________________
MARCH 1, 1872.]
THE DARDS.
89
fair traitor, and, as sole tribute, escacted the offering | Me bast thou made glad o ghi ball! of one sheep, instead of that a human child, annually
Rejoicing, pleasure's price giving, I will buy."
"Then the husband relents and steps over the from every one of the natives. This custom has prevailed down to the present day, and the people
partition beam. They all sit down, dine together, of Shin, wherever they be, celebrate their delivery
and thus end the festivities of the Nos. The from the rule of a monster, and the inauguration
little domestic scene is not observed at Ghilgit ; of a more humane Government, in the month pre
but it is thought to be an essential element in the ceding the beginning of winter-& month which celebration of the day by people whose ancestors they call Dawakió or Daykio-after the full moon may have been retainers of the Ghilgit Rájá Azru iA OVAT and the new noon has set in. The day of Shemsher, and by whom they may have been disthis national celebration is called 'nÔ8 chili,' the missed to their homes with costly presents. 'feast of firs. The day generally follows four or
"The song itself is, however, well-known at five days after the meat provision for the winter
Ghilgit. has been laid in to dry. A few days of rejoicing " When Azru had safely ascended the throne, he precede tho special festivity, which takes place at
ordered the tyrant's place to be levelled to the night. Then all the villagers go forth, having &
ground. The willing peasants, manufacturing torch in their hands, which, at the sound of music,
spades of iron, (killi,) flocked to accomplish a gratethey gwing round their heads, and throw in the ful task, and sang whilst demolishing his castle :direction of Ghilgit, if they are at any distance from Kuro tyto Shiri-ga-Badat je kuro that place; whilst the people of Ghilgit throw it [I am] hard said Shiri and Badat 11 why hard ? indifferently about the plain in which that town,
Dem Singe Khotó kúro if town it may be called, is situated. When the Dem Sing's Khoto [is] hard; throwing away of the brands is over, every man Na chumare killo té rå ko phala then returns to his house, when a curious custom is ob- [With] this iron spade thy palace level I do. Berved. He finds the door locked. The wife then Chaks! túto Suchd Malika Dewi Singe asks: Where have you been all night? I won't Behold! thou Shach6 Malika Dem Singh's. let you come in now.' Then her husband entreats Khoto kuro na chumare killéyi her and says, 'I have brought you property and Khotb hard ; [with] this iron spade children, and happiness, and anything you desire. Té rake . ga phalatém, chaké ! Then after some further parley, the door is opened, Thy palace very I level, behold I and the husband walks in. He is, however, stop
Translation. ped by a beam which goes across the room, whilst "My nature is of a hard metal,' said Shiri and all the females of the family rush into a inner apart- Badat. Why hard ? I Khoto, the son of the peament to the eldest lady of the place. The man
Bant Dem Singh, am aloue hardy; with this iron then assumes sulkiness and refuses to advance, when
spade I raze to the ground thy kingly house. „Bethe repenting wife launches into the following song:
hold now, although thou art of race accursed, of Mi túlé shábiles nó rajó tolyá.
Shacho Malika, I, Dem Singh's son, am of a hard Mù túté shabilès icó ashpa panu.
metal; for with this iron spade I level thy very Mà tútế sabiles nó tumak gine.f
palace; look out I look out!'" Mú túté shabilès wó kangar ginu.
During the Nauroz (evidently because it is not Mú túld shabilès wo ichapan banu
a national festival] and the 'Id, none of these naMi túld shabilès sha mul de ginum
tional Shin songs are sung. Eggs are dyed in difM tá tỉ sabile, có gắng thứno.
ferent colours, and people go about amusing themShabilès sha mul de ginum
selves by trying which eggs are hardest, by striking Ma tutéshabilès, wo gïéy loto,
the end of one against the end of another. The Shabiles sha mul de ginum.
POBBessor of the hard egg wins the broken one. Translation.
The women, however, amuse themselves on those Thou hast made me glad I thon favourite of the Raja! days by tying ropes to trees and swinging themThou hast rejoiced me, oh bold horseman !
selves about on them. I am plensed with thee who do well useat gun and word ! Thou hast delighted me, oh thou who art invested with a
E. - LEGENDS RELATING TO ANIMALS. mantle (of honour)!
1.-A Bear and a Corpse. Oh great happiness | I will buy it all by giving pleasure's
It is said that bears, as the winter is coming on, prion. of thoa (nourishment to ws] heap of corn and store of
are in the habit of filling their dene with grass, and ghee !
hat they eat a plant called ajali, which has at Delighted will I bay it all by giving pleasure's price! narcotic effect upon them and keeps them in a state
• Ponibly this legend is one of the causes of the un- intercourse. I refer elsewhere to the custom of drinking & founded reputation of cannibalism which was given by portaon of the blood of an enemy, to which my two Kafira Kashmiris and others to the Dards before 1866, and of confessed. which one Dardu tribe accuses another, with which, even if Evidently a modern interpolation. it should reside in neighbouring Valley, it may have not Elsewhere called "Shiribadat" in one namo.
14
