OF TELLS FOLKLORE OF WELLS Floating of lamps dnrin" the Kaitik Path. FOLKLORE OF WELLS BELNG A STUDY OF WATER -WORSHIP IN EAST AND WEST R. P. MASAM, M.A. D. B. TAR Alt) REV ALA SONS A Co. 1918 ’Nsnnn*. . STATE. MW YAH"' ** TRJCKu 2feARiail TABLE OF CONTENTS. Introduotioo Pag* «rii to xxvi PART I. FOLKLORE OP BOMBAY WELLS. CHAPTER I. SANCTITY OF WATER. Origin of fr*»r» — Wrath of Shim— Story of BUatario, the malaria Bond Hiring of —Hi Ptriotli b*~.l on religion* rentimraW and .upcrnatural bcl*la— Scriptural injunct.-o. for Iho uac of noil unlcr— imgiM— OtromoaiM requiring »»Ui drawn from revon “oil* — Lighting of lamp. In the mahra In well*— Thv in»uW mi of Utr Join*— Aversion 10 bathing — The «Ly« of Iho Ilrymaw .. 1— H CHAPTER IL water saints aplrita— The fortunre of the Edwardra Theatre-^* My.U-n.mi oollapae of bomcre-The uert^ —II of Alio* Building — Propitiated well-*pirit* aVrrt accident* — Slity of Uowkn — Oracular well of Ghosh* Street — Mid night and midday mil* to well*— Ceremony of dmnaUon at St- Onrall* —II 0—13 vi T>m or fo.nim CHAPTER HI. PENALTY FOR DEFILEMENT. The labourer who «pal ou the pavement of an oracular well -PMe of an European pir I who offended the saintly spirit of Loreji Castle— Acts of defilement, whether oonseious or unoonactoue, offend the spirit*— The Nowrojee Wadia house tragedy— A Damascus custom— De*troct»n of the land of Isjgro*— Concerts of the nymphs— “ The pure one ” fountain of Egypt- An Eslhonian boliel- A curious variant of the belief oooormmg defilement -Deliberate pollution of wells so as to constrain tho rain-god— Albiruuis interrogator**— Doctrine of negation of knowledge CHAPTER IV. QUAINT PARSI RELIEFS. Worship of cabined spirits ou fell moon cve-Ooatwaeri- Hoc on marriage daya— Practice of besmearing the forehead with the blood <4 the rwUm— Hon Aryan culls imbibed by the Aryan*— Hindu ami I'arst beliefs in water-spirits compared— Antiquity of water worship among the Fhnfe- Worship of dnfm. Suru Arnikun -Influence of the peau tors" on the oommunity-Mahommlan patron saints of Pars, household— An anthropological puule— Eoslatio possess ton of a Parai woman— Tho Gunbow wall— Muryha Bat .»« » well 4 'urea effected by the grace of water saint*— Reliefs common U» the whole world — Association of lifo with motion -Water- worship in the East baa its counterpart m the history of Western thought- Profe«o. Robert-On Smith’s description of the worship prevailing in Arabia— Well-worship in the West probably more wide- spreml and primitive than in the B**« 14—17 18 — -26 PART II- WATER WORSHIP IN EAST AND WIST. CHAPTER V. THE MOST WIDESPREAD PHASE OP ANIMISM. Deification ol fountain* and river. a general cult-- Max Muller’, theory of poetic personification— The ■pi ritual element uppermoet in the » or. hip of water— Water an important factor during the Bret throe day. of Creation -Rabbi Ismacl'a saying- Bahylonian conoepuoo el the god Non— Ruing of Shu from water— The Akkad triad of gods— Wor.hlp of dream, abeorhed hy the Hittitoa into their pantheon— Two triad, sacred to the Ph® niciane-The Vedio god Varans- Mo. the oonocp lion of the night served to convey the him of the ooean— Greek boliefc— Okean<- aiwl ShamaiKlro. -Noptunc. the Latin sea^o. I Serous, the Old Man of tho Sea— The Scandmav un god NhJid- Mhl.uno Kami, the water god of Japan— The l’omvian eea*od Virakoeba-Worah.p of Mama coeha. Mother Sea-Thr Egyptian Nile-god-Par.i festival in honour of Aidevi SOr Anahitfi-The Greek goddess Aphrodite-Well, of water be.to.cd hy Greek eainU —Healing virtue, of the water* of Egeria— DcdioaUnn of likenemes of dimeed limb* to tho water-nymph Egeria— Similar offerings to Virgin Mary at Mount Mary'. Chapel at Bandra— The holy well of Smyrna Cathedral— Cure* effected with ordinary water just as well ae with the sanctified water— Arcfuroiogioal evidence of the British cult— American example* of animistic ideas concerning water— African rites of water- worship .. .. .. .. .. .. 29-39 viii CHAPTER VI. 0BRI8TIAN TOLERANCE OF THE COLT OF WATER. A non-Christian custom — Edict* of Kings. Popes snd Church Councils prohibiting tin praotioe— 1 Tot*l eradiation of beliefs end customs of age-long exis- tcnoo impossible— Continuance of pagan worship under Christian auspioew — A dual system of belief— Suppliostion of a Scot tub peasant at a sacred well —Grimm’s examination of the result of the Chris- tian tolerance of paganism— Mr. Ed» ard Clodd's testimony 40—43 CHAPTER VII. HOLY WELLS AND TANKS. Worship of Khwaja Khar— Alexander’s ramble in quest of the blessed water*— Northern India oustoms— Kkuaja Sail 6 in ftjps- Water of Zumsum- M other Canges ami Lady Jumna— Pilgrimage to the of the Neva— Rita’s kitohen-Dr. Buchanan’s visit to tho Monghyt well— The theory of expiating sins by baihs— King Triaanku’s deadly sins and salvation — Washing of sins wKh the sacred thread - Sacred wells of India — Rajput woman turned into a male Rajput of the Solanki alas.— The legeodar) lore of the holy wells of Eng land - Thomai Quillcr 4 •■ach's notes on the holy wells of Cora wall — Sacred wells of Scotland and Ireland. 44-63 CHAPTER VTII HEALING WATERS Sanitary guardians of water— Balneotherapy and Hydrotherapy not unknown in Talmudic time*— Indian wells and tanks renowned for medicinal pro- perties— A milk -bestow m* well in Lonarla— The T >BI.S or Pn'CTK'fTi leper cured by the Lik^d Immortality at Amritsar —Virtue ol the eonferm on the surface of the Igilitpur tank— Famous hot springs— Thr fX-vki- Unai— 1 Tho springs of Vajrahai or the Lady of the Thunderbolt— The Vmli .ho makes the firo and keeps it burning at the hoi spring* alTVrka Main— The madness-ouring pool at Hamath— Mad men tumbled headlong in the AlUmum well— Tho virtues of Jfc.Tcela'a well— Holywell. the Lourdco of Wales — Tho Story of St. W me f ride -Recent Holywell ourra — Tho calamity that befell Holy- well -Other healing « ells of Great lUiuin-Thc duto round the -aero I springs of Kn more Croon— flk Conan'* well — Ittskop lUII's testimony — Hatred ■liriiigs in Maerafewfe— i Festival at Kaisariani— A supprvasnl miracle— Pilgrimage d> xribol hy Mi— Hmuilton — Hoe no* in Smile Zola'. novel mailed. . 34-83 CHAPTER IX. PROCREATIVE POWERS OP WATER SPIRITS. Water -spirits conferring the bl -"ing» of parenthood- Oiarms for chi kl leas women— Bathing in Urn water of seven wells — The Dew all bath in the Punjab- Fortiluuig virtue ascribed lo SooUidi springs— General explanation of the call of the bath— Sts'rility believed U> he a disease due to demoniaonl agency— Another theory— Procreative power attri- buted to spirits — Testimony borne by Professor Curtiss— H<«t air vents in Syria— Relief of the Pun- jabis tint the fertiliaang virtue of a well i* abstract- oil hy tho women IsUhiug in it— The Jewish belief — Conception p**aiblc in a bath— The theory- in vogue among phy-omon* of the twelfth oentury —A case recorded by Avenue*— Prevalence id the theory in Turkey— Supposed ancestors of persons bearing the name of the T weed— A Semong t nulit ion . .GO - 70 X CHAPTER X. WISHING AND CURSING WELLS. Oracular wells inhabited by *pint* gifted uith powers of divination — Tbo BrliUn* Kmmd — Pra»pocU of tho harvest divined by tho holy well in A»koi — Bread and pin* as instruments of divination— The Amor- go* well— The presiding power of tho well of 8k Michael — News of aWnt bien.li given by * Cornish weU-Two Wishing wwUe in Wal.ing- hnm Ctupel-The Fairy "’ell in Cornwall- Ceremonial observance, taught by the prioateu of Oulval Well— Caning wdl»— Varied virtue* of Holy woll* — The Well of St. Keyno-Strango tradition* . . ... ... CHAPTER XI. MALEFICENT WATEE-OORLINS. Water goblin* infesting ill-omened stream* and walla— Water •pint, in India regarded aa friendly diapen- ■or* of life and fortuity— Western folklore abound* in blood-thirity water-demon* — Some mixihicvou* water spirits of India— Fallen *oula— A haunted ro* In Wadhwan— The U«i««nn or buffalo- domon— The JaU B*LL and Jakk of Rengal— ' Tl»c "oopa of tho fairies”— A wioked da** of water- nymph*— Tho Greek water- nympha— Tho Srona— Tho Nereids— The Black Giant and tho Drakoa— Superstition* conorming dnnrning— Black 'a ex- planation in “Folk Medicine “ — Prcvalonoc of the superstition in Scotland— No trace of it in India Confusion of two distinct idea* 71-73 76—83 table or cowTfHTs CHAPTER XII. RIVER ir RAITHS. Tho River Death— Indian water-furies easily propitiated— Continental ■ater-driUCR demand human sacrifices— Prg O’Nell— Peg Powler— Blood- thirsty Deo— The saying about St. John Uic Baptist— Victims demanded by the Dorman rivers on Mid-summer Day — I/>nl of the Wells — In the Australian theory of disease and death none more prominent than the water-spirit — A Macedonian ballad of a Haunted Well— Maleficent deities responsible for floods— Various modes of pacifying tho furies— The Noam's offering to tho Musi— Flood* caused by offence given to palran saints of water— Tho sea-spirit* more powerful but leas exacting than the river-wraiths— The Nanli I’unuma or Coeoanut Day CHAPTER XIII. WHO WERE THE WATER DEMOS SI Uaoo-origin of the Dnotoc demons of old— -Max Millin'* theory— Myth* of malignant spirits connected w ilh traditions of hostile raor*— Sir Laurence Gomnc's examination of the mythic kiflwctMO of a conquered race — Bombay beliefs— Other Indian parallel*— The MoomUha and the Kathodis— The origin of tho pixies- -Examination of Parsi belief* in Mahoimxlan guardian spirits of wells — A pic* for local research . . CHAPTER XIV. ANALYSIS OF THE BRITISH CULTS. variants of one primitive form of rag -offering — Argument* in favour of a megalith* date for well-worship ami rag -offerings #4 — til 1 » 2— *10 07—100 XU TABLE OF COSTEST? PART IH- VARIED RITUALS AND OFFERINGS CHAPTER XV. WATER lilVlXIXa AS II WRLLOPKNINU CKREMOXIRS. .lowUh sons <»f the well— Selection of suitable *itr« for well*— WUer-divinera— An ex! ronnl inary incident of the Gallipoli eompoign — Get* manic* connected with tho digging «f wells 102—108 CHAPTER XVI. DECORA T I OS $ ASI) OFFERIXOS. Indian meth«*l* »l venerating well*- Human sacrifices —Animal soarifta* — 4 Vrctnunh . demonstrably non- At) an in India in original nan- Aryan in Enrapo— A Whilauntide custom— l.vnh. a votive thunk ring — -The Rom Friwl.t Hobo-Sulwti- tutor fur nnimal victim*— Curious riplanatim fur offering* < f coin. .. 100-113 CHAPTER XVII. RAO WELLS ASD PIS WELLS. Rag wlU invl Pin well* .* Great Itotain-Their geo- graphical distribution— Hcndrr*on's explanation of the cult— Theory put forward by Sir John Rhys — Sir l.'turencc Gem me'* examination of the theory —Other authorities — I**’ of •«"*! In hanging up CHAITKR XVIII. A MIBVS DRRXTOQD ISDIAS CUSTOM. Indian custom of hoisting togs near shrine* and sacred tree# — A practice quite distinct from r*u -offering— Ibg* and rags — The tUg i* oflcrwl only and m»1«1 v a thank-offering or a. a mark of reapeat —How tho rag Caine to be regarded as a vehicle of disease— An explanation of two oonflioUug ‘k*®*** 121 CHAPTER XIX. ANIMAL DEITIES OR WATER. European belief in the prewua- of animal. or fuL a. the proeiding rpirita of water— Tho. animal god. imperfectly repraenUd in the water* of the Ea-t— The Nag. nr eemi-.Uvine bemg». hall men and half aorponU— Krog. a. I trout* and worm, and Ilka a. guardian efHrii* of well, in Kurupo- A pair ,4 riMhaotcd trout — A mcdkuiel apriug ami •cm bianco of a lly— Divine- life to re aide m the eacrtd cull tin ami ritual. of water believed of the only m lorn.. -127 I2tf-I3l I ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. Ho*tm< of lamp, during Uw- Kart* Hoik 2. Pnraia on Ikr M-bnrh in Bombay. S. Offering* to the tiuob o* Wall 4. OnngaMii A. Mar] an Valhi Wnthutf awuv of Mat »ith the "hanging of tb* «aend thread. « Ocaanuorahip Narali Purntma 7 . wr •VPITT 1 ^. ,r-rE. For literary ounce it. and dream* of authorship them *» do mom powerful antidote than the tedium of official life. It radically cum all iuch morbid profUMiliea. Thu little booh, however. owes it* inspiration to office routine- It »u in connection with official bo - it- that my htaM in the subject of water-worship waa awakened about *U year* ago when In my capacity aa Municipal Secretary of Bombay I received several protest* against requisition* fur the dosing of aril*. In the oouree of it* campaign against malaria the Municipality hail to call upon owner* of wrll* Urging an»|ihrlr* niueqiilto* to cloeu Ihum. The owners protested agaaut thews order, and In their petition* tLey cited tralitiou* roaosmbig tbo .nnclity of water and related stories of *puiu redding in the well* which to ono ignorant of the aerial organisation and cu*te>m. of the people might appear to be nothing more than old wiv**’ tale* aud bablilr, or mere pretest* tu *ho» civic irqioti.iliiJitw*. but which a etudrnt of traditional lore hat karnt to irire as priceless fragment* of information coneemlng the condition of human thought of bygone agr*. Often iluring ooo'i investigation of nuh local account* one come* aero— example* whore history ii In el on contact with popular tradition, illustrating abundantly the inherent value of what Sir Henry Maine slightingly called “ Uio slippery testimony concerning %* lane* hi the traditions, customs, rite* and eeremonaw prevailing in India and thoso in vogue in Kuropcan countries. It was clear, moreover, that until recently the cult of water flourished in the West in a mute primitive and much ruder form than ni India. I was. therefore, tempted to rea«l hrfore the Society a arcoud paper on the subject and this wae followed by another on the rituals of water- worship and the sundry oflenng* to water -spirits in Hast uml West. It was impossible to bring within the range of these puprr* all the materials I had collected. .Vs the *-r*« wa. primarily intended to expound the lore of well* only, a good deal remained unsaid concerning the divine sea* and -prings and tanks ami oataract*. I, therefore, thought of completing the aerios and publishing a volume embodying the varied water -cult*, localising and classifying them, and tracing. »« far a* possible, their gene- alogy with a view tu elucidating the early life of thepcoplo who isTmoncenos XI* lived in the different localities from time to time and their rela- tionship with the ancestor. of the long forgotten race# of other dimes in which soefa ideas and customs also prevailed. It was a very ambitious project, but I was tempted to set about it os in the bibliography of anthropological literature I could not find a single volume specially devoted to the subject. I was, however, unable to make much progress for some months owing to other engagements. A few days ago, when I was sitting on the Vmova sand", musing on lifo'a uncertainties and the vanity of human wishes, recalling Tennyson’s word* “ so many worlds, so much to do, so little done, such things to be." mcthoughl I heard a water- nymph questioning mn from under the pale-green son-grove*: " How many yearn wilt thou dream away before thou oom|4r- test that work I Why not immediately convey to thy remlors our invitation to the concert* of the nymphs f " At oner I r real (oil that eight years had rolled by srnoe I had resolved to complete another scrim of anthropological paper., vit.. Naming Customs and Name Superstition., ju«t na I had thought of elaborating the water-worship sersw, hut that 1 had not been able to take the work In hand in the mklst of rapidly increasing daily dutUe. What chance waa there of l«-tu-r Mice— hi regard to this new work » I. therefore, thought it odvisablo to publish the papers aa read before tho Society without further delay. Their publication in book-form has, howww, necessitated o aoiinwhat unsatisfactory arrangement of chafers, and for this and other demerits I owe an apology to the reader. It might perhaps he said that such a gallimaufry of divers tales and traditions, beliefs ami super* it ions long current among different people in different countries Lmats tho reader to nothing now . It might also be urged that these t radi- tions and customs arc mere .arrivals of a particular phase of animism with which we are all familiar, that we all know that from remote ages our ancestors have |>eopled trees and plants, stocks and stones, dales and hills, and e>. -/>d spring* »ilh *11 sort* of spirits, visible mod invisible. and that it is upon this spirit-world of pro-historic man that the primer*! nature- worship of our Aryan ancestors was based, upon which again rest the religions and philosophic* of the civilised world. This is all very true. Veneration of water is undoubtedly a phase of nature-worship. The student of history knows why from the remotest ages Egypt. lUbylon. India *ud Cfeina became centre* of population in the East and why the plains of Lombardy and Motltcrlands attracted wave* of humanity In the West- Natur- ally. man gravitated towards district* where fool was easily obtain aide. Valleys and plains fertilised by springs became his home. Water to him was not only the prime necessity of life, but the birth-place. *o to my . of life. Moreover, the primitive mind associated life with motion. It saw spirits in rolling stone* and swinging boughs. Him could it remain unconscious ol the spirits controlling the many-sounding *e*% ami bubbling river* ami tumbling waterfall* f This is the rai*oa d'ttrr of t he universality of water-worship Xo new work on the folklore of well* is needed to t-JI U. that. but. as I have just stated, such folklore contains valuable iI»Um!s of social conditions and the early history of races and if it |>uU in the han-U of the student of anllqnltka a key to th« sealed book of some unexplored singes of live cultural history, howsoever fragmentary, of forgot ten races, its publication would not bo wholly in vain. Races flourish and vanish, but their concepts and customs live in their snoeewmr*. These suaoessors are not neonmarily thoir descendants. Often they are invaders and conquerors, sometimes refugees, professing altogether different creeds, hut with tho estate* and objects which they inherit frera their predecessors they also inherit their mental strivings ami traditions and custom* and hood these down from generation to generation. These in their turn influence others, wherever they go. Thus it is that wc sec ancient customs and ceremonies obsorvod. even to this day. with very little variation, by different com- munities, oven though separated by oceans. nmKQDCCTXOM zzi Numerous illustrations may be given of this parallelism of beliefs prevailing in different places and their persistenoo in different culture eras. One remarkable instance is the pre- servation of the bridge-sacrifice traditions. It is referred to by Sir Laurence Gomme in PUUore at an Historical Science in tho course of his analysis of the legend of the IVlIar of Lambeth and the treasure stories centreing round London Bridge. Tho bridge was tho work of tho Romans of Lundinium— a marvellous enterprise in the eyes of the Celtic tribesmen who believed that the budding of the bridge was accompanied by human sacrifice. This is confirmed by tho preservation in Wales of another tradition relating to the “ Devil's Bridge " near Boddgelert. " Many of the ignorant people of the neighbourhood believe that this structure was formed hy supernatural agency. Tho devil proposed to the neighbouring Inhabitants that he would build them a bridge acr..* the |m»s on condition that he should have the first who went over it for his trouble. The bargain was made, and the bridge ap- peared in iU place, hut tho peo|4e cheated the devil hy drag- ging a dog to the spot ami whipping him over the bridge." When the Calcutta authorities proposed to build a bridge over tho Hoogly River, the Ignorant maws* apprehended that the first requirement would bo a human sacrifice for Urn foundation. The nows went to Kngland from the btndan and China Telegraph from which the Nem-tU C* reside of Wh February 1889 copied the following statement •• Tho boatmen on tho Ganges, rv-ar Raj renal, somehow came to believe that the fJovrmmont required a hundred thousand human heads as tho four* 1 st ion for a great bridge, and that tho Government offloers were going a) rout the river in search of heads. A hunting porty. consisting of four Europeans, happening to pass in a boat, were set upon by the one hundred and twenty boatmen, with the cry OnJla Kalla or cut -throat*, and only escaped with their lives after tho greatest diffi- culty." XXII nmiopcoTio* Thirteen years ago. when the Sandhurst bridge was under construction, a poor old man suspected of taking a child for being interred in the foundation* of the bridge -u mcrcOwuly belabooresl in the street* of Bombay. The boy was inclined to play truant and did not wish to go home with the old man. Some one started the canard that he had sold tho head of the child for heklge-aaerific*. the mob took it np and only after great difficulty the unfortunate man wasreeouedby the Police, famously enough, only a fra days ago I gathered from the *tory of a Mahometan lad. aho a a* brought to me for adtnieuon to the home of the Society for the Protection of (Children, that another bridge sacrifice panic had recently seised thu good people of lUnkipur. Tho boy. named Abdulla Hakar. aged II. being an orphan, was working as acoolyin Kankipur. He told the Society's agent, and alio repeated to me. that he ha the worship of water they came reality under the influence of the praii Interim. The moat curious feature, however, of thu Parsi belief in Moslem water* spirits Is thst amongst the Mahomodans themselves no such belief prevails or evsr did prevail. They believe, no doubt, in taints who have endowed springs and wells, but no Mahomedsn sayyid or pir has or ever had his home or haunt in waur. Nolthor does a Mahomed an believe in any other benevolent or malevolent indwelling spirit of the well. The inflation of Mahomcdan saint- in the weiUol Pars! households is therefore an anthropolo- gical puxslo for the solatioo of which we must make a joint appeal to history and folklore. It is evidently a caeo of sub- stitution and amalgamation of beliefs and it is cssce such as these thst call for research in the localisation of popular beliefs and their ethnic genealogy. People inhabiting modern culture areas have an anthropological as well as a national or political history and without tho anthropological history it is impossible to explain the meaning and existence of a number of beliefs and customs prevailing in a particular community. It ia, therefore, necessary to classify all tho Indian colts of water according to their ethnological and geographical distribution and to carry on research ia the genealogy of the different conceptions and customs jeevailing in different parts. In this Par ISTBODCCnOS Sir Laurence Gomme. My thank* are alto doe W> my esteem- ed teacher and friend. Mr. J. D. Bhaida. for the interest ho has taken in this work and for hi* helpful suggestion* when the •hecta were pa** mg through the pett* Bombay. R. P M. Jlorek 21*1. 191$. PART I FOLKLORE OF BOMBAY WELLS. me mr ?-*-"** rnrninf. TRICKu... _. < STATE- 2iiAHlB51 CHAPTER I SANCTITY OF WATER. Tim® *u when the whole earth. t he fever stricken isle of Bombay Included. tu free from favors One unlucky day, however, Dakaha Prajapati end his eon-in-law Shiva fell out and (heir discord brought with it a whole crop of fevers. The ■lory run* that Daluha Prajapatl one* celebrated a groat aaori lice to which he did not Invito Shiva. All humanity had to •ufler for thi> insult which greatly inoeaeed Shiva «h<« breath during those momenta ol fury emitted eight frightful lovers. In the good old days, however, a magic thread ( dero ), or a charm l manlru ). was enough to mare the fevw-spirit away.l In obstinate came, no doubt, the spirit had to be eiorotsod from the body of the patient by a fl*s» , nr Bk^a, and transferred to tome animate or inanimate object, or perhaps a cock or a goat or a buffalo had to be sacrificed to propitiate the disease deity That, however, eras all A special offering for the Benares godling VioroAori/nra. •• the god who repels the force,* ’ was DUMhan* a. a c unite turn of milk (d-d* ). loaves of the hemp plant ( Manga ) and swoeU. Of all such remedies and expedients the simple* and the quaintest was that for driving the malaria fiend away. One had only to listen to the story of ftiwfcrie. the spirit control- ling intermittent fever, and one got immunity for ever. The • t-rn lo this day psofdo m rural England amm any tto spirit of NP>* by saying - Ago. 1 larvweU US ws msst hi bwL** Similarly. U»y appease the spirit »f cramp by SByiog 'Cramp, to thou IsohW as nor Lad, » -too die bom Jam* 4 roiXLOU or legend runs that on ce a Bania, on hi* way to a village, came acrooa a banyan tree where be unyoked his bollocks and went to a distance in search of water. EUnUrio, who resided in this tree, carnal away the Benia's carriage together with his family. The Bania was much surprised to misa them, but ho soou found oat the author o I the trick and pursued EkinUrio That fever -goblin, however, would not liston to tho Bania's entreaties to return hts carriage, and the matter was at last referred for arbitration to Bochki Bai. Sko decided in favour of the Bania. and confined Ekdmerio in a bamboo lube whence he was released on condition that be would never attack those who listened to this stcry.i To day in our midst there are no such story tellers, no such Bhuvas ami ruodicine-moo. or. if there are any, they are seldom given a chance. Wo rather like to listen to the stork- of the microscope and pm our faith to the doctor and the scientist Those men of science scent EU*lrr*> in every anopheles mos- quito and tell us that malarial lover is convoyed from one human being to another by the lute <4 this ubiquitous insect Therefore, if wo wish to stamp out malaria, wo must wage a unmade against this vast army <4 EkinUrU,. It is well known that these miwquitoes breed in water and that they are particularly food <4 well water. One <4 the measure, that tho Bombay Municipality has therefore to enforce in oonnoo- lion with iu campaign against malar., is the closing of wells containing the larva of three moquitoes In the early stages «4 the campaign, however, it gave rise to vehement protests. Three were prompted not merely by utilitarian motives, but also by religious sentiment, and supernatural beliefs. The aggrieved parties gave chapter and verm to show that their scriptures enjoined the use <4 well water, and well water only, in connection with diver, ceremonire. ami they farther relied on rerntwl popular belief* inve-ting the water of well* with ' KoikW. Xjtcs, Vol. L-O-mre «. sanctity or w 5 supernatural efficacy. Wo (hall record a of such beliefs and convictions and a coming several wells of Bombay, correspondence on the subject and few typical examples traditions con- the official and we shall see in the course of our survey that thevr merely |owiil, with a little local colouring, the particular primitive phase of nature- wurahip under which all nations inhabiting the globe huvo held in the peat, and do hold to a certain extent even now. springa and wells in religions reverence and awe, regarding tlio water thereof as a living organism or as a dwelling-place of spirits. When the owner of a a ohjeotsonable well is asked by the Muni- cipality either to fill up the well or to cow H. he invariably prefers the second alternative, provided he is allowed to cover the well with wire game or at least to provide a wire gauze trap- door for drawing water. The reaeon given in most of the ease- ls that according to tenet* aud e*abluhud wool!, I think, serve the Scriptural requirement. A* to the quest iou of drawing water from such a well, a part of the three principal ceremonies performed at a Fire Temple is known a* that of Jor melaixi ( liu to unite the Zaothra or cere- monial water with ita source). As we speak of 1 dust to dust,’ i. ono born from dust ia ui the end reduced to dust, this part of the ceremonial which symbol aes the circulation of water from the earth to the air and from the air to the earth requires what we may, on a similar analogy, speak of aa the transference of ‘ water to water.’ It requires that a part of the water drawn for ceremonial purpose, from the well mu* be in the end returned to its source — the well. So. the provision of tho air-pump, will not. 1 am afraid, meet all the requirement* I would therefore suggest that in addition to the hand pump, a small doee-flttlng opening, also made of wi re-faux o of fine tnreh, may be pro- vided.” 3hsmsulul.ua Usrab Da star 1‘eshoUn Saujana also gave his opinion to the same effect and the recommendation of three two scholars waa accepted by the Dejiartmeut. No Hindu mho* appser* to hate been con ml ted on the subject, but a few gems selected from the petitions and prutosts received by the Munvipal authorities will throw some light on the traditions and customs of the different Hindu sects. In a letter to tho Standing Committee tho Tnistrca of tho Derasar Sadharsn Funrk of tho temple of Shri Anantnathji Mabarsj represented that according to the scriptures of tho Jains water used for religious cerenionim " must be drawn al oik MrtlcK from a well over which the rays of the sun and the light <& the moun tall constantly and which must therefore be open to the sky and no other water could be used at such ceremonies." In another letter to the Committee Messrs. Payne ft Co., Soli- citors, wrote on behalf of their clieut Mr Kikabhoy Prcmohand : ’■ Our clieut is a staunch Hindu of old idea and he requires the ■UXCTITY Of WATBB 7 line of water from kw« wwlk* for religion* ceremonies. Far (In* purpose he usco the two well* in question and has to go to neigh- bouring pcopcrtie* to mako up the full number of aereo well*. Water drawn by meant of a pump cannot be used for religious purposes and it is absolutely necrasary that both the wells dioukl be provided with trap-door*." Even a trap-door would not satirfy the scruples of s large number. Messrs. MehU, Dalpstram and Laljee, Solicitors, represented that the Morjadu never used pipe water, and they ob-erred: - According to the Marjadi principle if any pot containing water touches any part of the trap-door, the water cannot be used for any purpose and the pot mu* be placed in fire and purified before it can he used again As, however, it is exceedingly difficult whilst drawing watsr to prevent the vessel from coming into contact with tho trap-door, the provision of such door instead of being a oonvenwnoe la the cause of much needles* irritation and annoyance ** Mr. Ooculdat Dam.sU/ seat a step further and urged that his Marjadi tenants " were drawing water out of the well only in sackcloth buckets and any other means would conflict with thoir religious scruples" Mr. Sundsrrao D. Navalkar raised a further objection. " By asking me to cover the wad,** wrote he. “ you will he interfering in our religious ceremony of lighting a lamp in the niche In the well and performing othsr ceremonies regarding it." Hie least objectionable expedient for protecting well* from the malarial moaquito was to stork them with fish. In many comm it was cheerfully reeorlcd to os an experimental measure for killing the lame But even this simple remedy wa* not acceptable to some In objecting to it a member of the Jain community submitted that the fidi would devour the larv* and that it wa* again* his religion to do any harm to insect life. It, however, required no very great effort* of casuistry to induce him to believe that it would be no traiugreaaion on POLKLOU 07 WKLL9 kis part il he merely allowed the Department to pnt the fish into the well. This incident remind* one of the beliefs current among the great unwashed wet of the Jain* known as the Dhundhias TTioee tender- heart e*l people consider it a sin to wash, as water used for bathing or washing purpose* is likely to destroy the germs in It. India is indeed a country of bewildering paradoxes. The llinclu SKxMnu enjoin a complete hath not merely if one happens to touch any untouchable thing or person, but even If one's ears are asasilrd by the voice of a non-Hindu ( y annul >. Nevertheless. in this bath ridden country of religious impres- sionability and. what may appear to the wvwtcrn people, hyper- bolic piety, people like the Dk*mdkiaa abound There are abut certain Baniaa who. during the whole of the winter, consider It useless to have anything to do with srater beyond washing their hands and face « With this practice of abstinence from trashing may be com. pared them «om prevailing all over Orcoee of refraining from washing i luring the days irf the Drymaui No washing is done there during those «lay« bncauw the Drymais, the evil spirita of the maters, are supposed to he then reigning. IM us now turn from these quaint religious customs concern- ing the use of well water to some erf the hrlitrfi erf the people in the existenoe of spirits residing in the wells of Bombay. • Journal of l he Aothfo | .*> s «.I dooMy ml llombsy. Psi-” on tV Cull ol the Uuh by Mr. K. M. Jhevai. V»L IX. CHAPTER II WATER SAINTS. When owner* of houses are asked to fill up their well* or to cover then, they geosrally apply for pmmimion to provide a wire-gauxe cover or a trap-door. In not a few of these canoe the application is prompted either by a desire " to enable the ■pirita in the well to ease out.- cv by the fear •• lest the spirit* •hould bring disaster " If they were absolutely shut up. Mr Gamanlal F. Dalai, Solicitor, once wrote on behalf of a client, regarding hi* well in Khetwadi Main Road " My eliant and hia family b^me that there i* a aaintlj being In the well and they alway* personally era the angelic form of the aaid being moving in the compound at night and they always worship the said being in the well, and they have a bitter eiperi- •nee of filling the well or closing it op hermetically because m or about the year HMB my client did actually fill up the well to ku top but on the very night on which it was ao filled up all the member* of my client * family fell dai^eroualy ill and got a dream that unless the well was again re-opened and kept open to the «*y. they would never recover. The very next day thereafter they had again to dig out the earth with which the well had beeo tilled up and they only recovered when the well wa* completely opened to the sky “ A Para! gentleman, who own* a house on Falkland Road, was served with a notice to hermetically cover the well. He oomplied with the requisition After about a month he went to Dr. K. B. Shroff. Special Officer, Malaria, complaining that he had lost hi* non and that he had himself been suffering from palpitation of the heart. This he attributed to the closing of the well. t P<»!.Kr.OR£ OF WETJ.*. 10 Similarly, a Parai lady in Wanka Moholla, Dhobi Talao, informed Dr. Shrofi that sine® the ckaing of tbo well in her house hor husband had beet* constantly getting ilL Likewise, a Parai gentleman living in the same locality complained that he «raa struck with paralysis for having sealed his well hermetically. These spirits are believed to influence not only the health and strength of their victims but also their fortune* In Edwards* Theatre on Kslbadevi Hoed there was e well, which waa filled in by ite considerate owner of hia own accord during the con- struction of the building Subsequently. the owner went to the Malaria Officer and informed him that no Indian Theatrical Company would have hi. theatre aa the proprietor# had a sent imrnul objection pertaining to the well, and that it was bebeved tliat European Companies also did not make any profit., aa the spirit in the well had been playing mischief. He therefore applied foe permission to reopen the well, promising at the •amo time that he would cover it over again so aa to let the apirit havo "a free pU> In the water" This requmt waa granted and the work as- carried .-it accordingly. " Recently I waa informed." my- Dr Shroff. that the theatre wwa doing better " Sometime- the |ient up t|iirit> are not eo vindictive. Instead of ruining the owner- <4 the wells in which they are -hut up, they rent their ire by merely bee iking open the barriers A Panu lady in Cowaaji Patel Street. Fort, owned a large well about 25 to 30 feet in diameter. The Departmental deities ordered that tho well -howld be expend over. After half the work of covering the well had been done, the concrete gave way. The lady went runuit« to the Malaria Officer urging that that was the result of offending the presiding spirit of the well and imploring him to cancel the requisition. * The Malaria • With thi. iocidcni my be tornp.r«d 1 be Engl ish I radii ion. ©oncer- „,ne the preWCTTition of lib- holy write of F.ncUoH. wt- pegs 75. WATER Ulin 11 0(6 err. however, remained unmoved by the (tar of rousing tho ire of tho water wraith and the dejected Udy left hi* house greatly incensed and probably firmly convinced that the wrath o( the spirit would toon be visited cm that callous Ofbcer. He is, however, still hale and hearty. What he did to appease the spirit or what amulet he wears to charm tho water-goblins away, is not known. However, this much u cci tain, that ho has not c-maped the furious caunou-bre of all tho well- worship | s>rs in Bombay daring the last four years. Whatever may be the altitude of Lanlctied Semitists .n this matter, there ia no doubt that lime well-spirits are overy whore held by the people in great reverence and awe. Whether one believe- in their existence. or is inclined to Is- aceptieal on that |s>int. welh »»p|.-cd to hartioiir spirits are scrupulously left und.. furled. Mr. Ru^ninji Ityramji Joejee- bhoy, whose family is known both for munificence and culture, wrote in the follouin« terms with regaid to a well in Alice Building. Hornby Hoad:— “ There is a superstition ceanecled with the well. It is well- known all over this part of the town that the well is Mid to bo a sacred well aisl much sanctity •* attached to it. Out of deference to this superstition, I had in drMgning Alice Building to so design it a* to leave the wdl alone. To mr ]>crnually the wo II is of no u»e. but thc-c who bettor* in the «u|i<>i>iiUon come and pray near the well and pre-ont ciUenug. ol Mowers and cocoanuts to it.*' Sot only owner* of welb but also building contractor- are averse to disturbing water-spirits. When the Parei contractor who (mill the Alice Buildings had done work w-orth about Rs 35.(100. he was informed that it had been propjsod that the well bad •letter be tilled up He said he was prepared to give up the work and forego all his claims rather than lay irreverent hands on that wunl well 12 rouiou or w ills. One* you malal * natural object io tho position ol a deity, the idm that the deified power demand* o Barings and can be eaaily cajoled invariably follow*, probably baaed on the con- viction that every man has his price ! Offerings to well-spirits are. therefore, believed to insure gcod lock and to avert calami- ties. One day a Parti lady went to Dr. Shrofl in greateicite- mnnt and begged of him not to most on the well of her house in Ctaarai Road being closed. The wall, .he urged, was held in great reverence by people of all cocnaunitim. Only the day previous, while she «u driving in s camsge to the bouse to oiler a cocoanut, sugar and Bowen to the well, abe narrowly escaped a .enous accident, thanks to the protection offered by the well spirit. Two aiatere owned a house m Dhunji Street near Pydhowni They were served with a notice to cow the well of the house. One of the sisters went running to the Malaria Officer beseech- ing him to cancel the notice. She said that her invalid sister strongly believed in the Mercy of the morehip <4 the well and never went to bed without wonhipjang it and ofloring It Bow an. " My poor sister would siaply go mad if she -cos the well covered over," she cried, end she would not leave Dr. Shrofl s office until that unchi.alrous officer left her alone and slipped into another room. Several welW are believed to harbour spirit* powmwing occult powers and faculties for giving omon*. One such oracular well may be seen m Gboge Street. Port. The owner of the house, a Pam, was allowed, in the find instance, to stock the well with fish so as to clear it of the malaria mosquitoes. This, however, failed to give sat. -factory result* and there was no alternative but to demand a covering. The owner on the other hand pleaded that the we U had been held in great venera- tion by all clawes of people and had so high a reputation for divination that many persons visited it at midnight to enquire about their wishes. * “ About eight to twolte ladies (ol whom none should be * widow) Mend surrounding the well at mid- night and aok question#. If any good ii going to happen, fire will be seen on the surface of the water." The owner assured Dr. Shroff that he himself had been an eye-witoere to these phenomena. Indian folklore abounds in stories belonging to the same group. Neither are each stones unknown to the European folklorist We shall notice in due course severe I oracular and wishing wells in India ami ocher counlrire. but the ceremony described by the Pans owner is purely local and typical So far as 1 hare been able to ascertain, there is no parallel for it in the literature of well worship. Peculiar alwi is the hour fixed for the ceremony Generally, visiting wells in the mid- night or even midday is believed to bring disasters. It seems, however, from an account of a nto described by Mire lturne In Shropshire Polk loro that anyone wishing to resort to 8t. Os wall's Well at Oswestry had also to go to the well at midnight Thecemnony waa of courao diflwrnt. It simply required that the votary had to take mme water up in the hand and drink part of It. at the same time forming a wish In the mind, and to throw the rest of the water upon a particular stone at the back of the wall. If he succeeded in throwing ail the watte left In hia hand upon that Mono without touching any other spot, hie wMh would be fulfilled. C11A.PTKR III. PENALTY FOR DEFILEMENT. A tenant of the «mo huuai in Choga Street informed Dr. Shroff that a co-rfy .pat on the pavement surrounding the oracular well with the rwult that ho died indantly on the «pot for having defiled tho holy ground. ITii. mninda mo of a -lory related to me about three year* ago ol a Kuropoan girl who look suddenly ill and died within a day or two after -ho had kicked a.klo a .lone hopl near Ike pavotuwit of u well in Lovojl Coatle at Porel On thi. -tone |>eo|ile u*d to put their offering, to the -mtly spirit ol the - place known hy the name ul Kaffri B-wa Many are the doriea I have hoard of thi- -pint from a lady who -i«rt hor youth in Ixivoji Cootie, but a. thi. «a« a tm-firit and nut a woll-apirlt, thaw tale, would bo out ol |rfac* h«ve A. well- wator i. u.ed f.a religiou. ccTomonic, well, and their Mirrminding. arc generally kept .lean by the Poraia and llindua alike, but there la a fnrthve iuoMrtieo to cleanline., in Um came ol well, which are regarded aa dwelling place* of spirita. It iaacowmou conviction that any act erf defilement, whether con-ciou. or uncoiwciuua. ofleoda the opirita and all aorta ul calamities ore atUibutcd to ouch act.. At the junc- tion ol Ohoga Street and Cowasje* Patel Street atonda tho once famous house o I Nowrnji Wadia Some yearn ago the property change-1 hand-. Certain alterations were made in the build- ing and In cni«.|iience a place wo. art ckeeto the well for keeping dead bodies Iwrf.or di-ponaL This brought dis- aster. after diM.ter. Death, after death, took place in the house and bereavement. after bereavement a ruined the owner’s family. Too late in the day *.- it realized that the nymph" living in the well should not have been thu* insulted. Once a well in Barber Lane overflowed foe day. together, emitting mcAiTY mt nmi tvr \t I r, (owl water. It did not occur to anyone to ascribe tilth to the sewer sprite who had jurf commenced h» |irank» in Bombay. Irutewd. the mwfcirl •»« unanimcmsly fathered on a Parai cook and hi* wile who used to sleep near the parapet of the well. From ancient time* contiguity of a corpee to water liaa been regarded aa a source of defilement In " Primitive Semite Reli- gion To-day ” (1902), Profrsanr Samuel Curtim my that he was told by Abdul Khalil. Syrian PruCcetant teacher at Dwmaaru*. that ••ifacorpsepaasashyahausr.theco.nnw.il |KH>ple pour the water <»it from the jars ’ With thb idea nf pollution of water wa» blended the conviclioa that the drtilcnient of the water of a well or spring was tantamount to the defilement of the •pirn* or saints irwidinp nwar them Once two ants of M*h»- ineda it* in Damascus fell out. One Mction held the other responsible for the d..|>lcmssir* of a saint on the ground that it had performed certain ablutions in the courtyard <4 his shrine and that ” the dirt had rowe on the aamt to hi- disgust.- In ItriUany it ia stiU a |«,a.»ar belief that thc-e who pollute wells by throwing Into the.o rwbhidi or stone, will jirrnh b> lightning. 1 In th- peolngue to CWtewt C-mlr nng. brought dr* true I am on the rich land of f/*r*H. The damsel* who rmided in these watery places foil traveller* with noun dung food until King Ainangon* wronged one of them bv carrying off her golden cup. Hi- men followed his ovil example, -o that the .j-ing. dried up. thegro-r. withered, ami the Und heeamc wade * Beforo the well of Xowmji Wsdu’s h How. forth unto them. When rite it ream, forth unto then. Ardevi Sure Anahits To whom belong e tl.uu.aiid lakoa. To whom e thousand outlet. . Any one of them lehr. And euy of them outlet* (I.) e forty days' ride For e men mounted on e good hone Whom I, A hure Maid*, by movement of tongue Brought forth for the furtbereiw* cl the house. For the further* mv of the village, town and country. The chariot of Bm Ardtn Sam is drawn by four white horsce who beOc all the devils, Ahuramaida la said to have worshipped her in order to secure bar assistant* in inducing Zerethushtra to become hi. prophet. and tbe example set by Him we* followed by the greet kings and hfrurs of ancient Iran. It is conceivable that this tribal cult accompanied the doeout descendants of the anrknt Persians wherever they went and that with their mind attuned to the word. ip of water they readily came under tbe influcuce of the ptnit loeotvm in tho Thu Zo rc-Ur ton month Mu ■auxl Mt*r A'4~. .Sure .1n.iA.to •ainaMed for Uw most part with rttnary. -h offered to him by the ladies. It waa emptied in a few moments. The inmatos t4 the house related to tlie aaint all their difficulties aod each one got a soothing reply and friendly hint, through the lips ol the medium A young lady used to suffer from coostaot headache Her grand -mother one day asked the Sayytd what to do to cure the ailmont. Ho gave her a betel nut and told hr* that it should always be kept by the girl with her This was done and she never suffered from hoadarhe again An oki inmate ol the houto waa onco seriously ill All hope* ol recovery ware abandoned, but tho aaint came to hia rescue and advised the relatives aa to what they should do to propitiate the sea furias who wanted to devour the man. Aft or the furies were propitiated aa ud vised, the man recovered. One or two more stories ol Bombay wells known alter the name ol tho saintly spirits maiding in them may he noted. TheGunbow Lane is known altar the famous well in the locality. It la generally believed that the well waa sacred to tho Saint (Mu-) Gun who reported to it, The Bombay City Oaaetoer. howeviw. informs us that " the curious name Gunboxe is probably a corruption of Cunts. the name ol an ancestor of Mr. Jagannath Shankanctt." Old records afaow that Ounba 8eU or GunbaShet settled in Bombay during the 6rat <|uarter ol the 18th century and founded a mercantile firm within the Fort walls. This Gunbow well was so big that it was believed that a roan could swim from its bc4tom to another in the compound of the Manockji Seth Wadi about 500 feet away. Report has it that swimmers even used to find their way as far as the wells on the Haidan beyond Hornby Road. When it was propoed to fill iu the well, strong represent*! ions were made to the effect that an opening for the well rpirit rfcouid be kept, and a portion was left open for year* This too has been now covered over, bat people still uke their offerings to the site. In the urn wav. a well in the lane by the side ol the Manockji Seth's Agiary leading to Mint Road, which has been covered over, is seen strewn with flowers and other offerings Another well in Ghcga Street was believed to be the dwelling place o( a Mahomedan saint. Murgha Bawa ** Murgha " is believed to be a corruption ol Yaaef Murgay, who owned houses in the street which was also known alter his name as Murgha Sheri. An est earned friend, who used to reside in the house containing this well, tc-IU me that the well was held in grest reverence by the Psrsi fsniiliew residing in the locality. Various offering* were made, the principal of which was a black murgha or fowl, the common victim of such sacrifice*. It was believed that in the still hours ol tbe night the saint used to come out ol the well and move about in the house. His step* were heard distinctly on the Maircase and his pre- sence was announced by the creaking sound that was heard round about. But my friend, who uaed to bum midnight oil in that house during hi* college days and who haa since been wedded to science, is inclined to think that the footstep, were those of the rat* infesting the house and that tbe creaking sound wa* made by the wooden book -case* 1 A Parai lady who lived in the same house myt that people from various parts of the town used to Uke offerings to the spirit of the well. amongst which were big Aalu (trays) of sweetmeat Children were ashed not to touch theee. but this young lady freely helped herself to thurifj ing and healing qualities. Everywhere, therefore, the source o| thu quickening element that had such charms came to be adored so that the water- worship in the East has its striking counterpart in the history of Western thought 26 TOLSLOftE OT WILLS cultural lifo of aborigines who had not jet developed the idee of a heavenly God. Thu ia hie description of the worship pre- vailing in Arabia : “ The fountain ia treated aa a living thing. Unite properties of ite water* which we call natural are regarded a a man if ret* two* of a divine life, and the auuroe iteelf ia honoured aa a divine being. I bad almost aaid a divine animal.”» " This pregnant summary of well-worship in Arabia,'' say* Sir LauretK'o Goom in hie Etkmobn *>/ FMlort. -may. without the alteration of a single word, be adopted aa the sum- mary of well-worship in Britain and ite isles." One might even say that well worship it probably more wide-spread in the West than in the Bast and that some of the rituals there observed are more primitive than those which distinguish It in U»e Hast. 1 Tki IMigicm OJ Ik* SrmiU *. PART IX WATER-WORSHIP IN EAST AND WEST CHAPTER V THE MOST WIDE SPREAD PHASE OF ANIMISM We have scon that w»t«- worship was a cult of hoary antiquity. The belief that erery locality ba* iU presiding genius gave rise to the deification of fountain# and river* just aa it led to the deification of hill* and Irm and other phase* of animism. The emphasis of animism he* in iU localisation. in the looal spint- which, to quote Tyloe'e word* belong to mountain and rock and valley, to well and stream and lake, in brief, to thoae natural object# which in early ague aroused the savage mind to mytho- logical idea#.' Some localities m#y not have in their midst such weird place, aa mountains and rivers, grove, and fon-ta, but scarcely any district is devoid of a well or a pool of water. Of all nature-worship, therefore, well-worahip is the most wide- spread Just the same soeoee aa one witness, to day at well, and tanks In India were beheld for ages in other part# of the world Just the same stories aa one bears to day of the mysteri- ous way* and powers of water-spirit* were everywhere heart) before. We have already seen that it was a general cult with the ancient Iranian* and with the belp of Professor Robertson Smith and Professor Cortiw wt» bare also noticed bow in Arabia the fountain was treated as a living thing and the source itself honoured a* a divine being Max Muller, however, pula a different mnMnirlinn on tho deification of natural object* He points out that it is in Indin more than anywhere rise that animism has brni made to dis- clow ita secret cause, namely, the necessity of doming all apprlln tire nouns from root# necessarily cxprrmivr. as Notre ha* shown, of action, so that, whether we like it or nek, the sun whether called Svar or Vishnu, hull, swan or any oilier name, hecomes ip* o nomine an agent, the shiner or the wanderer, the st rong man. • Tyler , I'rnser Culture. VoL II. VOUI0U o? wirxa the swift bird. By the M»> the wind is the blower, the night the calmer, the mnon. Soma, the rainer. What i* classed as animism in ancient Aryan mythology, he observes, is often no more than a poetical conception ol natarc which enables the poets to addlMS the sun and moon and rivers and tree- as if they could hear and understand hi« word*. ** Sometimes however." he continues, “ what i« • ailed aninmin m a saporstitioa which after having recognised agents in »un and moon, rivers and trees, postulates on the strength of analogy the r*i*t*-noe of agent* or •pirita dwelling in other parta of nature also, haunting our house*, bringing misfortune upon us. though sometime* con- ferring blessing* also " It Ik* beyond the scope of this work to enter into any discussion of this theory, but we shall see as we proceed that the theory <* !**<"• personification does not har- monize with the myriad details of folklore of wells and springs. One might be inclined to attribute the worship of water to the groat economic value which waW possesses in the hot and dry regions of the east where well* and springs are veritable assrta ol the people, the most pervious gifts of tho gods. But it was not In arid land* only that well* received divine honour. Thera i» ample evidence to show that people inhabiting lends rich In springs and fountains alan hold them sacred and worship- ped tho divine being* under whose protection the streams Bowed bubbling acrosa their fields It would seem, therefore. that the spiritual element has been the uppermost in the worship of water. It was in viow of the religious awe in which the Greeks held rivers that they raised their prayers to the springs, as may be gathered from the prayers offend by Odysseus to tho river after his vicissitude* in the deep and from the descrip- tion given by Homer in the IlioJ of the sacrifice offered at flowing springs According to the Old Testament water was an important factor during the first three days of Oration- On the first day “ the spirit of God moved upon th« face of the wuer* • ; on the THE MOST W1M ■■■!!> TH4SB Of A3 SI *«cond day the nether waters were divided from the uppor. and the latter were transformed into the “ rakia " or ** firma- ment ” ; and on the third day the nether waters were assigned to their allotted place, which received the name of "sea. " The Gnostics regarded water as the original element and through their influence and the influence el the Creeks similar beliefs gained currency among the Jews, so that Judah ben Pari transmitted the following saying in the name of R. Ismael : “ In the beginning the world consist oil of water within water ; the water was then changed into Ice and again transformed by- God into eurth The earth lUrlf. however, rests upon the waters, and the water, on the mountain. " (i.e. the clouds).' Nature withheld stone and wood from the Babylonia.., but be- stowed upon him by way erf compensation another invaluable gilt —the sea and the rivers. The Babylonian fully roaliied iU value as an incentive to avliation In h is work on the t'vol ulion of lU Aryan Rudolph von Ibenng poinU out that in las oonw pUon of the God Nuu the Babylonia.. |*r—t>iftr<) the idea that water was the source of all life, that hiHurkally the earth ramo forth from the water as wall aa that water was the sourer of all Mrroitig, the quickening dement of creation Indeed, in M.*o|«tamia more than any where else oor could vividly realise the fact that the inhabited soil had oner formed the bnUnm of the sea and had become dry land through the retreat of the waters In Kg.vpt Shu, the air. riaea from water which ended before the god* and goddesses some of whom like Vishnu, Vira-Koeha and Aphrodite, have actually sprung from water* In the Quran l-ord Almighty- says : •' We cl* re the heaven* and earth asunder, and by means of water, we gave life to everything.'* This is also one of the Ebionite doctrine*. The Akkad triad of gods was formed of Ea. the ocean god. who was also known a. "the lord of the earth " with Xa. the Sky, and Mul-ge. the lord of the under- world. They had no local water -deities, but from the earliest tiroes we come acrosa two stages of development of one central Jo* K FOLKUWE Or WILL.' idea— the conception ol the natural element as an animated being itself and the separation ol its animating fetish -boul as a distinct >|iintnal deity. In the Land of lie HitliU* Caratang ■ays that the Hittites seem to have absorbed into their pau- theon a miniU-r nf acceptable lutire-culu. like the worship of mountains mul -Imwi- and ol the umlhrr-goddcws of earth, already practised by anearbrr population whom they overlaid In the history .1 IVtlybin* U recorded an oath made by Hannibal to Philip of Mar .don containing two triad* sacrod to the Thank iam: " Sun. Mnoa ami Earth " ; " Rivers. Meadows and Water*. ’ In the PUranas tho Veda God Varnna m the "lord of the Muter* " lie ride, oo the Makar., lualf crocodile, half IWi. rules the M»fi ~e»t wiuds and control, the salt sea. ami the " seminal prim iplr ** • The doom of Varuna is called the Nig.- |d«a, or snake-nouse. from which the wicked cannot iwapc Every twinkle of mans eye* and hie inward thoughts are known to Varuna. “ He «rr» a. if be were always near : none can floe from his presence, nor be rid ol Varuna. If *c floe beyond the sky. he is there . he know* our uprising aud lying down." Originally Mithra and Varuna wen* merely the names for day and night and it i- interesting to note how the conception of the night served to convey the idea ol the ocean « The night," says Kuntc,* " prownU the phenomenon of an expanse which resembles that of the .««.n in colour. in extent, in depth, and In undulaliug motion Hence the idea <4 the one naturally expressed the idea of the other. The god of night became the god of waters. ’’ Tho same author thus sums up the different stages of the development of the idea of Varuna : 1. Vanina. lUrkiu-c nr night and ni SuiUd Uler*u.re. T • V i iW l adss o4 Aijwo ColtmUm in India. THB MOST WIPt-SFUAD HUM OF ASIM1SM 33 Turning to tho claanc world, wo find that tho ®*rlj fireolw, like the Babylonian*, regarded ihe ocean ** a brand river sur- rounding the earth, ihe abode whence spirit* came, and to which they returned, and ao a ~ river o f lile and death." They called Okeanoa. the ocean, the too of heaven and earth, and hi* wifo wa* TWitia. or Tithna ; together they were the parents of all wafers. "To the great Olympian assembly in the hall* of cloud- compelling Zen* came the River*, all *av. Ocean, and thither came the nymph, who dwell in lovely grove* and at the spring* of streams, and in the graaay mead* ; and they -ate upon tho polished seats Even again** Hephaisto*. tho Fire-god. a River- gud dared to stand oppeaed. deep oddying Xantho*. called of men Hkgraandreu. He riuhcd down to overwhelm Achilles and bury him in -and and *hme. and though llephaisto. prevailed against him with hi. flame, and forced him. with the fish akurrying hither and thither in hi. boiling wnws and the wil- low .combed upon hi* bank*, to rush on no more but stand, yet at the word of white armed Here, that it wa. not fit for mortal. ‘ «ake to handle eo rowgWy an immortal god. Hepheisto. quonchcd hU furious fire, and the returning flood sped again along hi* channel.” Neptune wa* the Latin Sea- god. ” the lord of dwelling wave*." When Kloomcnea marched down to Thyme, haring slaughtered a bull to tho sea. he embarked his array in ship* for the Tiryn- thien land and Neupha Ckcro makes Cotta remark to Belbus that ” our general*, embarking on the aea, ham. been accustom- ed to immolate a victim to tho wave*.” and he goes on to argue that if the Earth berwMf u a goddrss -he is no other than Tollus and if the earth, the sea too reform*! to by Balbus as NcpUino. Here, say* Tylor 1 , i* direct nature- worship in it* extreme* sense of fetish- worship. But in the anthropomorphic stage appear that dim pre-Olympian figure of Nftrens. the Old Man of tho Sea, father of tho Noreid* in their ocean-caves, and tho Homeric 3* WECU Poseidon, the Fart h -shaker. " who stables his coursers in hi* care in the .Egean deep,, who hamcatr* the gold -maned steed* to hi* chariot ami drive* through the dividing waves, while tho subject «.u boast* conut up at the pairing of their lord, a king so little hound to the element ho governs, that bn can come from tho brine to sit in tho mid** of the gods in thn assembly on Olym- po», ami a*k tho will of Zoo*. - The third greate*t god of the Scandinavians was NiUrd, bom in Vanaheim (the water home), and living among sailors in Noatun (■hip town) ruling the wind*, and ses. and quenching thn firm of day in hi- wave.. To the Vanir. or sea folk, ho wan tho "rich and hnnefirent one. - and his children wore Frey and Frey* Skadi. ’* the mhfaf oar ", daughter of Thiassi lbs giant god of land, took him a* her husband, hut land and water «li«l not long agree Uis «.« ft .. also Northus. the earth- godilm* of Ritgnn. called by the German*, the iron lady. Jajstn deifies separately on land and at at* tho lords of tho waters. Midsmto Kami, the wnu-rgod. is wor*hip|ied during thn lakuy season and JeU.u. lh# sea-god. is younger brother of tho Sun t*> wh.im the Ja|ar>me ofl,r rloth. rics and bottle. of mm. Just as tho Greek wnheed a bull to Pom* don and the Roman* to Neptune, before a voyage. Tho Peruvian soa god Virakocha, “ fuara of the Uks " or "of the waters,” was often identified with tho Creator. Arvung from tho water* ho made tho sun and the planets, gave life to stone# and created all things. “ 11 bom Be# man’s account, about 1700," says Tylor. “ that in the religion of Wbyilah, the sea ranked only as younger brother in the three ilivino nrdrm, below tho serpent* and trees. But at present, as appeal* from Captain Burton’s evidence, the religion of Whydnh extern!* through Dahowv. and tho Divine Soa has risen in rank Tho youngest brother of the triad is Hu. tho ocean or sew Formerly, it was subject to chastise- ment, like tho HeUesp>nt. if idle or useless. Tho Huno, or THE XOST UTDE-ShHE^f> rt!8E OF ASWIftM ocean price*, m no* countered the higW erf * 11 . a fefesh king, at Why dab, where ho ha* 500 wire* At Hared time* ho re- pair* to tho beach, hep ' Agb*e \ the ocean god, not to bo boarterotig. and throw* in rice and corn, oil and beau, cloth, co write and other wUuahk*. At time the King saml. a. an ocean -orifice from Agbow. a nao carried in a hammock. with the drew, the stool, and the umbrella <4 a caboorcr ; a canoe take, him out to tea, where be U thrown to the .harks While in these dose npt nm. the individual divine pmcnality of the eea U go well marked, an account of the closely related .lave coast religin.. Hate, that a great god dwell, in the -a. and it l, to him, not to the gea iteelf, that oflennp are cart in In South America the idea erf the divine -a ie dearly marked in the Peruvian wormhip of Mamarocha. Mochre Sea. g,vrr of food to The Kgyptton. gratefully recognise bow much they o..< to (ho Nile and in the* hymn, they thank the NUr-god. Suture of the god are painted green and ml. reprrw nting the colour of the rtvor in June when K to a bright green before the inundation and the ruddy hue when it. well, are charged with the red mud brought down from the Abysanian mountain. We hare already noticed that the firing was and to Hill adored a. lord Almighty*, daughter by tho Zomaatriao. Tire Zomreuian aoriplurea record how -he wa* were hipped by the Heavenly Father Himself when He wanted her amteunce in inducing ZonUKuthtn to become Hi. prophet Kren to Hu. day a fertival to held in her honour by the Pareto in Bombay on the tenth day of tbo eighth month of the Phrai ytm r. Thi. day aa well a. the month boar the name A ban. The Paru. flock in numter* on thia aua- pioioua day to the -ra beach to offer prayers. Not unlike the Iraniarw the Crvcka atoo adored their marine goddre. Aphroilite. “ ban in the foam of tlio *».“ Greek folklore tell* u. how tire gnddrw. rear fr-tu the opposite the island of Cythera. She was atoo the goddr*. of love and was in , Vel ii 36 rOIXLOBB OP earlier limes regarded as ihc goddess ol domestic life and of the relations between families, being in some places associated with Eiletthyia, the goddew of child-birth, or regarded, like Artemis, as a guardian of children and young maidens. Odysseus in- poked the river of Scheria. Skamandrus had his print and 8per- chcios his grove, and sacrifice was given to the river-god Acheloos, eldest of the three thousand nver children, and old Okaanoe. Greek sainU were believed to bestow wells of water endowed with miraculous properties, and frequently on their feast days an extra supply made the well* overdo*. Tto monastery of Plemmyri, in the south -cart of Rhode* poeareac. a well of this nature. The pricet walks round it. o Swing up certain prayers and sometime the water rises in answer to his invocation and flows ovw into the Court Another such interesting well exists In tho Church of the Virgin at Balakli, outside the walls of Constantinople. • Similarly, the Romans had their water-nymph Egeria. Women with child u*d to offer sacrifice* to her, becausr she was be- lieved to be able, like At*ri 6nr Anakila and Diana, to grant them an easy delivery. Every day Roman Vestals fetched water from her spring to wash the temple of Vseta. carrying It in earthenware pitchers on thetr beads In his Golden Bough Sir James Eraser observe, that tho remains of bath* which were discovered near that .ito together with many terra cotta models of various part* of the human body suggest that the waters of Kgeria wore ured to heal the rick who may have signified their hope, or teati6cd their gratitude by dedicating likenesses of tho diseased member* to the goddets. in accordance with acustom which is still obwrred in many |*rt* of Europe. Example* of the survival of this custom in modern times are given by Blunt in his Veslije. of Ameienl Man s*r« and Custom, in Modern llaly and Skill,. It is also wklerpread among the Catholic population in Southern Germany and the Christian 1 Jl-» Hamlfcoa i <>•* h SMi .mi Ihir Polivsta. TH* HOST WTDK-STXK4D fUASt Of iium 3“ missionaries from ibcee puU bare brought Uie cuitom to ludia ■duo. Almost oTcry Sunday tbo Goans and Satire Christians of Bombay, for instance, will be seen dedicating likenesses of diseased limbs made of wax to Virgin Mary at Mount Mary’s chapel at Bandra in gratrtode for the cures effected through her grace. The custom has spread amongst other communities and I hare heard of several cares in which Pani ladies have taken such offering, to the Chapel. This parallel Mm of beliefs and catholicity of cure. remind one of the faith which not only the Greeks and the Homan Catholics, but the Turks and the Jaws had in the miracles wrought by the Greek 8a.nl* The host known instance of this, given by Mi« Hamilton in her illu m i n ating work cm (irttk Saint* and 4rw FtMitaU. m the largo marble fountain standing in the court of the Panagia » Church at Tcoos. It was thogift of a grateful Turk cured, according to bis own conviction, by the Panagia of the Christian* To a certain rxtsnt a feeling was prevalent against permitting unbeliever, to participate in these boon* but H was futile in effect and the cur* of infidel- continued. Within the Smyrna Cathedral there is a holy well the water of which i* specially renowned for the cure of ophthalmia. Turk* along with Greek*, shared in its benefits to an extent which excited the jr* lousy of the officials and they resol red to give ordinary water in response to tbo demands of infidels. This stratagem wa* bowevtr. ineffectual for tho eyes of the Turks were cured neverthek*. with the unsanctified medium just as thoroughly as with the holy water This might have shakeo the fartb of the believer, in the holy well, hot fortunately for them no such rude awakening appears to have marred their confidence in the miraculous powers of the wdl or of the minis. Numerous proofs of water- worship in Groat Britain exist to-day. Engluh folklore is full of those and wo shall notioe them presently. There is also archjeologic&l evidence establish folklore or wn if. ing the prevalence of the cult. On a pavement «i Sydney Park, doucettcrahirs, on the western bank of the Severn, Lae been carved the figure of one of the English river divinities The principal figure is a youthful deity crowned with raya like Phoebus and standing in a chariot drawn, a> in the care of banu ArrUvi Sur AmkiCa of the Iranian., by four borer. Three in- scriptions are preserved : (I) Dero Xodenti ; (2) D. M. Nodonli and (3) Deo Xudente M The form Nolen* ha* been identified by Psofcasor Rbys with the Welch Uudd and with the Irish Nuada. This monumental relic by no menu present, the British cm Led linen t of the water-god. the work being Roman it evidently bears the stamp of the Roman interpretation of tho British In-Inf in the local god and has been muddled on the Roman .tandard of the watev-god Neptune. The whole find has been fully described and illurfrated In a special volume by the Rev. W. H. Bathuret and C W. King. In Tylor's I’rimilixr Cmllmrr we find ths following Ainorioan oxnmpio* of animfctic ideas concerning water. “ Who make thia river How » " ask* the Algonquin huntre in a medicine sung, ami hi- answer is. “ The apint. he make* this river How ” In any great river, or lake, or ra-radr. there dwell sw-h *pint», looked upon as mighty mam low Thu. Carver mention* tho halut of the Red Indian*, when they reached the shore* of Lake Sii|«orinr or the lank* of the Mt*i.*.pi, or any great body of water. U* |e Virgin, or some aaint, near sacrod trees and rivers or over holy well* and fountain*. Thus did the new faith which aimed in principle at the purity of Christian doctrine permit in practice a continuance of pagan worship under Christian auspi ce * Curious was the result Under the transformation of belief, thus unconsciously wrought the simple-hearted Christians bcfjcid in brilliant images of the virgin and the saints fresh dwelling-place* for the presiding deities of the water* whom they and their forefathers had venerated in the past. TV belief in the mira- culous power of water became linked with the name of M adonna or some saintly messenger of God and so enduring was this combination that it gave a new leaao of life to the old beliefs. One by one the old ideas and custom, which were firmly rooted in the multitude came to be absorbed into Christianity. A dual systom of belief thus sprang up and this is very strikingly reflect- ed In the supplication of an old Scottish peasant when ho went to worship at a sacred well : “ 0 Lord. Thou k no wen that well would It be for me this day an I bad stooprt my knees and my heart before Thee in spirit and in truth as often as I have stoepit them after this wall. But we maun keep tho customs of oar fathers.* What is true of well-worahip is tree of other phases of nature worship A vivkl picture of tho result of the Christian tolerance of paganism has been drawn by Grimm in the preface to the second edition of his Teutonic Mythology. For our present purpose it will suffice to quote from it only two or three sentence* which have a direct bearing on the question of water-worship : “ Sacred walls and fountains." says be. “ ware reehristened after saints, to whom their sanctity was transferred. Law usages, particularly the ordeal* and oath-takings, but also tbe beating ' Uomos: AUfcre re re HiOnul Screw. CHRISTIAN TOLBIUNCe OP THl CtTLT Of WATER. *3 of bounds. consecrations, image processions, .pells and formula while retaining their heathen character, aw simply clothed in CVrtian forms. In some customs there was little to change : the heathen practice of sprinkling a new-born babe with water closely rambled Christian baptism" This reference to adapted pagan rites in connection with the baptismal ceremony recalls the words in which Mr- Edward Cl odd in Tom Til Tot traces the early beginnings of the order of tho Christian clergy to a prehistoric past. " TV? priest who chris- ten. tho child in the name ol the Father. 8on and Holy Ghost," says he. “ is the lineal descendant, the true apostolic successor of the medicine-man. He may deny the spiritual father who begot him, and Taunt hia descent from 8t- Peter. But the first BUhop of Rome, granting that title to the apostle, was himeclf a parvenu compared to the barbaric priest who uttered his Incantations on the hill now crowned by the Vatican." M We think with sympathy." continue Mr. Clodd, " of that * divine honour * which Qtldas tells ns our forefathers paid to wells and streams ; of the food-bringing rivm which, in the old Celtic faith, were * mother. of the eddy in which the water- demon lurked ; of the lakes retrd by lorsly queens ; of the nymphs who were the presiding genii of wells" CHAPTER VII. HOLY WELLS AND TANKS. With the learned author of Tom Til To! wr aln think with sympathy of the worship of the saint Khwaja Khixr, who is believed by the Syrian* to hare caused wafer to flow in the Subbati fountain in northern Syria and who is ranked among the prohets by the Mahomolans and recognised by tho Hindus aa a patron saint of boatmen, hit M.aJrm name being Hinduism! into Raja Kidar or Kawaj or Pir Badra. He is, however, moat widely known aa the patron saint of tho water of Immortality. When the gnat Stkamlar. Alexander of Maced on. went in qumt of the blraerd wwtera. Khtrr accompanied him, aa a guide, to Znlmat. the region of darknma, where the spring of the water of immorality » bcl.evnl to exui , When they reached Zulmai, Khixr said that only 12 i-raom should enter that region un 12 nun, and that each mar. a coll should be Ual outside so that should any one loae h- way. the mare on which he rode might lead him bach to the starting point, following the direction from which she would hoar tiie neighing of her oolt. This course was followed. According to one account, the party succeeded in reaching the coveted spring. Khixr drank from it hrst ami then asked Sikandar to drink m much as bo liked. Hie conqueror of the Emit, however, stood still. He saw before him some vory agod birds in a pitiable condition, longing for death and muttering maid, maul, maul, death, death, death ' Death, however, would not come to them as they had tasted tho water ,J immortality. This was enough to unnerve Alexander and bo turned back without tasting (hr water According to another tradition. Khixr slipped away in the region of darkness, went alone to the spring and drank from it. Alexander HOLY WELLS AXD TANKS 45 and his comrade* k*t their way and a etc only able to emerge from the darkness with the help of their marc* who instinctively followed the (fraction whence they beard the neighing of their colt*. In India thelhb U believed to be the vehicle of Khwaja Kbixr. Iu image is therefore painted over the doors of Hindu, and Mahomedans m Northern India and it became the family crest of one o I the royal families of Oodh. When a Mahomcdan lad i* shaved for the first time, a prayer a offered to the saint and a little boat is launched in his honour in a tank or river. The Hindus as well as the MahomwUn. in Upper India invoke hM help when their braW go adrift and they worship him by burning lamps and by setting afloat on a village pond a little raft of grass with a lighted lamp plaad upon it. A Mahomcdan friend who has often taken part in this ceremony which is known a» A’*w ja 5*4*6 h i Dol jo, has favoured mo with the following description of It : “ On the evening of the ceremony people congicgate by the side of the river and bring with then a quantity of do fye, a confection of wheat, and a tiny boat prepared for the occasion. They then light a drill or ghee lamp, and piacr it by the aide of the cfofys. which is then consecrated in the name of Khwaja Khiir by trading FaliAa over it. A portion of the confection is then placed in the boat which is launched id the river with the small lamp in it. The remaining portion is distributed amongst friends and relation* and the poor." As a rule the Mahomedans do not worship water. They, however, hold the well Zumiam in Mecca in great veneration. 16 is believed that this single well supphe* water to the whole city and that its water cornea up bubbling on occasions of religious fervour. The water of the wall is also credited with miraculous properties sod on their return from the pilgrimage to the holy city almost all the Hajis (pilgrims) bring hoax- the water of Zumium in small tine and distribute it amongst Ifl FOLKIAU OF WKU6 friends who use it as a core for several diseases and also sprinklo it on tho sheet covering the dead. No other holy well attracts the followers of Islam, but for tho Hindus the number of such places of pilgrimage is legion. Particularly do they flock in numbers to the ncml rivers which are regarded as the dwelling placa of some of the ment benevolent deities. In Northern India tho Ganges and tho Jumna are known as " Gangs Mai ", or Mother OaogM. and “Jumnaji" or Lady Jumna. Foremost in the rank of the holy rivers is the Ganges, which, like other rivers, is specially sacred at certain auspicious conjunctions of thr plairls wkcvi crowds of people aw men bathing on her banks. This sanctity is shared by several towns along the shores of the river saofa as Hardwar, Bithur, AUahabad. Benares and Gangs Sagar. No Isas sacred is the Godavari, believed to be the site of the hermitage of Gautama When thr planet llnkatpali (Jupiter) enter, the .S'.sAa AmAi ( the constel- lation of Leo), a phenomenon which takes place once in twelve years, the holy Oangr. Rocs to thr Godavari ami remains there for one year and during that year all the gods bathe in this river. Hoiks the pilgrimage of thousand* of Hindus to Kasik to offer | ir uvm to the Godavari. A pilgrimage similar to this is common in Russia. There, an annual ceremony of biding the waten of tho Neva i- usually performed in tho presence of tho Uar.' Multitude- flock to tbo site and struggle for some of tbs nowly bkwsod water with which they emss themselves and sprinklo their clothes. In his " Popular RHigion ami Folklore of Northern India - Crook" observes that many of the holy wells in Northern India are connected with tho wandering* of Kama and Site after their exile from Ayodhya Site's kitchen ( Sila li ra*oi ) is shown in various places, as at Kanauj ami Deoriya in tbo Allahabad 1 Since this chapter >nu«i Kus-a ha- I— -a ui (he throng of * revolution sod U i> nut knooa who will |>rr»-dr et Urn ceremony in (slur* in Usu of tho C-r. HOLY WBIXa *XD TANK* 47 District. Her weil to on tho Bindhachal hill in Mireapur, and i* a famous rraort of pilgrim*. There to another near Monphyr and a third in the Sultan pur District in Oudh The Monghyr well haabeen invested with a special legend. Sita was suspected of faithJeuancus during her captivity in the kingdom of iUvana. She threw herself into a pit filled with fire, where the hot spring now flows, and came oat purified. When Dr. Buchanan visited the place, he heard a new story in connection with it. Shortly before, it waa said, the water bec a me ao cool aa to allow Lath- ing in It. The Gorernor prohibited the practice aa it made the water ao dirty that European* could not drink it. “ But on the very day when the bricklayers began to build a wall in order to exclude the bathers, the water became so hot that no ona oould dare to tooch it. ao that the precaution being unnecessary, the work of the infidels was abandooed." * A bath in the waters of well, to believed to hare the same efficacy for expiating sin aa a bath in the holy rirera This belief rerta on tho theory that spring, and rirera flow under the agency of an Indwelling spirit which is generally benignant and that bathing brings the sinner into comm union with the spirit and l.uriflm him in tho moral more than in the physioal sense. It Is hello ved that even the dead are benefited by such ceremonies. A very typical care of the efficacy of such religious baths to that of King Trisanku. who had committed three deadly sins. According to one story he tried to win hto way to heaven by a great sacrifice which b» priest. Vaehiehtha, declined to perform. According to another account he ran away with the wife of a ciliren, and killed in a time of famine the wondrous cow of Vashtohtha Another story accused him of having married his step-mother After he had been sufficiently chastised, the saint Vwwamitra took pity on km and having collected water from all the sacred places in the world, washed him clean of all offences ' W. Crerte: Fdkkrr <4 Ssnfcrra ladta~ miJCIStRF OR WRIJji Til- 1 Brahmin* alio »a*h ikenwltm of sini with the washing •if their simil thread pwtv rear. with a ceremony of sprinkling < il water an- 1 row* wino. Thi» cororaeav i» known u» Shravaui among-1 H*e M.ratha- and Mirj*., Vidhi Mating* the GujeraUn. It wou|i| be impossible to cniiracrale I ho numerous sacred wrlk of India. A few in-tfances may. however, be cited from the FMtvrt Naltt oJtUjaral. Six mile* to the cost o( Itwarka there is a kund called Pind taruk, where many pcrv>n* e>> to perform the Skraddka and the ttMpim-Mi ceromoniew TL«> fir* bathe in the fond ; then, with it* water, they |in-|urr piroUs. and plaeo litem in a raetul dish ; ml lac i» applied to the pindas. and a piece of cotton thread wound round theia ; tho metal di-h being then dipped in the kind, when tlie pi***, in***! of staking. are said to remain floating on the water TV pr.*v«U believed to earn a Rood statu- for the spirits U ik-pirird ant'd or- in hMTen. It i. fmtlier said that |4>-ieal ailments Uo««ht <*i by the nropali, ilegrutlalion or la lien condition. of anted os. in tho other world, nro remedied by tho pnfonttanrv of ShrMil* on this kund. The llumoilar / and i. situated near Jmugadb. It i* mid that it the bone- of a .Wined person remaining nnburat ulter ereination are dipped in thi< land, hi- «oul obtains m’jktha or linal emancipation There i. a me or ntrevoir on Mount Girtur. known a- Ram- kupika-vav It i* Mieved that the body of a |ieei»on bathing in it become* as hard marble, anil that il a piece of stone or iron is dipped in tho tar. it i- in-tantly trim-formed into gold. But tho nr i* only vt-iblc to mint- and aages who are gifted with a supcrnatnral v»-ton. Kaahipuri ( Benarc* ) contain, a roe called Gnyan-vav, in which there a an image of Vnhweshwar (the Lord of the Uni- ver*. i.e., Shiva ) A bath in the water from this nr is fv 4 *m6nr tjjMAtt J /axruvi /Ar gift nf ‘/itjjjf Luu H A \Jgr (hag* JUi. 1 Marian VMkl inj* away of «ns with the chancing of the Sacral Thread. HOLT WELLS a5D TASKS 49 In the Tillage of (hunral, s few miles to the north of Y'iram- gam, there is a kund known as Loteshwar. near which stands a pipal tree. Persons pouesaed by gbo4* or devils are freed from powcavion by pouring water at the foot of the tree and taking turns round it, remaining silent the while. TTirre is a kund railed Zrlika near Zinxwvada with a trmjdo of Nalrahwar Mihadev near it. The kund is said to have been built at the time uf King Nala. It is believed locally that every year, on the 15th day of the bright half of Blildrapad, the holy Ganges visits the kund by an snJrrgruvmd route A great fair ia hold there on that day, when people bathe in the kund and give alma to the poor. There H also another kund close by. known as Bholava, where the river Saras wati is behoved to ha ro halted and raanifrwled her. If on her way to the aea. In Bhadskon near Chuda there is a kund called Garlgaro. The place is erlobraU-d as the «p>4 id the hermitage of Uio sago Bhngu and a fair ia held there annually on the last day of BMdnpad. Person, anxious to attain heaven bathe in the Mrigi kund on Mount Girnar ; and a loth in tho Krvati Lund, which is in the same place, confers male is-ne on tlie bather. There is also a kund nf the shapw of an elephant • footprint Pagahtin on Mount Girnar. It never eropUrs and ia hold moat aacreil by pilgrims. IVopto bathe in the Gomati Lund n<»r Dwarka and take a little of the earth from it. bed for Uk« purification of tlieir sonla In the village of Habers. IWbhruvAhan the eon of Arjun ia said to have constructed aavml k*nd», all of which are believed to he holy. A man ia said to be reknvd from re birth if he lakes a hath in tho kund named K stkale-tinba near NVik A pond near Khapoli in the Kolaba district is held very sacred. The following story is related in connection with it. The villagers say that the water nvni|4» in tic pond used to 50 roucLOKB or provide pots for marriage fretiritire if * written application was made to them a day previous to the wedding- The pots were, however, required to be returned within a limited time. Onco a man failed to comply with this condition and the nymphs hare ceased to lend pot*. The nymphs of a pond at Varwai in the Kolaba district wens also believed to lend pots on festive occasions. Person* held unclean, t g . . women in their menstrual period, are not allowed to touch it. Similarly, a pool at Pu*hkar in Northern India turns red if the shadow of a woman dunug the period talk upon it. There are seven sacred pond* at Nirmal in the Than- district, forming a large Ukr Three pond, are said to hsvo been formed from the Wood of the demon Vimalsur. There are sacred pool* of hot water in the Vaitama river in the Thana di-Uiet, in whkh people bathe on the 13th .lay of the .lark half of cWru. At Shahapur there i* a holy spring of hot water under a pipal tree, called Gangs. It I* hold holy to hat he in the km*bu> that are situated in the river* Jan** and Kanganga. The Manikarnika well at Brnarew wa* prod or od by an sar-nngof Shiva falling into it. If onedriuks its water, it brings wisdom. The water of the Jlnavipi well in Bensros also possesses the remo property * At Sarlrahiya in the Basti districi there is a well where Buddha struck the ground with his arrow and brought forth water just as Mows did from the rock. Crooke says that he was shown a well in the Muzaffamagar district into which a Faqir once spat, which for a long time after the visit of the holy man ran with excellent milk. The supply had. however, ceased before the visit HOLY WELLS AND TANKS 61 A bath in the Man-aarovar near Bahucharaji is said to cause the wishes o f the bather to be fulfilled. There is a local tradition that a Rajput woman was turned into a male Rajput of the Solanki class by a bath in its waters. The cnlt of the bath for the purification of the soul is notoon- fined to India and the Indian people. It was also side-spread amongst the European people and prevails even to-day on the Continent. We have already sr*n that sater- worship flourished in Europe before the advent of Christianity and that the new faith ■ hough antagonistic to it in principle was considerably tolerant in praotioe. It is not surprising, therefore, that the old practice should, with a varnish of Christianity. survive up to tho present day. In an article contributed not long ego to the Good Word* magazine, Mr. Colin Bennett obser»rd : " Of all the remnants of ancient pagan worship that which is dying hsrdost. or more probably has not started to dm at all. Is the veneration of holy wells and belief in their miraculous profMtlen." In the year 1893 was published TAe /prudery Lon of Iht Holy WtlU of fagfaad. including Rivers. Lakes. Fountain, and Springs, by R. C. Hops. Unfortunately, I have not been able to obtain a copy of this book, but from the reviews of the work that appeared in the Arodtmy and in the Alkrntmm in August 1893, one gathers that although confessedly imperfect Mr. Hope's catalogue gives 129 names of saints in whose honour English wells have been dedicated. Tho rcvicweis give additional instance* and point oat that if inquiries were made, many more such welli would bo dacovered. From the list it appears that with the exception of Virgin Mhry, who has 29 wells, and all Saints to whom 33 wells are dedicated urllr under the patronage ot St. Helen are the moat numerous. St. Helen was very popular in England, partly ss being the mother of Constantine, the First Christian Emperor, and partly because two Eoglwh cit**, York and Colchester, claimed her as a native. The reviewer of Mr. Hope’s work in the 62 fOLKLOBE OT WEIiS. AtAenavm suggested * third reason also (or her popularity. She discovered what wa* reputed to be the holy ertsa, bencc in many part* of England May 3rd, the festival of " The Invention of the Ooes”. wa* called “ St- Helena Ifcy in Spring ", and became an important day in village affair*. Mrnor court rolls bear witness, says the writer, that on that day commons •'ere thrown open for the pasturage of cattle, and occupier, of land adjoin- ing riven well knew that it was the last day for repairing their banks. An interesting chapter on Holy Well, ia also given in Knouiton t Ot .?.*« of Popular Sujwntfrtoa*. On a little island near the centre of Lough Fine there wed to be a place for pilgrima anxious to get rid of their sins, the journey over the water being an important part of the business. In Scotland ( Tullie Beltane ) there Is a Druid temple of eight up-right stoma. Home d stance away i» another temple, and near it a well stiU held in great veneration, says a writer in the OtulUman* Maya:int U8I11 “On Beltane morning super- ■titioua people go to this well and drink of it ; then they inako a procession round it nine times ; after this they in like manner go round the temple. So deep-rooted is this hrathenish super- stition in the miixk of many who reckon themselves good Protestants, that they will not neglect these rites even when Beltane falls on a Sabbath.’ Thomas QuiUer-Couch took a deep interest in the holy wells of Cornwall. He visited many of them and the notes taken by him ho intended to seave into a volume illustrative of their history and the superstition* which had gathered around them. Unfortunately the intention could not be carried out during his lifetime, but with the help of these notes a volume wa* subsequently published on the Arndt* and Holy WtlU of Cornwall by M. and L. Quiller-Coocfa. 'Hus volume is not obtainable in Bombay and in this ease also 1 owe my information concerning the work to tbe review shirk appeared in the » WILLS ASD TAMS. Athenian of 10th August 1695 During ■ pilgrimage of several months’ duration the joint anthers were able to discover more than ninety of such well*. From the account given by the authors it would seem that the Cornish wells are rarely haunted by spirits of any kind. They are holy, and cure all kinds of sickness, madnaat included. They also tell us of the future, provided proper rites are observed, and we may secure good fortune by dropping a pin or a small coin into the water. Major-General For long cites St. Peter's well at Houston in Renfrewshire, 8t. Ninian's well at Stirling with its vaulted cell. St. Catherine's well at Libertoo, S*. Michael’s well near the Linlithgow cathedral, and the well of Loch Unfit as some of the examples. Another sacred well ia St Mungo's over which the Glasgow cathedral stands. In Ireland •• we everywhere find peasants knsrtinp at sacred wells." Of tho well of 8t. Margaret under the black precipitous cliffs of Kdlnburgh ('satis Major Ceoerwl Forlong says that M is exactly such a spot as hs had weo in Central India, "where pious persons precipitated the ms. Ires from the nx* to pi esse Siva ot Katt."t CHAPTER VIII. HEALING WATERS. Many of these wclbare renowned no leuu for their medicinal properties than for their sanctity. Their waters are believed to be under the care of sanitary guardians and are held to bo extremely efficacious in curing many a distemper. Tho use of water for therapeutic purpose ia mentioned in tho Old Testament, where it s. stated that Seaman, who xuflored from skin disease. dipped himself seven times in the Jordan and waa cured The New Testament record, a cam of congenital blind nom cured by waahing in the Ki.«r Sdoa Balneotherapy and Hydrotherapy were not unknown in Talmudic times The Talmud mentions a special season Utaeen Kastcrand Whilaun during which icoplc used to go to the spas to take the water* or mudbaths. The cure lasted tuenty-onodaya In the Temple a special doctor wM appointed to attend tho priests for inlmtinal trouble caused by their exesemw tmUnn .4 the Oath of sacrifice, and the treatmctil |*twcnUd for them was the drinking of the water of Siloa • In Bombay the ManraaU tank at Matunga, the major portion of which ha* been recently filled up and on which the Sassoon Reformatory now stands, has a reputation for curing measles. People from distant parts bring their children to this tank and the nymphs residing in it seldom fail to cure them of the malady. We aro not aware of any other dty well or tank gifted with such healing powers, but there are several in the Btsnhav Preddcncy. The Folklore notes of Gujarat mention a few. The water of the Krukalaa HBiliHQ WA 65 well in tho island of Shankhodwar is believed to care fever and disease* earned by morbid beat. A draught of the water of the Gomukhi-Ganga. near Girnar, give, one absolute immunity from an attack of cholera. The water of a gmara well (i.e.. a well which is polluted owing to a person drowned in it) cures children of bronchitis and cough. There is a well near Ramdoruna, of which the water is effective against cough, and the water of the Bahamama well near Vasa wad is credited with tho aamo virtue. The water of the Mrigi Kund near Junagadb euros leprosy The Pipit well near Tslaaad is well-known for the stimulating effect of iU eater on tho digestive organs. Tho residents of Bomtay, however, need not go to Tala wad for this boon. There are in (he oily tho Bhikha Be h ram well on Churchgat* Street and the High Court well on Mayo Real renowned for similar pro|vrtM» of their water In Nor* thorn India hydrophobia is believed to be cured if the patient looks down seven wells in swcccesion. while in Gujarat whan a person is bitten by a rabid d*«. he goos to a well inhabited by a VdcMaro, the spirit who cones hydrophobia, with two earthen cups filled with milk with a pica in each, and empties tho contents into the water. In the island of Shielthereisa nac called Than toe whore mother, who cannot suckle their children for wont of milk wash their bodices which, when Milsoquently put on, are bo 1 10 red to cause the nocowary secretion of milk. It was rceontly brought to my noUoc that tho guardian spirit of a wall in Lonavla also porec s srd the gift of blessing mothers with milk. After that well had hoc® dug, a goat wa» offered by the owner of the well to the spirit. This offering proved moot unacceptable and the waters of the well at onoc dried up. The owner implored pardon and vowed that no animal sacrifice would ever again be offered, and that milk and gbcc would be presented instead This had the desired effect and live guardian spirit of tho water has since been roost friendly. • A few months ago,” said my informant, "a young lady was desirous of getting milk for her new born babe. After fruitless w FOLKLORE OF WILLS. attempts fora fortnight. she took an oath that she would present to the water saint fkada* of milk and ghee and ahc was forthwith blest with milk for the infant. ’* In the Konkan the water of a wwll drawn without touching the earth or without bring plated upon the ground is given »' medicine for indigestion. Them are pond, at ilaaora in the Go* .Stale anil Vetora in tho Savant wadi State, the water of which is used for the euro of person, suffering from the pou»n uf snake*. mice, >|«dcr> and ar orpii.ru. If a ponton is biUrii by a snake or other poisonous reptile, no medicine la ndmmsaered to him, but holy water brought from the temple of the village *«ld*» - given to him to drink and It is .aid that tho patient is cured. At Hhivani in the Hatnagin district people use the tirtka of a deity, or the water in whiah its idol is washed, aa medicino (or disease* due to |K*«>n. It is the sole remedy they resort to in such casre. The water .4 seven tanks, nr at least of one pond, in which lotuses grow, i> raid to cheek the virulence of mesiJro and small- pox. A hath in a tank in the Mahira district la said to euro persons suffering from skin ils«s»». The well at Sihor in Kaj(*it*na is sac rod to Gautama and Is considered effkaehms in the euro t4 various disorders. In Solar. King Satcsbwar asked the saint Sumitra for water. The sage was wrapped in contemplation, and did not answer him. The angry monarch took some I we Iroin the ground and throw them at the saint, who curced tho king with vermin all over hi- body. This affliction the wretched monarch endured for twelve years, until he was cured by ablution at- the -acred fountain of DevnrAshtoJ The birth of a child under the mui n nb+alnx endangers the life of ita father, but the misfortune is averted if the child and its parents bathe in the water drawn from 108 wells. A draught of such water is said to cure Sanmpal or delirium. ni_»LtSO WATERS 57 One of the sacred tanks of India U “ the Lake of Immorta- lity ” at Amritsar The name of the city a taken from the sacred tank in which the Golden Temple is built Originally, the place wa- only a natural pool of water and a favourite resort of Guru Narvik, the founder of the Sikh religion. It was known at first as «ae*4a-cAafI. but later when the tank was built, the name Amritsar was adopted, umril meaning water of Tra mortality and sue meaning a tank. A holy woman once took pity on a leper, and earned him to the banka of the tank. As he lay there, a crow swooped mto the water and came out a dove as white as snow Seeing the miracle, the U jk* was tempted to bathe in the river and was healed. The woman could not recognize her friend, and withdrew in horror from his embrace*. But the Gum Ram Ma came and ex- plained matters, and ' the grateful pair assisted him in embel- lishing the lank, which ha. now become the centre of the Sikh religion "» The Unk at Lalitpur is similarlv famous for the cure of leprosy One day. a Rljk afflicted with the diaeaao was pausing by. and hi* RAm dreamt that he should eat some of the confervw on the surface He ate it. and was cured ; next night the Rim dreamt that there was a vast treasure concealed there, which when dug up wa. .uffleient to pay the pewt of excavation. At Qasur it the tank of the saint Burnt ShAh, In which children are bathed to cure them of boils.* Them are several hot spring, in India renowned for their curative power* The* also see believed to be saered to certain deities. A lyrical example is that of the bot kund, called Dtvki-Unai, about 30 miles to the **uth of Surut. Many pilgrims visit the place on the fifteenth day of the bright half of Chailra, when the waters are cool, to ofler money. cocoanuU, and red lend to the Umi Jfart. -hose temple stands near the kund ■ Ooofce: Fr •1M. of S*U«» lodw. voL L TOLKIOR1 OR WTJ.L3. It is said that king Rani* built thi> kund white performing a sacrifice and bnx^ht water from lltr pdlOI nether regions) by shooting an anow into the earth. Similarly, the famous hot ‘pring- forming one group in a line ulong the l»ed of the TaotA river in the village of Vadavli ore sacred to the goddoo* Vajrabai or Vajredivari, tho Lady of the Thunderbolt. According to tradition, this neighbourhood being full of demons the goddtw* Vsjrabai became incarnate in the locality to dear it of the wicked spirits. She routed the whole lot of them, and the hot water of Ihrao springs is nothing but tho blood of one of the demons slain by her. Her chronicle, or JfaAatmju, is kept at the village of Gunj. some si x mites to the north, ami her temple is pUcod at the top of a (light of steps on a spur of the Sumatra range. A Urge fair is held here in Chaitra (April). There are other hot springs in the neighbouring village* of Akteli. known as the Rammhwar hot springs, whoso water* are gat bored out in stone cisterns. In tho eighteenth century thrae spring* wore mudi u«*d both by Indians and European* as a cure for fevore. In his Oriental Memoir • James Forbes docribe* the springs as consisting of small cistern* of water with a truipereture of 120*. * Except I hat it wanted a. mall element .4 mm the water tasted like that of Bath in England." In the Ganwhpari Tillage, about throe miles west of Vajrabsi.are the two hot tret springs of tho group. Those are resorted to by people troubled with skin disease* The Arabs regunl the hot springs at Terka Main to be under the control of a Vali who main the fire and keeps it burning. Those who go there to be heated of iheumatism invoke the saint and keep up the fire so that the water may be hot. At the Lunatic Asylum of Hamath there is a pool believed to be the abode of a Vali who is the patron saint of all insane people. He appears in the night sod Uesscs the insane by touching them Even troublesome children come under the spell of his influence. The Arabs take the robes of refractory urchins to HBALISG W4TXR- 69 the pool and wash them in it so as to instil wisdom and obedience in the children Similarly, the special function of the Altarnum well was the euro of madnea* The afflicted person was made to staid with his lack to the pool and was thee tumbled headlong into the wotei by a sudden blow in the beta* In the water again stood a strung fellow who took him and to-td him up ami down ' This ritual ap|«am to be a survival of human sacrifice , while the ritual followed in connection with St. Teda’s well, renowned for the cure of epdepey. bean, testimony to the practice of offering animal sacnlkwe to the presiding spirit, of water. In his Tour in B'nfss. •peaking of the village of IJamlrgU, where la a church dedicated to St. Tccla. \ >rgin and martyr, who after her conversion by M. l*aal sufl. icd uudri Xcro at loonlum, Pennant saya: *• About two hundred yards liom the chuieh, in a quillet called Clweni Degla, ran a small spring. The water ia under the tutelage of the saint, and n> this day held to be extremely beneficial in the falling sickness. The patient washes his limb* in the well . maker an offering info it of fourpenco walks round it three tin** . and thrice irpsii the Lord a Prayer. These ceremonies are never begun till alter sunset, in order to inspire the votaries with greater awr. II the afflicted be of the male sex, like Socrates, be make* an offering of a cock to his Aesculapius, or rather to Tccla, Mygcia . if of the fair sex, a hen. The fowl ia carried in a basket, fust round the well, after that into the churchyard, when Uh same orisons and the same oircumambu tat ions arc performed round the church Tbo votary then enters the church, gets under the communion- table, lira down with the Bible under h* or her head, is covered with the carpet or doth, and rests there till break of day, departing after offering six pence, and leaving the fowl in the church If the bird dies, the cure is supposed to have been effected sod the disease transferred to the ds voted victim.'* rotxtou OF WXLIfl. The matt famous healing well in England is perhaps the Holyawll, the Lourdes of Walm The story of this well is the story of S« Winefride. the waters c4 whose fount were doclared by the Protestant antiquarian. Pennant, to be “ almost as sanative as those of the Pool ul Brthesda In the 7th century the pwtamque valley uf Sychnanl had as its chieftain Thrwilh, whom wife aas the sister of St. Bcuno, and whoso daughter, Winefride, was a very beautiful girl, who had many suitors, but who revolved to coumraW herself to God in a lifo of virginity. One of the meat persistent of her suitors was l*riiae Carador. who, enraged at his rejection, Bade a furious omdaaghi on llw girl, compelling lire to seek safety in flight With draw u sword he pursued aud overtook her on the majtwtic lull abnh overlooks tin town. Hrrc • he out oil her Head. ah«h Itftd to the foot of the hill Till then. Hythnant bail Imi Waterloo— iU luonr, indeed, sigui- Bos the dry valley, but at the -pot w-twrr the severed hnsd rested, a copious si ream Isiim forth. f<*nimg a well, the .idea of which were lined with fragrant nan. whilst lh«- atone* at the bottom wore tinctured with the youthful martyrs Hood Th© head itaelf was reunited by N« Kruno to Winefride s body, which was immediately restored to life by ih» Almighty in response to the saint's prayer- WinrfrWIe -uUrqamtly Inane a nun, dying at Owytberin on Kovrmbrr .Ini. IW Around the Wtrll in Sychiunl Valley grew a town which tlm Saxons named Treffyiuon. and which braamc known to the Norman* as Haliwvll. the halloaed or holy well, to which pil- grims fared from all part- of the Jung. km. . inspired by the belief that through the inter* e^-ton nf Kt Winefridc they would obtain spiritual ami temporal Idofing* Through the centuries preceding the Reformation. the We** Princes, the monarch, of England and the nobles of both countries delighted to bestow ■narks of their favour on HulyaeU and its iJmnc and Well of 8t. Winefridc One of the greatest of these benefactors was the mother of Henry VII.. MargarH, Count*** >4 Richmond and HgALISC WA 61 Dor by, who, in the fifteenth century, erected the “handsome Gothic oh* pel end the Well beneath it. The water we* received in a magnificent polygonal beam, covered by a groin'd arch, supported on pillars The roof w as eUbretely carved in stone, and many fine rib* secured the arch, whose interactions were completed with sculpture. On one side of the wall .a pointed the-hi-tory of St. Winefridr, whilst the Sinn of the foundrv* and those of Henry VII, Henry VIII, L^thenm< of Aragon, aud other benefacuvs were incorporated in the decorations. Though the church of Holywell Ms devoted U> other uses after the Reformation, ami recourse to the well wa* regareled as a “ superstitious practice," the li«le <4 visitors never comjJetely ceased to flow In 1619. foe example, a s|>y is found reporting Sir Cuthben Clifton as Iwing oos of a great number of “ Papist" and priest* assemble, I at Si Winrfrhle's Well on St Winsfride's Day- The following paragraph from Archbishop Gaud's account of his Province for the year I M3 also show, that in spite of all repressive measure* pilgnma rc*o* 1 ed in great- number* to the well "The Bi*h»p of St A**|>fc return- lliat all is exceedingly well in his diocese - save only that the number and buldn<«* of some Romish Recusant* increaseth much in many PUor*. and is encouraged by the superstition* and fre.|uent concourse of some of that party to Holy Well, otherwise called SI. Winifride's Well. Whether this Coocounv be by way of Pilgrimage or no, I know not ; but I am sure it hath long been complained of without remedy." One of the i inters ui the year 168ti was Jainee II. and in the following year Father Thomas Roberts wa* appointed priest in charge. The well ha* ever since been a favourite resort of stricken pilgrim* and the modern tourist in North Wales can still witness numerous ['ll grim* journeying to St. Wmcfndc * in the hoj* of FOLKLORE OP WBIXS. leaving their inArmftk* behind thun. TV dnf, the dumb, the blind and the paralysed have for cniurir. betaken themselves to this well in *r»rrh of spiritual u well as physical health and the TOlire entche., chairs and barrows left hanging over the well by the pilgrims who have been able to dnard them bear testimony to the howling voices of it* water or at least to the faith of the people in such virtue*. In Lilly's History of h* Ide ami time* a story is given of Sir George Prekham. Kt . who died in St Winefride's Well. *' having continued so long mumbling his paternosters and Santa It '.m/rnfa *• P'° ««. «bat the cohl struck into his body and after his coming forth of that well he never spoke more." Two recent Holywell cun-, were reported in the Calk ofic Time, and Calkalit Opinion of 3Uc July 1010. Mr John Mac Mullan, whose address wa. WSUtion Koad.bheMlcrton.Glaagow. decided to try the water of St " include s Well after auflerlng for three years with t hronic spinal dterwee He bathed in tbo waters for ihr first time on July Jth and agam on July 0th, when he caprrienccd a sharp shooting psm all ILrough the body. On July 10th afie* getting «n the well he found that he was able to walk up • he steps which dccewded into the outer basin Of lh« well quite unaided and up to the 12th of July, when I* returned to Scotland, be was able to walk about freely. The other noteworthy case following on a visit to 8t. Wine- frideV Well ie that of Nr-* Elisabeth Stanley of 64, JohnThomaa Street, Blackburn. She had her hand cut in a mill while working aa a weaver and wa* unable to work for two years. In quest of a cure *hc made a pilgrimage to St Winefride’s Well on the Feast of Curpw Cfcrwti. - Since her return from Holywell.” it ** reported, she has followed her work without any ill r fleets and •* at present in the best of health. ” While this chapter wa» Umg written, a great calamity befell Holywell. Owing to the boring operations of tbo Hal ken Draining Company the waters of this famous well that had been h baling wa flowing for 1400 Year* were drained away on the oth January 1917. The Talley of Syehnant became once more “ the dry valley but to the great joy of the people oi Holywell and of the Catholic community everywhere the water wa* restored to the well on the 22ml September 1917 A few more healing wrll. m Great Britain may be noted. The ‘ Hooping Stone " on a farm near Athol. ia a channeled boulder which catche* rain, and the aau*. (tprcially if I lulled out with a apuon made from the bom a living cow. cur©, many ailments. The " Fever Well 1 hard by in alto Mill in high repute The Mayor and BarfMM of Mmftcdmry Mill g„ to dance round the sacred -pring. <4 ftuMM* Orem, hand in hand to the aouud of muwc or did no until recently. They oarried a broom .locked with feather*. gold Hug*, and jewels, railed a " prixo hetani “. and prewraicd U> the bailiff of the nmtor of Oillingham ( wW are the spring* ) a pair ul glove*, a raw calf ’a head, a gallon of hrwr and two praiy loaves' Another holy well. Roche Holy Well of Cornwall ia famoua for curing eye dlacaaca. This well, which ia dedicated to tho lonely hermit by name St. Conan. .. endowed on Holy Thuraday, and aho the two Thursday* following, with the property of ouring eye diaraaca alike in joui* and old. At Chapel Uny rickety children are dipped threw time- in the well againnt the aan. and .Ir.tggrd three time, round the well in the same direction. In several instance, each miraculous curve appear to be well authenticated Mr Colin llmnett aaya that Jcsu* Well. St. klinver. and Madron Holy Well, ncer Pcuganoc. arv raw-* in point. Riahop Hall, of Kxeter, who visited the latter well in 1640, absolutely vouchee, in hi* treatise on the InrUMt World, foe the cure of a man by name John TYvIille who had been lame f rom birth and had to crawl on all four* from place Major-Oemra! Fortoc* . Failiw of lUu. vol Ul. 94 FOLKLOKI Of W*IXJ to place. At last he decided to try the virtue of the waters of this holy well for his complaint and. like Naaman of old bathod himself in the little sprii^. afterwards reclining for an hour and a half on •> grassy bank situated near by and known as St. Ma- drne's bed while a friend ode red up a.mple prayers on his behalf. On the first occasion of this treatment he got some relief, on the second he was able to stand on his legs with the aid of a staff and on the third occasion he found himself ent irely cured. It is even said that in later life he enlisted in the army and was eventually killed in battle, having previously done good work for his country » cause Others hare also been cured of tbe same affliction iu later time* by precisely the same mean* Close by this well is the ancient oratory of St Madmr. where on the first Sunday in May a serv.ee is -till hold by the Wesley- uns in co mine moral ion of the saintly man who once preached in that lonely -pot the used of God After the service the Holy Well i. visited by the people, -ome of whom, says Mr. Bon nett, " go so far as to consult it concerning futurity." Many spring* in MwcdonU are known ami venerated as " sacred water* ’’ : ile.lirate.1 to Kl Fmlay and Si. Solomon* among feminine >*lnU. nrloSt l*aul and St KUas among their male colleague- Tin. water »f there spring* is regarded as effi- cacious against diwree*. especially eyesore plan it. Kven so -lorn I e nr lowtl the ‘ fair-tlnwing fountain lm.lt by man's hand, whonce the ritiren- of Ithaca drew aster." and dose to it " an altar erected in honour of the Nymphs, upon aWh tlie wayfarer* offered sacrifice ” Like the llomenc - fountain ol the Nymphs “ many a modern -holy spring ' i- overehadoaed by 'water-bred poplar. or broad leaved fig tree*, and wre|«i.g aillowa.” ' Hundred* of cure* are effected even now at the Church of the Annunciation over tbe Chapel of the well during the- Festi- val of Annunciation a’ Teno* During her visit to the place Miss Hamilton saw priests spooning out tbe sacred water to HXAUXG 65 an eager crowd, one by one, “ after the fashion of a mcdicino- giving nurse." Mih Hamilton if, however, guilty of repeating a very blasphemous story concerning a spring of therapeutic fame. Up to quits recent times the festival at Kaieariani sh very popular among the Athenians and sick pcoplo were taken there for cure at the spring on the Asoonsion Day, the only day on which the spring water ran into the II Mis Chapel, and in a miraculous way a white dove, the Holy Spirit, appeared and wet ita wings in the holy water. Then all the sick |trople drank of the water or washed in it and expected to be healod. One festival day this dorc failed to appear, and the priest knocked with his foot and wfii-prrrd. “ Le4 out I lie Holy Spirit." A voice from the hole replied audibly, *' The cat ha* eaten it." Thia was enough to suppress the miracle. The pilgrimage dacriUd by Miss Hamilton recalls the vivid me iks in Kmilo Zola’s famous novel lamrie*. In that master- piece of his the gnat master of Medan has given us a marvel- lously animated and poetic narrative of Ihr annual notional pilgrimage to thefamm* Continental shrine. 'Jliciilraof human suffering pervades the whole story and tho woful account of the dos (wiring suflerera given up by science and by man and of the religious enthusiasm with which they address themselves to a higher Power in the hope of relief and hasten to Lourdes and crowd themselves round the miraculous Grotto, is touching indeed The author, no doubt, arcoai|*nio* tbo stricken pilgrims without sharing their belief in tbc virtues of the water of Lourdes. He witnesses several instances of reel cure, steeple the extraordinary manifestations of the healing power of the waters, but tries to account for tbcm ou scientific grounds. Be the cxpUustioo as it may, Losnfts -fiords striking illustrations of tbc faith of the people in the miracles of tho enchanted fountain. CHAPTER IX. PROCREATIVE POWERS OF WATER SPIRITS. Water-spirito being authors d fertility in general, it ia natural that they thou Id be credited with the power of fertilizing human beings a* well aa animal* In many place, the power of blowing offspring la ascribed to them, and aeveral well* in India have a reputation for conferring the bloating, of parenthood. The Hindu, believe that •• a tun m-ure* three world*, a grandson Mi**, and a great grandson a seat even abovo the h igliost hc*»en* By begetting a virtuosi eon one nave* one- *elf aa well aa the m,Tc n procodn* and .even succeeding gemra- tiona." Childless wotneo, tl.rrofcre, rasort to various ex- pedients. Of those pilgrimage to liner, of aamU and visit* to Pnqlm and Mnllaa a ho have miraculous charm* in their possession oro moat comiuou. But tho most effective charm ia water. In many |urt. ..I Iaout. After the bath she dona now clothe* and greet, her husband and impreg- nation take* placo immediately. The nine ceremony ia resort- ed to in cases in which succenairo girl* have been born. and the birth of a aoa is amured 1 * Elbc«*XB*jLle !«rv«j ,4 lUtnrhf n. Vol 11. PHOOMATIVE POWEBi or WATES SPIRITS. 67 In a mo in Orissa priests throw betel-nuts into tho mad and barren women ■•cramble for them. Those who find them will have their desire foe children gratified. For tho same reason, the mother is taken after childbirth to worship the village well She walks round it in the course of tho sun and smears the platform with red lead, which is a survival of the original rite of blood sacrifice. In Dhar- war the child of a Brahman i- taken in the third month to worship water at the village well. There ia also a belief In Gujarat that barren couples get children if they bathe in a waterfall and offer ceeoanuU In tho Punjab sterile women desiring offspring are let down into a well on w Sunday or a Tuesday night during tho Dowali. After the bath they are drawn up again and they perform tho CKoukpunvi ceremony with lives n tat ions. When this ceremony has been performed, the well is supposed to run dry. Itsqukkon- Ing and fertilising virtue ha. been .UtracUd by tho woman. > This practice haa its counterpart in a custom observed by Syrian women at tho present day. Some of the channels of Urn Oronh- sra used for irrigation, but at a certain season of the year the streams are turned of! and the dry bed of tho channel! is cleared of mud and other impurit.es obstructing a free flow cf water. The first night that the water i. turned on again, it U said to have the power uf procreation. Accordingly, barren women take their places in the channel, waiting for tho entrance of the water -spirit in the rush of the stream. Sir James Fraser says that in Scotland the samo fertilising virtue used to be. and probably still is, ascribed to certain springs. Wives who wished to becomo mothers formerly re- sorted to the well of St. Fillan at Comric and to tho wells of St. Mary at Whitekirk and in the Iale of May. In tho Aran Island*, off the Coast of Galway, women desirous of children of IndU.1901. Vet X VII. 88 FOI.UORE Of WUM pray at St. Eany’i Well and the men pray at the Rag Well by the Church of the Poor Comely One. at Onaght. Similarly, Child's Well in Oxford ww* 'opposed to have " the virtue of making barren women to bring forth." Near Bingficld in Northumberland there i- a copious sulphur spring known aa the Borowell. About MuLummer day a great fair is held there and barren women pray at the well that they might become mothers. Some folklorists. Sir James Prater included, consider that sterility woe believed by people to be a disease due. as in tho case of other malady, to the work of demoniacal agency. They therefore include this practsr* of bathing in wells for the blessings of motherhood in the same category in which they place the eult of the bath baaed on popular faith in the healing powers of water. But there is probably another explanation for thia practice Students of the rites and customs observed by tho Semitie peoplo are aware that procreative power was attri- buted by these people to the spirits. Professor Curtiss beam testimony to thw and he .ays that even Modems and Christ ians of Syria conceived of God as possessed of a complete male organism It waa a common bclirf amorist the Syrians that the genii, both mate and female, had sexual intercourse with human beings and tho view that the spurts of the dead rosy beget children also prevailed. When a man had been executed for murder in Jerusalem, about fifty yean ago, some barren women rushed up to the corpse. It may be. says Curtiss, that they felt that, inasmuch as the man had been releaxd by death from previous nuptials and waa free, aa a disembodied spirit, he wws endowed with supernatural power to give them the joy of motherhood by proximity to his dead body. After his recent researches in Syria Curtiss say* that this belief in the procreativo powers of the dead is still common. There are three place at the so called baths of Solomon in Syria, where the hot air comes out of the ground. One of these hot air vents, called Abu Rabah, is a famous shrine for women PBOCRTUTIVI POWERS OF WATER SPIRITS. 89 who ATO barren and desire children. They in fact regard the Vali (Saint) of the shrine a* the father of children been after such a visit, as appears from the English rendering of an Arabic couplet, which they repeat as they go inside the small lock* arc and allow the hot air to steam up their bodies : " Ob. Abo Kabah. To thee come the white ones. To thee come the fair ones; With thee is the generation. With os is the conception." Three venea clearly unfold the minds of the women who woo the spirits foe the joys of motherhood. May not the corres- ponding faith of Indian women in sanctified waters bo traced to similar ideas I The Bombay and Ori-a practice, dracribod aboro do not materially support that view, but the Punjab practice and the belief of the Punjabis that the well run. dry after the bath and that iU fertilizing virtue is al-tractod by the women bathing in it are very significant. The Jews also believed in the possibility of conception occur- ring in a bath in quo rprrawiisswroi homo. Ben Sira was said to have been the son of a daughter of Jeremiah who became r» fuinU from her father in that way. - Indeed." says Dr. Fridman, “the Rabbi who cspnseod hi raw If as a heliever in such an occur- rence was Simon ben Zorns, a sage of the wcond century A.D., who devoted a good deal of his time to mctaphyMcal problems, and whoso mind gave way in consequence. The question that was asked of him, no doubt sarcastically, was whether the High Priest, who may only marry a Tirgin, was allowed to marry a pregnant virgin. Ben Zoma answered the question in tho affirmative, because, said he, conception was possible in a bath in which a man had just before -ashed himself." > This theory, olwetves Dr. Feldman, woe still in vogue even among physicians of the twelfth century. Averrocu, an Arabian physician who ilird in I I9S rrcre«U that an aoquiuntaneo o I hi*, whcee bona fid***** beyond dispute. stated on her oath that imprfgna/a futral raftato in taint o lartOi ayv a calidn in quo ipermalii no rani mail komint i nan an I talnmli in illo balneo. Another author explain* the p—d.dity of such an occurrence a* follow* : Quia rwlre trail! ,ptrma yrvpUr wn propria** virhOem. " In tho sixteenth century," continue* Dr. Feldman, " we flml tho Fnrtnguoc Amato* La*itanu* (IASI) making 11*0 ol the *oino theory to explain the delivery of a mole hy a nun ; and, according to Stern, thi* belief i« prevalent in Turkoy oven at tho p remit day. The Rabh*. of the Middle Age* also Miovod in such a possibility. Rvm a* late a* the beginning of the eigh- teenth century this Isdtef (irevaile.1. and R Juda Rorano*, Ralibi of Ctonatantinople, who, on tho authority <4 Moimon-lre. consi- dered *uch an occurrence improtablr, waa reprimanded by Axulai." In Sootland person* who bore tho name of tho river Tweed were auppourd to haro aa anmton tho genii of tho river of that name. Could thu curtou* belief have aprung from aimilar idea* concern in* the procnativo power* of tbo water- •plrlU I Three conception, of tho gwmeatir* power of water havo their paraJM in a Somm* tra.litnm. Three people, among whom marital rolotion*hip i* preevded by great antenuptial freedom, have a legend of a people in their old home, composed of women only. ‘•Three women know not men. but when tho moon La at the full, they dance naked in the grarey place* near the salt lake*, the evening wind h their only a, -war, and through him they conceive and bear children." ■ • Ck4.nl i In Court and Cw^pon*. CHAPTER X. WISHING AND CURSING WELLS. In Fuxn and Wed alike there are oracular wells inhabited by apiriU gifted with powers of divination. The instanoc oi the well in Ghoga Street in Bombay has already been noted There is a Had in Ualadaua near Wadha.ao, dedicated to Hoi, the favourite mala of the Charana In this Had. black or red ga^ar Mmm picem of cotton thread are sometimes .can Heating on the water. They appear only for a moment, and sink if any one endeavours to Mile them. The appearance of black pieeea forbodoa famine . but the red ooea foretell prosperity. At Aalto*, in the Himalayas, thero is a holy well which la used for divining the prospects of the harveat If tho spring in a given time fills the brass vessel to tho brim into which the water falls, there wUI be a good season ; if only a little water rootra. drought may lie expected. In a well in Kashmir thenc who have any special desirre throw a nut. If it floats, it ia comrdored an omen of aucocaa. If it sinks, it m a sign of misfortune. With this may be compared tho divination* performed by sailors at the fountain of Recovorsoce or St Laurent. To know tho future state of the weather they cast on the waters of tho fountain a monel of breed If the bread floats, isya Evans Wauta in Fair, Faith ta CtMc Co*mtri*. it is a sure sign of fair weather, but if it units, of weather so bad that no one should venture to go out in the fit Ling boats. Similarly, in some wells, pin* arc dropped by lover*. If the pins float, tho water-spirits giro a promire of favourable auspice*, but if tho pins sink, the maiden is unhappy, and will hesitate in accepting the propoeal of marriage. 72 FOLK LOBE OF The moat famous modern oracle in Greece is the well at Amor- goa. It stands in a little side shrine, where the prieat off on a prayer to St. George. Then he draws some water from the well in a small vessel and diagnoses the contents. The rules for the interpretation arc quite lengthy, but the answers are usually ambiguous These answers are given according to the foreign matter in the water. For example, hair denote* trouble and steknews. Near Kirk mehael in baud there is a fountain, once highly celebrated and anciently dedicated to St. Michael. Many a pat lent has by iU waters been restored to health, and many mom have altcelod the efficacy of their virtue*, but, as the presiding power is sometimes capricious, and apt to desert his charge. Iho fountain now lira neglected, choked with woods, unhonoured and unfrequented. In better days, it was not so ; for the winged guardian, under the semblance of a fly, wus never absent from hie doty. If the sober matron wiabod to know the Usue of her husband's ailment, and the lovo sick nymph that of her languwhing swam, they visited the well of St. Michael. Every movement of the sympathetic fly was regarded in silent awe ; and as he a]ipoand cheerful or dejected, the anxious votaries drew their iinaages , and their breasts vibrated with corresponding emotions . 1 Similarly, at a Cornish well, people used to go and inquire about absent friends. If the person - be living and in health , tho still, quiet waters of the well pit will instantly bubblo or boil up os a pot of clear, crystal-like water; if sick, foul and puddled water ; if dead, it will neither boil nor bubblo up, nor alter its colour or stilinna." In his Monastic Remains. More refers to the existence of two wishing wells in Wokingham Chapel. “ The wishing wells," he ©baervcn, “rtill remain, two circular stone pits filled with water. ■ Steiktkwl at ScOw.d w win v<> a*d crusrso well?. 73 enclosed with a square wall, where the pilgrim. u«d to knocl and throw in a piece of gold whilst they prayed for the aooom- plishment of thoir wishes. ** Pennant in his account of St. Wiorfride's well says : “ Near the steps, two feet beneath the water Is a Urge atone, called the wishing stone. It receives many a kiat from the faithful who are suppeaed never to fail in espericncing the completion of their desirea, provided the wish la delivered with full devo- tion and confidence." Another famous wishing well is in Cornwall, named the Fairy Well, CarbU Bay. After the enquirer has formed his wish with his back to the well, he throw* a pin over his left shoulder. If It strike# the water he obtain, his wish, if it falls on the bank, he is disappointed. » The Italic wall." says Nr. Colin Bennett in the Good Words Jf*yuuM "to much resorted to at tho present day by tourists and all those who have a sense of the quaint ncas or romance of snch ancient <>Wr vanca*." The priceless of Gulval Well in Pomes Moor was an old woman who instructed the dcvnt that any one who bathes there become, free from debt. Strange traditions are not wanting, says Mr. Colin Bennett,' to account for the wonderful state in which these wells are preserved. It is impossible to remove the atones of the well of St Clear, which 4 situated near Lwkrard. Tree, they may be carted away at daytime, but they all return at night and deposit themselves in heaps on tbe site from which they were taken. .Similar stories an related <4 tho marvellous powers of tbe baa in which catches the water as it issue* from the spring at St. Nun’s Well. Frlynt. near Looe and of the Bisland Holy Well the ground surrounding which can o eve* be broken for tillage on penalty of d waster to the family of the person attempting to do to. CHAPTKR XI- MALEFICENT WATER-GOBLINS. So far we have met beneficent »pirtt* c f the divine tea ami blessed spring" and wills. Let us nc 4 forget that there are also maleficent deities and mwrhicvou. water-goblim. infesting 111- omened stream* and wells. In India where the lives and fortunes of cattle and people alike bang on the precarious seasonal rainfall, the astcr spirit* are as a rule regarded as friendly dkpenser. of life and fertility. Even the sea-gods are on the whole beneficent beings. The Darya l'in of the Luvanas (merchants) ami Kharva. (sailors) arc devoid of mischief and are regarded as patron saints. Elsewhere, however. the perils of the deep and rapid rivers and tresebrruus pools gavo the water- spirits a bod name and their fury emphasized the need for propitiating them with sacrifices . Thus it comes to pass that western folklore abounds in blood-thirsty water -demons who are very often conceived as hideous serpents or dragons But. as wo have already noticed. pcvpfe of India also havo their mischievous water -sprltm, the Maia> and Sknnkhi*** who haunt wayside wvlle and either drown or enter Ibe persons of these who go near their wells. Thom ghoata and goblins- Mu/* and prrfs-arc known as JalatUr, it, living in water, as contrasted with /tf wOw. thuso hovering on the earth. Ono lias to propitiate these malignant deities and spirits. It is believed that meat of Uio demons haunting awlis and tanks ore the spirits of thewe who hare met dasth by drowning. There arc al-o the ‘pints of those who dir of accidents before the fulfilment of their worldly desires or the souls of the deceased who do not receive the funeral piurftu with the proper obsequies. These fallen souls in their aragali or degraded condition reside new the scene of their death and molest those who approach the water. There is a me called Hi Uanlh me near Movaiya, in which a Pinjari (a female cotton MtLETICBH? WATEB-OOBUNS- 77 carder) i> said to have been drowned and to have boc® turned into a ghost, in which (ora she occasionally present? herself to the people. Another toe in Vadhwmn is haunted by a gboat called Mahda, who drown* one human being every third year aa a victim But a male spirit, named Krfwtrapai. resale, in the kaUa (or enlrara) ol the roe, and on. thorn: who (all near the entrance. 'Phone who fall in any other (art are, however, euro to be drowned. There la in Mirra par a famous water-hole, known aa Barewa. A herdsman waa once grazing bn bufl.loc near the place, when the waters roee in fury and carried him oil with hia eaUle. Tho drowned buffaloes have now taken the form of a dan- gerous drmou known as /Ua.ajuswrw, or the buffalo demon, and he livwa there in company with tho Kaga and tho Nagan and none dare fish there until be ha. propitiated these demons with the offerings o! a fowl, eggs and goat. Until recently tho Ber«ali. believed that a water spirit in tho form of an old hag called Jati H~Ui haunted Unks and poods and (ottered with an invisible chain the feet of person* who apfwnwched her territories Kven to this day tho namo of this witch w taken to frighten naughty children. Another Bengal •pW*. called /.«. believed to reside In tanks and to guard hkklrn treasure. Woe to the man who threw covetous eye. that trcs.aie ! The Sion Indian* believe in a water demon called lTnk lake who. like the Siamese spirit Punk, drags underneath the water thorn who go to bathe in it. 1 0>rtVB|iooding to theeu haunted wells are the water holes iu Scotland, known aa tho “ cop. of the fairiea.” and the Tri- nity Well in Ireland into which no one can gaze with impunity, and from which the river Bayne ooce burst forth in pursuit of a lady who had insulted it. ■ Mr. JWm» Chandra Mrtro in Ike Jcanmi of tbs AnUncockiinoal Society of Bombay, Voi 111 78 FOLKLOKE OF “TIU. In Indian folklore this wicked class of water-nymphs is known as Apsaras Hie village of Mith BWv in Katnagiri is a well-known rreort of three nymphs and the villagers relate many a thrilling story of persons drowned and carried off by them in the fixer. Another favourite halo tat of these water- spirits is a tank in the village of Hindalcm in the same district. Every reservoir of water in Thana is believed to l«n a habitat of water- nympha. Some, however, believe that they dwell only in those lakes in which Intun grow. The images of seven aptardi are particularly worshipped by the people, rii , Machhi, Kurmi, Karkati, Iiardurt. Jatapi, Somajie and Makari tircek folklore represents three nymph* a* tall and slim, clad in white, with flowing golden hair, and divinely beautiful, so much so that the highest compliment that can hr paid toa Greek maiden is to romptre her in lovelinrsa to a Neraida Such hnniity, how- ever. is fatal to the br huh Ire and many a story is related of people who having o*pu*ed themselves to iu faart nation were bereft of speech or suffered otherwise A single ill iwl ration will suffice. In the bland of Oik. u a bridge railed the Maid s Bn.lgc, wliich - popularly hollered to be haunted by a water-spirit. Early one morning a man waacromingthe brtdfsoa In- way from tho village of Daphnona to the capital city. when he met a tall young woman dressed in white She look him by the hand and made him .lance with her. He was fooii-h enough to »iicak and was irainediat.dy struck dumb. Ho movvred. however, sonic .lays after, thanks lu the prayers and exure sns «d a priest. So too the •irens frequent an island mar the cast of Italy and entice seamen by the sweet nc— of their song which is so ba Witching that the listeners forget everything and die of hunger. In Homeric mythology there were only two sirens, later writers named three, and the number has since been augmented by those who loved *' lords many and god- many.’’ Plato says there ore three kinds of sirens— the celestial, tho generative and the cathartic The first are under the government of Jupiter, I he «*•«*! under the government of 79 Neptune, and the third under the Roremmentof Plato. Whan the soul k in heaven. the sirens seek. by harmonic motion, to unite it to the dirine life of the cdmtial boat ; and when in Hades, to conform thorn to the infernal regimen, but on earth they produce generation, of which the w-a k emblematic. We may tarry a little here to greet a beneficent claa of wa- nymphs. The* are the Nereid., tifty in number, named after Nereid, daughter of Xereu*. the whose .way extondod orer the r£ge*u Sea. Can.ocu., m hi. Lusitui. has spiritualised thoir office, and he make them the guardian. of the virtuous. According to a legetid they ami Mm the Itret of \W> da Gama, and when the trafehcruu. print supplied by the King of Mozambique steered hi. ship lowank a sunken melt, the* guardian nymphs pmued against the prow, lifting k from the water and turning it round. To turn hark to the malevolent apiriU. At Dirvinato. a village in the kknd of Cbioa. there » a fountain-head, or “ wator mother, “ the common Greek expression for a spring, called Plaghia, which k reputed to be the haunt of a Black Giant. Thin monster k a crafty .lemon of Oriental origin who lure, the gulleleaa to .Icstrwrtion by rartoas stratagems. generally by assuming the form of a fair maid. He k a being moitslly dreade.1 by the peasantry, and U not m> often met with as the water .pint. Thorn k also the Drake*, a r rata n-grr man to the Black Giant. Like the Black Giant he aiao haunt* the writs and works mischief on the people by withholding the water. This trick of the monster k alluded to in the following line*, which form the beginning of a song heard at Xigrita Yonder at St. Theodore s, yonder at St. Georgo’s, A fair was held, a great fair. The space was narrow and the crowd was large. The Drakos held back the water and the people were •thirst, Alliinrt was also a lady who was boa vy with child. jvtLKLour or wta?. In Greek legemls the Drakm figures as a large uncouth monster akin to the Troll of Non* ami the Ogro and Giant of British and Continental fairy tale.. His simplicity of mind i> only equalled by his might and he is easily bamboozled. Ho is also regarded aa a performer of superhuman feats. As in Ireland there is a Giant's Caiuruay. an in Macedonia we find a ” Drakn's Weight " (a big stone to the south «f Nigrita). a •• Drake. ’« Shovelful .’ (a mound of earth), a - Drakes. Tomb," a rock in the same neighbourhood, resembling a high-capped Dtrvitk, rrsting against the alopr id the hill, and a “ Drake*’* Quoits," two solitary rucks .landing in the plaiu of Serres. Various superstition. concerning drowning can be •asily traced to this belief In mischievous water . pints TTirse spiriu demand human sacrifice* and those »ho get drowned are supposed to be their victimo. Thus, when in Germany a peraon com** by his death from drowning, the Germans say: - The rlrer-splrlt claim. ht« annual aacrifieo." or that “ the nil has taken the drowned man." In India pmjai are invariably offered to propitiato these spirits before any mom her of a family starts on a journey involving the (tossing of the deep or of the rivers. While p»«*ing ovoe crocks and at trams, travellers on the Indian Railways will notice even to day many a traveller, Hindu and Pan-i, male and female, throwing from iho train cocoanuts, sugar and flowers in the water in the devout, hope of averting accident*. The followers of Islam, however, believo that God Almighty would, by reason of the benign infiuonoo of His name, preserve them from drowning Therefore, whilst starting on a voyage they ehant the fallowing couplet from Surah Nooh of tho Koran. o> a protective from drown- ing:— HivniilaKth Majrika 0 Mnrnia in mm Rabinl-gkafur nl- Rahim, meaning. ‘‘The moving and stopping (of this boat, Noah's Ark) depend* upon the influence of the Name of God, for, in truth, our !/>rd i» pre eminently a Pardoner of sins and merciful/ MAL*riC»5T WAT**-COBLI!«S. 81 In the same way Bengal boatmen cry “ Badar.'‘ M Badar," when a boat ia in danger of capping, in the hope that the saint Khwaja Khixr would protect them. Others wear amulet* to ward oS the danger ol drowning. In "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan." Mias Bird says that the amulet which save* the Jap. from drowning is “ a certain cure for choking, if courageously .wallowed." Some sailor. believe that if a portion of the cowl which cover, the lace of aome children at the time ol birth be worn a. an amulet round the neck, the person wearing it will not gel drowned, while some Bengalees believe that if a person accidentally eata anU along with sweets or any foodrtufl. he will not get drowned.' Onco however, a man is in the grip of the water-spirit, to venture to save him is, according to various widespread beliefs, rare to bring on disaster In several place*, therefore, including Great Britain, people show great reluctance to aavo a drowning person, because, as suggested by Tylor. thoy fear the vengeance of the watcr-apirM. who would. In consequence, be deprived of his prey. Thu. we gather from Tudor'. Orbu 9 and Sk'tland that among.t the seamen of three pUcre It was deemed unlucky to rescue persons from drownii* since it was hold as a mutter of religious faith that the m was entitled to certain victims, and that, If deprived, it would avenge itself on three who interfere. The still more cautious and considerate people in the Solomon Islam Is go a utep further. II a man accidentally falls into the river and a "hark attack, him. he m not allowed to eacapc. If he does succeed in eluding the shark, his fellow-tribesmen will throw him back to his doom, believing him to be marked out for sacrifice to the god of the river.* • Journal of tbs Anthropological Society rf Bcsnbsy, Vot IH.JCo. ft. • Codriagtcn. Ths MaUoMfeaa II rout lore or vbixs. In hi* “Folk Medicine" Black accounts for this supersti- tion on tho ground that it is believed that the spirits of people who have died a violent death may return to earth if they can find a substitute and that hence the aoul of the last dead man would feel i.ioulU'l or injuml by anyone preventing another from taking his place Some people on the othei hand believe that tho reluctance to .ate drowning per-uns is due to tho belief that the person rescued from being drowned would inflict mischief on the man who savre hi» file. It would seem from Walter Scott's novel' that this belief prevailed in Scotland. In It asks tho pedlar Bryce Are you mad I You that havo lived so long in Zetland to rwk the saving of a drowning man I Wot yo not if we bnng him to hfc again, he will be sure to do you capital Injury I " This superstition appear* to hare been confined to the West only. In the East, luckily, there m no such antipathy to extend a helping hand to tho drowning. It may be mentioned, however, that in hia Popmlar IU, 9 iam am d FolUart of NarOan Imdut Crook* seems to tugged that thia feeling la also common in India, but ho citas no examples although bo gives several instances and quotes several authorities concerning tho Western ideas on tho subject- We. however, find no such instanoo recorded anywhere. In the year 1 883 Mr. Sarat Chandra Mitra read before the Anthropological Society of Bombay a paper on some superstitions regarding drowning lie quoted several WmU-rn example* concerning the aversion to save drowning people but gave no parallel foe any of these from the folklore of Bcngul aud Upper India with which be is intimately familiar. II such anti|«thy dal exist, that indefatigable student of Indian folklore would have certainly board of it. Crooke appear* to hate confounded two separate, though analogous, ideas, and to have assumed that the prevalence of one connotes the existence of the other There is. of course, M»L«TlC**T W»TKH -OOBLIN- abundant evidence in Indian folklore to show that it waa be- lieved throughout this coentry that the apiriu of iboae persons who got drowned wandered for a hundred year* if their oorpaea were nut properly awl solemnly buried with all the re- quiaite ceremonies. The spirit* of the drowned are. therefore, believed to haunt thoee riven and well* and tanka in which they have found their grave*, just a* the fohrr-folk of England believed that the spirit* <4 the sailor* who were drowned by a shipwreck frequented those parts of the shores near which the ahipwreck took place In his - Romance* in the Weat of England ” Hunt refen to these superstition* The mere pre- valence, however, of one of the supentitmu* beliefs of tho same class in two eountnrw dew not warrant the sweeping assertion that tho other behafa al*o prevail in both the countries I A I* I KK XII It IV Kit WRAITHS. 'Hie » ni .»f dli . i -unmet I » iwnn in lnd>a is the dread la if ura a < the liver of ilrslk, ninth n> liuiaul iu Orissa and which pours its stream of ordure and blood on the confines of the realm of Yama. 1 Ill fares the man who in that dread hour locks the aid of a priewt and the holy cow to help him to tho other shore But the Indian water furies are easily propitiated. Quail, or fish, or fowl, or even flowers and coooanuU are enough to approse them. Thus the Tapis and the Sutlej receive goals, whereas the Jala Kohini. the Deo infesting tho Karsa, a river in Mina pur, . pleavd with a Ash caught by the Buiga and presented to him Many of tho continental water deities, how- over, must needs have human sacrifices, just as the African river spirit Prah, who must have every year in October two human sacrifices one male and one female. Thus In Roland the River Torn, the Skeens, and the Kibble hare each a sprite, who, in popular belief, demands human victims The Ribblo's sprite is known by tho name of Prg 0‘ Sell, and a spring in the grounds of NVaddow bears her name and is graced by a stone Image, now headless, which, according to Sir Laurence Gomtne, 3 is said to represent her. A tradition connects the Peg 0* Nell • W. Crooki- , Popular this nr. th. asm. of Uw howorsr, ho rais'skoo for the V which Is iaoaluKw.1 Tho aserodnras of i attract'd to l be tank. J the V.inms Hoots hko Narad, Vsoh.*tha and loirs Mil Hie superhuman YsStshsa. to ils water, lor bsthi n* sad ' W- Ethnology .n Fi FoUJwo of Northern India. In It must not. of Uis Thans r Ivors • oos of Ik* four sacred ilnamt' the tprinc of tho holy Godavari* of tho first Alton settlors, beuwotvos lo Ibc spring K liman w«re aUractod BITES with An ill-used servant at Waddow Hall, who, in revenge for her m strew’* successful malediction in causing her death, waa inexorable in demanding every seven year* a life to be quenched in the water* of the Kibble. “ Peg * night ** waa tho cloeirg night of the septeoniate, and when it came round, unless a bird, a cat. or a dog waa drowned in the stream, some human being waa certain to tall a victim there. The sprite of the Tee* is called Peg Powier. a sort of Loreloi, say* Henderson in his FoiUort of Sankerm ComtUiu, with green trust* and an insatiable desire for human life. Children were warned from playing on the banka of thia river by throats that Peg Powier would drag them into the water. A horrid Kelpie or water home 1* said to infest tho Yore, near Mtddtoham. Every evening he risrs from the stream and ramps along the meadow* searching for prey, and it is believed that the Kelp* claim* at bsa ooe human victim annually. The River Spey must also have at least one victim yearly, while Blood thirsty Dee Each year needs thiwe. Another curious belief concerning the Dec may also be noted. Id his /tiMrarf throwjk WaU$ Oiraldus Cambrrnds stale* that tho inhabitant* of place* near Che* ter awtrt that the water* of the river change their ford* every month and that as it inclines mote towards England or Wales they can with oertamty prognosticate which nation will be suooewful or unfo i lunate during the year. Tho saying rune that “St. John the Baptist roust have » runner, must have a swimmer, must have a climber.” Aa if this were not enough, in Cologne he require* no less than seven swimmers and seven climbers. Even to this day some Oerman rivers, such as the Saale and the Spree, require their victims on Midsummer Day. During that FOLStOBF. O t WSULS parlous M!«n people arc careful not to bathe in it. Again, where the beautiful Nockar flow* under the ruins of Heidle- berg Castle, the spirit of tlx- river xek* to drown three pcniucu, one on Midsummer Eve, one mi Midsummer Day. ami one on the day after. On the^ night* if you hear a shriek, as of a drowning man or woman froru the water, beware of running to the rescue . for it u only the water fairy shrieking to lure you to your doom. In VoigUand it was formerly the practice to set up a fine May irre, adoriud with all kinds of thing*, on Si. John's Day. The people danced round it, and when the lads had fetched down the things with which it was triched out. the tree was thrown into the water. But before this was done, they sought out aimchody whom they treated in tho same manner, and the victim of this hor>«|iUy was oailod " tho Jolui The brawl* and disonlrr*. which this custom provoked, led to a su|i)inwninn of the whole ceremony which was obviously only a modification of an ohler custom of actually drowning a human being At Kotcnberg on the X««kar people throw a oaf of bread into tho water on 81. John s Day. otherwise tho r>ver-*od would grow angry and carry away a man. Elsewhere, however, the water-aprito is oonteut with flowers. In Bohemia people east garlands in the water on Midmimincr Eve ami if the water sprite palls one i4 them down. It is a sign that the person who threw the garland in will die. In live villages of llevse the girl who fina comes to a well early In the morning of Midsummer Day places on the mouth of tho well a gay garland of many aorta of dowers culled by her from ficlife and meadows Sometimes a number of such gar- land* are twined together to form a crown with which the well is docked. At Flu-la. in addition to the floral docorat ions of tho wells, the neighbour* choose a Lord of the Wells and announoo his election by sending him a great nosegay of flowers. His house is decorated with green bough* and children walk in procession to it. He goc* from house to house collecting mate- rials for a feast, of which the neighbours partake on the following 87 Sunday. What the other duties ol the Lord of Wells may bo, we are not told. We may however conjecture, says Sir James F rarer, that in old days he had to s«e to it that the spirit# of the water received their dues from men and maidens on Lh&t important * In thorn moment* of the avituwd man'* life when he caaU off liard dull science, ami return, to childhoods fancy, the world* old book of animated nature is o|m to him anew. Then, says Tylor, the well-worn thought* com hack frrwh to him. of the stream'* life that i* *o like hh own ; one- m«ro ho can *oo the rill Irap down the hillside like a child, to wandi-r paying among the flowers ; or can follow it as. grown to a rivfr, it ru*tx* through a mountain gorge, henceforth in sluggish strength to carry heavy burdens across the plain. In all that water doe., the l-ct’. fancy can discern its penouahty of bfe. It give* fi.h to the fisher, and crops to the husbandman ; H swells in fury and lays waste the land ; it gri|w the lather with chill and cramp, and holds with moxoraMs grasp its drowning virtim “Tweed .aid to TUI. * What gars ye tin sae still t ' Till said to Tweed, * Though ye rin wi' -pred. And I rin slaw. Yet, whirr yr drown ao man, I drown twa.’" What ethnography has to teach of that great sls ei w rt of the religion of mankind, the wiwwhip of wrll ami lake, look and river, is simply Uis that wh«t h |-« irv to is was philosophy to early man ; that to kW mind water act id not by laws of force, but by life and will ; that the waur -pint. <«f primeval mytho- logy are as souls which cause the water's nish and rewt. its kind- ness and its cruelty ; that lastly man finds, in the beings which Vet. II FOLZtOXR or wins. with such power can week him weal and woe. deities with a wider influence over hi* life, deitie* to be feared and loved, to be prayed to and praised and propitiated with sacrificial gift*.* “In Australia.” continue* Tylor, “special w ater -demons infest pools and watering |4an*. In the native theory of duutao and death, no personage » more prominent titan the water-spirit, which afflict* those who go into unlawful pool, or bathe at un- lawful time., Un- creature which cams* women to piao and die. anti whom very pawencc m death to the beholder. save to the native doctor*, who may visit the watrcpinl’. subaqueous abode and return with bleared eyw and act clothe* to tell the wonder* of their stay. It would mm that cmatuivw with such attrilmtos aomo naturally into t h oeatoy w y o f *i«rrtual bring., hut in snob ■torioo a* that of the bunvip living m the laluw and rivers and seen floating a* Ug ns a oaM. which carries off native women to hi* re l real below the water*, them ap^an that con- fusion between the spiritual water e atruum and dnUibute the remainder among the penon* prsa eot . Some take a male buffalo, a bone, or a ram, and after boring the right car of the v irtiiu, throw it into the water. If the victim ia a hor*e, it i* noddled before it u offered. lu Bengal gout- are -arriliced to profdtiate t he mwrgcddwa in her malignant form whrif .hr deva*taU* the land aith flood* nr engulf* the .wimuirn. The gnaU are often thrown alivo into the water und are taken out by men < 4 the boatman caste, who eut the ir Heidi Many a-cetic perform a -peeial (wnanoe in her honour, which ernmu. in a^mding every night in Uie month of January, when theiold •• mtm-e. -eaUW bn a am, .11 plat' form erected over lh>< liter ami engaged in -uch prayer and meditation aa their * uffri ir,g» from the cold mill allow.' Crooko nay. that when the town and tamphw at Hardwar were in imminent iUn|re during the tiohiu flood, the Brahman* poured veaael* of milk, rice and Nowrr. into the water* of Mother Oanges und |*ayed to her to aparv them Similarly, a atory i- related in the Folklore XotW .J Gujarat of the occurrence of heavy flomla in a village in Ibc JaUlpur fa/afa i. when a certain lady placed an cart hem vQmel (ordinarily uard for curdling milk) containing yb-. afloat on the flood*, whereupon the water- were at once -een to recede. A few year* ago the river Mui otettloaed and caused terrible destruction. IliallighnomthoNimm thereupon went to the river, took off hiat urban, and threw it intothe water in the hope that such •ubmiuivenraa of a prince might appease the wrath of t he river.* '"-lr"l -nftotoc.- rdli Mrt rvL to .'-.''of "■» W" IV taM-taft Port.- «"•" u-lw-fc b-fan IWaMaaiW|«M <*M -lh.1— . W-M* a. ..II., I IRW u«*. Ua >™"W »■ Ita •<■•> Hm-4 IB-’ lo I* ^u*Uy, *. .*vr>r.l IMI lb* mal rosMtam *•• ** 1 '• U» IV'I— . .|U tad U* non.li, u Itamn *t»J ‘ W»7. ‘ WWnW lb- ttatal ln«m Md«taM>>. H ttal .tap mol »-B «a •*» I- •* *■*' •* M ■WklNta Be. *— a hia:' Boll Occan-W'ocihijv Sarah Pa mi or Cocoauut Day. WVEK 91 The calamity of flood* should not. However, be exclusively attributed to sheer demoniacal influence of malignant spirits. It may, in some eases, be due to the offence given to patron sainU of water. Curtiw relates , 1 on tbe authority of Rev. J. Steward Crawford, an old resident in Syria, a remarkable incident which occurred at Nebk. The town derives its water-supply from a aeries of wells connected with one another. Once, owing to heavy rains, there carac a ► accession of three floods which washed away tbe w*IU which had been repaired after each catastrophe This left no mom f.w doubt that the Vali of the wells hail been offriulrd They began to ascertain the reason and discovered that the sacrifices which had been offered to the saint at an nomud festival had Iren intermitted, that | "•<>(» I. used to perform their aMutsim in a pwtim of the stream which was Inside of thcrnurtyjrd of the malum (shrine), thus defiling it, and that a dead body hail been retried across the stream- All this hail angered Ihr -amt. Har nfi.es were therefore. offered to |trof>itiale him. A nnuilier of shrep ws-re statiinied over the stream ami their throats were cut ao that the blood would run into the water. It is refreshing to turn from then* river wraiths to the spirits of the m. who are more powerful but. lrwa exacting. A (otOUUt ia enough to keep them in good humour, awl a spoeial day i* named for thia offering, called .Varalf Pmnimn. or (oreanut Holiday. On that «Uy in altit mire of people flock to the ara- sliore in llonibay to offer their fmja to the sew to keep it quiet after the monsoon. The Brahmin iii»t oflerw prayer*, then the votary throws into the are the holy water which the Brahmin pours into the holk'w of hi* hands, then some red lead, then a few flower* and awn* rice, and last of all t-hr ixttoanut- The safety of the seas during the fair season is thus injured. JsuM lure sire's*! ISM “ mm In* * -nr« >ss sosM haw pur lilm s**r Una •wt> ll'b *g IMS Ms is im isrX^M us. bi Hs. (..-a, las* ■ P nmJUvs drsait.t Rmhgion. CHAPTl-IK XIII. WHO WERE THE WATER DEMON'S ? Whence arose the fear of evil apirila ! W ho were 'how water- rlcromu * Both philology «*• Hotory confirm the view Hut l the firms or demon* of old were in many raw* either the conquered aborigine* of the varioua land* in which the ancient Aryan* nettled lha—tw . or hoMile ram dwelling along their frontier*. Out of thi* hostility of race. coining in rloae contact with one another » prang varinu. iupcrMUK.il.. In some caw- the artniea of the aborigine, were represented a* accompanied by their own gua-diaa spirit.. who waged war upon the new- comer* and who were therefore rrgardcl aa demnniaoal. In other eaaea. the aborigine# were them wire, credited with the power of eie'ciaing demon function, or ami m mg demon forma. Thu. the people of Iran believed that the land of Turan waa full of demon.. Thi. influence of the conquered people did not die out after the struggle with them we. over. Not only dkl the aborigine! continue to believe in their own demoniacal power, and to obaetve their old ntrw ami eurfoiu. in the new rfgtn.c, but they alao apread the belief, m many way. among their conqueror.. All untoward occurrence* and unusual natural plicimiiienu thua came to be attributed to the malignant action of Uroan evil aplriu. Storm*, flood., famine*. dweaae and death all pro- c eciled from the firms. who in the }'ojim Hapiankaiti of the Zceoaatrian* are described a. ‘ the wicked, had, wrongful originator* of miachief. the mo»t baneful, destructive anil baaent of be nga." Profroeoc Robert aon Smith relegate ilemoniam to the position of a cult hostile to and separate from the tribal belief* of early people and M'. Walhouae points out 1 that theae belief* in demon* “ belong to the Turanian races and are antagonistic to the Aryan genius and feeling*/* • Jcurnml 7-M.fe* 7\W IV. WHO VTV THE W*TBB>nFMOV« » 93 No doubt, Max Moller hold, a different view He ron»idcr* Uiai there in no difficulty in tracing a U-he( m evil, unclean and maleficent -pint,. »ueh a» a bound in AUarva-Veda. to the name ■oil wliieb produced a faith in good and beneficent -pirita. " We need not go for them." <*)» hr. ** to thr original inhabitant* of India or the Blacks of Australia. Some .4 the great Vrtlh- goda like Kudra and thr Marut> oflrn auiro a double a-|«*< t They arc unkind a> well aa kind. they cm dt.eaw though they like wun heal them. We have |4rntv of rvil -|-rit» in the Veda, inch aa Vritraa. Raluhanui. Yimdhina.. Pkdlka*. Of courw, nothing i» eaairr than to nay that they were hummed Iimiii the native race* of India, hut thi«. wh*k W formerly • very favourite expedient, would hardly commend it .elf now to any aerloua -cholar, excepting alna.va Ihr ram where Dravitliaii wcnli ran actually lr tlwroi rred in Hanw rit Their com me f. however, merely Contain a warning nut to stretch too widely a partial expUnatmn <4 rigiti .4 rvil spirits. The race-origin <4 the lewrr mallgi taut -pint. may not account for the exirtmr* i4 the Vedir giant* and ik-mnu. Neither haa anyone attempted to do w». Three i*. however, no doubt that several >4 the myth, of Mat* and ifdkan- g unite ami dwarfa, are connected with tradition, of huMilr race* Folklore throw- conddrrable light mi Ihi. quodimi ami a gmul . and also in a chapter on “ Klhnological conditions ** in his later work. Folklore a* «» // irtorirol Science. For oar present purpose one or two example- from Indian Folklore will suffice. On Bombay aide, when a pemon ia poasev-ed. generally the evil spirit i- of a low caste, a Mahnr, or Bhanghi oc a Mocfci or a Pinjari. The Hakoiu (witchc-) who haunt our way-aide wells and tree* and cemeteries also belong Of FMJCri3RE OF WELLS. to such low cast*, as Koli*, Vaghris and Oiarun* The mountain ranges and jungle tracts ol Southern India arc atill inhabited by Hcmi-aarage tribe*, who, there i* good reason to believe. once held the fertile open plains. As pointed out by Wafcouae in the Journal of It' .1 XoriWjr. the contempt and loathing in which they arw ordinarily hcM. arc curtouiJy tinc tured with superstitious feur; foe they are believed to puawas «ortt powers of magic atul witchcraft ami mti.i.r a Mil tlie old malignant do 'ties of the -id trim tan diiret gord n evil fortune. To this tlav the people- of flirts Xsflsa believe that the Moondahs |>omw*» ptiwrr. of sorcery amt cau transform Ihenwlvea into tigenr anti Other hea.t. mI ,*r\ with a v«-w to devouring their cnerabw. Similarly. the Kailmdi. are believed to Iran -form l hem-eb e- Into tiger. Many ck-rly parallel belief. ran lie quirt id from the li»tory of deni— liam — Ike we-lent world anti Sir l.uiiH-m re finmiwe |wiuta < mH that the general character*! km of the *nprr.lititin. brought about by the contact lirtwecn the Aryan mtKpierunt .if India aial the mm Aryan nlioriglnca are also repreentod m tbe c ult of Ijimfwan witchcraft. Under- ncalh the emblems of the foreign civillmlloM In- the tradi- tional enabini ami Mtrf. 1 tin- attribute. of the native uncivil i-*t mn ' A notable illustrui am i.gtvra by Kvau.Wcnt* in Fairy Faith im (‘fit ir faaminr* The i-lly lute (‘.irnidi Fain, *ays the author, i. the Pik.r. of the rare ahieh i. the I'lJtrl I’rvnt or bit Ilf IVfi|4r ind the S|-Ijnf4n ..only our of hi. a.|icel*. Tile Piltay Would "rent I" the ' Brownie " of the low land Hoot, the D«|V ftirt O tlie Highlander*. and if wr may judge from an Interesting note in Seott* Pimfr. the " IVight " of the Orkneys If Duinr SHk really mean. ' the Folk of the Mounds (burrow*),' mrt the People of Peace." it is pumiblr that there is — nothing in the theory that Brownie. Dmim- A’rt*. ami "Peight," which is Piet, are only in their origin way* of n|irr*>iiig the little dark-complexioned aboriginal folk who were .opposed to inhabit the burrows, cromlech... and allies couccrto. and wlioec cunning. WHO W**£ THE »4Tn-D»0*? f 95 thoir only effective vsapoa »gain.l the mere strength of the Aryan invader, earned them a reputation fur magical power*. 1 Let us now see how far thia vie* ul Ihe ease help* os in under- landing the P*o*i Marfa in the UahomnUn guardian -pirit* of wells, to which reference ha* already lm-n mode. The relation* of the Parsis with the Hindu* and MalioiiKdan* in the land of their adopt. on were m* exactly tins* of conquered aborigine* to the conqueror*. I>ut acre, until t I k- advent of the Knglidi. pruct cally the aauie a* th. however, no case of contact with a higher rulturr, rather it waa the com of aaiinaiUtioa of a ru.U-c culture No doubt, the l’arsia had taken to India from theii ancient home a belicl in the existence of a pro* id iug gcniu* of water. That. however, waa a belief considerably dilTcr.nl from that which in India gave the water-spirit* a ha-al habilatuai and a name Hut by long contact with the Hindu* ami tUhewilaw the oomraunHy came to lielieve tn several local ibllln and uUorbrd several local rituals. No douM. the primary factor m inducing tin* recognition and wordiip of local deuir. wa* the fear of their power to do hariu. but w ith rt mud «Uo have Iwen blcntM the desire tn please the iwighbnuring cnuMMtiil lea and the hope of receiving favour* at the hand* of the *pir.t- if properly adored and propitiated. ThM it wii* that *ceuu to hate led unity a I'aoi in the tnofuwil to offer oil at the temple of llaiiman or to take tin wen to t lie shrine* of M*h< him* Uii saints, whose uid they sought and who did not failto ap|irar to them, warning them and directing them, mostly in dream*. When they went to Bombay they hail already absorbed the Hindu idea* concerning the spirits lurking in or near deserted tanka and wells and regarded them as the haunts of evil spirits *uch a* daka** and sankhinit. LhuU and ptU When, however, they Hug welU in Uicir own houses, in the absence of any well-*pirii in the Xoruai- triau pantheon and in the absence uf any Hindu guardian- • W. Crook-- s Naioct of Xerthcta India. rOLU/)XE OF spirit* of household they appear to have invariably (.copied I heir (irivet* well* with myy id- and pi’s in whose vir- tues they had already come to believe and whom they had already venerated at their ahrinca and whom it wa# thus convenient for them to honour in their own houao* by giving them a *t*o» or Ooaai in then well*. Thn« we that what was at «r*t a purely Scriptural belief in the ■.ui.lity of water and it* prruding g«iiu» i* now a medley "f many divergent rlc-mont. owing to Urn Mon <4 divan bawl tradition* with the fundamental tribal Iwlief duriug Uie long iuUixourm <4 l lie community with the Hindu* and Ma* liomeilin* There i- m> country m the world where people live Kiut'r more varied ■orial and rd«»uus conditions and whrrw they mrv more rx|*«rd to the influence of neighbour- than in India and of all th. nlw .4 this •eemopulitan country there i* none more coun<>f>ulil«n than the city c4 Bom buy. I’oa-ibly, if we carry on l<*a! rowareh in the Bombay Presi ilcncy and try to localise the belief- and eurtoni- corx Timing well- worship. ag.—ldewl of lrr-h light may be thrown on thin question The work i» by no mean* very difficult and with the aid of Kuro|iran folklocwt-, who hare already ahown u* the way, it >hould be «a-y to cwny u* research throughout India. Sir Lnnrvncei- Gomiue. lor instance. baa given win* luminous chapter on the local station ol primitive beliefs. a very skilful unalyi* of the difl.irnt pha-c> in which water-worship ia still found in the I nitcd Kingdom. All Ihc lunivili of this cult ho hs* *Hoe*lc«l uikI explained by Ibcir ethnological beach* CHAPTER XIV ANALYSIS OF THE BRITISH CULTS. Commencing with the Teutonic centre* of England, Sir Lauren oo Com me •hows that the middle and south eastern counties almost fix the boundary of one form of well-worship, a form which has loot ail local colour, all dktinct ritual, and remain, only in the dedication of the well or spring to a Mint of the Christian Church, in tho tradition of its name as a “ holy well.” or else in the memory of some sort of reverence formerly paid to the water*, which in many case, are nameless. Proceeding from email beginnings where the survival of tho ancient cult t* r. presented by tho simple Idea of reverence for well* mostly didiratrd to a Oiristian Mint, ho takes us through stages where a ceremonial is faintly traced in tho well-dressing with garlands decked with flowers and ribbons, where shrubs and Urea growing near the well arc tho recipients of offrrtngs by devotees to the spirit of tho well, where disease and sickness of all kinds are ministered to. whore aid is sought against enemies, -here tho gift of rain ii obtainod. where the spirits appear in general forms as fairies and in specific form as animal or fish, and finally, it may bo in anthropomorphic form as Christian Mint., where priastoa«>B attend the well to preside orer the ceremonies. With the several variants overlapping at every stage sod thus keeping the wholo group of superstition and custom m touch, one section with another, he shows that there ie every reason to identify this cult m the most widespread and the moot lasting in connection with local natural object*. He point* out, moreover, that it is in tho Celtic-speaking dtrtrirt* where the rudeat and most uncivilised ceremonial is extant, and further, that it is in the country of the Goidehc or earliest branch of tho Celta, where Ibis finds its most pronounced types. IJ roLXL<«c or »uu To show how this may be trWatcd into torcns of ethnology ho haa given us the following table showing where the survi- vals of the cult are the mxt perfect, that is to »ay. leas touched by the incoming civilisations which have swept over them — ■tj STtujd 1 4 — m ana wn , -4 i lilcal WiKhl • 4 . • i : ii 4 4 Wntfcrn (mtl- ,i|.\ 4 4 1 ♦ •IS' ) Wsaura .. ♦ ' * | ♦ 4 ♦ .Sort In - rn (a). . ♦1* 4 ♦ 4 Do. oint i* obtained from English ground, which only rises into the primitive stage in the northern AN ALTS IS or BBITfcH COLTS counties whore rag-biuh« are found. On Welsh ground tho highest point of primitive culture is the tradition of an -nim»l guard lan-rpiril. On Irish ground the high tat point is the identification of the well deity with the ram-god, while on Scottish ground the highest points recognisable e Where arc accentuated in degree. The author also shows that garland -dressing, pins and rag- bushes, the three forms in which ofltring. to the well deities are made, are but variants of one primitive form— namely, the offerings of rags or parts of clothing upon bushes sacred to the well. This species of offering, according to a summary given by General Pitt Rivers, cx leads throughout Northern Africa from weet to east. Mungo Park mentions it in Western Africa; Sir Samuel Baker .peaks of it on the confines of Abyssinia, sod mys that tho people who practised it were unable to assign a reason for doing so ; Burton also found the same custom in Arabia during his pilgrimage to Mrcca ; in Persia Sir William 0 us.- Icy saw a tree close to a largo monolith covered with those rags, and he deecrlbas it as a practice appertaining to a religion long slues proscr.bsd in that country . Colonel Lolls says that in the Dekkan and Ceylon the terra in the neighbourhood of wells may bo seen covered with similar scraps of cotton Dr. A Campbell speaks of it as being practised by the Limboos near Darjeeling In the Himalaya., where it is associated, ss in Ireland, with largo heaps of stooce . and Hue in his travols mentions it among tho Tartars. We shall examine the ideas underlying the practice of rag. offering in different countrice in a separate chapter. Meanwhile, the conclusion that Sir Laurenoc Gommo draws from this summary may be noted in his own words }— *• Here not only do we get evidence of the cult in an Aryan country like Persia being prescribed, but, as General Pitt River observes, -it is impossible to believe that so singular a custom as this, invariably associated with cairns, megalithic monuments, holy wells, or some such early Pagan institutions, could havo arisen independently in all the**- countries.’ That 100 the area otm which it is found is coterminous with tbe area of the megalith c monuments, that tbeuc monumcnU take us back, to pre-Aryan people and suggest the spread of this people over the area covered by their remains, are arguments in favour of a megalith ic date foe well worship and rag-oflerings." This ramble of ours through many ag<* and many lands in search of evidence of water-worship may now be brought to a clear Lot us now witncws the ceremonies connected with the digging of wells and tbe different customs of decorating wells and the varied offering, proffered to tho nymphs snd spirits residing in the waters. With the picture that will be thus presented of Indian wells decked with jalU (trellis work) of Howto aod illumined with pAre-lamps. their pavements strewn with coeoanuto, sugar and sweet a and milk and 9 Are. and smeared with red lead In lieu of blood, but daubed also in some place* with the blood of animal-Mcrifioe, It will be interesting to contrast the picture of English welU fantastically tapratricd about with old rags and practically unlit and uncmbclliabcd. save for a little garland-dressing here and there, and filled with pins and needles, button, and ooins. PART XII. VARIED RITUALS AND OFFERINGS. CHAPTER XV. WATER-DIVINING AND WELL- OPENING CEREMONIES. “Spring np, O well. Sing y to it : Thou well dug by pnnces. Sank by the nobku o f the people. With the sceptre, with their staves Out ol the desert ft gdt.” This beftMlfol song «l the well U ukrn from the Jewish scrip- turee. Budde believe. the! the song elludm to . custom by which when . well or spring wu found. it vu hghUy covered over, end then opeood by the Sheikh, in the preeonoe of the dnn sod to the eceompsm merit ol s song. In this wey, by the fiction of having dug it. the well m regsrded e. tho pro- perty of the (inn. Ho think, thst s passage in Niiu. (Mignr, " Pntrulogi. Greece ’*), to which Ooidxibw has celled .ttention, confirms this view. Nil u. says thst when the no medic Ar.be found s well they deneed by it end sang songs to it. Aocurdiug to Kesivini when the weter of the wells of llebmten faded, e fr«st wee held et the source, w.lh music end denesng. to induce it to flow again. In Indie when e well is to be dag. en expert is first celled to select e favourable site. To some experts such site, ere re reeled in dreems. Some poems the fecuhy of heuring the sound of weter running underneuth. others point out the sites by smelling out sweet wster under ground. The Bombey Gazetteer beers testimony to the wonderful fecuHire of these experts. “Site* for wells.’’ says the writer . 1 “ are chosen with great success I, or pdastals, whose wrv ices can be engaged at the rate of Re. I-t a aril. The* judgment is unerring and many instance. are on record of their practical ability. They can also generally tell at what depth the apeing will bo tapped". These sniffer* are known u Bhonyewinghna in Gujarat and Cutch, and a a Snnga in the Punjab. and they generally belong to a class of Faqirt gifted with thia faculty. The Luniyao, a coda of navvies, are also endow'd aith three power*. In tho Punjab a herd of goats is driven about in search of aito* of deserted well.. When lW goals arrive at tho right spot. they lie down, and that b a signal far a march. Water-diviner* are not unknown in the Wart. One of tho extraordinary incident, of the reoent Gallipoli oampaign wo. the dUoovery of water by a Kentiah waterdiriner at Suvla Bay. During the eriUoal hoar* which followed tho landing at tho place In August IMS. the great problem for the officer, wa. to find water on that parched land. The export* had pxo mined the district and reported that there was do water to lie got there, but Sapper Stephen Kelly, of the 3rd Australian Light Home Brigade, a hydraulic engmecr of Melbourne, poowM- ed the gift for water divining. While he wa. .landing with Cap- tain Shcaren. a Mew Zealand Offioer. in the line of communica- tion*, he cried out, “ TVnl water here where we’re standing.” Nows ul his reputation had reached Brigadier-General Hughes, who sent for hun immediately and oeked him if ho ooukl find water. Tho Sapper was confident of finding it. Tho Brigadier gave him a .porting chance and put a thousand men under his direction. Within a few hours he opened up a well which had been sunk. In a little more time he had thirty wells going with sufficient water to supply every man with a gallon a day and every mule with it* six gallon*, and this of pare cold spring water " instead of tho lukewarm liquor from kerosene tins ofl the transport.” watkh Dirwnto *xd * 0.1 aroma r«t»*oxins. 106 The way's engineer* were astonished by Supper Kelley’s success, especially m be was without paper plans. When they asked him about it. he replied that it would Uke him about hall the time to get the wells going that it would to draw up the plans. Sapper Kelly was a Kent man. bom in Maidstone. He went out to Queensland when a small boy. At that time an okl water-diviner arrived in the neighbourhood and tried his art in that locality. The boy trotted alter the old man in his twMhigs and turning, about the paddock with a divining twig in his hand and when the old man found water, the boy "felt his nerves twitch and a thrill go through him that wasn't just excitement " He thought he would try too. and he did. From that moment he had practised his powers. At Surla. he said, he got belter result, with a copper rod instead of the divining twig. We are not awaro of any tmaislm connected with the digging of wells in the West, but m India it Is regarded as « very important function requiring oare aid caution and. above Ml. propitiation of the deities. A Brahmin is consulted as to the suspicious hour when the work of digging should commence. The auspicious days vary In different places. In Gujarat, Tuesdays and the days on which the earth sleeps are avoided ; and the earth is supposed to bo asleep on the 1st. the 7th. tho Oth. the 10th, the Uth ami the 2«th days following a Sanbanli, U., the day on which the ran citssn from one constellation to another. With tho exorption of theac days, a date is generally selected on which the c\a*dm yraka. .* the moon, is favourable to the constructor of the well. On the appointed day. the water diviner, tho const motor of the well, the Brahmin pricet. and tho labourers go to tho place where the well is to be dug. and an image of the god Oanpali, the protector of all auspicious ceremonies, is first installed on the spot and worshipped with pam chamrit, a punch or mixture of milk, curds, ghee, honey and sugar. A green-oolouml piece of Oifas (silk cloth), about two feet long, is then spread on the 14 108 rouioBE or mu. spot, and a pound and a quarter of wheat , a cocoanut. betels, dates and copper coin* are placed on it. A oopper bowl filled with water and containing tocne silver or goki coins is also placed there. The mouth of the bowl is covered » ith the leaves of the mango tree and a cocoanut is placed over the leaves. After this the priest chants sacred hymns and asks his host to perform the Kkai eeremcmies. These Khat-mukurt or Khat-puja must bo performed before commencing the ooostmeUon not only of wells, reservoir* and tanks, but also of all works above or under the ground, each as setting the nanheatambha. or the first pillar of a marriage bower, or a bower for a thread cere- mony. or laying the foundation -stone of a house or temple, or a sacrificial pit. or of a street, or fortress, or a city or a village. The earth-mother is then worshipped in the manner present**! in the staafcra* to propitiate her against intern ptiona in the completion of the work undertaken. The owner or the person interested in the new work pours a little water on the earth where the foundation pit is to be dug. sprinkles red lead and filial (red powder), place* a betel-nut and a few preoious coins, ami digs out the first clod of earth himself. Rich persons use silver or golden spade* and hoe* when turning up the first clod. Among tho usual offerings to dan pah and to the earth on the oocasinn are curd, milk, honey, rooiaser*. ooooanuU. dhana (a kind of ■piece), leave* of nagarval (a kind of erreper) and red lead. The expert who is called to chooae a proper site for the well offers frankincense and a cocoanut to tho spot, and lights a lamp thereon. After the Kkal ceremonies are over, the heat distri- butes sugsr or molasses among those present and offer* money to the expert who generally refuses to accept it and asks the host to dispone of it in charity. Even those who accept money give away a part of it in alms to the poor. Occasionally, with a view to securing unobstructed com- pletion of the work, the god Oanpali and the goddess Jaladtvi are installed and worshipped daily, until water appears in tho water d ms iso a»D WILL o cuixoiiin. 107 well. Some people, however. install the goddess JalatUvi af la the appearance o I water. when a stone is taken out from the bottom of the well sad is plastered with red lead to represent the goddess and u ceremoniously worel-ippcd. When On- con- struction o I tlie wen is complete, a ceremony called VoMu or jal- oataana or water -feat ieal is celebrated. Brahmins are entertained at a feast and dakaAma is given. > In the Punjab, the work of digging a well should begin on Sun- day. On the previous Saturday night little bowls of water are placed round the proposed sit*, and the one which dries up the least marks the best site for the well. The circumference is then marked and the work of digging commenced, the central lump of earth being left intact. This clod of earth is out out hurt and it is called Kkmm&i, after Khwaja Khar, the water- aaint, and is worshipped. If it breaks, it is a bad omen, and a now site is selected a week later. In the north-east a Phod* fixe* the auspicious moment for sinking a well. The owner then worships Gauri. Gant she. tibe.hu Nags, the world -serpent, the earth, the spado and the nine planets Then facing in the direction in which, aoomding to the directions of the Pandit, Sbreha Naga is supposed to bo lying at the time, he cuts five clods with the spade. When the workmen reach the point at which the wooden well-cush has to be fixed, the owner smears the wth in fire places with red powder and tying dub-great and a sacred thread to it, lowers it into it« place. A fire sacrifice is then offered, and Brahmins are fed. When the well is ready, cow -dung, cow urine, milk, butter and Ganges water, leaves of sacred Tulsi and hooey are thrown into the water before it is used. In the Konkan a golden cow is thrown into a ne*lj built well as an ofloring to the water deities.* • Polkloes Noire. Vei I— Uorsrai. • /*W. Vel. 11-Keakso. KB fOIXLOBE OF VEU& But, according to Crook**, no wdl U oonsidcnd lucky until the Salagrama, or the spiral ammonite sacral to Vishnu, is solemnly wedded to the Tul&i or basil plant, representing the garden or field which the well is intended to water. Tho rite is performed according to the standard marriage formula : tho relations are assembled ; the owner of the garden represent# the bridegroom, while a kinsman or his wife stands for the bride. Gifts are given to Brahmins, a feast is held in the garden, and both the garden and the well may then be used without any danger. CHAPTER XVI- DECORATIONS AND OFFERINGS- We have Men that the Indite method of venerating . net! woe to crown it with dower*, to cover it with jalu or trellis work of flower*, to illumine it with ghee-lamp* placed in nicho* specially made foe the purptne and to strew tho pave- ment with coeonnuts, betel-nut*, .agar and sweot* and mUk and ghee ami to smear it with red load. Wo hare also noticed that floral decoration and garland -drearing u an act of aimplo rerccMMe, being a lurmil of tho cwriicr and muru primitive practices and oaramonialt. Tho other offerings, however, jarti- cularly ooooanut, and tho practsoe of *m< wring the pavement with red bad poml to beliefs a-ce-Uing .pint. wMh water, and thaw are survivals of tho ancient cult ,4 human and animal sacrifices offered to the waUwapint. The ooooanut. iruombfing a human head, Is accepted by the spirits, in lieu of a human bring, similarly red bad dors daly fur the Umd ol animal victims. Tho Germans hoodwink tho woKT-*|>int with another curious su betitute and that b a lus! of bread U i. tho practice to throw a loaf into the water at KotrnUirg on tho N.vkar. If this ofler- ing is not given, the rircr-spirit would take away a man. Tho practice of placing lamp, inside the sell also points to .pint-beliefs. Tho lights, it b hoped, would scare away evil spirits from the water. There is enough anthropological evident* to show that at on© time human sacrifice* were offered in cast and west alike to the spirits of fire, earth and water. Numerous authorities may be cited. The Indian practices are well known. For continen- tal examples we may sekvt only cmc frwn Sir James Frazer’s Ooldrn Bough concerning the practice of homing humans beings in the fires. The most unequivocal traces of human sacrifice* 110 K>ULLORB O* WE 1U offend on there occaaioo. are iW which, about a hundred year* ago. still lingered at the Beltane fires in the Highlands of Scotland, that is, among a Celtic people who, situated in a remote corner of Europe and almost completely isolated from foreign influence, had till tl*n and rod lead. Botelnute, sugar and milk and glow iifa-u kn-jt l lie spirits in good humour. Offerings of ooins to the wcil-spint* arc common in the East as In the West. What can be the explanation I la the ooin offered as a price for the boon that ooc expects to dcriro from the healing powers of the welbl That at any rale is the idea prompt- ing the man bitten by a rabid dog when ho goes to a well inhabit- ed by a Vachharo, with two earthen* cups tilled with milk and with a pice in each, which he empties into the water. But quite a different and curious explanation of tho offering is found in Ihs roUter* Notes of Oujarwt. " It U a belief among Hindus," says one of the informants of the late Mr. Jackson, " that to give alms in secret oonfer. a great boon on the donor. Borne of tho orthodox people, therefore, throw pice into wells, considering it to bo a kind of secret charity." !!• CHAPTER XVII- RAG WELLS AND PIN WELU3. The mot lingular feature c 4 wdl-worship in Europe h the fantastic curt cm of offering rag. at -acred wells, also pins and buttons, rusty naib and needle*. and ores shells and pebbles, ltag well, and pin wells abound in Groat Britain and Ireland. Many rvfervnoro to these are found in the works of European folklorists. Sir Laurence Go mm* has skilfully distributed them geographically sod we may adopt his analysis.' In the middle and southern oounlricw of England theae practice, have not survived, but in northern England one oomra across several pin-wells. At Seflon in laooashiro it was customary for passers-by to drop into 8t. Helen's well a new pin for good luok or to secure the fulfilment of an expensed wish and by the turning of the pin-point to the north or to any other point of the compass conclusions wrrv drawn as to the fidelity of lovro, date of marriage and other love matter*. At Brindlo is a well dedicated to St. Ellin, where on Patron day pins aro thrown into the water. Such pin-wells also existed at J arrow and Woolsr in North urn herbal, at Broyton Minch more, Key- ing ham, and Mount Grace in Yorkshire. At Great Cotes and WinteiUc in Lincolnshire, Newcastle and Benton in Northumberland. Newton Kyme, Thorp Arch, and Gar grave in Yorkshire, pieces of rag, doth, or ribbon take the placo of tho pins, and arc tied to hushes adjoining the wells, while near Newton, at the foot of Koto berry Topping, the shirt or shift of the devotee was thrown into the well, and according as it floated or sank so would the wckness leave or be fatal, while as an offering to the saint a rag of the shirt- is torn oil and left hanging on the briar* thereabouts. rag wma ajtd ro wells 115 Pin wells in Wales are met with at Rhoagoeh in Montgomery- shire. St. Cynhafal's Well in Deobighhire. St. Bamic’s Well on Barry laland, near Cardiff. Ffynoo Gwynwy spring in Carnar- vonshire, and a well near Penrho*. IMmve has already been made to the cursing well erf St. Aolian. Anyone who wiahod to infliot a curse upon an enemy reported to the priestess o! the well and got the name ol the person proposed to be oumed registered in a book kept lor the pnrjxoc. A pin was them drop- ped into the well in the name erf the victim, and the curse was complete. Pin-wells and rag wells are both representod in Corn- wall as, (or instanee, at Ftlynt, St. Austel and St. Kocho, where pine are offered, and at Madron Well, where both pins and rags are offered. In Ireland the offering o ( rags is a universal custom. Among examples o I rug-welh may he ramttooed Ardclinls ; County An- trim, Krrigall-Keeoge, County Tyrone; Dungiven, St. Bartholo- mew's Well at PilHown, County Waterford ; and St. Urigld’s Well at CUflony, County Sligo. About fifty years alter the Reformation U wa. noted that tho wells of Scotland were all " tapestried about with old rags." Tho best example* lasting to within modem time* are to be found In tho islands round the coast and to the northern shins, parti- oularly in Banff, Aberdeen, Perth, Roes, and Caithness. At Kilmuir, in the Isle of Skye, at Loch Hiant, or Slant, there was '• a shelf made in tho wall of a contiguous enclosure " for placing thereon " the offerings of small rags, pins, and coloured threads to tho divinity of tho pfeoe." At St. Mouric's WcD, on Malruba Isle, a rag was left on tho bushes, nails stuck into an oak tree , or sometimes a copper coin driven to. At Toubirmore Well, in Gigha Isle, devotees were accustomed to Ira re “a pieoc of money, a needle, pin, or one of tho prettiest variegated stones they could find,” and at Tonbir Well, in Jura, they left “an offering of some small token, such as a pin. needle, farthing or the like.” 116 FOLKLORE OF WELLS. In Banff.hire. at Mnotblairie. "many still alive remember to ha to *een the impending boughs adorned with rags of linen and woollen garments, and tin well enriohed with farthings and bodle*. th.- -IT. rin.- of ai . 0-0 who cam.- fn.m afar to the foun- tain.'' At Kiitli the will h near a *U»ne circle, ami somo offering *a» always left by the devotee*. In Abcrdcemhii*, at Fraserburgh, “ Urn super.! it ioo* practice of leaving some small trifle " existed. In Perthshire at St. Fillan’a Well. Comrie. the patients leave behind " some rags of linen or woollen doth." In Caithness, at Dunn at, they throw a picoo of money Into the water, and at Wickthey hare a piece of bread and chccwo and a silver coin, which they alleged disappeared in somo mys- terious way. In Roas and Cromarty, at Alness, “ pieoes ol col- oured cloth were left as offerings " ; at Cragnick an offering of a rag was suspended from a bramble bush overhanging the well ; at Fodderty the devotees “always left oo a neighbouring bush or tree a bit of ooloured cloth or thread as a relic ; and at Killeam shreds of clothing were hung on the surrounding trees. In Suthcrlandshire, at Farr and at U*h. a coin was thrown Into the well. In Dumfriesshire, at Prnpont. a part of the dress was left as an offering, and many ptrews hare been seen ** floating on tbo lake or scattered round the bank..' In Kirkcudbrightshire at Buittic, "either money or clothes " was left, and in Renfrew- shire, at Houston, " pieces of cloth were left as a present or offering to the saint on the bushes." Macaulay in his History of St. Kilds, speaking of a consecrated well in that island called Tobimirobuadb. nr the spring of divers virtues, says : *• Near the fountain stood an altar, on which the distressed votaries laid down their oblations. Before they could touch sacred water with any prospect of success, it war their constant practice to address tho Genius of the place with supplication and prayers. No one approached him with empty hands. But the devotees were abundantly frugal. The offering, presented by them were the pooieat acknowledgments that could bo mad© to a superior being, from KVl WELLS AMD FT* WOOS. 117 whom ihoy had either hopes « fear*, shell* and pebble., toga of linen or stuffs worn oat, pins, nerellni. or noly nulls, were generally all Ihe tribute that win pskl; and sometime*, though rarely enough, copper coins of the smallest value.' What may be the ideas underlying tlc-e singular gifts I Henderson explains in FUUon that "the country girls imagine that the well is in charge of a fairy or spirit who must bo propitiated by some offering, and the pin pewiits itself as tin most ready or convenient, be.iy* hunwlf suggest* that a distinction is to be drawn between the rag* hung on tax* or war a well and the pins, which are so commonly thrown into Iho water it so If. In hi* opinion only the rag* wore meant to be vehicle* of diarare. “ If this opinion were correct”, aaysHartland, "ooe would expect to find both ctremonie* performed by the war patient at the same well; he would throw in the pin and also place the rag on the bush, or wherever its proper plooo might be. The performance of both ooremooka, is, however, I think, exceptional. Where the pin or buttoa b dropped into the well, the patient doat not foliloet or wells. 120 trouble about the rag. and ri« r trta’’ UarUand is therefore inclined to think that the rag. .land for entire articla of clothing which used to be depoeited at an mrlirr time and hr thinks that on the analogy of the |«ait rr|«vwraLiiig the whole the ran* were intended to coned the w»rdii|i|«-r with the deity. The rea- soning it ruici lying the rag-oflrnngK, thro, rr~J\v. itself into the following ainiple -)IIon a bacrcd Ui«h or thnul into a sarml well it i. in constant oontaot with divinity ; the cflhrcMr of tfivinity. reaching and involving it then-fore rraclu-. and involve* roe. A curious detaU iu regard to then rag offering, u given by Mr.. Evan, in rofcnecu to Ui«- rag. lied on the Urdu-, at 8t. Elian’. wrU. Then rags mud U> tied with wool Thb detail u not mentioned by tho varioua aulhorilhw wlivin wo have rvlrrrvd to, and tho reason for using wool n main, to ho explained. Wo know tUt with the Hindu. la Well a. with tho Paiwi. the ahocp in a .aorrd animal. The use of »...lkn cfoUuw is pnwrribod in oertain Hindu ritual, and Um Mcml thread of Uio Panda, which he oarrir. round hi. wool .lay and night, i. road, of abrep'a wool. Probably the main.- kka kd u. the aac of wool in tlio English oust.ro. of banging up me*. U an, it afford, a further ground for r onah nliii g that the rag «w not a aero veldolo of disc as. but a grateful offering devoutly |«roenUd to tho deity of the well or thetne. Maaudonlan folklore fuirudro lurtbcT eVHlrner in Ibis liehadf. Travellers in Man.lonia often — e newly-built fount am* dcco- rated with cotton or word threads many oolouw. These thread* » re lorn l»y way farers from their alma on hchohling the fountain for the first time. “They alight and after having slaked their thirst in the waters of the founUiu, leave these offerings as tokens of gratitude to the prodding nymph. • U. K. AKxXt: Folklore CHAPTER XVIII- A MISUNDERSTOOD INDIAN CUSTOM. In Indin no one would think ol offering to tho water spirits *uch impure article* a* pin* and nrcdlrs and nails, muoh leu “ rag. toted off shirts and petticoats." It would he poritive defilement of water. Sometime*, however. Hag* are soon hoiat- ed near holy well*, and European traveller, represent them a* rag wells oorrwpooding to those with which they are familiar in the neat. There «, however, a good deal of differenoe between tho two custom*. In the Oral place thcao flag* are not rag*. They are made of new.unuard cloth. It I* a universal ou atom in India to put up dkajat or >tan-Unl. ntar shrines. ar|>ulohnw and (acred tire* believed to harbour apirito. When there in aueh a shrine or tree war a well, a flag ia hoisted at the apoU. But it is done in honour, not cl tha water spirit, but of the god nr goddeu i natal led In the .brine or of the apirit dwelling in tho tree or of the aamt buried in the vicinity. I have made personal enquiries ami conauhod authorities in search ol evidence for rag well, in India, but have not oomc across any single instance. True, Oraofc* in hi. Popular fUUfion and Folklon of NorlMtrn India, makre the rathe* sweeping assertion that India supplies no mem... example* of the euntom ol hanging up rags on totes or near .acred well*. Mention ia also made in the FoUdort SoU* of Gujnr* at flag* that arc sometimes hoiated r war holy well, "in honour of the water-goddess Jaldevki." European folklorists are thereby led to docket theac as illustration* of the prevalence of the cult of rag ««U» in India. But there ia no evidence to show that rage are offered to wells. These anthers are often misled by the incomplete dab. that they receive from their informants and in the a lee nee of full particulars any soeh incident aa a flag hoinbd near a well is put forward a* an example indicating the prevalence of 16 122 FOLK HIKE Of W«Ui. n custom altogether foreign to the conceptions and even repug- nant to the sentiment* of the Indian population. No one mentions flag*, all the folklorists talk of rage. Per hap*, there L* an exou*e for it. as the new flags, no douU, get soiled in course of time. But. as pointed out above, it should not have been overlooked that a regular standard is invariably put up in honour of the presiding deity. It has no suggestion for disease-transference. All deities, whatever their spreifle virtues, get this honour without exception. The question, then, for consideration is. does the same idea of reverence account for the flags hoisted an Urns T Them is no doubt that the primary idea was the same, although in process of time superstitious people came to think that that was an offering de mam leal by the spirits living in the trees and that if the offer- ing was not given, calamities would bifall, particularly illness. For Instance, one of thrae spirits is known by the name of Chilharia or Aagpnf Pit. He Is tappossd to dwell In such trees as the Khijado, is. Shami (Prosopis Npioigrra) and Hawal, i.e., Babhul (Acacia Aiabica). It is a common belief that if a mother falls to offer a flag to such a holy tecs while passing by It, her children* health and life are jeopardised. According to another belief. traveller*, in order to accomplish their journey safely, offer flags to the trees reputed to be the dwelling-places of spirits, if they happen to come across them during the journey. In the FoikUtrt .Votes of (Jmjoroi several interesting examples of these beliefs and practices have been given and these rnav be transcribed here in the compiler’s own wotds "Some believe that both male and female spirits reside in the Kkijado, Bdrol and Ktrodo trees and throw rags over them with the object of preventing p ass er* -by from cutting or remov- ing the trees. Some pile stones round their stems and draw tridents over them with red lead ami oil If superstitious people come serosa such trees, they throw pieces erf stones on the piles, believing them to be holy pis***. and think that by doing so they attain the merit of building a temple or ahrinc. A A JC3C5DE5WIOOD ISDIA!« CCSTOM. 123 belief run* that lb in pile should grow larger and larger day by day, and not be diminished. If the baae of weh a tow is no* marked by a pile of stooea, rags only are cffemi ; and if rags are not available, the devotee lean off a piece of his garment, however oostly it may be, and dedicatee it to the tree. “ Once a child saw iU mother offering a rag to snob a tree, and asked her the Man of the offering. The mother replied that her brother, that is the child's maternal uncle, dwelt in the tree. Hence a belief area* that a ckukarxo (ragged) uncle dwells in such trees. Others assert that the rXtOmxrio pit dwells in such trees, and they proptuale him by offering coooanuU and burning frankincense before it- " There is a Kkijado tree near SulUnpur whioh is believed to be the residence of a demrei mi mo Thu demon is propitiated by the offerings id rags. M Some declare that trawl hr. As rags of worn out clothes to the trees mentioned a bore in order that they may not be attack- ed by the evil spirits reading in them. Another belief is that tho spirits of deoeaasd ancestors residing in sueh trees get abso- lution through this form of devotion. It is afeo believed that a g odd cas called tkoKtha dm re. idea in such trees, and being pleased with these offerings, blcama ch.ldi.ss female, with chil- dren, and cures persons suffering from itch of their diaraae. There is a further belief that ragged UsttJWs, by offering pieces of their clothes to the KkijUo, Baroi or Kaoio trees, are blcssod in return with good olothes. •* Some believe that Hanum&n. the lord of spirita, resides in certain trees They call him tAilA m o or ragged Hanumtn. All psmsrs by offer rags to the trees inhabited by him There is guoh a tree near the station of Sfcirei. There is a tamarind tree on the road from Tamnagar to Kh a nt al i a which it believed to be the residence of rAilMario Hanuman and reoeives similar offer- ings. Another tamarind tree of this deseriptloo is near Mated and there is a KkijaJo tree on the road between Kalavad and Vavadi which is similarly treated. “ It i» related by some people that in desert* tire* are rare and tiic summer heal i* oppressive. To the travellers passing through such desert- the only place of rest is in the shadow of a solitary tree that is to be met occasionally. In order that no harm be done to such tree*, some people hare given currency to the belief that a spirit eoUrd mi mo dwells in such trees and expect* the offering of a rag and a pice at the Itands of every passer by. " In some place-, the Bmidi (jujube). Pi pal. Vad (banyan) and the sweet basil rreeire offerings of a pice ami a hctelnut from travellers, while the Kkijado and Airuf are given rags." In all these instances me notice the confusion of rags with flogs, but they unmistakably arfablish the point that tko i.loa underlying the offering la that of propitiating the spirit. A few more instances may be oiled from Crookes Popular Region ami r<4U<*t of Soften ladia. ‘ Am.ng the Mireapur Korwa. the llaiga hong* rags on the I revs which shed, the village shrine, as a cliarm to bring health and food luck. The so rag shrines are to be found all o\er Uso country, ami are gemrally known ns Ckilkariyi or Chilkmiyt /Ikimsi, * Our lady of Totters.' So, in the I*unjab the tree* on which mg* "r hung are named after oingrl Pir or the rag saint. Thr same custom jee vails at various Himalayan shrine* and at thr Vadra Harana or -acred tree at Bindraban near Mathura which is now invested with a special legend, as commemorating the place a here Krishna carried off the clothe- of the milkmaid, when they acre bathing, an incident which constantly appear- in both European and Indian folklore. In Uerar a heap of itcrees daubed with red and placed uniter a tree fluttering with rag represents Chindiya lVo or ‘ the Lonl of Tatters,’ where, if you present a rag in due season, you may chance to get new clothes." Crookes authority for this last instance is the- VaidUer. but as indicated above three authorities hare all mooed the jHiint that the original conception was to honour Ur tree spirit and that these flags are hoisted either as a mark of reverence or A M!ffD5DmSTO0D IS Mi* CUSTOM. 125 m a thank -offering (or cum from di hm and other Loon, and further that the-- are regular flag* and not scrap* of shirt* and petticoat, fixed on bushre or hung on trees, a* in Europe. During my recent journey from Rawalpindi to Kashmir 1 saw several tree* tie bough* of which were docked with flags of white and red doth . In Baluchi* tan al*o I saw a good many tree similarly docked with flag*. In each care I found that there waa a grave of a saint underneath or close by the tree and that the flag. were hoisted in honour of the saint. There wa* no suggeetion of dtocoactr uisfereace. although tho villager, admitted that it wa* customary to offer three flag. if. in response to a prayer to the saint or a vow, any ailment was cured. Everywhere the explanation given was the same. The flag waa presented to the taint only and solely ae a thank offering for a wish fulfilled. The cult of rag offering is believed to extend throughout Africu from -vet to oa%t. Park in hie Treed* in lit Interior nj A/run says : " Tin- company a* Ir snood ae far aa a large tree called by Uu: native. X«ma Tuba. It had a very singular ap- poannoe. being covered with innumerable rags or scrap* of cloth, which person* travelling aonne the wildcraoes had at different tirncw tiod to it* branchce . a custom so generally followed that no ono pome* it without hanging up something" Park add* that ho abo followed the example, and suspended a handsome pieoo of cloth on one of tho bough*. Burton found the custom prevail- ing in Arabia and Sir William Ouerlry saw a tree close to a largo monolith covered with rags- Perrier in hi* Core run Journeys says that these rag* are fixed on busbee in Persia in the name of Imam Ilona. It is believed that the eye of the Imam being always on the top of the mountain, the ahmis which are left there by those who hoil him in reverence remind him of what he ought U* do in their behalf with Muhammad, Ali and the other holy pera mage*, who are able to propitiate the Almighty iu their favour. Hannay regarded three rags a* charm* for disease- transference. In his TrareU in Persia he saya, “ After ten days’ jcsimoy we arrived at a caravanserai, where we found nothing but water. I observed a tree with a number of rage tied to the bran- ches: these were so many charms which passt-ngem ooming from Ghilan. a province remarkable for agues. bad left there, in a fund expectation of Waving their d brows- aU on the same spot." This evidence, however, need* corroboration. Meanwhile, eon- aidering how dangerous it is to generalise on the atrengUi of stray sUtemrnts and observations uf foreigner*. ounaidering how these statement* reveal only half-truth, in the oav uf many Indian custom., we may lake thia evidence with caution. If. however, what Han nay say. i» hoard on the actual practice, and beliefs of the Persian Mahomedana. we are led to infer that not only in several places in Europe but also in many parts of Asia the rag came to be regarded as a vchiolo of disease, whatever may have been tlie original blot* underlying Us offering. When wo have ovsleitov to show that in Europe pins and rags were used at welk for purpwr. of divination, it U not difficult to con- ceive the proms* of nasoning by which throe artioln came to be regarded a* appropriate caterings to the Indwelling spirits, no matter how insignificant their intrinsic value. Tims# instru- ments of dlvinatioo. having dnne their duty, must have been con- signed to the waters as being the best place for depositing them . Then, probably, they were looked upon as indispensable offerings to the water goblins and then. although the practice of divination dtappnued. these article- still came to be regarded as ap|iro- priate offerings for the wrllspinU. and the rustic mind, Igno- rant of tlir genealogy uf the custom, interpreted the survival of the ancient usage* according ts» iU o-n concept km erf sympathe- tic nug in ami either looked upon the ragoflering a* a charm for disease -transference, or a. a connecting link with the deity. This theccy of the origin of the eust.ro which is here put for- ward with scroe diffidence, also explains the growth of the two conflicting theories (I) that the rags are vehicles of disease or charms for di.^a>«-tran>fmmce.a«sl (2) that they are staple offerings to propitiate the deity. 1*7 We have rambled far in oar surrey of the colt of rag offerings, because it repewmU a prculiariy interesting phase of water- worship. Of the ritual* practised in the worship of water divi- nities it is the most rade and primitive. While the ert*moni«* of well-worship in the west oomspood in several details, notably the offerings of flower* and ooias, to the ritual, with whioh we are familiar in this country, they contain mh distinctive elements, the moat remarkable of which is this jraeUoe of rag- offerings. We hare cited numerous instances to show how oommon the practice was in Octal Britain and Ireland and how it survives even to this day in certain parts, but while it was and still la a general feature of wakr-wordiip in those parte, it was and b unknown in India, although eomc folklorists have erroneously identified it with the entirely different, though seemingly analogous, practice of hoieting (lags or dhaja, at shrines and saored Uvm. Part, ape the bo.t eipUnation for the practice of rag -offering ia that U may be a degenerate' form nf flag-offering. CIIAPTF.R XIX. ANIMAL DEITIES OF WATER. TV) western pearlier*, and easterns we liavc nriioed show that Ore cult of water-worship prevailed and survived throughout lire went in a primitive form, evidently in a coarser form tlian in tho cast. The most remarkable feature of UiU rude worship is Uit- belief iu tho presence of animate or Ml as the presiding spirit- or tutelary deities of the write and it affords a very ourioue Ulus- t rat ion of the mvagety .4 those .lays in Europe. Originally, the worship w*» established foe one groat divinity of water. Later, however, both in the cast ami in tho west, the inhabitant- of dif- ferent pita- - came to believe in different apiriU of water. Tbu- did tho write and river* and pool* and tanka of India oorno to lw peopled by fairies and genii. goblin* and witehea. aayyida and aainta. All theae are irpcv-oted in tho guardiao spirit- of U.o wells anil river* and poob arwl tanks on the Continent. Hut our western friends go a step furthrwaml UHhaM wells with nuracroua animal gisls which are very ini|irtfc*t|y HpNsorited in tho waters of tho cast Wo find a general bdirf amongst the Hindus that the nethrr r.-gi«m- are inhabited hr water snakes called Xaga. Booh were the Kaliya X-g. who resnlcd at the batten of the Jumna ami attacked the infant Krishna hy whom he was driven from that idace. ateo the Serpent King of Nopal, Karkotaka, who dwelt in the lake Xagarau when tho divine lotus of Adi Buddha floated on it- surface. It is bdicVod that a |>ool at tho temple of Tnyugi Xamraaa in Oarhwal ia full of snakes of a yellow colour which ctm-rgo from water to be worshipped on tho Xazponchanii day- Anrihcr belief equates the Xag* with a sprei*> of semi-divine being*, half men and linlf serpent*, who p on en magnificent palace* under water. The \*DtAL DBTlia. 120 Plirana* are full of traditions relating lo prince* who visited time palaces in watery regions sod brought book beautiful Nagkonya., or daughters of Nag*, therefrom. For in.Unoe, Arjuna married a Xagkanya named Ulnpi when he was living in exile with his brother. No other animal w»W-god* are found in Hindu mythology. In the west, however, the guardian spirits of pools ami wells arc frog, and trouto ami worms ami fliea. At Uie well on the Devil's Caureway. between Rutklty and the Acton, the devil and hU imps appear in the form of frog., three frogs are always wen together, and thr*e are the imps, the largest frog, representing the devil, appearing but seldom. The Fount of Tuber Kicran. near Kell., County Meath, in Ireland, rises in a diminutive rough sided basin of limestone of natural formation and evidently untouched by a tool. In the water are a braor of miraculous trout " which, according tu tradition. Iiavo ooouplisl their narrow |«i*oo from lime immemorial Tiny are said never in the memory of mao to have altered in .«». and it I. said of them that their appearance is ever the same." In Galway there U a deep depremion in the limestone* nailed " Pigeon Hole." ami the .acred rivulet running at the Use of tho oluvuu U belie red to contain a pair of enchanted trout, one of which is -aid to have been captured some time ago by a trooper and cooked, but upon lb* approach of oold steel “ tho creature at once changed into a beautiful woman." and waa returned to the .troun The well at Tullaghan. County Sligo, also harbour* a brace of miraculous trout, not always visible to ordinary eye*. Similarly, at Bally Morereigh.in Dingle. County Kerry.ua sacred well called Tuber Monachon. where a salmon and tel appear to tluwe devotee* whom the guardian spirit* of the well wi*h to favour. In Scotland at Kilbride in Skye was a well with one trout. “ The native, are veey tender of it." aays Martin. " ami though they often chance to catch it in their wooden paib, they ure very careful to preserve it from being destroyed.” In tho well at Kilmore, in Loro, were two fishes, black in colour, never 130 r i.kloek or o tisa. augmenting in «*c or number nor exhibiting any alteration of colour, and the inhabitant* of the place " doc call the -aide fobt-s Eu*g Saint, that b to *ay. holie fiahe*." Sir Laurence Com me record. other example* uf a still iuon> in- tctrrting Datura. If. «jr* IXilyriJ. a certain « arm in a im dioinal >pring on the- top of the hill in the parish of Slrathdou were fiMiiiil alive, it auguml the recovery of a patient, and in a well of Ardnaoloidi. in Appin. the patient. " if lie bee to dyo dial I And a dead wonne therein or a quick one, if health hoc to follow.” Three. Ihel* can be little doabt. are the furnace deities of Uh- spring Una rrduerd in statu*. Mention ha* already been made of the ptw.iding ROillu* of I lie nr II of SI. Michael near the Church of Kirkmioluu-I. In Ranff*hire. who amumc* the ■emblanoe of a iy, and who I* immortal and always |-e«rnt in the water. “ To the eye of ignorance," say. the heal account. ” be might sometime- a|>|>-ar dead, but it wa« only a transmigration into a aimilor form, which inode little alteration to the real identity." "It -com. impo— iblr," remark* Sir laontwr donate, "to mi .take thi* a* an almost perfect example "hero the cuardian deity of the sacred -pring i» rvprrwntcd in animal form. Morn |-rf«t than any other example to be met with in llriuin and it- ides i* thi* singular dc-criptioo of the traditional peasant belief, it lift- the whole evidence a* to the identification of well* in Britain a* the shrine of ancient local dritioa into clone |ur-llel with Ravage idea* and thought.” Profr«»e Robert-on Smith I— inli out that the divine life of the watcrv i* believed to reside in the sacred fi*h that inhabit* them, and. he give* nimn-rou* example* ana logon, to the Scottish awl Irish, but whether re- presented by fi*h. or frog, or worm, or Hy. in all their various form., the point of the legend* b that the Koored sou roe is either inhabited by a demoniac being or imbued with demoniac lift. Here we may bring to a close our analysis of water- worship in East and Wert. Enough evidence ha* been AMIMAL DOTIES. 131 a Mooed to citabliih the identity oi idea' and usages connected with the worship o I water in India with those prevailing in Rnrope, pirticularly in the British Ules. OI all Uic great objects of nature water impressed people the most. It came to hr worshipped everywhere. The fmindation ol the cult every - where was the same. The forme and i ituaU »no. therefore. |Kirt and parcel of the eame oomnun rail. Ikn is. however, a difference in the dogn. in which they have survived in different plane* according to the stage of culture attained by Uie fnhabi- tank of the pldce. Three variations enable us U> compare tin' -tag,-, of culture of different communities at different intervals, stages of culture which are practically lost to history. but to which folklore affords many a clue. In the Wgondury lore and traditional materials known as folklore there are prodou. frag- ments of information from which can be roared enduring monu- ments of history il there are carefully handled and scientifically sifted. The value, therefore, of three seemingly unmeaning beliefs cud custom, to lbs etwlaut of ethnology and folklore cannot bu over-estimated, and this, if nothing else, may b« pleaded in juetliealioa of the author’* attempt to revive the dying fame of the miraculous pooh aid river* and their wonder, working denizens