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FOLKLORE OF THE KONKAN
63
Marya, Rodya, Kerya, etc. It is believed 1 In the Shivlilamruta, a book pertaining to that children improve in health when called the god Shiva, in the chapter of Simantini, by such opprobrious names.1
it has been described how a man was turned Opprobrious names such as Dhondu, Kondu, into a woman.7 Keru,are given to children in families in which
At Kolhápur, there are no instances known the first children are shortlived. But their
of a change of sex. The goddess Yallamma real names are different. The names of the
has a high reputation in this district for wellknown arithmetician Keru Nána Chhatre and his son Kondopant Chhatre are examples
making a change in the habits and deportments of opprobrious names.
of men and women, especially among low
caste people. It is believed that the curse of Among high class Hindus, the first son
this goddess has the power of destroying the is not generally called by his real name, but by one of the opprobrious names given
virility of males, whereupon they behave like
females. Many instances of this type can be above. Children are sometimes weighed with shoes
seen at the fair of the goddess Yallamma,which or sandals, and also with cowdung. In some
is held in Márgashirsha (December ); men cases, their nostrils are bored, especially the
dressed in women's clothes and vice versa are right one.
often seen at this fair. Hindus generally call their children by
In Western India, iron nails are generally the names of their deities and ancestors, and
used when any spirit is to be buried in the they attribute the premature death of their
ground. Other metals, such as gold, silver, children to their own misbehaviour towards
and copper, are sometimes offered to the ghosts. such ancestors, or to their having abused
The blood of fowls and goats is also offered them; they fear that such abuse or
to them. When incense is burnt before a misbehaviour has offended the ancestors.
sorcerer, the spirit enters into his body. To avoid their displeasure and the consequent
Water is charmed and sprinkled over the death of their children, the people give
body of a person attacked by an evil spirit. opprobrious' names to their next born such
Rice and udid grains are required for as Dagadya, Dhondya, Gundya, Dandya exorcising spirits. Red powder Pinjar, turKerya, Ukirdya, Kondya, Lobhya, etc. The meric powder, black ointment kájal, lemons, custom of tattooing one side of the body of
Narak ya Wuda a kind of incense, betel-leaves, females also prevails in the Kolhápur District, betelnuts, cocoanuts, mango leaves, Nirgudi especially in cases where the children in a leaves, and pieces of cloth are also used for family are shortlived."
the same purpose. In the Puranas there are instances of males Cane sticks are used by people as a protecbeing transformed into females, and females tion against evil spirits. A stick cut from into males. For example, the female Amba was the tree known as Pandhri is also used as transformed into a male called Shikhandi and protection. Charmed black cotton strings are the male Nárad was transformed into a tied to the wrist, arm or neck. If a man is female. Arjuna, the third brother of the very much afraid of a ghost, he repeats the Pándavas is said to have changed his sex, and name of the monkey god Maruti or any other turned into Bruhannada.
deity that may be favourable to his family.10
* School Master, Mitbáv, Ratnágiri. * School Master, Bhayándér, Thána, * Ráo SÁheb Shelse, Kolkapur.
School Master, Murbád, Thána. 9 School Master, Basani, Ratnagiri.
2 School Master, Anjarle, Ratnagiri, 4 School Master, Dahánu, Thána. & School Master, Ibrahmpar, Ratnagiri. # Ráo Saheb Shelke, Kolbápur. 10 School Master, Mitbáv, Ratnagiri.
