Indian Antiquary Vol 23

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 5

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY,
A JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH.
VOLUME XXIII.-1894.
THE DEVIL WORSHIP OF THE TULUVAS. FROM THE PAPERS OF THE LATE A. O. BURNELL.
Preface by Major B. O. Temple. TN 1882 my former friend and correspondent Dr. A. C. Burnell died, and when his library
was dispersed in 1883. I secured, through the kind offices of Mr. Quaritch, the MSS. which I now publish. They are bound together in & volume of 825 leaves of large quarto writing-paper of various qualities, written generally on both sides, making up altogether 650 pp.
There are in addition ton colored plates of devil-dancers by native artists, which have been reproduced for me by Mr. Griggs, and will be found in their appropriate places later on.
The title of the book as published is that given by Burnell on the cover of his MSS.
The contents of the volume are best described generally in the words of a note, in Burnell's handwriting and signed by him, found on the fly leaf at the commencement :
“This contains & collection of the Tulu incantations, used at the ceremonies of Bhuta worship as practised in South Canara, and which are chanted by the pombadas or priests. The first 5 are from Dr. Mögling's MS. (at Mangalore). The next 5 were written down by a Tântri (Tulu Brahman), at the Mangalore tahsildar's request, for me. The remainder were collected by agents I sent to different places, and several were dictated by a blind pombada, named Kanta, who also gave me information as to where other such compositions could be heard. They are all oral and contain many words not now in use. The pombadas are very averse to reciting them to strangers. The figures shew the dress of the priest who dances, and who is supposed to personate the Bhůta. They are from actual observation by people in my service.-A. Burnell." The contents are really as follows:(1) Jumadi-pardano ...
... 13 (2) Pañjarli (3) Deyibaidi-pârdano ... (4) Koti Channayya-pårdanos .. (5) Járântâyana-sandi ... ...
... 123
Dotarli
...
... ...
10 15
1 The cover having been partially eaten by rats, I was obliged to have the volume rebound, 2 i. e., the illustrations.
* The numbers refer to MS. Leaf numbers. • I follow the MS; strictly throughout.
This seems, however, to be part of the precoding story, and the vorsified version is followed by one in prose.