Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 59
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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SEPTEMBER, 1930 ]
SCRAPS OF TIBETO-BURMAN FOLKLORE
187
"In case (p. 25) urgent business makes it necessary for a Tibetan to start a journey on an unluoky day, he will on some preceding iucky day have a hat or other article of clothing sent on ahead a mile or two on the road, because it is thought that in this way the gods can be beguiled into believing that the man himself started on the correct oocasion."4
"I was told (p. 25) a good tale of a Tibetan, who took a long journey with his wife. He 80 arranged matters that he arrived at and left each place en route on a lucky day. While still on the journey the poor fellow's wife died, and the delay caused by this event upset the whole schedule, so that the man was held up for several weeks at a little village waiting for the next series of auspicious dates to come round again."
In this matter of Lucky Days there is constant analogies in Burmese folklore. Thus in my article “ Burma " in the Encylopedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. III (to be quoted hereafter as E.R.E., III), we read: “The Burman is so fettered by his horoscope and the lucky and unlucky days for him recorded therein, which are taught him in rhymes from childhood, that the character has been given him by strangers of alternate idleness and energy. But both are enforced by numerous days on which he may not work without disaster to himself. Unlucky days cause him so much fear that he will resort to all sorts of excuses to avoid business on them. Similarly on lucky days he will work beyond his strength, because he is assured of success. These facts are worthy of careful attention, as it is so easy for European observers to mistake Asiaties, e.g., the character of idleness given to the Nicobarese (ultimately from the Chinese western borderlands) is greatly due to their habit of holding very frequent feasts and necromantic ceremonies all through the night. ... Lucky and unlucky days are fixed according to the Shân sanother race of the Chinese western borderlands) and not the Burman calendar, and as they do not correspond, the Burman cannot calculate them for himself, and is thus forced to go to the astrologer. There is a long list of lucky days for building operations, picked, in eclectic fashion, out of the names of the imported Buddhist and indigenous animals and nats (spirite): the unlucky days depending upon the final syllables of the names. Lastly, a long series of days are individually unlucky for a great variety of enterprises, practically for all the business of native life. The lucky days in the month are in a considerable minority." In Shway Yoe, The Burman, ch. XXXIX, there is a long account of these lucky and unlucky days.
3. Oracle. “We came (p. 43) to the great Chumbi Monastery, where the famous oracle or prophet is housed.... I observed (p. 44) the Chumbi oracle very closely and found that his methods oorresponded in general to those used by mediums in the West. He goes into an ecstatic trance, frequently accompanied by epileptic symptoms, and while thus obsessed delivers semi-coherent words, which foretell what is to happen. Generally, like the Delphic oracle of old, his prophecies are delightfully vague, and can be made to fit the event, however it may turn out. But it is remarkable that half way through the great world war he foretold the exact year and month in whiob hostilities would cease."
4. Sacerdotal Blessing. "On the 6th (Sept. 1922] & special service (p. 25) was held in Toby's monastery at day. break fof the day on which McGovern started on his journey), and at his earnest invitation I attended this ceremony in order to receive the special blessing of the abbot."
(To be continued.)
3 McGovern throughout treate the supernatural beings of the Mahâyênist Buddhism of the Tibetan as gods and goddesses.
4 The Tibetan geems here to betray his Chinese origin, for cheating the deities is a common trick among the Chinese generally, e.g., throwing scrape of worthless paper money or objects into the sen on a voyage to induce the supernatural rulers of the waters to grant fair weather and winds.
