________________
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1896.
all kinds should be used at a Brahmao's funeral.97 The feeling is widespread in India that the decline of the power of spirits during the present century bas been due to the sound of the British drum. The shag Dörghỉ said to Capt. (Sir W.) Sleeman (A. D. 1832): "So great is the Company's fortune that, before the sound of their drums, sorcerers, witches, demons, even Thags flee.'99 So in Gujarit, the decline of the number and power of evil spirits is believed to be due to the sound of the British drum. Its pig-skin end scares Musalman spirits; its cow-skin end scares Hindu spirits. The Ceylon fiend-priests generally belong to the drummer class.100 According to a Persian belief the evil spirit is kept at a distance by the outery of a three-year old cock, an ass, and a righteous man. At Karirun, near Maskât, in 1821, guns were fired and a great noise was made to drive off cholera. At Baghdad, on an eclipse of the moon, the people get on their house-tops and clatter pots, pans and other kitchen dishes, howl and let off firearms to frighten the Jinn who has seized the moon. In Central Asia, at the time of the great Changêz Khải, the Mongols made an outcry to scare the evil spirits who cause eclipses. The practice still prevails.
The LÂms of Tibet use dead men's thigh-bones as trumpets to call to prayer, and their skulls as drinking cups. The young Lamas go about dancing to the sound of bells and other noisy music, and at the beginning of every month they make a procession with black flags and figures of clay attended with drums and music, which they believe chases the devil. Lâmá physicians cure certain cases of spirit possession by sounding music, of which evil spirits are afraid.7 Drums are beaten to drive away the evil spirits which annoy the Buddhist hermits. Among Tibetan Baddhists cymbals are one of the eight essential offerings or sacrifices. The noise of drums, cymbals, trumpets and horns at Lâmî ceremonies is notable.10 The received opinion is that this noise is to attract the attention of the demon guardian, not to scare him. This belief is due to the changing of the demon king into a guardian whose infinence is friendly, not hostile. To drive away the death demon, Lâmás loudly beat a large drum, clash cymbals, and blow a pair of thigh-bone trumpets. The laymen shout, cut the air with their weapons, and cry · Begone."! In a Tibet funeral a Lima goes in front of the body, blowing & thigh-bone trumpet and rattling & hand-drum. He holds the end of a white scarf which is fastened to the corpse. The voice of the sea-conch summons the Tibetan to prayer.13 The Burmese carts have grouniug wheels which can be heard miles off. The louder the noise the more the cart is prized. Every bullock has a bell to keep off tigers. At a Burman funeral musicians attend to play dirges, and monks come to keep evil spirits away.16 The Karens of Barma sell their children to buy hollow metal drams which drive off evil,16 The Burmese executioner dances round a victim, makes feints with his sword. and bursts into wild laughter or yells.17 A Red Karen chief in the East Burmah hill lands cured his daughter of bowel disease by firing a gun over her twice at midnight.18 The Manipürls of North-West Barmah sing at their festivals, in carrying loads, and in other hand-work. It is a compliment to a person to raise a song in his honour.19 In 1542, the Siamese had a yearly festival in which the king in his barge with many boats charned the waters with great noise and shouting.20 The accession of the king of Siam is accompanied with a tremendons noise of gongs, drums and conch-shells.21 The 97 Colebrooke's Miscellaneous Essays, Vol. I. p. 156.
Sleeman's Ramasiana, p. 158; History and Practice of the T'hags, p. 104. • The late Mr. Vaikuntram's MS. Notes.
100 Jou mal, Ceylon Asiatic Society, 1865, p. 12. 1 West's Pahlui Tezte, 1880, p. 113.
. Frazer's Khorisan, p. 63. • Notes and Queries, Fifth Series, Vol. VIII. p. 414 - Howorth's Changiz Khan, p. 143 6 Rerille Les Religions des Peoples Non Civilisés, Vol. II. p. 191. 6 Faria in Kerr's Voyages, Vol. VII. p. 15; Schlagintweit's Buldhism in Tibet, p. 229. 7 Schlagintweit's Buddhism in Tibet, pp. 267, 268.
• Op. cit. p. 163. • Waddell's Buddhism in Tibet, p. 425.
10 Op. cit. pp. 431, 432. 11 Op. cit. p. 495. 11 Op. cit. p. 104. Hoc and Gabet, Vol. I. p. 88.
Shway Yoe's The Burman, Vol. I. p. 98. 16 Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 347.
16 Fytche's Burmah, Vol. I. p. 339. It Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 149.
18 Government of India Selections, Vol. XXIV.p.39. 19 Op. cit. Vol. XXVII. p. 51. 20 Bassett's Sea Legends, p. 422.
11 Jones' Crouens, p. 437.
