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May, 1885.)
ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF INDIA.
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by the speculations of civilised philosopherstion. With most of these tribes the sun is seem never to have clouded their child-like regarded as the impersonation of their highest faith. But, teeming as is the unseen world god. The Garos call him Saljang, or Rishi with beings created by a savage imagination, Saljang, and sacrifice white cocks in his honour. we are not to look for an orderly and consistent They say that he resided for a time on the Gåro arrangement of powers and spheres of activity hills with his wife, Apongma, and begat among these deities, such as we find in the children, but subsequently returned to heaven, Pantheons of Greece and Rome; rather, we are where he now dwells. The Bhuiyas call him to expect the condition of things out of which Boram, and likewise offer to him a white cock these developed. Whenever such an elaborate at the planting season. He is worshipped by system of theology is described as worked out the Kharrias under the name Bero, and every by & tribe in other respects low down in the head of a family is bound to offer to him five social scale, it is to be viewed with extreme sacrifices in a lifetime, each oblation exceeding caution, and by no means accepted as genuine, | in value the last one. The Hos and Santals until attested by more than one skilful obser- call the sun-god Sing Bonga. He is representver. An example in point is the account of the ed as being self-created, and the author of the Khond religion by Major Macpherson. We universe. He does not inflict suffering, but is shall be more likely to find confused and even sometimes invoked to remove it when appeals flatly contradictory notions of the gods, blind to the inferior gods have proved ineffectual. attempts to properly adjust human relations The Hos observe a yearly festival in honour of with the higher powers. Though the gods him, at which a white cock and the first-fruits served by these tribes are for the most part of of the rice harvest are offered. Among the a low order, scarcely rising above the level of Santals, the head of the family, every third or their worshippers, still there are here and there fourth year, sacrifices a goat to Sing Bonga in indications of a dim conception of a God an open space at sunrise. The Mundas pray to throned far above these inferior deities, and him when selecting the site of a house. The more deserving of reverence and love. We Korwas worship him under the name Bhagavan, will first search for these. The Singhpos have a Sanskrit word. The Muasis pay homage to a tradition that in a former sinless state they both the sun and the moon, The Orions reworshipped a Supreme God, of whose attributes verence the sun as Dharmesh,' the Holy One. they can give no account; but that they fell They say that he created the world, and that he from that condition, and have since adopted preserves men, unless thwarted by the malice the superstitions of surrounding tribes. The of demons. No oblations are presented to him, Abors and Miris have a vague idea of a God since his good-will is already secured. The who is the Father of all; but as they connect Khonds are divided into two sects, if Major him with the abode of the dead, and call him Macpherson's statement can be trusted. One Jam Raja, it is easy to see that their conceptions sect worship Bara Penna, who manifests himare derived from the Hindu god, YÅma. The self in the sun, and is the creator and benefacKukis, who seem to have advanced farther in tor of mankind. The other sect have chosen their reasoning, or borrowed more, believe in a as their highest object of regard his wife, the Supreme God, whom they call Puthen, who bloodthirsty earth-goddess, Târi, who demands not only created the world, but governs it and a yearly offering of human victims. The rewards men according to their deeds. It is Todas regard the heavenly bodies as gods, and in the last particular that their views are in address them in certain set phrases, but have marked contrast with those generally held by no clear idea of their attributes or requirethese tribes. Puthen has a wife, Nongjar, ments. whoge good offices as an intercessor with her It seems plain, from the facta cited, that husband can be secured by suitable offerings. most of the aboriginal tribes of India have The children of this benevolent pair are, like Bome vague notion of a Power throned far the other inferior gods, of a malicious disposi- above the world, who was concerned with its
[This sluo must be Dharmesa,=Dharmark =Yama.-ED.]
