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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1885
creation; who manifests himself in the heavenly laminaries; whose disposition towards his creatures is benevolent, but is sometimes un able to reach its aiin; and who demands from them only a distant and formal recognition, or none at all. Whether these are vanishing traces of a primitive revelation, or the result of their own reflections, or have been borrowed from the religion, particularly the Hari-worship, of the Hindús, we will not here inquire. It is, at any rate, certain that the contemplation of their higliost god has little effect in regulating conduct.
Another god of a similar character, but second in rank, is worshipped chiefly by the Kolarian tribes in Central India. This is Marang Buru, or Great Mountain. Remarkable peaks, bluffs, or rocks, not unnaturally suggested to their simple minds an idea of Divinity, and called forth their reverence. Since from such places descend the streams which irrigate the fields, Marang Baru has become the god to be invoked for rain. Offer ings are made to him on the summit of the hill, or other object, in which he is supposed to reside.
It is not, however, with the superior gods and their decorous worship that we have most to do in describing the deities of these rude tribes. Their chief concern is to keep the peace with a host of minor gods, with whom their imagination has filled the whole realm of nature. In the forest, the field, the houseeverywhere these beings throng. They are mostly of a jealous, revengeful disposition, and seem to take a malicious pleasure in teasing mankind. Fortunately, they are not insensible to human blandishments, and he is pretty sure to prosper who most assiduously cultivates their good-will, wbich can best be done by pro viding for them some toothsome dainty. It would be quite unnecessary to record lists of these lower gods, whose names are legion, since their attributes and the worship by which they are propitiated are everywhere of the same general type. A few characteristic examples will soffice. The Singhpos recognise three spirits called Nhats, who preside respectively over the higher, the lower world, and the household. Offerings of fowls, dogs, and
on special occasions a buffalo, are made to them. The Chulikata Mishmis declare that the spirits whom they worship are mortal like themselves. The gods of the Abors and Miris dwell in the trees of the woods which cover their hill-sides. They love to kidnap children, whom they can generally be made to restore by proceeding to fell the trees in which they reside. The Nágas say that their gods are created beings, and they are accustomed to vary their offerings according to the dignity of the recipient. Semes, the god of wealth, gets the larger domestic animals; Kuchimpai, the god of fertility, receives fowls and eggs; while Kang. niba, who, on account of blindness, cannot distinguish offerings, gets nothing of any value. They believe that each disease is the work of a special demon, whose business and pleasure it is to spread it abroad; but his malicious design is sometimes thwar'ed by hanging bunches of withered leaves on the lintels of the door to frighten him, or branches of trees are stuck in the paths leading to the village, that the spirit may take them for untravelled ways. Since the tiger is of all beasts in India the most dreaded, it is not strange that a tiger-demon should be recognised. He is worshipped by the Kisans, who think in this way to escape the ravages of that animal. Among the Santils in Ramgarh, only those who have lost relatives by the tiger think it necessary to propitiate the tiger-demon. The Gonds also pay him reverence. Since the deities of these tribes are anthropomorphic, it is a matter of course that gender should be allotted them; hence god. desses are frequently worshipped, and they show themselves not a whit behind their male consorts in malignant and blood-thirsty disposition. The Bhuiyas and Savaras, though recognising the benevolent sun-god, pay special honour to a savage goddess called Thâkuråņi, who was formerly propitiated by human sacri. fices. It is thought that upon her worship is founded that of the Hindu Kali, who once received human victims in this very part of India.
Bat the most remarkable system of human sacrifices, in connexion with the worship of female deities, was that instituted in honour of Tårt, the earth.goddess of the Khonds. Since she
[Thakurlof is the feminine of Thikar, 1... Hari.-Ed.)
