Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 36

32
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1902.
will take less time than I have said ; because all the people are waiting for the Portuguese. In the city provisions cannot reach them by land, as the roads are often in rebellion; if they do this before the arrival of the Portuguese, how much more after it. All the rice has to come by river ; and it will be necessary to keep watch in the strait that is in the river up above to the north a matter of half a league, by which provisions and help may reach them. Boats can be placed there ; so that, the strait being held, so that nothing can come, all is.in your power. If the mandarins should think of fleeing, it would be to this creek : here is their salvation. In this creek galleys could lie, and one can come from this creek to the city by land, as it is near. There every mandarin arrives, and thence his arrival is made known; and then he enters, and horsemen come by land to inform the mandarins of the city what mandarin has entered.
Done in the year 1584.
(To be continued.)
THE SPRING-MYTH OF THE KESAR-SAGA.
BY REV. A. H. FRANCKE.
(Continued from p. 341.) Additions to the Sage from other versions.
Preliminary Note. Tas Keser Saga is told differently in different villages. To arrive at a final solution of the question, as to whether the oral tales (kha sgrunge) or the Kesar Epic (dpe sgrungs) are the original source with regard to Ladakh, it will be necessary to arrange something like a Kesar-survey of Ladakh, i.e., in every village the following material will have to be collected : -(1) the version of the Kesar Saga, () the gLing glu (Hymnal of the Kesar Saga), (3) the marriage ritual of the village. All this material will have to be compared with the Kesar Epic.
List of Additions. The following list of additions is not, in the least, claimed as a full one.
1. At the place where the Agus ask for a king, the following request is also added : “Send us nine kinds of corn-seed, and also horses, oxen and many four-footed animals."
2. First detailed version of the story of the birth : - Gogzalhamo sat spinning in her room while the hail was falling. As she was hungry just then, she ate some bail-stones, and soon after conceived. When the hail came, all the horses fied: the mare Thsaldang was the last. All the dogs also fled, the she-dog dKarmo was the last ; all the sheep fled, and the ewe Dromo was the last; all the goats fled, and Tsetse-ngangdmar was the last. Then came Agu d Palle and brought food to the animals that were with child. Thereupon the mare Thsaldang gave birth to the foal rkyangbyung-dbyerpe, the she-dog d Karmo to the puppy Drumbu-brang-dkar, the ewe Dromo to the lamb mThsalmig, the she-goat Tsetse-ngangdmar to the kid Tsetse-ngangdmar.
3. Second version of the story of the birth : - Mother Gogzalhamo heard within her & voice, which said: "I must be born in the lofty sky; please go to the lofty sky !" So she went, and gave birth to [the] sun and moon. Then it said: "Sun and moon I am not ; I must be born on the lofty mountain ; please go on to the lofty mountain !" So she went, and gave birth to the white ice-lion. Then it said: "The white ice-lion' I am not; I must be born on the lofty rock ; please go on to the lofty rock." So she went, and gave birth to the wild bird-king. In this way the narrative progresses, and Gogzalhamo gives birth to the horse rKyangbyung-khadkar in the midst of the steppe ; in the midst of the sea to the little fish Gold-eye; in the midst of the meadow to the yak'a Brong byung rogpo; in the midst of the forest to the rat Kraphusse, in the midst of the field to the little bare bird; also, in Stanglha to a golden frog ; in Barbtaan to a white frog; and in Yogklu to a blue frog. After all that to her child also.