Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 201

JULY, 1923]
MISCELLANEA
185
Unfortunately, we are not in a position to find from extant literature what the worthy deeds were, for which they were sanctified.
As to the period to which these names belong, we may say that they all belong to the pre-Parthian period of the Persian ruling dynasties. The calendar seems to have been generally closed with the invasion of Alexander. A few names are here and there identified with some known Parthian names. The name Gaötama (TAT) is identified by some with that of the founder of the Buddhist religion. Some take this Gaotama to be one of the Rishis. Some scholars like Spiegel and Geldner take the word to be a common noun and not a proper noun. However, in all the circumstances, we can safely say that unmarried women or maidens were, like men, canonized or sanctified in olden times in Persia for their pious and charitable deeds.
MISCELLANEA. PALAUNG = FARINGI.
in the coming year. Each man leads his pony A puzzling corruption of the Oriental term 'to a starting point outside the city. The ponies Faringi (=Frank) for a Western European is noted find their own way home without riders, and thoso incidentally by Mr. San Baw U in an article entitled that make their way straight home bring good "My Rambles among the Ruins of the Golden fortune with them, Last year the Kung-one City of Myauk-u" (in Arakan) in Vol. XI, p. 165, of the high officials of Lhasa---was in Gyantse. Noof the Journal of the Burma Research Society. The body could dream of allowing his horse to go astray. Palaunge are a well known people in Burma, but so it was helped in by faithful servants, who ran in Arakan the name may have quite a different behind it firing guns and yelling. So the horse meaning, thus: "The Portuguese invaders were came in all right, and good luck was assured to the known as Palaungs, probably & corruption of the Kung." namo . Feringhis.' At that time [1534 A. D.]
R. C. TEMPLE. a son was born to the king [Min Bahor Min Bin of Arakan) and to mark the victory [over the DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BY EXPOSURE. Portuguese on their first attack on Arakan] he was
The following note by Capt. J. B. Noel of the named Palaung by his father and later he was
Mount Everest Expedition in The Times of the known as King Min Palaung [the builder of the
2nd October 1922 gives yet another description of famous Urittaung Pagoda at Ponnagyun)."
R. O. TEMPLE.
disposal of the dead by exposure. This time in
Tibet. A HUMAN SCAPEGOAT AND HIS ANTIDOTE.
"The most gruesome custom one can see at The following description of a human scapegoat Gyantse is the disposal of the dead. At daybreak in Tibet is from an account of Gyantee by Capt.
the body is carried to the crost of a low hill, a mile J. B. Noel of the Mount Everest Expedition in from the city. After & Lams has said prayers The Times of the 2nd October 1922. It will be and incantations over the naked corpse, the proBeen that a human being acts the part of the sin- fessional butchers slice the body up with knives, transferrer and ponies as the converse, viz., as cutting off, separately, ths logs and arms, and luck-bringers.
lastly the head. : "At the Tibetan New Year is enacted at the They hack and smash each member into pulp Temple the annual ceremony of purifying the city on a rock, with hatchets, and throw it to the vultures, of the evils of the outgoing year. The Lamas who stand waiting only 5 feet away. The birds produce beggar man who is willing, through consume every particle of the flesh and the crushed fanaticism and promise of eternal merit, to risk his bone. One man stands by to beat off the ravens, life in the strangest of ceremonies. Naked, he for the raven is unclean to the Tibetan, and only clothes himself in the putrid entrails of animals, the vulture may cat his flesh. Although I had with the vile, bloody intestines coiled round his my cinematograph with me when I saw this burial, head, neck, arms and body.
I refrained from photographing this custom. The He represents the evil, the disease, the ill-luck, thing was simply too awful and soul-stirring to and the bad things of last year. He runs out of the photograph. Temple door, and the mad populace beat drums But the Tibetans thought nothing of it. The and blow trumpets to frighten away the devil in dead are naught to them, since tha spirit has left him. They hurl'stones and beat the beggar with and become reborn in another being, following sticks. They chase him through the streets out its Wheel of Life and its eternal weary path to into the open country, if he does not get killed before ! far off Karma. The relatives of the dead man con.
After they have disposed thus of the troubles sumod chung afterwards, and all became drunk." of last year the people soek omons for good fortune
R. C. TEMPLE.