Indian Antiquary Vol 16

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 24

14
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1887.
worship. Their chief priest is styled the Ku- seems to me that the modern custom in Bavaria tuchta, and in former days was subjeet to and in other parts of Germany, amongst the the Dalai Lama, but in course of time schisms higher as well as the lower classes, of dressing arose, and he established himself on an equal their young infants very lightly,-usually with footing with his superior. The Kutachta only one cotton garment, and placing it on its never exposes himself to public gaze except on back on a large pillow which is folded over certain particular days, when with much pomp the body, leaving the head alone visible" is a and ceremony he is carried in procession to survival of the ancient cradle-board.' a tent covered with velvet, where he sits In the matter of shoes, too, there is much cross-legged on a throne, with the Lamas on similarity sometimes between the East and the cushions around him, and a figure on each side West. Mr. A. Mitchell in a most interesting representing the divine essence. The whole work" says-"I once met a funeral procession assembly then prostrate themselves on the in the Highlands (of Scotland), in which one of ground, and burst out into loud acclamations the men, who carried the coffin wore shoes made in praise of the Deity, and lofty eulogiums of the nntanned bide of the ox, with the hair upon the Kutuchta. The Lamas next throw still on it. Such shoes are known as rivilins, odoriferous herbs into their censers, with and are described in books of costumes as the which they perfume the figures, the pontiff and shoes of the ancient Britons. They are corthe whole congregation.
rectly so described, and have properly a place Cow-dung, as we all know, is a sacred' in collections of antiquities, and yet it happens object in India, and, in very ancient days at that there are thousands of people in Scotland least, it seems to have been so formerly in who wear this shoe at this hour. It is in Europe; for Winckelmann, who wrote in the most common use in Shetland, where thoulast century, mentions in his History of Ancient sands of pairs could, at this moment, be purArt, that Pampbôs, one of the most ancient chased, and likewise in the Hebrides. There Greek poets, describes a statue of Zeus as being is probably no older form of shoe known. It covered with cow-dung. The German savant is nothing but a piece of untanned hide folded imagined this to indicate that the presence of when fresh, or moistened, and placed up the the divinity extends to all objects, even the sides of the foot and over the toes, and then most abject. No such error could be committed stitched or closed at the heel and toes with a now, since India is so much better known piece of twine or a thong of the hide, and then than it was in his day, and all who have been secured to the foot, more or less like a sandal." in that country, are aware that cow-dung is A similar species of foot-covering can be seen commonly employed by the natives as a sacred | also on the borders of Central Asia, where purifier. Such a purification, for instance, shoes on the model of the rivilins above deswould be necessary should a man, who possesses cribed are worn by the Ladakis of both sexes.
caste,' desire to drink out of a cup or glass The climate of Ladák being a more inclement which had been used by Europeans, or by one one than that of the Scottish Isles, the Ladákis not of his own caste.
make for themselves a legging of pattu, a Passing from sacred to familiar personal fabric made of the undyed wool of the white customs I would notice that of the cradle- sheep: they then take a piece of raw hide, let board' system of nursing children. From dis- it dry to the shape of the foot, cut it to the coveries made at various times in the graves, required size, and stitch it firmly round the barrows and cysts of different prehistoric foot on to the legging. In very cold weather, peoples, it has been gathered that the practice when about to take a journey, they put as much of nursing a child while carrying it about on flour as they can inside this covering, with the a flat cradle-board' prevailed in Britain and double purpose of keeping their feet warm and the North of Europe, and it is considered very of having with them an additional supply of probable that the same custom was in use at food in case of need. In certain districts in one time over a great part of the world. It Italy, a shoe of the same kind is still worn by
* The pillow is tied together in two or three places " The Past in the Present-1880. with tapes or bows of coloured ribbon.