Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 97

MARCE, 1875.]
BOOK NOTICES.
87
THE URAUNS. The Urauns have hitherto, for the sake of convenience, beon classed with the Kolhs, but we find that they are not connected with the Kolarian tribes who took possession of Chutia Nagpur; they show by their language and their own traditions that they are cognates of the Dravidian race, and a branch tribe of the Rajmahal hill-people. They are the last of those aboriginal tribes who bought shelter in the forests of the Nagpur plateau, and they have now been on the spot more than 1700 years. It is evident that during such a period many of their original habits have either been lost or modified by constant contact with the Mundas and the Aryan conquerors, who have been " lording it" over them ever since the confederate government of the Kolhs had to give way to the mon. archical constitution forced upon them by the ancestors of the Nagavansis. It is therefore not at all surprising to find their language stocked with
Hindi and Munda words, and to see them celebrate the Munda festivals and execute the dances and many of the songs of the latter. They are some what inferior in physique to the Mundas, but their limbs are more pliable and enduring and full of vigour. An Uraun thinks it quite natural to dance the whole night on the Akbra (dancing-place) and to go to his work at once on leaving it in the morning. They are of an exceedingly cheerful disposition and as truthful as the Kolhs. There is only one drawback to this amiable picture of the Urauns, and that is their insatiable thirst. Drunkenness is the national vice of the tribe. Every body drinks, and formerly it was not at all an uncommon thing to find a whole villago completely drunk ; now-a-days they repair in groups of two or three to the grogshops, established in every respectable Uraun village, as early as eight o'clock A.M., in order to take their morning cup.-Friend of India, 10th Dec. 1874.
BOOK NOTICES. RECORDS OF THE PAST being English Translations of the The Assyrian volume consists of inscriptions
Assyrian and Egyptian Monuments. Published under of Rimmon-Nirari, Khammurabi, Samas-Rimmon, the sanction of the Society of Biblical Archeology. Vol. I.
two cylinders and the private Will of SennacheAssyrian Texts, Vol. II. Egyptian Texte.
rib, Annals of Assurbanipal, the Bebistun InThese little volumes of translations are of very scription, Exorcisms, Private Contract Tablets, great antiquarian interest, from the remote anti- Legend of Ishtar, and Astronomical Tables. Of quity of the texts they translate, as well as their the Exorcisms, which are all very much alike, we unique character. The volumes are brought out may quote one--"(On) the sick man by means of under the general editorship of Dr. S. Birch, but sacrifices may perfect health shine like bronze; the translations are "printed as received, and each may the Sun-god give this man life; may Merotranslator is only responsible for his own portion dach, the eldest Son of the deep, (give him) of the work ;" and to make the volumes "as strength, prosperity, (and) health : may the king popular as possible, and make the information as of heaven preserve, may the king of earth presimple as it can be given, the translations are serve." only accompanied by such notes as are absolutely The Legend of Ishtar, the goddess of Love, required to explain intelligibly a few of the more descending to Hades is curious, though the narraobscure passages." We could have wished that tive does not state the object of her descent. We the notes had been far more numerous, and that quote Mr. H. Fox Talbot's version in extenso :the editor had added references from one paper "Column I. 1 To the land of Hades, the region to another and tried to obtain more uniformity of of (....) ? Ishtar, daughter of the Moon-god spelling: 6.9. Mr. Sayce has Carchemish' at San, turned her mind, 3 and the daughter of San p. 14 (vol. I.), and Istar and Nin-cigal' (p. 135); fixed her mind to go there] : * to the House of whlie Mr. H. Fox Talbot has at p. 53 Karkamish,' Eternity: the dwelling of the god Irkalla: 5 to the and Ishtar' and 'Nin-ki-gal' (p. 144).
House men enter-but cannot depart from : & to The principal translators in the first volume are the Road men go--but cannot return. 7 The abode Rev. A. H. Sayoe, H. Fox Talbot, George Smith, of darkness and famine, & where Earth is their and Sir H. Rawlingon; and, as might be expected, food: their nourishment Clay: light is not the work of each is a model for the translators of seen: in darkness they dwell: 10 ghosts, like birds, ancient inscriptions : each line of the original is flutter their wings there; 11 on the door and gatetranslated by itself, but so expressed that we read posts the dust lies undisturbed. on line after line without much feeling the great " 19 When Ishtar arrived at the gate of Hades, difficulty which the translator has thus bad to 13 to the keeper of the gate a word she spoke : 4.0 grapple with.
keeper of the entrance ! open thy gate! 16 Open