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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1895.
offering to a god, the Bhils make kuvari, that is, pure or virgin liquor. The rites are the same as those noted above, except that the distillers must bathe and wear newly washed clothes before they begin the work of distilling.
On every Dasahra day (September October), and also when they first use a new still, the head Kalal pours a little of the first liquor into the oven. He kills a goat, dips his open hands in the goat's blood, and marks each side of the oven with three bloody hands. He drops part of the yoat's liver into the fire, and with red-lead, marks finger-tip circles on the bloody hands. He breaks and distributes a cocoanut with soune of the new liquor. When Parsis first use a still, the owner plasters with cow-dung a space about two feet square in front of the still. He marks the oven with a trident, takes ont some of the fire, lays it on the plastered ground, drops into the fire a little camphor, sandal-wood, benzoin, and frankincense. He sets close to the fire a jighted ghi lamp and an incense stick, and prays: - "Oh Dêvi, prosper my trade. May the liquor be good. I give you your sacrifice." He pours a little of the new liquor on the plastered ground and into the fire, and scatters a few drops in each of the four directions. A goat is brought and a cnp of the new liquor is poured on its back from head to tail. "Devi," says the still-owner, "I bring your sacrifice. Be pleased to accept it." The gont shakes itself in sign that it is accepted. Its head is struck off, and at the same time a cocoanut is broken. Some of the goat's blood is caught in a cup, and poured into the oven and over the still, and a little of the liver and of the cocoa kernel are burned in the fire outside of the still. The flesh of the goat is distributed among the owner's servants and others.66
The chief devices practised by Bombay liquor-sellers to guard the guardian Liquor are as follow. Among Parsis, the nailing on the shop threshold of a horse-shoe, especially of a horse- shoe found on a Sunday or new-inoon day, over which, in some cases, charms have been repeated. Failing a horse-shoe, cross nails are driven into the threshold. Morning and evening, the smoke of benzoin is fanned about the room, especially at the corners. And daily, especially on Sundays and new-moon days, a priest comes and sprinkles the shop with salt water, repeating texts for the scaring of evil spirits. At new moon a cocoanut is broken and the water sprinkled about the shop and entrance, and sugar is eaten by the shopkeeper. Powdered rice is put into hollow tin rolls bored with holes in the lucky figures of fish, flowers and new moons, and these figures are stencilled in the yard and at the threshold. In the spirit-haunted twilight, garlands of jesamines are hung to the shop lamp, round the tops and the taps of the casks, and over the bottles. The Hindu Bhandari uses all these precautions, except the sea-water and the lime figures. Instead, he sprinkles liqnor in the shop-corners, drops some into the fire, and throws the rest in front of the door to keep away or to please evil spirits. He also hangs a spirit-scaring lemon from the roof. Christian Bhandaris have the horse-shoe on the threshold and the jessamine garlands. They also keep cocoa-palm leaves at the door. A man carrying toddy almost always has a piece of a palm leaf in the jar and some palm sprays in his hand.57 In North Italy, and formerly in England, a branch of pine is the tavern sign to keep off souring and other evils. Good wine, in which the guardian influence is specially strong, alone needs no bush. In a Scottish house, after a death, unless an iron nail or needle is dipped into it the whisky turns white,59
In drinking, or after drinking, the risk is great that liquor-loving evil influences will pass into the drinker. The Hindu or Indian Musalman, who is found bleeding or torn from a drunken fall explains :-"I had been drinking in the town but was sober. On my way home I was passing under a haunted tree. The evil spirit who lives in the tree smelt the liquor from my breath, entered into me, and, playing with me, threw me down, cut me, and left me senseless." So, the North Englishman, who, after a drink, loses his way, is pixey-led.59 To save the drinker from the assaults of thirsty spirits, the classic Greek and Roman sprinkled wine, as he dropped crumbs of bread, for the evil spirits.60 Over the guests he hung the evil.
68 38. Accounts, 1837-88. 67 From 3. Accounts, April 1395. 6% Gregor in Golden Bough, Vol. I. p. 176. 29 The Dinhan Tracts, Vol. II. p. 87.
6 Potter's Antiquities, Vol. II. p. 391.
