them.
When the bearers arrive at the burial ground, each
one takes his. axe and cuts some dry branches ; upon these
20 THE EELTQION OF THE KONDS.
brandies, heaped together, the corpse is laid. The property
of the deceased is placed near his head on the ground ;
sometimes the money is covered with a little earth. The
bearers stand near the corpse and every one of them throws
some leaves which he had placked off a branch, upon the
corpse uttering such words as *' Your way is now at an
end, and your fields turn into forests." Then come two of
them, each with a fire brand of straw, one moves from the
left to the right and the other from the right to the left,
going three times round the corpse. Then one sets fire
.to the pyre at the head, while the other does so at the
feet. After this all retire. " Don't look back," says one
to the other, " his ghost will pursue you."
On their way back to the village one of the bearers
takes a branch of thorns and lays it over the wa}' and
remain standing there. In his hand he holds a little dish
made from a leaf and puts into it a small quantity of
powdered mango bark which he mixes with water.
Each of the bearers, as he passes him, takes a little of this
preparation out of the leaf plate, smells it and throws the
rest aside.
After this all villagers enter their village again and
each one receives a cake, as soon as he enters his house,
which his wife has prepared of pallard and water; he
raises it to his mouth and then throws it behind him.
Then he bathes and enters his house. Cooking now begins
with fresh drawn water and cleaned pots. Nobody is
allowed to do any work on this day. The third day after
the death a feast is given to the bearers ; a little pig and
fowl with rice are cooked. The people who prepare this
dinner must be very old men. When all are assembled,
Jl
THE RELIGION OP TRE KONDS. 21
the Bezani comes and begins to move her head up and
down, feigning that the spirit of the dead has taken
possession of her.
Weeping in a low voice she begins first to talk as if
the deceased himself was speaking, as follows: *' Do not
weep about me ; I am uU well, I shall be born again
through my brother, my uncle or sister with a different
name and shall again live amongst you. Do not scold me."
Then she makes a sign towards the little orphan children
and calls them to herself and lays her hand upon their
heads. " Weep not my darling>. Your uncle will arrange
a marriage for you and your sister shall take thee into her
house. Your brothers must not quarrel with one another,
all must behave well. Give my cow to my sister and my
fields to my brother, &c." In this way the Bezani makes
known the will of the deceased. All relatives or the vil-
lagers act strictly according to her advice. After an year
this ceremony is renewed on a grander scale and an ox
or sheep is slain and the whole village partakes of the sump-
tuous repast. The Bezani appears again and repeats the
wishes of the deceased. When the corpse is burned and
everything is reduced to ashes, the ghasi, a very low caste
man, goes to the burial place usually on the very day, if
he happens to be living near the place, or if he be living at
a distance, when he hears about the death of the deceased
and he takes everything away that he finds near the
corpse. He then proceeds to the village, shows the
villagers the rings, chains, etc., of the deceased and asks
them to buy them again. The Konds usually comply with
his request and pay the full price for them again.
P^RT I J
mi mum of the kuvi konds.
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS.
Child Birth.
When a child is born, the mother goes with it out-
side and both take a bath and she rubs saffron over her-
self and the child's body
Then the relatives bring an handful of stones and
put them in a pot of boiling water. Then they also put
some flour into it and mix it well. When the soup is
ready, the mother has to eat it spitting the stones out. It
is the opinion of the people that young mothers should be
so strong as to be able to digest even the juice of stones.
The next day the mother takes her little child and
climbs up the hill to her fields, going behind the workmen
picking up grass and stones. If there be no work in the
fields, the mother is allowed to stay at home.
On the very first day the child is born, all the hair
on its head is shaved, leaving only a tuft of hair on the
scalp. When the child is grown up, this is considered a
sacred tuft, as it has never been cut off.
The people say that this is the hair that their father
and mother have given them, and that their strength lies
in this tuft, and that, if they would cut it off, their strength
would vanish. It is a shame, some say, for them to cut it
off and a blasphemy against their parents. On the eighth
day the mother and the midwife are served with a good
dinner and with four annas arrack, if convenient.
When the child begins to walk, they kill a pig and
have a great feast : on that occasion the name of the child
is given. One inhabitant of each house in the village
generally takes part in this feast.
^0 SOME or THE CUSTOMS OP THE KONDS.
Marriage.
When a daughter is grown up the father asks her
whether she has betrothed herself to any one. If she
sajs, " yes," the father enquires who it is. On hermeu-
tioning the young man's name, he promptly forbids her to
marry him, aspersing his moral character severely. On
the daughter's refusing to obey her father's behest, he
becomes very angry, and cursing his fate orders her to
leave his house at once and tells her that he has disowned
her. The girl tries to coax her father round, but he is ob-
durate, gives her a piece of cloth and a sack of grain and
she is escorted to the village boundary by some of her
village friends, some accompanying her to her father-in-
law's house.
When the father-in-law observes the party arriving,
he calls to all in the house and tells them of the daughter-
in-law's arrival. He at once lights the lamp (even when
it is daytime). Now comes the Bezani and goes to the
girl and tells her to put her right leg first into the house.,
She is then taken quietly to the garret. There she puts
her hand into a basket of grain, or, if there is none, into
a pot of water. Then they both come down, the girl
goes into the kitchen and pours the water off the cooked
rice.
Then she goes into the house of her new relatives.
The people, who have accompanied her, put down their
walking sticks and bathe themselves with saffron water.
The girl brings the hotwater and puts a piece of saffron
near the water ; then she rubs the backs of each one.
All visitors bring a copper coin.
I
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 27
After thisj the dinner is served. When the dinner
is over, the girl takes in her left hand a big country
spoon full of water and a basin and goes to each one of
the guests and each of them washes his mouth and his
hands, she holding the basin before them.
The bridegroom is then made to sit upon the lap of
his father-in-law or upon the lap of any elder, when the
father-in-law is not alive, and the bi'ide is seated upon
the lap of the bridegroom. One of the bystanders now
holds the hair of the bridegroom and of the bride to-
gether in his hands, and two pots of water are poured
upon their hands by another. After this, both receive new
cloths.
Then the bridegroom goes into the house and
measures four measures of grain and the bride also does
the same.
At night both occupy a separate room. For some-
time, they keep quiet together, but alter a while, the
bridegroom cries out that she is refractory.
On this, the father calls all the young unmarried
men who are in waiting, and they all rush into the room
and assist the bridegroom with most barefaced effrontery
to reduce her to subjection.
The next morning the whole feast is over and the
young couple fall into the humdrum groove of every day
life.
28 SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OP THE KONI^S.
Marriage for a Boy.
Young meD, who are anxious to marry, go to a village
where their relatives are. When they reach the place,
their motive is at once recognized. All the girls in the
village raise a hue and cry announcing their advent.
The parents advise their daughters to go and Avel-
come them. They at once obey and with great joy and
delight embrace them and invite them to their houses.
The father at once orders a bed to be brought inside
on which these young men and the parents of the girls
take their seats. " Why have you come here"? the parents
ask. " Your lands are rich and fertile, while ours are poor
and sterile ; your food consists of rice and meat, whereas
we exist only upon roots and herbs. You possess gold and
silver ornaments. We have only iron and brass ones."
To this the boys reply. "It is we who are poor while
you are rich. Jt is we who feed on roots and grass, while
you subsist on rice and meat. The springs on our lands
are parched and dried, while yours contain a plentiful
supply of water." While this conversation is proceeding,
a good dinner is prepared, of which they partake. Cour-
tesy demands that they accept similar hospitality from all
the other houses of the village. The girls follow them
striving with fair and soft words to wheedle some small
coin from them. Such a present is regarded as a promise
of marriage. At night all these young boys and girls
assemble in one house. They pass the time in singing
and talking to one another. Their intercourse during
this time is as unrestrained as is consistent with an
observance of chastity though it ranges far beyond the
realms of modesty and propriety. Conversation with the
J
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 29
girl runs somewhat as follo^vs. The boy says: "Why
will you marry me ? What comforts can you expect
from me ? I am poor ; my parents are poor ; and my
country is poor. You are rich and have gold and silver.
If I enter your house it will be disgraced." The girl
replies to him in the same strain.
They spend the whole night in talking and singing.
The next morning, after taking a bath, the boys leave the
village ; most of the girls escort them as far as the
forest. Then one of them asks the girl of his choice if
she would marry hira. If she gives him her hand he
takes off his ring and puts it on her finger and she fixes
her necklace round his neck. This constitutes betrothal
which mast not be violated. In case of a widower, the
custom is different. When a Kond widower wishes to
re-marry, he persuades the wife of another man, to
marry hira. If she does so, a heavy fine of from rupees
10 to 100 is inflicted on them both. After payment of
this amount she becomes the lawful wife of the other.
Illness.
When a Kond is taken ill, the Bezani comes to his
house and begins to pray, to sing and soon works herself
into the hysterical state which is recognized as being
possessed by a spirit. She begins to swing her head to
and fro from right to left, and then declares that the
sick man had promised to Peramushesha before he was
born that he would present hira with an umbrella
or in default, would present himself before him.
All the people who hear this, get very frightened and
promise at once to bring the umbrella, and without delay
.30 SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS.
they make preparations for a feast. An umbrella is pre-
pared, consisting of red, black, white and yellow threads,
fixed round a little bamboo stick, and a small bower is
also erected one and half foot in circumference into which
a small mud idol is placed.
This little idol represents the sick man who delivers
the umbrella to God. After this, fowls or a sheep are
slain and the feast takes place. The same course is
adopted when cholera, small-pox, and other contagious
diseases appear.
The only difference on these occasions is, while they
present an umbrella in the former, they offer two swords
or a gun made of wood in the latter.
When those diseases start, many persons, but more
especially young children, carry small bundles of
firewood, while others carry little bamboo dishes
containing rice and curry. A small bandy is construct-
ed and taken to each infected house, when the owners
thoroughly and carefully sweep their floors and remove
the sweepings into this little cart. All the villagers
follow it, while some of them drag it to a place outside
the village. They throw this bandy, the firewood and
dishes of curry and rice into a heap and slay several
fowls there
The heads of the fowls are consigned to the heap.
The spirit is then besought to quit the village without
causing any further harm or injury to the inhabitants.
The flesh of the fowls is taken home and is used
by each family in the preparation of its next meal.
Another course of procedure for a poor sick man is
as follows. The Bezani takes seven grains of rice in her
«i
SOME OP THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 31
hand and begins to swing her hand up and down about
fifty times : after this she shows the grain to the people
around her and ask them to count. If the full number
of grains remains in her hand, she assures the by-
standers that the sick man will be restored to health in
a short time, and demands a piece of cloth and a fowl or
a sheep from them.
If, however, one or more grains are lost, the patient's
conditions pronounced to be dangerous, and therefore
greater offering must be made to propitiate the evil
spirits.
Erecting a New Village.
The Konds are nomadic in their habits. They do
not like to remain long in one place. The unsatisfactory
condition cf the land usually necessitates their leaving it
and settling down in some new places. Living as they do
between the forests that cover the hills, each man selects
a spot after testing the soil, he then clears it and burns
up the clearings.
Before the rains set in on the first day of June each
cultivator invites the whole village to help him in prepar-
ing the land. Each villager renders him help for one
day receiving his food for the day from his employer
and I an anna as his day's pay. The work commences
at about 9 in the morning.
Some engage themselves in cooking raggy or some
grain in big pots for all the labourers. >
32 SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS.
They all sit together at about 2 o'clock and
partake of this meal that has been prepared. When the
hills decrease in their fertility, some or perhaps all the vil-
lagers abandon the place and seek for another site. They
like to select old forests, with big trees, as these are
recognized to be the most fertile. They do not generally
remain at the same place for more than five or six years.
Those Konds however who are fortunate enough to possess
nice fields on the plains may continue for a longer period
if not for always. No other tribe is by nature so indolent
and idle. If they do a good day's work, it is only
under strict supervision. They could spend their lives
very happily on their quiet beautiful hills, but they are all
slaves to their different money lenders on the plains.
After the cultivation of their fields has been attended to,
they loll about in their houses or on their filthy verandahs
playing with their babies.
When they have nothing to appease their hunger, a
money-lender is ever ready to accommodate them with
money.
As the hills abound in very many valuable products,
the Konds might clear off their debts very easily, but, as
they are very stupid and frightened of the Telugus, they
can never be liberated and are never able to extricate
themselves when they have once fallen into the money
lender's hands. For instance, a ryot borrows a rupee
from a certain money lender and promises to repay it at
harvest time, which is five or six months off. During
this intervening period the money lender calls upon him
each month and the debtor is debited with the cost of his
creditor's food for that day. If he cannot clear the debt
by the appointed date, he is induced to borrow still more.
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 33
At harvest time the creditor visits the fields of his debtors
and measures the grain, which he purchases at a very
low price, using perhaps false measures. The interest
is then calculated both on the money actually borrowed as
well as on the amount debited as representing the cost
of the creditor's food during hi.s monthly visits. The
poor ryot (Kond) by hard begging prevails on the creditor
to supply him with grain for the coming year's sowing,
and the creditor magnanimously consents to receive only
the principal of the debt leaving the interest on it to be
paid up next harvest time on the understanding that
interest is chargeable thereon at the rate of one anna per
mensem on each rupee. It is easy to understand that
under these conditions, not only is the debt never cleared,
but also increases steadily till the creditor is in a position
to claim all that the poor debtor possesses. The debtor
ultimately becomes the creditor's slave.
He becomes so afraid of offending bis creditor that
he presents him with fowls and vegetables. This state
of things continues till unable any longer to bear the
creditor's oppression, he absconds bidding a sad farewell
to his weeping wife and children. The interest on his
debt to the sahoocar in course of time assumes alarming
proportions, but there is no chance of its ever being
recovered. In course of time it is written off as a bad debt.
When a Kond wishes to select another locality,
he chooses what appears to be a place likely to meet his
requirements.
He takes nine grains of rice and lays them in
three lines on the selected spot, covering them with a
small earthen dish plastered over with cowdung and
5
34 SOME or THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS.
earth. The first three grains are for the spirit of the
soil, the second line for Paramashesa and the third line
for himself.
On the following day if one of these three lines is
deflected, which may easily have been done by ants, he
understands thereby that the objection to his settling
down there is attributable to the spirit of the soil, Para-
mashesa or his own family. If the Kond is really anxious
to remain in this place, he applies this test several times
until it is successful. The site having been decided,
the Dihera or the astrologer ascertains by the stars which
will be an auspicious day, and on that day a pillar of the
future house is raised and its upper portion is painted
with saffron. He binds to it a tuft of grass and worship-
ping it entreats the blessings and help of Paramashesa
and the spirits of the earth on his new house.
The Dihera is again asked to state when the house
is to be built and to be completed. After it has been
constructed, some unleavened raggy is cooked and placed
upon a leaf before each pillar of the house. The owner
worships the pillars again ; then, the children come and
eat this raggy, after which the first cooking takes place
inside.
Jurisdiction.
If any pereoji is charged with a heinous crime, the
complainant reports the case to the village headman who
summons the Tromba, Sisa, Dihera, the Bariki and the
Salana, all of whom constitute the tribunal or Court of
Justice.
Jl
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 35
If the accused confesses liis crime a fine is inflicted
with which they purchase either a cow or an ox and a
certain quantity of arrack. A good dinner is prepared
and the whole village enjoys it.
If the accused denies the charge, the tribunal exacts
from him an oath in the undermentioned manner. A pot
is filled with cowdung and water and is put over the fire
and a small coin is slipped into the pot when its contents
are boiling. The accused then stands before the pot and
repeats these words, "I woi'ship thee, 0 Paramashesa, and
the Dati, " then touching the earth with his hands, he
says, " I have committed no fault ; thou art my witness.
If I really am guilty, may the skin of my hand be burnt."
With these words he plunges his hand into the boiling
cowdung and takes out the coin, placing it on the ground.
Now-a-days if any innocent persons venture to stand
this test and dare to immerse their hands in boiling water,
they of course suffer. It is, however, useless to argue that
this custom is cruel, as the Konds have implicit faith in
it as being an infallible truth finder.
Village Government
Each village has one headman whose name is Hauta
or as others call him Naidu. All quarrels and disputes
are laid before him. Even domestic affairs are brought to
his notice as he is regarded as the father of all the
villagers. If there be a quarrel in a family, the hus-
band goes to his Hauta and gives him all particulars.
The Hauta sends for complainant's wife, and after
admonishing her fines her a rupee. The husband of
36 SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS.
course has to sustain this loss. Should another man re-
cognize the absurdity of the complainant having to pay
the defendant's debt, the complainant replies, " Why
should not I pay ? Do you think that our village ap-
prove of such a quarrel ?" There comes another
woman who is ill-treated by her husband and complains
against him. No sooner does the husband hear of this,
then he buys a bottle of arrack and calls on the Hauta at
once with it under his arm, feeling pretty certain that he
has anticipated his sentence. When a son disobeys his
father, at first the father exercises his o wn authority, but
if the boy becomes persistently disobedient, the father
goes to the Bariki of the village and telling him of his
sorrow and vexation gives him one or two annas and asks
him to report the matter to the Hauta. The Hauta then
sends for the boy and remonstrates with him v^arning
him not to be disobedient any more, and, after giving him
any amount of good advice, orders him to bring him
about four annas worth of arrack. The boy very much
dejected and covered with shame returns to his father and
asks him why he told the Hauta about his misconduct.
He then asks the father for four annas to buy the arrack.
The father refuses to give it to him, whereupon the boy
tells him that he must in that case dispose of his axe or
knife to realize the required amount. At last the father
pays the money. The boy goes to the next shop and
bringing the arrack in a gourd, appears again before the
Hauta, who by now has been joined by the Tromba, Sisa
and Dihera.
The Hauta receives the pumpkin with arrack in his
hand and says, " From this day may you be obedient
to and happy with your father, following whatever
i
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 37
directions he gives yon," at each word he dips his fingers
into the arrack and sprinkles some drops over him The
others act in the same manner. At last they all consume
it and admonish the boy to be good and behave well in
future, or they will be compelled to fine him an ox. If any
theft, or crime, such as robbery, occurs in the village and
the sufferer makes his los? known, he is fined up to four
rupees if he cannot prove who committed the crime. On
this account, it has become a custom among the Konds
not to divulge any loss that any of them suffers. " Don't
let it be known. The re^t will also be taken" is a
proverb among the Konds.
Murder of Babies.
It was a very general custom among the Konds to
kill their little babies when they suspected that any
harm might befall their community from the birth of the
infant.
On the birth of the child, its father goes direct to
the Dihera and asks him to cast its horoscope. The
Dihera requests to know the correct hour of its birtb.
With eyes cast down, as if he were absorbed in deep
contemplation, and then looking up to the sky, c'S if he
were contemplating the movements of the stars, he begins
his utterance "A danger awaits the father from a tisfer in
a forest, a snake may bite its mother, his sister may fall
from a hill." On hearing this, the poor father returns
home, and in great sorrow and vexation of spirit, takes the
child, while the mother and others are crying bitterly,
digs a pit and, laying the child in it wrapped in a white
cloth, covers it with earth.
38 SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OP THE KONDS.
This was the invariable custom amon^ the Konds
till recently. Several people still living have witnessed
this inhuman custom with their own eyes. It is the
opinion of many that this cruel custom is still prevalent
in some remote villages among the hills, notwith-
standing the vigilance of the British Government.
Kuvi Songs
I'he Kuvi loves songs at all times, and at all places ;
it may be at bright midday or in the dark of the night,
outside on their fields sitting upon some broken tree or in
their houses. The common instruments are especially
two, a self-made fiddle and bow and a self-made flute.
Besides these they have different kinds of drums, but these
are mostly only used on their festival days, whilst the
fiddle and especially the flute may be heard daily near
these villages.
The Kuvi Kond has a number of different tunes but
all suffer under the same defect, which is shortness.
There is really only one line of tune for each hymn.
This will be repeated ten to fifty times, when the head
singer suddenly changes the tune and begins with another
one, in which all accord unanimously. As far as the
shortness of tunes is concerned, the Kuvi lyrics will find it
rather a hard task to force its way into more civilised or
into Christian assemblies.
Anyhow I have tried to give to my Kuvi Christians
some hymns in their own language and with their own
melodies.
I
SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OP THE KONDS. 39
To give a small introduction into these lyrics, some
of these tunes may follow : —
No.
, 1.
Kr*?& ^^sj^iS^ooo
-' ^ -1 ^ ■', '
Iw
i^E
i * i i ^ ^5-
1 — ' — _J 1 ij
'
1.
7^?6a '^y^^ 550COO
^oc6o <§^?j ^■,, -^ !
2.
■^d"c& ^"^^1 -^S^ef)
^607^ jJlora, "^^ !
3.
4.
5.
CO ■ (00 oJO -r^ \ oj. " o3 ,N^
CO '
1-^— >-»-*-— --^-5— iH-*-»-j — I — I — ^^-^-g-g -»-?? — [-^ — ^-g-5-^l
r^^ra !r^C)3b56oo ) ^5 P:3lr°.
40 SOME OF IIIE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS.
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SOME OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE KONDS. 41
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P^RT III
FOLK-LORE. 45
1 — The Fortunate Ghassi Boy.
In the old days there lived a great king. As he
had no children he sent for the astrologers and asked
them whether he would have any ? They told liim
that God would bless him in a short time with a nice
intelligent boy. The queen, however, gave birth to a
girl. The king, though very much excited in miod at
this, hid it from the knowledge of his subjects. Later on
he announced that a son was born to him. He dressed
his daughter in boy's clothes and sent her about. When
this little girl was sent to school she made friendship
with a Komati lad. As the time went on and they advanc-
ed in years, it happened that one day, while the boy and
the girl were sitting iu the class, the boy observed an
unnatural development of her chest and suspected her sex.
To learn the truth he proposed that, as a mark of their
friendship for each other, they should exchange coats.
The girl being unable to conceal the truth, disclosed the
fact to him that she was really a girl disguised by her
father. She proposed that it would be better for them to
elope into a foreign land and live there happily together.
He agreed, and it was arranged that they should meet the
next night at a certain place and start from there for the
place to which they had decided to go. This conversation,
however, was overheard by a Ghassi boy who was close by.
He decided to meet them at their rendezvous. When the
boy was ready to start, his father was laid up with some
illness and he was asked to go and fetch the doctor. Under
these circumstances the Bania boy could not meet her at
the appointed time and place. At the appointed time the
girl went to the rendezvous and there met the Ghassi boy,
whom she mistook for the Bania boy. She took him up
6
46 rOLK-LORE.
upon her horse and both rode together to their destina-
tion. The next morning she recognized him as a stran-
ger , but somehow or another they both remained to-
gether for some time in a nice big garden. There the
girl used to prepare daily such nourishing and savoury
dishes that the Ghassi not only became strong and healthy,
but also appeared to her more fair, handsome and attrac-
tive day by day. After a stay of one month they both
went into a town which was inhabited by a king who, on
their arrival, received them with great kindness and res-
pect. They were accommodated in a magnificent biiihling,
which had twelve doors. A guard was set at each door to
protect the girl while her Ghassi boy became the Kajah's
Dewan. When the office closed the Dewan used to go to
visit the rajah. On his way there was the house of a pros-
titute who, becoming very fond of him, used to invite him
to visit her ; but he, for a long time, refused, though he
ultimately consented. In course of time, as the Dewan
ingratiated himself in the rajah's favour, the rajah re-
warded him with a valuable gold necklace. The Dewan
highly delighted at this went to a river in the vicinity to
take a bath. He placed the gold necklace near his clothes
on the bank and took a nice bath and repaired to the
house oi the prostitute, forgetting the necklace he
Jiad left on the bank. He hastened back, found it, and
then returned to the prostitute's house again. When
he entered the dwelling he was told that she had gone to
the fort. Hardly had he started to return to his own
house, than he was bitten by a snake, fell down and nearly
died just outside the house. After awhile the girl re-
turned from the fort and found to her great sorrow that
he was almost dead. As she was exceedingly fond of
FOLK-LOEE. 47
him, she immediately applied some medicine to the wound
and restored him to life, but fearing that he would leave
her, she transformed him into a parrot by day, by smearing
a certain powder over him. Only during the nights did
he resume his human form.
The woman imprisoned the parrot in a cage with a
ring to its leg ,- but one day it got out of its cage and flew
over to its own house. The wife caught hold of it and
caressed it loviugly. In doing so the powder (he prosti-
tute had applied to its body, was removed and the parrot
resumed its human form again.
The people outside of the house saw this transforma-
tion and attempted to catch the boy, but he flew on to the
roof and sprang into the house of a Komati who caaght
him with the expectation of a rich reward and placed
him with his daughter, wrapping them both together in
one sheet. In the meanwhile people began to rush into
the Komati 's house in order to find the man. The
Komati allowed them to search the whole house till at last
they came to the place where his daughter was lying on
her bed. Nobody expected to find the young man under
the same sheet and so went aw ay. This young man after-
wards married the daughter of the Komati, the prostitute
who had transferred him into a parrot, and the daughter
of the rajah, and the four lived together in contentment,
peace and happiness for a long time.
II. — The Handsome Rajah's Son.
Once upon a time there lived a king who had a son
who surpassed in beauty the sun and the moon. It was
48 FOLK-LORE.
therefore the great desire of the rajah to marry his son
to a o"irl who was e(]ually beautiful. The rajah sent
his servants to all the kings who lived throughout the
world to select a girl who was as beautiful as he ; but no
such girl was found. Tlie rajah's son, hopeless and des-
pairing, set out into the forest armed with a splendid
sword. After a day or two he met there a young man
who was a carpenter. They exchanged glances and salu-
tations, after which each asked the other who he was.
Each pronounced himself to be a poor and helpless
orphan. A great intimacy sprang up between them, and
they proceeded further and further into the forest. After
some days they met another young man and asked him
who he was. He replied that he was poor and helpless
and an orphan. Pitying him they received him into their
society and went on further still. This third young man
was a blacksmith. The three went into a town which
was very large and inhabited by a rajah. The inhabit-
ants of the town were in great perturbation of mind as a
Rakshashi was hunting in the town and daily devouring
one or two of the inhabitants. The rajah being very
much frightened at its havock, offered a high reward
to one who would kill this monster, and he further
promised that he would give the victor half of hi^
dominions and his daughter in marriage.
One night this Rakshasi entered into the city and
went direct to the place where these three men were
living. He was met by the prince, who killed the monster
with his wonderful sword. Everyone in the town heard
the welcome news and tlie next day was one of general
rejoicing. The king sent for these three young men,
praised the young prince's valour, made over half of his
1
FOLK-LORE. 49
dominion and delivered his daughter to him as promised.
The young prince taking a dislike to the girl, trave her
away with his share of the dominion to the carpenter, and
he and the blacksmith left the country. Before he left the
place, however, lie gave a fresh green branch to the car-
penter, telling him that, when this branch withered up
he should call over and see the prince, as he would then
be dead. After some days they reached ii large town
where a ferocious man-eating tiger was making great
havoc among the inhabitants. The king of that place
advertized a rich reward to any one that would kill this
tiger, promising half of his dominion, and also his daugh-
ter in marriage. The young prince slew the monster
and received half the kingdom and the princess as his
reward, both of which he handed over to the blacksmith,
presenting him at the same time with the branch of a tree
and telling him that when the leaf withei'ed he was to
come over to him as he would be dead then. The next
morning he left the country alone and entered a large
forest. After a long journey, he came in sight of a big
house. This was the abode of a fearful and powerful
Rakshasi who had stolen a young girl, the daughter of a
rajah residing in a distant country and had brought her
to this residence of his, where he was rearing her. When
the prince entered the house and saw this lovely young
girl, he was enchanted with her beauty which he realized
would be unrivalled anywhere. The girl greatly feared
that he would be devoured by the R ikshasi immediately
that monster saw him. She therefore applied some won-
drous drug to his person by whicli he was immediately
transformed into a stone, similarly she changed his horse
mto a broom and his sword into a bamboo.
7
50 FOLK-LOBE.
When the Rakshasi returned home in the evening he
smelt a human being and asked the girl who it was, but
all to no purpose. Soon the Rakshasi fell asleep.
The next day when the Rakshasi left his house and
went out the girl changed the prince into his natural
form and then both enjoyed a pleasant conversation.
She related to him her story of how the Rakshasi had
stolen her from her father's house, when she was very
young, and had brought her up for the last 10 years,
and how she lono-ed to return to her father, a famous
king in a far off country.
On hearing all this, the prince pitied her condition,
and asked her how he could possibly save her. The girl
asked him to take the Rakshasi' s life ndiich was separate
from his form. She said that there was a sea of milk,
and on the other side of it there was a pair of pigeons,
which if he caught and killed them, the Rakshasi would
also die.
When he heard all this he immediately started off on
his horse and rode over all the oceans and reached at last
his destination, the sea of milk, and he crossed it to where
these two pigeons wei'e flying about. He caught them
and brought them with him to the forest where this
monster lived. As soon as the prince approached the
abode of the monster, the latter advanced against him.
The prince thereupon stunned the pigeons, whereupon
the monster fell down stunned, and on his killing them
the monster died. He then entered the dwellinor in oreat
delight to find the girl in a great state of anxiety on his
behalf. As soon as she saw the prince, however, her heart
was filled with joy. She began to question him as to his
FOLK-LOBE. 51
journey and adventure. The prince related to her all
that he had done and told her of the monster's death.
Though she rejoiced very much at the news of his death,
she was still doubtful about it. So, the prince asked her
to wait for eight days and, if he did not return within
that time, she might be certain of his death. So, they
both waited together for eight days, and at the end of
that time, tlie girl believed that he was actually dead.
Realizing now that she was set at liberty, she married the
prince who had saved her.
At this time the forest was visited by certain hunters
who, when they saw the beautiful girl, went back and told
their king about her. The king, anxious to see her, at once
despatched some of his nobles to invite her to his king-
dom with the object of marrying her. He also sent an old
woman to enquire about the young man who lived with
the girl. This woman one day appeared at the prince's
mansion where she was asked to sweep the palace and the
courtyard. The prince having on one occasion gone out
hunting; this old v/oman seized the opportunity to ask the
girl where the hfe of her husband was hidden. She told
her that the prince's sword and the prince's life were one,
and if the sword could be destroyed, the prince also
would be dead at the same time.
When the prince returned home in the evening he
took his supper and went to sleep laying his sword near
his head. The old woman noiselessly came in, took the
knife and running away with the same threw it into a big
fire. When the knife was consumed the prince breathed
his last. When he died the green branches which he had
given to his friends began to wither and dry. As soon
5^ FOLK-LOEE.
as the two friends perceived this, they both started in
haste to the place where the prince lay dead ; they both
set to work and forged a new sword out of various
metals and laid it on the breast of the deceased prince,
who returned to life. The two friends now constructed
a balloon for the party, which was expected from r.he
rajah, who had sent the old woman. After a few days
two messengers arrived and asked the lady to come with
them to the rajah's mansion, but she, advised by the
prince's two friends, asked the messengers to brmg the
rajah's family to her palace or otherwise she would not
follow them
After a few days the vvhole royal party arrived at
the house in the forest. When they saw the balloon they
were all tempted to enter the car. As Boon as they did
so, the prince's two friends let the balloon loose. It flew
away with ail these people to a long distance and
dropped into the sea where they all perished. The
prince with the girl and his two friends with their wives
returned in triumph to their own country, where they
passed tlie remainder of their days in happiness and
peace.
111.— .The Unfortunate Ryots.
After the world was created its first king was Bha-
rata who had a brother named Cliitri. One year he sent
for all his ryots and ordered them to give him the first
part of their crops while they reserved the end for them-
selves. At harvest time all the ryots sat together and
consulted how they were to meet their rajah's command.
I
FOLK-LORE. 53
They came to the conclusion that the rajah wanted the
corn stalks which was the first part of their crops to ap-
pear, so they gave him the stalks and took the ends con-
taining the ears for themselves. The next year the rajah
determined not to be cheated a second time, and ordered
the ryots to give him the ends, while they reserved
the first part for themselves. Again they met in solemn
conclave and agreed to meet the demands of their king
by planting sugarcane, the ends of which at harvest
time they sent him, retaining the stalks for themselves.
One day the rajah visited their villages, but found the
ryots very impolite ; they did not even rise up from the
beds on which they were sitting when he approached.
The ryots had become so rich that they had made
their doors, the beams of their houses, their ploughs and
all other field implements of gold. When the king,
angry at their insolent behaviour, questioned them about
it, they replied that they would have respected and salut-
ed him, had he heralded his approach by the tinkling
of little bells fixed to his back. The rajah returned
home very angry and told his bi'other Chitri of their in-
solence. His brother got very angry when he heard this
and told him that it would be better to leave affairs in
his hands at the time of writing the cowles, and to hand
over the management of the country to him. To this the
rajah consented. The next time when Chitri visited these
villages, he sent for the Hauta, Tromba, Dihera and Sisa
and asked them to execute their cowles. All obeyed his
commands. He informed them that he had boen ap-
pointed regent for that year and the cowles should be
made in his name, to which all agreed. Chitri said that
he would not want the beginning nor the end of the crop
54 FOLK-LORE.
as heretofore bat a pumpkin from each house. All the
ryots were exceedingly glad at this. They all said that
this regent was a greater fool than his brother as they
had never had such easy terms imposed on them before.
The regent ordered his friend Hanuman to prepare
a big field on a hillside and to sow it with pumpkin seeds.
The ryots also cultivated pumpkins, but their fields were
unproductive, while Hanuman's were very fruitful. When
the time for payment approached, the ryots became
alarmed and apprehensive of trouble in paying their sists.
Hearing that Hanuman's pumpkin garden tract had prov-
ed very productive, they were compelled to buy from him
and went to his field, each one with two annas, the usual
price of a pumpkin, in his pocket. "VYhen they arrived
there, tbey found Hanuman sitting near a fire warming
himself and asleep. Some of the ryots suggested to
the Naidu that they should rob some and run off with
them, but the Naidu warned them that Hanuman was very
powerful and would destroy them all if they tried that
game. Tbey therefore woke him and very courteously
requested him to sell them some pumpkins. He con-
sented fixing the price of each at its weight in gold. The
ryots repaired to their homes and brought their gold
doors and ploughs, but these were insufficient to counter-
balance the pumpkins. On Hanuman's demanding
more gold, the ryots replied that the only gold that they
had left was the pustai, which they had given their wives
at marriage. Hanuman ordered them to bring them.
When these were placed in the balance an equi-
poise was effected. With heavy hearts the ryots received
their pumpkins and paid them to the king. Then the
FOIiK-LOBE. 55
rajah said, as you ridiculed me, siiggestiug that I should
put bells on my back to herald my approach, and as you
did not rise from your seats to receive me when I came,
therefore you are all cursed. From to-day you shall have
to work like a tiger and to beg like a dog. This is the
curse that the Konds are labouring under u|) to the
present day.
IV.— The Goat.
A fox once reported to a tiger that there was a bio*
goat in a certain pit and offered to show him the place.
The tiger followed the fox. On the way they met a
shivering bear which, when the tiger saw, he became
terrified. When the bear obser7ed this he asked him
how he could venture to go to a place where a o-reat
king of beasts w^as dwelling ? When the fox heard this,
he told the tiger that the hole was inhabited only by a
goat and that there was no king at all. If the tio-er felt
afraid, he suggested that the tiger should tie up the
fox's head to his (the tiger's) feet and go into the hole.
The arrangement having been carried out, the tiger
went nearer and nearer to the hole. Suddenly the goat
appeared with its hideous beard and bristling hair. Very
frightened the tiger instantly jumped aside and beat a
rapid retreat. The fox's head being tied up to its feet, it
was much injured, having been dragged over stones and
through bushes. At last the rope snapped and the fox
was released from its perilous condition. While running
away, the tiger met a Mussalman who terribly fricrhtened
began to cry aloud. The tiger imagining that this man
was the spy of the great king in the hole, ran faster than
56 FOLK-LOEE.
ever. Ultimately the fox and the tiger met and went to
the king of the tigers and related to hira all that they
had seen and suffered.
When the king ot the tigers heard about the king in
the hole, he got very angry and said that there could be
no other king on earth beside himself and that he would
go to the hole and kill him. While the fox and the
king of the tigers were on theii* way, they camg across a
hare with its long ears. The fox saw it first and asked
it what it was doing there. The hare said that it was
sent by the great king to report any news.
The tiger ordered it to follow them. So the little timid
thing did so. Soon they reached an old big well which
was so deep that it was unfathomable. The hare looked
into the well and saw its reflection in the water. It ran
to the tiger and told him to look into the well and he
would see the great king in the well. The tiger did so
and mistook its own reflection in the water for the other
king, and jumping into the well, was drowned. Then
came the bear and the fox and saw the dead tiger in the
well. They wanted to get him out and suggested that
the hare should do so. The hare pleaded that his feet
were too small to reach the water and suggested as an
alternative measure that a rope should be tied to the tree
which was growing close to the well, and that the bear
and fox should go down by it into the well and bring
the dead king of the tigers up again. This suggestion
was carried out and both the fox and the bear descended
int.o the well.
While they were down there the hare gnawed the
i^ope, which broke and both bear and fox were drow ned.
FOLK-LORE.
57
The hare then induced the goat to go into the well to
be healed of its wounds.
The goat believed its words, went to the well, saw
its image, fell into the well, and was drowned. While
the hare was returning to its hole, a man attempted
to kill him with stones. Then the hare said to the
man, " You are trying to take my life, see what I have
done to save yours," and showed him what it had done.
He saw the four dead animals in the well, and becoming
very frightened ran away. The hare being now quite
out of danger, returned to his old place and lived there
happily for many years.
v.— The Ungrateful Tiger.
Many years ago, in a part of the country which was
much infested by tigers, there lived some people in a
certain village who, in order to rid themselves of this
nuisance, erected a tiger trap. Ere long a big ferocious
tiger fell into the trap. The heavy stone they had laid
upon the trap dropped on to him and pressed him down
very much. For a whole month he had to remain in this
trap without meat or drink and in great agony, but at the
end of that time he was still alive. Awful were his cries
and roars. At this time a poor Brahmin beggar had to
pass that way. The tiger seeing him pass implored him
for help out of the danger he was in.
The Brahmin, however, being very frightened at see-
ing the tiger, said, " O tiger, you have been starving for
several days ; you are very hungry, if I help you to escape
you may devour me on the spot, so I cannot assist you. "
8
58 FOLK-LORE.
Thereupon the tiger replied, " How could I act towards
you with such base ingratitude and thanklessness, if you
were kind enough to extricate me from such imminent
danger as I am now in ? Could I eat my benefactor and
saviour ?" Then the foolish Brahmin believed its hypo-
critical speech and said, " All right. I shall help you, but
before I do so I must exact an oath from you. With
your foot touch the earth and then your head and swear
that you will not eat me." Accordingly the tiger obeyed
the Brahmin's instructious and the Brahmin helped
him out of the dangerous trap.
"When the tiger was set free he at once sprang upon
the poor Brahmin to kill him. The Brahmin being alarm-
ed said to him, " You have already promised me that
you would not harm me. Is it right to break your promise
and to kill me, your saviour? No, no, it is quite unjust,
let us both submit our case for decision to three different
judges."
The tiger consented to this proposal. They went
first to a mango tree and laid their case before it for its
verdict. On hearing their statements the mango tree
said, " I see no injustice done by your killing the man.
By doing so you will only be showing him similar justice
to what he shows others. Take, for instance, my own
individual case. Man takes shelter under my cool shade, he
enjoys plentifully my delicious fruit ; he takes my leaves
and dry branches for firewood, and in spite of all these
favours he cuts me down root and branch without a spark
of pity. I believe you are quite justified in killing him."
On this the tiger attempted to kill him, but the poor
Brahmin reminded him of the contract between them,
POLK-LOBE. 69
that they should receive the decision of two more judges,
to which the tiger coDsented. They next proceeded to
a cow and related to her the same story. The cow ex-
pressed herself as bemg disgusted with the character
and disposition of men and acquainted the tiger with all
ihe distress and affliction she received at their hands, in
spite of her many good offices to man. " He drinks mj
milk," she said, " and makes me work at the plough in
his fields all day long like a slave, and at last takes my
life to eat me. He is an ungrateful and thankless
wretch. Whatever injury you inflict on him is neither
criminal nor wrong. I certainly vindicate your act and
ask you to do away with him at once." While the tiger
was again attempting to spring upon him and kill him,
the poor Brahmin entreated him to stop, and listen to
him, and said, '* There is still another decision to be
heard. Please grant it also."
The Brahmin very dejected and dispirited went along
with the tiger, soon they both met a jackal. The Brahmin
cried to it, " 0 my friend, kindly stop a moment and
listen to me and give me your opinion on what I say.
" This tiger was saved by me out of his trap and he
promised not to take my life, but now is attempting to de-
vour me. Is it just to kill his deliverer instead of showing
him gratitude and thankfulness ?" Then the jackal scratch-
iuof itself behind its ear said, " What is the matter with
you both, I do not understand you properly, speak out
louder, I am hard of hearing as I have an ear-ache." The
Brahmin and also the tiger re-narrated all the circum-
stances to him, but the jackal pretended that he could not
understand them. They accordingly both approached
nearer and explained to him as well as they could the
60 FOLK-LORE.
situation they were in. The jackal said that it was
impossible to decide the case here. *' There are discrepan-
cies in both your statements, so I would like to go with
you to the very place and see how it actually happened
and then I shall pronounce my judgment."
So all three went back to the very place where the
tiger had been entrapped. The Brahmin pointed out to
the jackal the trap from which he had delivered the tiger.
" No, I attach no importance to your statement," said
the jackal, " let me see with my own eyes how each step
occurred." Then the Brahmin lifted up the stone and the
tiger continued his explanation of the case, but the jackal
still failed to understand the situation and asked the tiger,
" How did you creep into the trap and how did you bear
the weight of the stone, let me see you do it over again."
Then the tiger crept under the stone and lay down
just as before. No sooner had the tiger entered the trap,
then the jacka) let the stone drop and the tiger was again
crushed down and roared for help. The jackal told the
frightened Brahmin to hurry up with some more big heavy
stones and throw them too on the tiger ; he did so and
both went away. The joyful Brahmin thanked the jackal
and asked him how he could repay his kindness. The
jackal asked for a couple of nice fowls as his reward.
The Brahmin complied with its request and they both
departed to their respective homes.
FOLK-LOEE. 61
VI.— The Mystical Kond.
Many years ago there lived a youDg man with his
parents in a certain village on the hills. When the boy
attained his majority, the father asked him to marry a
nice girl in the village. But the boy was quite averse to
a married life, as he pronounced marriage to be a sin, and
moreover was unwilling to undergo all the troubles, dis-
advantages and crosses that usually attended it. j^fter
this all the elders in the village assembled together and
did their utmost to persuade him, but all to no purpose.
He in turn requested that he might be granted the par-
posed wedding expanses to expend it on his education.
Receiving no help he ran away from home penniless, all
he possessed was the little piece of cloth he was wearing.
On his way he arrived at Saliir, went into the river there
and bathed and exposed his wet cloth to dry on the fence
of a Brahmin's garden. When the Brahmin saw it, he at
once called his wife and said, " Look at that cloth drying
in the fence. We must receive the stranger to-day as our
guest, therefore, prepare some food for him." She accord-
ingly prepared a meal and served it to the young Kond who
was very happy and delighted to receive such a nice din-
ner. The wife of the Brahraiu was standing close to him
observing his features and called the attention of her
husband to them and remarked that his appearance was
supernaturally beautiful. " He is a very handsome man,"
said she. " I should be very pleased to betroth our
daughter to him." The Brahmin accordingly enquired
of the young Kond who he was and whence he had come,
who was his father, and where lie was i^foino- to.
Whereupon the boy answered, that he was the son of ;i
great king, that he had been asked by his parents to
62 FOLK-LORE.
marry, and as he was un willing to marry, he had run
away without their knowledge.
The Brahmin was as elated on hearing the first por-
tion of the lad's statement as he was dejected at hearing
the last. He strongly advised him to get married and
enjoy the pleasures of domestic life. The Brahmin fur-
ther enquired whether lie was able to support a family, and
whether it was that he did not marry because he was
afraid of his people. He told him plainly that it wag a
disgrace and shame to lead an unmarried life. The boy
agreed with what he said, and further told him that his
parents held the same opinion.
" I am not afraid of anybody," he added, "I shall
gladly marry your daughter. Sit down and execute a
document to that effect and I shall marry her." The Brah-
min immediately complied with his request and prepared a
document and handed it over to him.
Shortly after their agreement was made, the mar-
riage was celebrated and after some time a son was born.
As the husband was absent, his wife wrote him a letter
giving him the news and asked him for his instructions.
The husband wrote to her in reply thus : " Dear wife,
please bring the child at once." Thereupon she set out
in person to meet him, taking her child with her. When
they met, the father sent for a barber and ordered him
to get a rod. He then sent for a washerman with a
spade and bidding them follow him, led the way to the
nearest river. On arriving there he told them to dig a
grave and to bury the boy in it. The wretched mother
stood on one side weeping. They obeyed, but when, after
placing the child in the grave, the men were commencing
FOLK-LORE. 63
to fill it in, the little boy began to 8peak and addressed his
father, "0 father, you have with you three annas, this
money is miue, you must return it to me before I die."
The father paid him the three annas, on the receipt of
which they boy breathed his last.
With sorrowful eyes the father turned to his dejected
weeping wife and said, see now the sorrows, afflictions,
and unhappiness connected with married life. 1 was all
along averse to marriage, as I have already told you. Let
us separate ; consider me no longer your husband. The
poor wife begged and entreated him to live with her and
said, *• It is the will of God that our first born has died.
We can't resist the will of God and cannot alter it. In
time our circumstances will be bettered and you will have
a happy, comfortable family life in future." The husband
yielded to her earnest pleadings and consented to live
with her another year. God blessed them again with a
fair little lad, and again the father sent for the washer-
man and barber to be present with their iron stick and
spade.
They all went with the child to the river to dig his
grave there. After the hole was dug, the child was laid
in it. When they were nbout to cover him to bury the
child, the boy spoke as follows : " Do not take my life,
let me live, I shall study for twelve years, then I shall be
made the Dewan of Jeypore on a salary of 1,200 Rupees,
and later on at Sankaramanam feast when we all play
ball, a ball will strike me and I shall fall down dead."
Everything happened exactly as tlie child had predict-
ed. He did become Dewan and was ultimately struck on
the head by a ball and died. This sad heart-rending
news was soon conveyed to his parents. Then the father
64 POLK-LOBE.
said to his wife and those surrounding him, " See the
benefits and advantages of marriage. It results in intol-
erable troubles, pain and sorrow." So saying he left them
all and went away to live an ascetic's life, his wife also
followed him, leaving everything behind her and thev
both vanished.
VIL— The Cunning Kond Boy.
There was once a poor Kond woman who was sitting
under the shade of a tree in a forest outside of her vil-
lage. She had a pain in her eyes and was very short-
sighted, indeed almost blind. While she was bemoaning
her fate and weeping, a man told her that he had a very
good medicine which, if she would apply, would soon
restore her eye sight and relieve her of all trouble. While
he was away fetching the medicine, there was an old blind
tiger near by who overheard the conversation. He
springing all on a sudden upon the poor old woman,
threatened to devour her unless she promised to give
him the promised eye-salve. " Help me," he added, '* and I
shall not only not kill you but shall also reward you with
a fine fat full grown ox." Th^ woman agreed and applied
the medicine to the eyes of the tiger. The tiger greatly
pleased, presented the old woman with the promised ox.
The woman ran into her village delighted and related the
whole story to the village folk. They all were very much
surprised and were very anxioiis to see the ox that the
tiger, had given her. They all went to the place, and to
their astonishment found the fat ox there. They forth-
with killed and flayed it and exposed the skin to the sun
to dry : the woman's little son was seated on the skin,
while the villagers were cutting up the ox.
POLK-LORE. 65
After a while the little boy tried to get up, but could
not do so as the skin had dried on to him. Finally they
all went away leaving him alone firmly fastened to the
skin. The tiger returned and finding him sitting on the
skin, asked him what he was doing there all alone. The
b(»y told him, how the skin had stuck to him and nobody
had helped to free him. When the tiger heard this, it
became very angry and told the boy, that he would bring
another ox, and when all the people had again gathered
together to divide the meat he would frighten them. So
the tiger went back and returned again with a big ox.
The boy highly pleased, sent and called all the villagers
who came running at once and began to cut the ox to
pieces as they had done on the previous occasion, getting
the boy meanwhile to sit on the fresh skin. Then all on
a sudden the tiger bounded on to the scene with a mighty
roar. Very much frightened all the people ran away as
fast as they could and the tiger gave the boy the whole
of the flesh which he took home and distributed among
his relations only. The boy had now a pair of nice skins
which he was very anxious to sell, and for this purpose
he started one day for Salur. On his way he came to a
place which was infested with robbers. The boy, being
afraid of them, climbed up a tree with his skins. Soon the
thieves arrived and sat down just under the very tree, on
which the boy was hiding himself. They commenced
dividing their stolen property consisting of gold and costly
articles. The thief who divided the treasure was
accused by another that his distribution was unfair, all the
stolen property was therefore again collected and a second
thief began to apportion it, and another quarrel ensued.
Thereupon their leader, becoming very much excited, said
9
66 FOLK-LORE.
that if tbe shares were really disproportionate and unjust,
he hoped that Paramushesa would come down and des-
troy him with lightning. At that very moment the boy
on the tree dropped his two skins upon the leader's head.
They fell, making a great noise, which so greatly fright-
ened the thieves, that they left all their treasures and ran
away as quickly as they could. The boy now got down
off the tree and appropriating all the treasure himself, re-
turned home. On arriving there he sent his mother to
his uncle's house, to borrow his measure, to calculate his
wealth. The uncle, curious to learn what the boy want-
ed to measure, stuck some wax at the bottom of the
measure and gave it to the old woman. The boy
measured his money and returned the measure to his
uncle. On examming it, he found that some rupees had
stuck to the bottom of his measure, and his curiosity was
roused to find out how his nephew had accumulated such
wealth. He accordingly went over to his house and en-
quired of him, how he had earned it all.
The boy told him that he had realized the money by
selling the skins at Salur. " Go there," said the boy, '* and
sell the hide piece by piece to the Brahmins and you will
certainly realize an immense quantity of gold." When
this news reached the ears of the inhabitants of the vil-
lage, they all began to kill their cows and oxen, took the
skins and started to Salur to sell them. They went
directly to the Salur Brahmins, who were very much alarm-
ed as they cried, " Buy cow skins ; buy cow skins !" All
the Brahmins of the town assembled drove them out of
their streets. The villagers returned home very angry
and decided on burning down the boy's house the follow-
ing night. The boy hearing this bid his brother secure
I
FOLK-LORE. 67
the money effectually and also bang up four pumpkins,
one in each corner of the house, so, that when they burst
by the heat of the flames, the incendiaries would be
under the belief, that it was the bursting of their heads at
cremation. The following night the house was set on fire
and tlie villagers hearing the bursting of the pumpkins
concluded that both mother and son were dead. The
next morning the boy collected what charcoal he could
find from the rains of his house, put them in a bag, which
he placed on a bullock and left the village.
On the road he found a large number of Pitari
bullocks, that were carrying sacks on their backs. He
drove his bullock into the drove and watching his oppor-
tunity drove off one of the Pitari's bullocks in its place.
When he found himself once again alone in the jungle, he
examined the bullock's load and was delightea to find that
it consisted of rupees, gold, and many valuable articles.
Greatly pleased, he returned with it to his village and sent
his mother again to his uncle to ask for his measure. The
uncle, adopting the same procedure as before, let him have
it. Discovering tliat it had again been used to measure
money, he went over to his nephew and asked him, how he
had come to such wealth. The boy told him that he had
been to Vizagapatam with a load of charcoal that he had
collected from the charred remains of his late home, and
that the inhabitants bought it from him at a fabulous price.
When the uncle told the villagers this, they all set fire to
their houses, collected the charcoal and carried it to
Vizagapatam for sale.
Their continued cries of " Charcoal ? Charcoal"? dis-
turbed the inhabitants so much that they drove them
from the town. Greatly enraged at the boy's conduct, the
68 POLK-LOBE.
villagers resolved to kill him. After stitching him into
a big sack, they first of all gave him a good sound
beating and then threw him into the river. Floating
down on its surface the bag ultimately drifted to the side
of the stream adjoining the road. Here the boy lay in
his bag and began bemoaning his fate. " Of what use to
me is all my gold, silver and treasure ?" A Mahomedan
merchant, who was riding by accompanied by his very
beautiful wife, hearing the boy's groans, asked him where
the gold, he spoke of, lay. The boy replied, that he had it
with him in his sack. The Mahomedan forthwith cut
open the sack, and the boy was released.
Again the Mahomedan asked him where the gold was ?
The boy told him to go into the bag and take it out.
Anxious to get the gold the Mahomedan crept into the
bag, which the boy quickly closed and tied up with a
strong rope and threw it into the water. As soon as he
had finished this, he took the Mahomedau's wife and rode
off with her into his village. His uncles and several
others were very surprised at his reappearance with this
fair creature and questioned him about his possession of
her and of the horses.
The boy told them that m the deep hole, where they
had thrown him, there were many girls and horses
whose beauty surpassed that of the one, he had brought
with him and that he had brought only this one girl and
two horses.
His statement encourged many of them to go there
and suffer themselves to undergo the same treatment, he
had survived, bat alas ! the denouncement was not equally
satisfactory.
I
b'OLK-LORK, 69
VIII. — Paramushesa and the Poor Widow.
Once there lived an old widow in a certain village.
All the rich people despised her and denied her any help.
She lived in an obscure hut with her little son. One
day, owing to a heavy fall of rain, her hut leaked very
much. She made a little fire in the corner and sat near
it.
God pitied this poor widow and came down from
heaven in the disguise of an old man, trembling a]id shiver-
ing with cold. He asked all the people in the village
to let him warm himself near their fire. But every one
flatly refused. At last he resorted to the hut of this old
widow. She immediately received him into her hut
showing him every respect, and seated him near the fire.
Then the old man changed her hut into a splendid tiled
house, after which he suddently disappeared.
IX, Paramushesa and the Wicked People.
There existed once a small village which was known
for the wickeduess of its inhabitants.
One day Paramushesa visited this place in the dis-
guise of a very old man covered with wounds", and trem-
bling with fever and cold. He went to each house asking
the residents for help, but they all looked down upon him
and ordered him away. In his rounds he called on an
old woman, and sought her help. She received him into
her house and bathed his feet with hot water and seated
him upon her bed. Then the man told her, tluiL as this
village was so notorious for its wickedness, its inhabi-
tants would be destroyed and, that she alone would be
70 FOLK-LORE.
saved. He told her to go to different houses aud borrow
what money and valuables she could and bring them
to him. The old woman replied tliat she was so very
old that nobody would help her. But the old man insist-
ed that she should obey him.
She accordingly obeyed his behest and, going round
the village begging, returned with a big bundle full of
things. Then the old man warned her to quit the house
at once as the whole village was about to be annihilated.
The woman immediately obeyed his command. A fall of
rain, unprecedented in magnitude, descended and inundat-
ed the whole village, drowning ics inhabitants.
X. — The Three Fairies.
There lived once a king and a poor widow in a certain
village. She had a son, who one day went to a river for
a bath. The water was very high, as it had rained very
much. To his great delight ho found some chittigi
paggata flowers, which came sailing toward him down the
stream. He collected a few of them and decked his head
with them ; iifter his bath, he went to the cour^ of the
rajah. The rajah very much astonished asked him, where
he had obtained the flowers from. The boy replied, that
he had i'ound them in the river, but thai he did not know
whence they came. On receiving this reply the rajah
threatened him, that unless he furnished him with some
more of these flowers, he would be certainly beheaded.
On hearing this, the boy became terribly afraid,
returned home and became utterly dispirited. His
mother asked him, why he was so sad and dejected and
had refused his food. The boy acquamfced her with
FOLK-LOBE. 71
fche rajah's rviliug that in case he did not procure some
more of the same kind of flowers, his head would be cut
off. His mother directed him to eat his meal first and
then go direct to the riverside taking along with him a
couple of days' food. " When yon reach the place," she said,
'• vou will be encountered by three Rakshasas, who will en-
deavour to devour you. Do not be afraid, but courageously
advancing towards them address them by the term,
" Uncle," and tell them your story, then you will find that
they will take pity on you and will extricate you from
your present dilemma." The boy accordingly made up his
mind and started off towards the river. There he met a
Rakshasi who advanced to devour him, but on being
addressed as " Uncle" changed his intention and instead
asked him gently what had him brought there.
T'he boy told him that the rajah wanted chittigi
paggata flowers and so he had come to ask the Rakshasi's
permission to gather them.
The Rekshasi replied, that he had never even heard
the name of tljose flowers, and that, if the boy would go
to the Rakshnsi's brother, he might obtain some clue as to
their whereabouts. ^V\\^ brother, however, could not as-
sist him in the matter. Thereupon he proceeded to the
place where the third Rakshasi resided. There he was
informed that there was a large tank in the east, where
three fairies resorted daily to bathe, leaving their clothes
on its bank. The Rakshasi instructed him to go there
and run away with their clothes ; when doing so, he would
find that they would call on him to return their clothes
or they would order him to look back. He was forbidden
to obey either of the two orders. The boy accordingly
called at the place and ran oft' with their clothes : though
75 POLK-LOER.
they called to him not to do so, he would not listen, but
unfortunately, at an unguarded moment, he looked back,
whereupon he dropped dead.
The Rakshasi came to liim, covered him with plan-
tain leaves and restored him to life again., Repeated) 3^
did the fairies call to him, but he took no notice of the call
and ran away to the Rakshasi's house. The fairies pur-
sued him there and demanded a return of their clothes,
but he unblushingly denied ever having taken them.
Then the fairies offered him their little sister in mar-
riage if he wo aid return their clothes.
The boy consented, whereupon they immediately
raised a pandal, and when the bridegroom plunged his
hand into the waterpot, the bride began to laugh, that
from her mouth the Chittigi paggati flowers began to
drop into the water. The boy received the flowers and
asked his wife to follow him to his native place. The
fairies refused to send their sister along with him, but
they gave him a zither and told him that, when he want-
ed them, he was to play upon it and they would at once
present themselves.
Having received a carriage from the third Rakshasi,
the boy started off to go and visit the second Rakshasi
who presented him with a rope and stick. After he
reached his house, he began to play upon the zither. The
three fairies at once appeared. When the servants of the
rajah heard the music and saw the beautiful fairies they
hurried to their rajah and informed him of the facts.
The rajah sent for the boy and accepted from him the
flowers. Being very much captivated by the beauty of
the fairies, he concerted ;i pla,n to kill the boy, by order-
ing him to procure some lion's milk.
FOLK-LOB£. 78
The boy went home directly and sought the assist-
ance of the three fairies who summoned all the lions to
be present and handed them all over to the boy and told
him to call upon the rajah in company with them. As
soon as he entered the rajah's capital, these lions caused
great havock in the town.
Hearing this, the rajah became very much alarmed
and, more than ever, determined to kill him, ordered hira
to fetch him a poisonous serpent.
He immediately called on the fairies for their aid and
they, without delay, created an innumerable number of
virulently poisonous anakes, which he took to the rajah,
and left them in the town.
Many of the inhabitants of the town were bitteL
and died. Believing that a ferocious lion would kill the
buy, the rajah commanded him to capture one alive for
him. The boy by the same aid obtained one and brought
him to the rajah, after it had killed many of the inhabi-
tants on its way to the place, creating thereby a great
uproar in the town. The rajah finally determined to kill
him by throwing him into a dark pit. After the boy had
returned home one of the rajah's servants came to say
that the rajah had sent for him.
The fairies gave him a mouse and instructed him to
keep it with him whereeverhe went. On his presenting
himself before the king, he was thrown into a pit, but
the mouse dug an outlet for him, by which he escaped and
returned home. The rajah now much chagrined and
disappointed decided to send him to another king who was
instructed beforehand to kill him as soon as he arrived.
In obedience to the rajah's behest the boy started on his
way to the other king, taking along with him the rope and
10
74 FOLK-LOBB.
the stick that had been given him by the Rakahasi. On
his arrival the king seized him, upon which the boy rub-
bed his rope and stick. The rope at once twisted itself
around the rajah's legs and arms, while the stick began
to give him an unmerciful beating. The king in his
agony promised the boy to give him his kingdom, if he
would liberate him from the torture of the rope and the
merciless blows of the stick. The boy immediately com-
plied and freed him. The rajah kept his promise, where-
upon the boy went home and returning with his wife lived
happily in his new kingdom for a long time.
XI. — The Big Tank and Laomaodu.
There was once a Naidu who was very rich and good,
but he had no children. The husband and wife were on
one occasion bemoaning their lot and wondering what
they would do with their riches and how their family
name could be perpetuated in the world. They decided
on having a tank dug. The next morning the Naidu
sent for the bariki and bade him gather all the inhabitants
of the village to help him in digging the tank and he
promised to pay his coolies four annas hire a day.
All the inhabitants came with their oxen, pickaxes
and spades and dug a tank that measured twenty-four
miles in length and the same in breadth.
It took three years to complete it. After the work
was done, a little hole was discovered in ife, which could
not be filled in. The Naidu himself went to the place and
inspected the work. While walking along the bank, he
became drowsy and fell asleep. He then dreamed
a dream, in which three little girls came to him, touched
FOLK-LOB R. 75
him and told him that, unless he offered up his wife in
sacrifice, the bank would not stand.
The Naidu went home and told his wife his dream.
The wife replied, " What am I ? We constructed the tank
that the name of our house might be perpetuated. What
can give me more pleasure, than to do anything that will
contribute towards the success of our undertaking." She
accordingly dressed in her best clothes and decorated her
neck and head with flowers and with a mark on her
forehead proceeded to the tank. While she was praying,
the bystanders rapidly piled basketfuls of earth over her
and thus buried her.
No sooner had she been buried then the banks of
the tank settled down and the leakage stopped. The vil-
lagers returned home delighted. After all had returned
home, five women came to the tank cleaning their teeth on
their way. During this process they spat a great deal.
When they arrived at the tank and stooped down to wash
their faces, the buried spirit spoke as follows : '* You are
great sinners ; you have polluted the whole road, that you
have passed over, with your spitting. You must there-
fore turn all that polluted ground into a tank, if you wish
to expiate your sin.
At that time there lived a rajah, who used to lend
money on the understanding that the debt should be
liquidated at Lakkapur, when it could not be returned
in this world. These five women borrowed from him
five thousand rupees. The rajah requested them to re-
pay it only in Lakkapur- These five women returned
home with depressed spirits. While they were going, they
came across afield, which was planted with brinjals
There they saw the head of an ox, which was stuck on a
76 FOLK-LORE.
stick. This head looked at them with an amused expres-
sion. These women were quite astounded at this and
asked the h^ad to explain itself. The head replied, " You
are very thoughtless creatures. Why have you borrowed
such a large sum ? It is quite impossible to repay it.
Look at Djy state, I was paid only nine rupees, and for
this amount I had to plough their fields all my life. I had
to work both day and night, and at last they killed me for
my flesh, and even now after death it is my fate to be
impaled on this stick to act as a scarecrow. Such being
the case, how daring is it of you to borrow five thousand
rupee ! You are certainly destined to go into everlast-
ing perdition."
These three women were terribly afraid at these
words and went back to the rajah and begged him to
accept the money back as they despaired of ever being
able to repay it even in heaven. The rajah became high-
ly irritated at this and sent them away with the money,
telling theui that they must repay it in heaven. He bid
them either to throw it into a river or spend it on chari-
table purposes, but he would not accept it. These five
women returned home sad and dejected, and there met a
shepherd's lad, who was a dwarf. He shouted out,
" Sisters, sisters, why are you so sad ?" The five women
surprised went to him and told him their story. They
attributed their misfortune to having started at an inauspi-
cious hour. On hearing, what they had to say, the boy
encouraged them by bidding them not to be afraid, but to
be courageous. The advice he gave them was that they
should get a tank dug for the five thousand rupees and
then erect a pillar in the middle, on which they should
engrave the rajah's name. He warned them not to ap-
propriate to themselves a single pie out of the five thou-
11
FOLK-LORE. 7 /
sand rupees, but that they should proclaim throughout
the length and breadth of the country, that the whole
concern belonged to the rajah only and to no one else.
"Thus will you absolve from the guilt of borrowing this
debt. In your next birth," the boy said, " you will be
born queens of the earth." Thereupon one of these women
asked him, how he knew this. The boy said, that he had
discovered it from the expression of their countenances.
They accordingly dug a very large tank and published
the news as they had been instructed all over the earth.
These five women departed this life after a year and were
reborn again in Lanka, whose king married them. He
ordered five strong forts to be built for them.
They all lived together happily till the king of
another country questioned the King of Lanka's title to
the throne and declared war.
Then the King of Lanka sent his son to heaven, that
he might cause to fall therefrom a heavy rain of tire
on the new king's forces, which were thus destroyed.
The new king suffered a great defeat and retreated.
He, however, again collected a great and powerful
force and returned to the fight. A sanguinary battle
took place between them, which lasted for a period of
twelve years. The King of Lanka was reputed to be so
powerful, that he could at one time seize hundreds of his
enemies and devour them. Some of those, he swallowed,
however, used lo effect their escape through the pores of
his skin, while others found their liberty through his ears
and nostrils. The King of Lanka was ultimately killed
and the invader's flag of victory waved over the country
for six months. The conquering army went all over the
country ravaging the country and ravishing the women
78 FOLK-LORE.
of Lanka, who were remarkably beautiful aud prolific. At
that time children were conceived in as many hours as it
now takes months; the population, therefore, increased
very rapidly.
The land and houses in Lanka were exceedingly
magnificent. Most of them were artistically roofed with
paddy and other cereals and the inside of the houses
were overlaid with gold. After six months the king
decided to return home and ordered his armies to follow
him. He then discovered that his army was enormously
increased owing to the new wives that the soldiers had
taken and the children that had been born to them.
These wives and children were prohibited from fol-
lowing the army. But they represented their case so
strongly, that the king, recognizing that they were his own
soldiers who were to blame, took compassion on the poor
women and built them a large town named Sheva,
where they could stay and possess the surrounding-
country, promising them his protection. Then the king
returned homo with all his army leaving these women
and children in Lanka, where they all lived happily and
undisturbed.
After the king had returned to his country,
his servants frightened him, saying that the King of
Lanka's elder brother nam.ed Laomaodu, who was a most
formidable enemy, was still alive in Lanka. The king
therefore decided on returning to Lanka and removing
this dreaded rival. A new difficulty now presented itself
owing to the water of the intervening sea, which was said to
possess strong petrifying property. To prove the truth
of thi«, the king dipped the tip of his little finger into it,
with the result that it at once was petrified. He ampu-
1
lOLK-LOEE. 7 9
tated the part aft'ected. Then came a Vanar, who
placed his hands on the shores of Lanka, while his feet
rested on the Indian shore. The whole army marched
across over his back, which became very sore, but the
king healed it and it ultimately turned into gold.
When all his soldiers had crossed the sea, they pitch-
ed their tents in f^aomaodu's kingdom. At this time
Laomaodu was attended by his barbers, who were
shampooing his head by hammering it with twelve big
hammers. The king was reputed to be so strong, that
on one occasion he took seven elephants and battered
them together till they died. A messenger was sent by
the invading monarch to tell him, that he had come to
invade his (Laomaodu 's) country, but Laomaodu's faculty
of comprehension was so dull that he failed to grasp the
purport of the message and did not even lift his drooping
head to hear it, whereupon the messenger, enraged at his
indifference, struck him on the head with one of the
hammers.
This act recalled the king's consciousness so much
that he with a puff of his breath blew the njessenger
away to his own village a hundred miles away.
The messenger returned to his king and told him
what had occurred.
The king gave him a large sack full of rupees and
bade him proceed to Laomaodu again and ask him to
exchange the silver for gold, but Laomaodu declined.
The messenger 1 hen made a very sporting offer that
all Laomaodu's gold should be weighed against the silver
that the messenger had brought, and the king whose
coin weighed the lighter, should hand over his dominion
80 FOLK-LORE.
to the other. In spite of Laomaodu'.s best efforts, his gold,
even when added to that of his subjects, failed to out-
weigh the invader's silver.
Laomaodu then refused to abide by his agreement,
and the next morning the war began and a sanguinary
battle took place. All Vauarulu were slain on the battle-
field and their king, the invader, was so severely wounded,
that his body became thin and transparent. Laomaodu
was also wounded, but whenever a drop of blood from one
of his soldiers fell on the soil, innumerable new soldiers
were born again. When Sita heard about the perilous
state of her husband, the invading king, she told him,
" that she would fire an arrow if her husband Ramaswami,
the invading king, would lay his hand upon the arrow,
when it was being discharged, and at the same time she
would stretch out her tongue over Laomaodu's surround-
ings, so that the blood of all his soldiers would fall upon
her tongue instead of on the ground as heretofore and
then no more new soldiers would be created. It had been
decreed of God that Laomaodu's life could only be taken
by a woman. Sita did as she had promised." She shot
her arrow and covered the whole battlefield with her
tongue. When one arrow was discharged, it became a
thousand arrows and killed all the enemy. Then the
whole army of Laomaodu was annihilated and the king
also was killed.
Ramanabramha had only left ten men out of a
hundred thousand and gave the town of Laomaodu to his
younger brother Vibhishana, who lived there happily for
many years.
FOLK-LORE. 81
XII.— Krishna.
There was once a shepherd boy who was in charge
of a large flock of sheep aad goats. He had one day
climbed a tree covered with flowers, and was playing his
flute, when seven girls came to a tank close to chis tree
and began to bathe.
The boy did not approve of this as they were pollut-
ing the water in the tank for his herd. He therefore
got down from the tree, robbed their clothes and ran away
with them climbing up into the tree again.
After a while these seven maidens came out of the
tank and the youngest of them was the first to notice
that all their clothes had been stolen. They were natu-
rally very distressed. However they draped their
bodies with leaves from the trees surrounding them. The
shepherd boy had, however, constructed a fence, covered
with brambles to tear from their person? their leafy
coverings, when they crossed it, as they would have to do.
In order to overcome this difficulty the seven mai-
dens draped their bodies still more plentifully with
leaves, wondering meanwhile, who the thief could be.
Then the young boy with short h;gs, who had stolen
their clobhes and had erected the fence, was disco-
vered on the tree by the youngest of the girls. They
concluded that he could be none other than Krishnamurti,
their nephew, for he had short legs. Hearing him play
upon his flute, they came close to his tree. They saluted
him with their right hand, covering their nakedness with
the left and asked him to return their dresses. Krishna-
murti demanded, that they should salute him with both
11
82 FOLK-LORE.
hands. They obeyed bending their heads down to then-
two hands. He however insisted on their assuming an
upright posture and saluting him with both their hands ;
lielpless, they complied with his order and begged of him
to return their clothes. Kristna agreed to do so, if the
youngest girl consented to marry him. This too was
agreed to and the clothes were returned.
Xlll.— A Strong Believer in God.
There was once an old man living with his aged wife
and twelve children. The father supported his family by
collecting and selling firewood. One day, while in the
forest, he was bemoaning his fate, when he observed a
swarm of ants issuing out of their holes with large quan-
tities of grain. Then the thought struck him, that
the loving God, who provided for so many insignifi-
cant ants, would certainly do the same for him. He
immediately threw down his firewood and returned home.
On reaching home, his wife questioned him, why he had
returned so soon and that with empty hands. He replied
that Paramushesa, while feeding innumerable ants, would
certainly support them also. Persisting in his belief, he
had his hands tied behind his back and fastened to a pillar
in his house. When the villagers saw, how matters stood,
fearing that this poor man would die of starvation, they
supplied him with rice. The old man refused their aid on
the ground, that that supply would last only for a day.
He bade his friends leave him and his alone, as he had
great faith that Paramushesa would feed and protect him.
Id this state that old man passed nineteen days, devoting
the time to fervent prayer to Paramushesa, that he would
I
FOLK-LORE. 88
help and protecfc him. At last his God heard his prayers,
came dowD, made a hole in the roof of his house aad
dropped a number of scorpions and centipedes on him.
The old man wrongly concluded that some of his own
people had done it and thought to himself, '* though they
intend to kill me, I am not in the least afraid." He
further declared, that even, if Paramushesa would send
down on him serpents and venemoas reptiles, he would
not mind. Hearing this, Paramushesa did send down
tserpents on him, but the old man stretching out his hands
adjured them to bite him, so that he might decide, whether
Paramushesa intended to kill or to save him. To the
surprise of the villagers the snakes did him no harm.
In those days people believed that a man coald live
for 19 days without food, but that on the twentieth he
would surely die. His poor wife was therefore very dis-
tressed to think that he would die so soon and she beg-
ged him to return to the earning of his livelihood for her
and the children's sakes. He, however, flatly refused to
do so. At last the wife becoming desperate, decided on
drowning herself and proceeded to the tank, to carry out
her determination, when a big pot full of gold fell on her
head.
She returned to the ho\'*se rejoicing with the pot ol"
gold, and showing it to her husband, bid him get up and
see the fortune, she had received, which would suffice fur
their maintenance for several years.
But the husband was not satisfied with what his wife
showed him. Paramushesa now became very afraid, lest
this poor man waiting for his help, should die. and all
people would lose faith in him. He therefore poured
84 . roLK-LOBE.
down on the poor man's hut a shower of rupees, and
gently told him, that he might have whatever wealth he
desired.
The old man questioned him, as to who he was and
learned, that he was Paramushesa, who bad seen all his
troubles, difficulties and great faith in him, and so had
taken pity on him and helped him. Paramushesa also
rejuvenated the old man. His wife's surprise may be
imagined, when she thought, she recognized her husband
in the young man of fourteen years of age, who sat sur-
rounded by his wealth. She, however, asked him, who he
was and learned, that it was actually he, her husband, and^
that Paramushesa had not only removed his poverty but
also had renewed his youth besides teaching him many
languages.
The wife questioned him, as to how he had been
rejuvenated and why the same blessing could not be
extended to her. Her husband told her that, if he dis-
closed the maiatram (enchantment) by which Para-
mushesa had renewed his youth, he would instantly die.
She however was persistent, so he determined to acquaint
her with the mantram. He prepared for death and
ordered a supply of dry wood for his funeral pyre.
Together they went to the burning ghat. On the way,
there were sheep grazing round a well. One of the ewes
addressed a ram, requesting it to jump down into the
well and get for her the green grass growing there.
The ram told her, that he was not such a fool, as to
risk his life for her joke, as on his death she would very
soon find another mate. The ram's reply taught the
.FOLK-LORE. 85
husband a lesson. He refused to reveal his mantram,
whereupon, the}^ both returned home and lived happily
together for many years.
XIV. —The Seven Daughters.
Many years ago there lived an old man with his
wife and seven daughters. He used to earn a living by
collecting and selling wood. His seven gii-ls being
possessed of good appetites, left but very little food for
their poor father. One evening the hungry father
suggested to his wife, that after the seven daughters had
retired to rest, they both should enjoy the one fowl that
they had left.
The wife seemed at first unwilling, but at last con-
sented to do so. About midnight, when all the girls
were fast asleep, the father asked his wife to kill the fowl,
but the eldest daughter heard this and starting up said,
that she would kill it. 'J he father told her to be quiet and
not to awake her sisters, promising her a part of the fowl.
After a while another of the daughters got up and asked
him to allow her to pluck the feathers of the fowl, to
which he very ungraciously cousented, bidding her to do
the work quietly. In the meantime the third girl awoke
and ottered her help to wash the pots, and so, while the
fowl was being prepared, they all, one by one, awoke and
assisted their father so much in consuming the meal, that
after all he enjoyed very little of the fowl. The next
morning the father went deep mto the forest and there he
found a nice tree laden with luscious fruit. He (fathered
a large quantity of them, and fastened one of them to the
hairs of his head. He returned home in the evening with
S6 FOLK-LORE.
a big load of fire-.vood. He seated himself in front of his
door aud began scratching his head.
Then he called one of his daughters and asked her
to clean his head of parasitic insects. The girl to her
surprise, found the nice fruit hidden in his locks. " There
is plenty of this fruit in the forest," said the father.
" I have found a large tree full of them ; you all
may accompany me to the forest and eat as many as you
like, and in the meantime, while you are enjoying them, I
will go and collect wood." The next morning they all set
out for the forest, which was a long distance away, and to
their great joy found the tree.
All the girls sat under its shade and began to eat
the fruit, while the father went into the forest to collect
wood. After he had gone some distance, he atta''hed a
dry hollow pumpkin to a tree, so that the wind should
blow into it and make a sweet sound.
The seven girls supposed that their father was near,
chanting a psalm, they all remained there eating the
fruits and anxiously aAvaiting their father's arrival, till it
became quite dark. By that time they all became
very thirsty. When night closed in, the elder girls warned
the younger ones to keep quiet so that a tiger might not
discover their whereabouts and kill them. Then they all
slept there through the whole night. The next morning,
when they awoke, they saw some storks hovering over
them and, as they were all very thirsty, they followed
them expecting to find water. After running some time,
they came to a big tank, and being very thirsty they
all ran to it. Immediately they touched the water it
I
FOLK-LOEE. 87
dried up completel3':and thej were left standing on the
bund sorry and tearful. After a little while the spirit of
the tank called the seven sisters and said, " Give me
the ring of the youngest sister and I will come again."
At this request they were all very sorry, but as they
longed to be able to assuage their thirst, they gave away
' the ring and the water appeared again in the tank.
& Then they all drank as much water as they de-
sired and regained their spirits now that their thirst had
been assuaged- They were however very much troubled
in mind at their youngest sister having had to part with
her ring.
The eldest sister unable to bear her sister's mourn-
ing over it aoy longer, waded into the tank and finding
her ring, handed it over to her, but at the same moment
she sank belosv the surface and disappeared. On this the
youngest sister, being very much distressed at her elder
sister's disappearance, ran into the tank to find her, but
the tank swallowed her up and restored the eldest sister.
Full of sorrow and vexation for the loss of their youngest
sister, they all went again into the forest and came across
a nice fine building, which was the abode of a big tiger,
but the tiger had gone out, so they all entered it and
found it full of fine rice, butter and all the necessaries
of life.
Here they prepared a suuiptuous dinner and deliber-
ated as to what their next step should be.
Then they climbed up a flight of steps to an upper
storey.
As soon as the sun set, the tiger returned to its
building and found it arranged neater, than it had ever
88 FOLK-LOBE.
been before and seated himself happily and comfortably
in his parlour. As he found some cooked food ready, he
ate it with great pleasui-e and relish.
While he was enjoying it, he thought what a pleasure
it woald be for him to do those who had prepared it, a
good turn.
The next morning the tiger went away again, and
after it had gone, the six sisters got down the staircase
and prepared their meals and left some of it for the tiger,
again retiring upstairs. The tiger returned in the even-
ing and enjoyed, what they had left. One of the six sisters
just then asked the others, whether it would be well to
drop a piece of butter down for him to enjoy. They all
consented and a piece was thrown down, which fell upon
his back beyond his reach. The tiger enjoyed the smell
of the butter but could not get at it He said to himself,
" What a crooked world this is. My mouth was enough
for rae all this time, but it is now of no use to me. If I
can get a hole burnt into my back, my S3''stem will be
able to receive this nice butter, which is now of no use
to me."
Thus soliloquizing, he went to a blacksmith, who
was at first very terrified at seeing him, the tiger telling
him of his difiiculty, asked him to burn a hole in his
back with a red hot iron, that he might enjoy the butter.
As soon as the blacksmith found out that the tiger
was really anxious to be burned, he prepared a red hot
iron, but before using it, warned hnn that the burn would
be very painful, and suggested the advisability of his fixing
his head between the rungs of a ladder. The tiger con-
sented, and. the blacksmith having fastened his head so
J
FOLK-LORE. 89
securely as to render escape impossible, burned him to
death with the red hot iron. The six girls upstairs heard
the tiger's soliloquy. Finding that he did not return,
they presumed that he was dead. They lived a long time
happily and comfortably in the house, consuming all the
nice things that the tiger had provided.
After a long time the king of the country came into
the forest to hunt. One of his suit happened to come
across the tiger's home, and when he saw one of the six
girls he was struck dumb with her beauty and returned
quickly to the king and said :
" You are the king of this country, and yet you are
not aware, that this forest contains six young girls of
surpassing beauty."
On hearing this, the king started for the tiger's house.
When the girls observed him coming, they locked the
door. The king entreated them to let him in, as he was
very anxious to take them all to his palace, promising to
build a separate suite of rooms for each of them and load
them with jewels and whatever else they desired.
Yielding to his persuasion, they opened the door and
the king entered the house and they all returned with
him to his fort. It took several days for bandies to
convey the tiger's belongings to the king's palace.
The king fulfilled all his promises, and then sending
for the six girls told the eldest one that he would marry
her and that the other five girls were at liberty to marry
any other persons and live happily in their palaces, he
supplying their needs. One day, when the five sisters
were sitting in their chamber, they observed from a
12
90 FOLK-LORE.
window an old man and an old woman passing along the
street with toothpicks for sale.
They recognized their parents and sent for them.
When they came in, the girls received them courteously
into their palace but overjoyed began to cry. They wept
for such a length of time, that the old couple began to cry
too, although they did not recognize these girls as their
daughters.
When the king heard their crying, he went to the
girls' palace and they related to him all their past
history. He was greatly surprised and also pleased to
see their filial affection and gave the old parents per-
mission to stay with their children , so they all lived
together many years in great happiness and comfort.
XV. —The Foolish Village Headman.
Once upon a time there came a Mahomedan riding on
a crippled mare, having been thoroughly drenched on his
way by a heavy rainfall ; he soon reached a small village
in the neighbourhood, and tied his horse up to the beam
of an oil maker house and sought for shelter and a night's
rest in his verandah. During that night the mare foaled.
When the oilmonger saw the colt, he called his wife
and told her that the beam had foaled. The Mahomedan
awoke in the morning and was very glad that his mare
had foaled ; but the oilmonger claimed the foal as his, be-
cause he maintained that it was the offspring of his
beam.
They both quarrelled over for the ownership of the
colt. To settle their dispute, they both resorted to the
POLK-LOBE. W
Naidu of that village. IVelve men were engaged to
decide this dispute. The more they dived into this
strange case, the more perplexed they became and were
all totally at a loss what to decide. In the meantime
a jackal happened to pass that way, and they at once
called it and related to it all the inexplicabilities of
the case and the difficulty and trouble they had undergone
to settle this dispute. All this time the jackal was
standing aloof rubbing his eyes with his paws, pre-
tending that he was very sleepy. Seeing this, the Naidu
and the other men asked him, what the matter was with
him and how it was that he was drowsy though it was
broad daylight.
The jackal told them that he was very tired as the
big sea had been set on fire and he had to procure a cer-
tain quantity of straw to extinguish the flames.
Then these men became more than ever puzzled at
the jackal's words and asked him, how the sea could be set
on fire and how could he put its flames out with bundles
of straw, as this was all contrary to the laws of nature.
The jackal rejoined that their statement was equally
absurd. On receiving this reply, the Naidu and all
the assembly left feeling greatly disgraced and ashamed
and gave the case in favour of the Mussalman and inflicted
a fine of Rs. 10 on the oilmonger.
I
92 POLFT-LORE.
XVI.— The Pious Woodcutter.
Once upon a time there lived a husband and his wife,
who used to go into a dense forest every day to fetch
wood which they sold in the town. As they were alone
in the forest, the husband climbed a tree to break off the
dry wood, as he always did.
The wife, who sat alone under the tree, heard a
noise which she could not recognize, but she called her
husband's attention to it on the tree, and he advised her
to climb up into the tree if she could.
Then the wife immediately uttered these words, " If
Paramushesa who is all powerful permits you to kill the
Kangaras and helps me to climb up the tree, I will do it.
Then the husband got down from the tree, and when
he saw that ten * Kangaras were approaching him, he began
to pray; " Oh, Paramushesa, thou art my father and mother,
why did yoa send these men to deliver me to the devil
Penu ?" To this Grod answered, " I have not sent them,
and I will help you to slay them all." The man on
receiving this reply took courage and with his knife in
one hand and his beal in the other, killed all the ten
Kangaras.
After he had done this, he told his wife to get down,
but the wife refused to do so. She said that he was a
great sinner for having killed so many men and that she
would not stay with him any longer.
The husband replied that he was no sinner as Para-
mushesa had helped him to destroy them.
Kangaras means men, who catch people for human sacrifice.
K)LK-LOBE. 93
" I£ Paramushesa gave you such strengtli and help,"
his wife answered, " he would also grant me permission
to climb down the tree safely." Then the husband told
her to pray as fervently as he had done before; accordingly
she folded her hands and prayed earnestly to him with
the hope that he would show her what to do.
While she was praying she, all on a sudden, found
herself sitting on the ground alongside of her husband.
She said that she could not see God, but could perceive
his acts. The husband asked his wife to stand on one
leg as he did and pi'ay to God. She obeyed him and they
both prayed devoutly saying, •' Paiamushesa, Kadegei,
Pakagei, Lord Dharmamurty, what return can we poor
people make to thee for having delivered us from evil
spirits."
Immediately Paramushesa presented himself before
them. The wife ran away at once to fetch fresh water.
She brought it and washed his feet and they both drank
this water and vanishing flew up to heaven.
XVIl.~The Fakir King.
There was once a king and a (jueen who had no
children, but they were very rich in laud, gold and had
many subjects.
One day the king told the queen that he wished to
abdicate and become a fakir so as to reach heaven. He
therefore bade her take a hollow pumpkin on her head for
94 FOLK-LOEE.
water, while he took a stick on liis shoulder, and then
they would both visit some holy places in the forest.
The queen became very angry and refused to follow
her husband, asking him what benefit they would derive
by visiting the recesses of a fo)'est or a holy shrine.
She recommended that they should remain where
they were and spend their time and riches in relieving
the distress of the poor and indigent. She maintained
that this was a far surer way than his of reaching
heaven. The king, however, did not agree with her but
was in favour of leading the life of an ascetic, as by
adopting this course all their loyal subjects would enjoy
their wealth, while there was no benefit to be derived
from retaining theii* position simply to receive the
respects of their subjects. Though he decided to abdi-
cate, he permitted the queen to remain in the beautiful
place and to do as she liked. But the queen would not
live there alone as her subjects would despise her and
consider her unworthy to be a queen. She therefore
consented to start with him. On hearing this the king
consented to allow her to follow him, provided she w^ould
obey him in all matters and would never go against his
will. The queen gladly consented to this and they both
started leaving everything behind them. One day they
happened to come upon a market, which was full of bustle
aud noise. The king ordered his queen to remain in the
middle of the market place that he might publicly show
his love for her. The queen refused to do so.
The king was immediately carried off into heaven,
but the queen was left alone there exposed to humiliatiou
and beggary.
FOLK-LORE. 95
XVIII. — The Fox and the twelve Chickens.
Once there lived a hen with twelve chickens. While
they were all feeding near the village, a fox spied them
eagerly but did not harm the chickens as it pitied them
very much, but it took away their mother.
XIX.— Bhimudu.
Once upon a time a man named Dharma Uaja was
living in a certain village with his brother Bhimudu. He
called Bhimudu to cut down the tree on a hill so as to
prepare a new field for cultivation.
First, when he began his work, he cut down a tree
with two strokes of his axe.
Taking into consideration the great trouble it would
be to cut down each tree separately, he threw his axe
into the forest with the result that all trees in it
were cut down in a minute. After he had done this, he
burned the wood and prepared the field for sowing.
Bhimudu asked his sister for the seed to be sown.
She took some Korra seeds, scorched them over the fire
and put them into a bag which she gave him. Bhimudu
took away the bag to his field, and when he opened it he
found the burnt seeds, which he proceeded to unhusk by
rubbing them between his hands. The husked corn he
ate and sowed only the husks which sprang up and
yielded a splendid harvest. Bhimudu not anticipating
such a favourable result was very much afraid, because
he had eaten the corn and so I'an away from home into
the forest. After a time Dharma Raja went hunting for
96 FOLK-LORE ,
Bhimudu and found him standing on a mud wall, the
elder brother ordered him to stay near his fields and
watch them. Bhimudu obeyed and took his seat on a
stone near his fields. Many parrots came and commenced
destroying the crops. Bhimudu got very angry, took a por-
tion of the mountain in his hands, smashed it into powder
and threw it over the parrots. They were all smothered
and Bhimudu took thern to his brother. Dharma Raja
shocked at the death of so many birds, stretched his
hands out over them and cried " Rama, Rama" ? where-
upon they were all restored to life and flew away.
XX.--Paramushesa as Helper.
An old man and his old wife were once living in a
certain village. The old man went out every day to
earn a living by carrying out any odd jobs he could
find in the neighbours' houses. From morning to night
he was busy fetching firewood or carrying water. His
hire for the day consisted of a handful of raggi, some
onions and salt. The old mansan did the same. She
worked from morning to evening every day, cleaned the
pots and pans of the villagers, ground their corn and
received at night some raggi, onions and salt.
" What have you brought ?" asked the old man, when
his wife returned home one evening. " What did I bring r
Look here, Paramashesa Rao has given me some corn, let
us cook and eat," she said. She gave the old man the
major portion and kept the minor for herself, and both
sat down to dinner. They always made it a rule to give
FOLK-LORE. 97
some of the corn to their fowls, chickens and pigeons and
some to those poorer than themselves.
After some time both became lame and could work
no longer. They both hobbled away from home into
the forest. " What are we to do now ?" asked the old
woman. "I do not know," replied the old husband. •• We
have neither son nor daughters to feed us." " But look, old
man," said the woman, '•' who is it that feeds the blind
worms and insects of the earth ?" " Paramushesa,"
said the old man. '•' He feeds and looks after them."
The old woman then asked, " As we are old, lame and
helpless, will not Paramushesa feed us too ?" " JNo,"
said the old man, " there is a great difference between
us and the blind wormSo Paramushesa appears to them and
talks with them, but as we are sinners, Paramushesa
will not talk to us."
" Listen," said the old woman, " I had a dream last
night." "■ What was it ?" enquired her old husband. The
old woman told her dream. " There came a boy and
called : " Old woman ! old woman ! My father is calling
you." Whereupon I said, " My father, my father, what
is the matter, father ?" The other said, " Old woman !
Old woman, why will you die of hunger ? Here are
two fruits. If each of you eat one you both will renew
your strength and shall rule a kingdom and live com-
fortably, but always remember to pray to Paramushesa.
After you have eaten these fruits you will live in close
communion with Paramushesa."
That is a beautiful dream, said the old man, spring-
ing up and looking round the forest.
13
98 FOLK-LORE.
He observed in one part a tree full of fruit.
Quick as his feet could carry him, he went to it, took
two of the fruit, gave one of them to the old woman and
one he ate himself. At once they got so strong that
when looking at each other, the one could not recognise
the other. A shepherd saw thera and asked them, " Who
they were." "We have just been born?" said the old
man. Paramushesa alone knows to which place we
belong. •' Paramushesa has given you new life again,"
said the boy, and the old man nsked him, " Where is my
father ?" " I do not know whether he is far or near," said
the boy, but when the old man asked permission to call
him, the boy told him to do so.
The old man then cried aloud, " My Father ! my
Creator !" whereupon Paramushesa aj)peared and said,
" I have again given you new life. From now you
shall worship only me. The whole earth, which you see
before you, is yours, you shall reign over it. Behave
well and live in peace." So saying Paramushesa disappear-
ed.
XXI.— The Just and Almighty God.
There were once several boys bathing in a big tank.
A poor blind boy joined them and standing near the
side in filthy water was pouring it over him. His body
therefore became dirtier instead of cleaner. The other
boys went into the deeper parts of the tank and poured
clean water o\ r themselves. After a while Para-
mushesa came with his wife. AYhen she saw the poor
blind boy, she said to her husband, " You have
FOLK-LORE. 99
committed a great sin, because jou have made this
boy blind." " No," said Paramushesa, " this boy would
be a very wild rude boy and would kill many if he could
see." " Please," said his wife, " give him his eyes again.
I wisli to test the truth of your statement." Paramu-
shesa gave the boy hi^ sight, whereupon the boy
began to beat and kill some of the other boys. AVith
horror the wife saw it and asked her husband to make
the boy blind again. " You told me," said Paramushesa,
" that I had committed a sin. This is quite impossible
for me as I never sin. 1 have to feed all men and
animals, and I gave the boy his eyes, but now you ask
me to make him blind again. This sin must be at your
door." The boy was made blind again to stop his evil
ways. The wife of Paramushesa then took a little ant
and hid it in her money box. She then asked Para-
mushesa again if he really was feeding all living things.
" Yes," said her husband. " I feed them all." Then she
opened her money box and showing him the little ant and
asked, " Are you feeding this little thing also ?"
" Yes," he said, and when she looked she saw that it
had a grain of rice in its mouth. At once she folded her
hands in supplication and worshipped him as the only
true God. Then they went home. In their house they
had in their bedroom a very big looking-glass. The
ofoddess lookinor into it said, there is none in this world
so beautiful and strong as my husband, and of all women
in the whole world there is none so beautiful and powerful
as I am. Paramushesa heard this and forthwith
saluted all four points of the compass.
His wife astonished, said, " You are the greatest of
all, why are you saluting another ?" said he. " I always
100 POLK-LOEE.
bow down in reverence to you, and, as there are on all four
sides still more powerful women than you, I wish to show
them reverence as well." " How is that ? I do not believe
it," she said. " Yes," he replied " come out with me and I
shall show you another woman who is stronger than you."
As thev went, they sa ^vr a farmer who, when ploughing his
fields, was bitten by a poisonous snake and fell back dead.
All the villagers with great lamentation put him on a bed
and carried him to his house.
The wife of the dead man decorated herself, combed
her hair, oiled and ornamented her face, dressed in her
best clothes, ornamented herself with flowers and called
on Paramushesa for help. When Paramushesa came
accompanied by his wife, she fell at his feeti, weeping,
and begged him to revive her husband. He gave her
the power to recall her husband to life.
The woman went near her dead husband and bade
him to sit up, which he at oace did to the great astonish-
ment of all the villagers, who were struck dumb with
surprise.
Then Parauiushesa said to his wife, " This wife is
stronger than you, she has raised her husband from the
dead, you could not do this, were I dead." The woman
hearing tl.is, was convinced, folded her hands and
worshipped her husband in supplication.
PRINTED BY Q. C & CO., MADKAS
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
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