Indian Antiquary Vol 16

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

Page 71

FEBRUARY, 1887.]
ASIATIC SYMBOLISM.
59
gation, each of whom passed his hands over the other behind its mother. The same mode of the flames, and then touching his forehead carrying children is not uncommon in Spain, seemed to repeat a prayer.
but I doubt its existence elsewhere in Europe. Though, as above said, modern Spanish cus- Also, the movements executed by Spanish toms are largely survivals of former Moorish Gipsy girls when dancing are precisely those of ways, many of them appear to have a still more the hired dancing women of Algeria and of the Eastern affinity. Thus, for example, the plains of India. staple food of the Moors is, and has been In Valencia there is a curious church called for many generations, a preparation of wheat La Patriarca, which no woman is permitted to called kús-kais, consisting of flour rolled into tiny enter unveiled. The name given to this buildpellets with a peculiar motion of the hand, and ing at once suggests that it may be a very old then boiled (or rather steamed), and served one, and the ritual adopted there is said to differ either with ungainly lamps of boiled matton very considerably from that of the other Roman or with various kinds of sauces, each in its sepe- Catholic churches in that city. I visited it rate sauce-boat, some savoury, and some sweet. several times, but was never fortunate enough Kris-kús is eaten with a spoon. But the peasant to be present at an ordinary Mass, as, each time of the province of Murcia, in the South of Spain, I went, only a service for the repose of the is a rice-grower and a rice-eater, as are the souls of the deceased relations or friends of natives of many parts of the plains of India ! those who assisted at it was being performed. He is ignorant of the use of the knife, fork, or To find the origin of this custom, I fancy spoon, and moreover eats his rice in the same we must turn to Asia, where the Hindus manner as the Indian does, by working it up are in the habit of celebrating the anniver. into a ball with his right hand and tossing this saries of the decease of their relations, and the into his mouth with the peculiar motion adopted půjd performed at Benares by all who can by the Indian. The above facts were related to afford to go thither is made (once for all by me in 1884 by an officer of long service in India, the pilgrim) with the object of purifying who had just made a walking tour through the souls of his ancestors. In Spain, if a Murcia, frequently obtaining food and a night's person loses either parent, he observes the lodging in the peasant's houses."
anniversary as long as he lives; if a child, or a Again, the position of the cow-stall in the brother or sister, for a certain number of years ; houses of many Spanish villages is similar to | if an uncle for seven years (I have been that already described (p. 10 above) in the Hill told). A few days previously, notices are sent Districts in India and elsewhere. In the to relations and friends that such a service remoter parts of the north of the Spanish will be held, and all meet at the church, clad Peninsula, which I visited many years ago, in mourning, at the appointed hour. before there were any railways in the country, At Tarragona we find sculptures and symbols and when the particular district of which I which remind us of both Asian and Northern speak had only a year or two previonsly European mythology as to the hare, the frog, been provided with a carriage-road, one actu. and the serpent. ally entered the house through these stalls. It The here has long been everywhere conwas not an easy matter to find the staircase nected with the phenomena of the sky, though which led up to the living rooms of the family, I could never quite see on what grounds. (which when entered were invariably spot. Thus, sailors are said to have an idea that the lessly clean), for one had to pick one's way presence of a dead hare on board-ship will through a number of cows and goats, with bring bad weather. Again the Freyja of Noeta perhaps a pig or two thrown in..
legends, the wife of Odin the storm god, As other instances I would note that the acquired in Saxony the title of Wald-minchen women of Hindustan carry their young children or Wood-nvmph, and hares were her attenon the hip, with one leg of the child before and dants. The hare was also evidently, in older
He also added that he found certain Indo-Persian (Hindustant) words in use in that part of the country, such as bartan for ' plate.' Bartan, however, must
be a local word, as I am unable to find it in the Spanish Dictionary.