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Avaust, 1895.)
SPIRIT BASIS OF BELIEF AND CUSTOM.
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round the field, to keep the dead from coming after the cattle he formerly owned.66 In Germany, till late times, people used to set apart some of euch meal to feed house spirits and dwarfs.66 On New Year's day in Scotland, children went round and asked for bread and cheese.67 When starting on a journey unlucky omens are turned aside by going home, eating and drinking, and starting afresh. In North England, if you ineet a flat-soled man on a Monday, you must go home and eat and drink, or you will come to mischief. Ague is cured in England by breaking a saltish cake and giving it to a dog to eat. A North England cure for a wart is to rab the wart with raw meat.70
Foam. - Spirits fear foam and sweat. In the East Dekhan, spirits will not come near a horse from fear of its foam. So tho Scythian sweated after a funeral to drive off evil spirits.71 The Romans believed that the foam of a horse cured ear-ache, galls caused by over-riding, itch, and many women's diseases. The people of Cyprus cured diseases by applying sweat.73 Sir Walter Scott mentions a friend curing his hand by putting it in the mouth of an Irish horse.74
Garlic. Among lower class Kônkan Hindus the belief is strong that garlic scares fiends. Garlic and pepper rubbed into the eyes, and quashed up the nostrils, of those who faint, restore them to their senses, by, it is supposed, driving away an oppressing spirit. In the Kônkan, when a person is possessed, especially by a mužjá or unmarried Brahman boy, the exorcist quashes pieces of garlic into his ears, or squeezes garlic juice into his nostrils, and the nuuñjá flees.75 Garlic is in Sanskpit called mlécchhukunda, the foreigner's root. Its peculiar smell, besides scaring spirits, cures cold, cough, wind, worms and swellings. It is a great taste-restorer to the sick. In the case of a dislocation, garlic should be pounded, heated and tied to the injured joint. It will remove the swelling and draw out the inflammation. Garlic is a favourite care for acute pain in the side.76 Vinegar, rue, and garlic scare the Parsi devil.77 In Greece, garlic was believed to keep off the Evil Eye, and so was tied up in newly built houses, and was hung over the sterns of Greek ships. To repeat exópodov, the Greek name for garlic, was of itself enough to scare the Evil Eye.78 When it thunders eggs are spoilt. To prevent this Pliny proposes to lay an iron nail in the nest, along with laurel leaves, garlic roots, and other strong smelling plants.70 To keep off local spirits the Swedish bridegroom sews in his clothes strong smelling herbs such as garlic, cloves, and rosemary,80 A German witch will not eat garlic. Therefore, at Shrovetide many people smear themselves with garlic on the breast, soles, and arm-pits, as a safeguard against witches.91 Before Baptism Danish children are apt to be carried off by the fairies : Bo Danish mothers guard their children by fastening over their cradles garlic, salt, bread and steel.82 The eating of garlic was an early English cure for a fiend-struck patient.83
Glass. - Spirits fəar glass, perhaps as they fear the diamond, the ruby, the sapphire, and crystal, because they flash in the dark. Glass is found in Egyptian tombs, with Buddhist relics, and near Roman arns, apparently in all cases to keep off evil spirits. Strings of glass beads are the favourite ornaments of the wilder Indian tribes. The mirror was a sacred symbol, perhaps from the reflections, i.e., the spirits, which swarm in it. The early use of a burning glass to kindle fire would strengthen the belief in the sacredness of glass and its power over spirits. The spirit-scaring power of glass is perhaps the reason why a Hindu married woman wears glass bangles and glass necklaces. The object seems to be to seare spirits from her 65 Spencer's Folk-Lore, Vol. I. p. 280.
os Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, Vol. I. p. 46. Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. I. p. 14. « Henderson's Foll-Lore, p. 117. “ Dyer's Polk-Lore, p. 162.
70 Henderson's Folk-Lore, p. 139. 71 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 480. 73 Pliny's Natural History, Book xxviii. Chaps. 11, 15, 17, 19. 73 Op. tit. Book xxviii. Chap. 3.
74 Scott's Border Minstreley, P. 39. * Information from Mr. P. B. Joshi.
56 Pandit Narsinha's Nighanturdja, p. 63. " Dábistan, Vol. I. p. 348.
Moore's Oriental Fragments, p. 326. 79 Zool. Myth. Vol. I. p. 281. # Chambers's Book of Days, p. 720.
#1 Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, Vol. III. p. 1078. # Henderson's Folk-Lore, p. 14.
# Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 140.
