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FOLKLORE OF THE KONKAN
39
three times round the sick person and thrown spirits from the body of the patient are not into the street. The man who goes to throw thrown away, but are eaten by the exorcist. it away is prohibited from looking behind. At Navre in the Ratnagiri District, hens Burnt cowdung ashes are thrown out of the are used to extract the poison of snake bites door after the man has left the house, and the
from the body of the sufferer. In cases of door is closed at once.1
evil spirits alone, cocoanuts, cocks and goats In the Dápoli taluka, cocoanuts, curde,
are used as scapegoats, boiled rice, turmeric powder, red powder, cocks
At Dásgaon in the Kolába District, a Paradi
(basket) containing black glass beads, bangles etc. are waved round the body of the sick
turmeric and red powders, sweetmeat of five person and taken beyond the village boundary
sorts, flowers, cocoanut, a burning scented or to a big tree supposed to be haunted by
stick, and rice, is waved three times round the evil spirits, and in some cases these things are body of the patient, and thrown away outside thrown away where four roads meet."
the village.? In the Rájápor taluka of the Ratnagiri At Kolbápur, the use of fowls, goats, limes, District scapegoats are used by the low caste cocoanuts, copper coins, dry chillies and salt people, while Brahmans use cocoanuts, boiled is in vogue, not only in cases of sick persons, rice and copper coins.8 At Kálse in the Rat- but also when a person performs a feat such nagiri District eggs, cocks, goats, etc, are used as bending an iron bar, or doubling with his as scapegoats. These things are waved round
hands a silver coin, or winning a victory in the body of the patient, and taken beyond the
wrestling. The articles are then waved round
him and thrown away in order that he may village limits or far from the residence of the
not suffer from an evil eye. Among the rich sick person. For this rite a man from the
the same rite is performed on ordinary occaGhádi, Garav, Rával, or Mábar caste is in
sions such as leaving a house, starting on a vited at night, and he is paid in cash for his
journey etc. In cases of illness it is specially services.
performed in the evening, and the articles are At Ibhrampur in the Ratnagiri District, the thrown away at the outskirts of the village, cocks and goats used for driving out evil or by the side of a well.8
1 School Master, Bandivade, Ratuagiri. 3 School Master, Adivare, Ratnagiri. 5 School Master, Ibhrampur, Ratnagiri. * School Master, Dásgaon, Kolába.
School Master, Anjarla, Ratnagiri,
School Master, Kálse, Ratnagiri, • School Master, Navre, Ratnagiri.
Rao Sabib Shelke, Kolhapur.
