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NOVEMBER, 1878.]
SÅNTÅL IDEAS OF THE FUTURE.
273
SÂNTÂL IDEAS OF THE FUTURE.
BY Rev. F. T. COLE, TALJHARI. SOME Santåls believe that after death relations were making preparations for burning
they at once enter another world, while the corpse, some one uncovered the pitcher to others imagine that the spirit hovers about near get water. The lizard immediately escaped, and the place where it left the body. Others, again, returned to his abode in the body of the dead fancy that the spirit is born anew in another man. At once the man arose, to the great astoperson. In proof of this they tell the follow- nishment of the by-standers, and asked them ing story :
why they were weeping. They answered that Once a lad of five years old was presented they thought he was dead, and were preparing to with a bracelet by his mother. While out one burn his body. The man told them that he had day shepherding, he took off this bracelet and been down a well to get some water to drink, but hid it in the hollow of a tree. Soon after he had found it difficult to get out again, and that got home he fell ill, and died without mention- he had just returned. The truth now dawned ing what he had done. His spirit entered a upon their minds that the well was the pitcher of woman in the same village, and in the course of water, and that, on account of its having been a year he was born again. When he attained covered, the man had not been able to escape, the age of five, he recollected that during a but that as soon as he did escape he recovered. former sojourn in the world he had hidden The people say that if they push wood into a bracelet. He mentioned the fact to his a fire with the feet they will have to suffer the mother, and begged her to accompany him to perralty of having their feet burned in the next a certain spot. At first she refused, saying it world. And if they see a piece of grass or straw was all nonsense, and that she had never given on a man's head they immediately remove it, or him a bracelet. However, afterwards, upon his they will have to carry large bundles of grass repeated entreaties, she consented to go with on their heads hereafter. him; and, sure enough, upon arriving there, In the next world there will be nothing but the boy at once found the bracelet where he hard work, their principal occupation being to had deposited it. His former mother, happen- grind dead men's bones day and night in a ing to see it, claimed it as having belonged to mortar, using the stalk of the castor oil plant her dead son, but the boy declared it was his as a pestle. They will have but one chance of own, and so it was concluded that the boy had getting a little rest-that is, t've men, if they can been born a second time.
chew tobacco, can sometimes beg for a few The Sântâls also believe that our spirits very minutes' respite under the excuse of preparing frequently change their abode, entering at their tobacco. When the taskmaster calls them will into the bodies of men or of animals. A to return to their work, they say, "Wait a favourite resort of the departed spirit is in the moment, Sir, I have not quite finished preparing body of the large red lizard. Cows and buf- my tobacco." Then they make pretence of faloes, dogs and pigs also become abodes of the rubbing it to a powder in the palm of the hand spirits. Very quarrelsome people are said to (mixing a pinch of line with it, to give it pun be possessed with the spirit of a dog. It is gency) as vigorously as possible, but as soon as supposed by some that the spirit of a man the taskmaster torns his back they will again leaves the body in the form of a lizard. In prepare it very slowly. In this way they manage proof of this the following story is told :- to prolong their rest. But woe to those who
One day a man fell asleep, and becoming very cannot chew tobacco or smoke the hukah! For thirsty his spirit left the body in the form of a this reason every Sântâl makes a point of lizard to obtain water from a pitcher close by. learning the practice in this world. Women It so happened that just as the lizard entered who have children can also obtain a little rest, the pitcher the owner of the water covered it, under the plea of feeding them. When told to not knowing what had happened : consequently return to work, they say, “Oh! wait a few the spirit could not return to the man's body, minutes longer, Sir, my child is very hungry," and he died. While his sorrowing friends and while really the child is but nestling in her bosom.
