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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1884.
hearted queen held her flashing head higher than ever and langhed, saying: "Love humbles all."
And this is why Westarwan lies for ever stretched out over hill and dale, till he rests his head on Gwashbråri's feet.
No. 3.-FOLKTALE. How the Springs came to Kashmir.. Long ago there lived a holy Rishi" who used every day as an act of charity to give water to all the houses at Khrů. But as there were 1100 houses and only one small stream it was a work of difficulty, and one hot summer there
as scarcely any water at all. So the Rishi prayed to the Great Mother, and she told him to go to a certain marg,' and pick a certain flower that grew in a certain place, and taking it to the Lake at Gangabal,' throw it in. " Then return," said she, "and behind you as you walk will flow Ganga." But remember whatever happens do not look back."
So the Rishi went to the marg, picked the flower, which he carried to Gungàbal in a cloth, and threw it into the water. Then he turned, and lo! behind him rose the sound of many waters following his footsteps.
But the demons' who kept guard were angry, and clapped and beat him on the neck and shoulders, but he took no notice. So two hours passed by till his patience wore out, and at last, when a demon changing itself into
3 The Westarwin ridge is the longest spur into the Valley of Kashmir. This and the remarkably clear tilt of the strato doubtless suggested this extremely fanciful and poetical legend.-F. A. S.
Björnson, writing about Norway (Life by the Fells and the Fiords, pp. 1-4) gives a similarly fanciful account of
how the mountain was clad" apparently straight from some old folktale. As a matter of fact Westarwan does lot lay his head at Gwishbrâri's feet or anywhere near them, though he would seem to do so from the Khru side, where I presume the legend arose. An exoelleent Account of a journey over the country between Khru and Sesh Nag traversing most of that lying between Westar. xin and Gwashbrari, by the late Col. Cuppage, is to be found at pages 206-221 Ince's Kishmir Handbook, 3rd 1.d., 1876.-R. C. T. • Told by Pandit Nánd Beo at Khru.-F. A. S.
Rishis, in the Puranic times the seven inspired sages "o whom the Vedas were revealed in the epic times ily person of extraordinary piety or austerity in
cilern times mythical personages supposed to have neon sages who practised unexampled austerities and wore possessed of extraordinary piety, and thus attained to supernatural powers.-R.C.T.
Maharane; this may be Durga - devi, the wife of Siva, the Great Goddess, or Matri - Prithivi, Mother Earth, or again, in modern times, any goddess, through the matards, the divine mothers, originally the mani. estations of the energies of the deities; now they are local village deities worshipped all over India.-R.C.T.
Marg'a mountain meadow.' They abound in Kashmir. ride Gulmarg, Sonamarg, eto., ) connected with Sansk Hindi. and Panj. märg, a road,' a hunting track.' R.C.T.
& wasp stang him behind the ear, he turned sharply round, saying "Don't, Brother," don't." And lo l the Gangå turned too, and flowed back into the Lake. Then the Rishi prayed again to the Great Mother, but she was angry. At last after many days she said: "Gangå you cannot have, but take the cloth in which you carried the flower, and wherever you spread it out a spring of Gangå water will rise."
So as a penance for his disobedience the pions Rishi travelled all over Kashmir, and wherever water was scarce, he spread out his cloth, and lo! a spring appeared.
No. 4.-SUPERSTITION.
The Yech. The Yech or Yach" is a sort of woodland demon or sprite which entices men away from the right road at night by calling in a human voice, "Oh brother, oh brother, you are going on the wrong path : come this way." If the unwary traveller follows this advice the Yech eats him."
The original form of the Yech is that of an animal smaller than a cat, of a dark colour, with a white cap on its head. The feet are 80 small as to be almost invisible. When in this shape it has a peculiar cry described thus
Chot, chot, chu-t-ot chot.
It has the power of assuming any shape. Very often when coolies are sleeping out at
GangAbal. See ante, p. 231.-B. C.T.
Ganga, the sacred river, the Ganges in common belief any stream held unusually sacred from any reason.
R.C.T. 10 This kind of incident is common, see ante, Panjal Folklore, the story of the White Hind.-R. C. T.
# The demons guarding water are now known as Baran kedata Varuna-dita, messengers of Varuna or the Ocean Varuna's messengers are celebrated in the Vedic mythology, not in any way however as demons, but as the spies of the mighty God of Heaven, who numbera the winkings of all men's eyes. "His spies descending from the sky glide all this
world around, "Their thousand eyes all scanning eweep to earth's
remotest bound.-Muir's Sanskrit Texte.-R. C.T. 11 Bhai is the word. Hind. brother, & common term of friendly Balutation.-R.C.T.
13 1. e. to the GangAbal.-R.C.T.
1. There is no doubt as to the origin of the modern Yech, called in the Kångrå District and in the Panjab generally Yeksh. In classical times the Yakshas, Prák. and PAL Yak khas, together with the Guhyakas, were attendant on Kuvers, the god of wealth, and were guardians of his gardens and treasures. In ancient days they were variously described as inoffensive, harmless, supernatural beings, and 88 malignant imps who ate men. The general outline of the ancient belief in the Yakshas has been wonderfully preserved to tho present day.-R.C.T.
15 This is the tradition in Kingra where the Yeksh has been much confounded with the Churll, the malignant ghost of woman who has died in childbirth.-Vid. Panjab Folklore, ante, passim.-R. C. T.
