Indian Antiquary Vol 19

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

Page 83

FEBRUARY, 1890.]
MISCELLANEA.
75
formulas already mentioned. The only difference | sacrifice which was to destroy them. The connex. is that instead of cult,' or 'honouring,' the word ion with water is further extended to lakes. The 'love' is used.
valley of Nepal was originally the Naga-Hrada, Not only in literature, but also in sculptures and the Hydru is a water snake. and the like do we see the same serpent-culture.
Finally, in the rainy season the snakus all Siva is the Nagachada or Nagabhoshana, and we come out of their holes and du most mischief. often see representations of the linga encircled
All this accounts for the worship of the snake in by a snake. Sculptures are often given of a male
the rains, and for the fact that it is in the month and female snake in close embrace, the former
of Sravana (July-August) there is prescribed in five the latter with one head. Finally, we the Gyihya-Sätras that ceromony, with which the find many tribes such as the Nagas, and the
sarpabali and the snake-sacrifice are so closely family of the Raja of Chutia-Nagpur, boasting
connected. The ceremony commences on the full of their descent from snakes.
moon of Srivana and continues daily till the end In the Grihya-Sútras, we find the serpent- of the rains, and sacrifices are performed to various cultus closely connected with the rainy reason. gode, specially Agni, with prayers for prosperous In the Vedat, as already remarked, the clouds are rains, and for protection from all danger, espeinhabited by an evil demon, a dragon, who prevents cially from the snake. But at the same time the them giving forth their life-producing drops; and snake is throughout the sacrifice honoured and what we, to the present day, call a war of the addressed. The whole ceremony as laid down in elements,' was then described as Indra's fight the Grihya-Sutras is minutely described by Dr. with the dragon. So also in other mythologies Winternitz, as far as the offerings of flowers and the gods and heroes, Apollo and Herakles, Odin wood. This is followed by the ceremony of the and Sigurd, Thôr and Siegfried ull fight with Barpabali itself which is reserved for the conthe dragon. In the Mahabharata itself we find cluding portion of the article. With this the first memories of the origin of this superstition still portion of a most interesting paper is concluded. lingering, and the snakes determining to bring The second portion is promised in the following rain-clouds to extinguish the fire of Janamêjaya's ' number.
G. A. GRIERSON. NOTES AND QUERIES.
ELVES IN MADRAS. South India has its elves in the kuttichatris, him, is to oblige any person knocking at a door who are mischievous, but not malicious.
to answer four times before admittance, as the One favorite trick is to assume the form of an elves only call three times, and if they get no absent relative and knock at the door of the answer they go away. house. If admitted, he will spoil the house food. You can always tell & kuttichátrí by his having Food that turns sour or bad, when prepared over no feet, and it is as well to examine the lower exnight to stand for the morning, has been the trenrity of all persona entering your house. sport of a kuttichitri! The way to counteract' Madras.
S. M. NATESA SASTRI.
BOOK NOTICES. SELECTIONS FROM THE RECORDS OF THE HLOTDAW,spondence at Rangoon and Lower Burma under • compiled by Taw Sein Ko, Government Translator, the British Government, and is still a souroe of and published by authority. Rangoon, 2889.
much grumbling at Mandalay, where the Lower At the taking of Mandalay, a very valuable Burma style is held to be harah, uncouth, and Record Office and an official library fell to the impolite. British Government, the contents of which have
But apart from their interest as samples of been carefully catalogued, and stored at Rangoon, the India Office, and other places. From time to
style, the present extracts are valuable as his. time Selections of the Burmese Records are
toriopl documents, and as an index to modern
Burmese customs and manners. They aru divided being published, and the volume before us, which is entirely in Burmese, contains extructs from the
into Royal Orders, Laws, and Regulations, Con.
tracts, Lease and Licenses, Civil and Criminal Records of the Hluttaw (officially Hlutdaw for some occult reason) or Priry Council Chamber.
Law Proceedings, Letters to and from Provincial
Officiale, Papers relating to the Shân States, MeraoThe main object of the recorde would appear to
randa and Instructions, and Ecclesiastical Papers. be to note the style in which official Burmese WHS written at the Court. This differs con- As an instructive commentary on the Edicts of siderably from that in vogue in official corre. ' A söka und similar documents, and the danger of
im polite.