3 1822 00130 1688 FOLK NOTES Vol, II-KONKAN COMPILED FROM MATERIALS COLLECTED THE LATE A, M. T. JACKSON, INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE. R. E. ENTHOVEN, ci.E, i.c.3. ./I FOLKLORE NOTES VOL. II KONKAN FOLK LORE 1 NOTES Vol. II KONKAN COMPILED FROM MATERIALS COLLECTED BY THE LATE A. M. T. JACKSON. INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE R. E. ENTHOVEN, ci.E., i.cs. .-^ ^-^->~ BBITISH INDIA PRE8S, MAZGAOX. BOMBAY 19 15 ^Bg<?^- " REPRINTED FBOM THE '' INDIAN ANTIQUARY BT B. M1LU:R, superintendent, BRITISH INDIA PRESS, BOMBAY -^1^ Oversize TABLE OF CONTEXTS. \j. ^ CHAPTER I. Nature Powers. page Worship of minor local deities. Sun-worsliip. The Snastika, Circumambulation rouiid'iinages and other sacred objects. Moon-worship. Days of special importance. Eclipses. Worship of planets and stars. The milky way. The rainbow. Worship of the earth. Thunder and lightning. Earthquakes. Worship of sacred rivers, springs and pools. Water spirits and goblins. Ceremonies at digging of wells. Well water as a cure for disease. Sacred Lakes. Palaces under the water. Sacred mountains. Deities who control the weather. Methods of causing or averting rain and of checking storms. Vratas or religious vows practised only by women. Rites in which women are excluded. Rites in which the worshipper must be nude. Superstitions in connection with aerolites and meteors ... ... ... 1 CHAPTER II. r/i« Heroic Codlings. Village deities. Local deities. Installation of deities in new settlements. Ghostly godlings. Deities responsible for crops and cattle ... ... ... 21 CHAPTER III. Disease Deities. Causes of epidemic diseases and the remedies adopted to stop them. Cattle diseases. Remedies practised by the village people in connection with them. The methods for the exorcism of disease. Methods of expelling evil spirits frpm the body. The village sorcerer. Offerings of rags, coins, etc., at sacred trees and wells. The transferring of disease from one person to another. Scapegoats ... ... ... 29 CHAPTER IV. The worship of Ancestors and Saints. Shrdddhas and other ceremonies performed for tlie propitiation and emancipation of the deceased. Worship of the founders of religious sects, of saints, etc. Ghosts. Rebirth of ancestors in the same family. Miracle-working tombs. Muhammadan saints whose worship has been adopted by Hindus, Rural methods for the cure of barrenness ... ... CHAPTER V. The Worship of the malevolent dead. Popular notions about dreams. Auspicious and inauspicious dreams. Temporary abandonment of the body by the soul. Character and functions of the bhzit or disembodied soul. The state of the soul after death. The rebirth of the soul. The souls of persons dying a sudden or violent death. The ways by which ghosts enter and leave the bcdy. Methcds of driving away evil spirits from the body. Reliefs regarding sr.eezing ard yawning. Edkshasa cr the malevolent demon. Other malignant spirits. Evil spirits which go about headless. Tie haunts of evil TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE. spirits. Ghosts of \V!o:neii dying an unnatural death. Spirits of persons killed by tigers and other wild blasts. Ghosts of women dying in childbed or menses. Precau- tions taken by parents at the birth of children. Beliefs in connection with bats and owls. Spirits which hiuat niins, guard buried treasure and occupy valleys ... 49 CHAPTER VI. The evil eye and ihe scaring of ghosts. Effects of the evil eye. Objects liable to be influenced by the evil eye. Precautions taken to evade the influence of the evil eye. Opprobrious names. Change of sex. Protection against evil spirits. Amulets. Charmed circles. Omens. Numbers, Lucky and unlucky days. Rites performed to help ihe soul to the other world. Cremation and burial. The customs of shaving the liair. Offerings of food to the dead. Mani- festation of evil spirits in form. The practice of breaking earthen vessels at death. Rites comieeted with mourning. Benevolent spirits. Spirits which haunt trees. The guardian spirits of crops and cattle. Spirits invoked to frighten children (SO CHAPTER VII. Tree and Serpent worship. Trees connected with deities and saints. Legends and superstitions connected with them. Marriage of brides and bridegooms to trees. Snake worship. Slirines of snake deities. Deified snakes. Suakes guarding treasure. The village treatment of snake-bite. The jewel in the head of the snake. Guardian snakes 71 CHAPTER VIIL Totemism and Fetishism. Devaks. Names derived from animals and plants. Sacred animals. Deities associated with animal worship. Worship of stocks and stones. Survivals of human sacrifice. Disease-curing stones. Respect shown to corn sieves, corn p3unders, the broom and the plough. Fire worship. 78 CHAPTER IX. Animal worship. Sacred .animals and the legends and superstitions connected with them 83 CHAPTER X. Witchcraft. Cketaks and Cketakins. 85 CHAPTER XI. General, Rural ceremonies connected with agricultural operations. Rites performed for the protection of c Utle. Rites performed for searing nj.Kious animils and insects. Rites performed for ensuring sunshine and favourable weather. Rites performed for the protection of crops. Rites in which secrecy and silence are observed. The observances at the HoU festival. Rites performed! when boys and girls attain puberty. Vows. The black art , 87 APPENDIX Glossary of vernacular terms occurring in Volumes I and II ... ... i to xsxvii FOLKLORE OF THE IvONKAN. CHAPTER I. NATURE POWEliS HTHE worship of minor local deities is con- have Kunbis as their pujdris ; while the pujdris nected with sucli low castes as Guravas, of the goddesses Mahalakshmi, Bhagvati, Bhopis, Maratha Kunbis, Dhangars, Waghes, Mahakali, and Jogai are generally chosen from Murlis, Mahiirs and Mangs in the District of the Gurav caste.- In the Konkan the R.iiils Kolhapur, It is believed by the Brahmans (Shudras) are the pujdris of the deities Vithoba, is and that once an image consecrated wor- Ravalnath and Bhavani ; the Ghadis are the shipped, it should be worshipped uninterrupt- pujdris of the deities Sateri and Khavanesh- edly every day, and he who neglects to wor- war; while the deities Mahadev and Maruti ship such an image daily incurs the sin of are worshipped by pujdris belonging to the Brahma-hat i/a or Brahman-murder. For this Gurav caste.'' The goddesses jMakhajan and reason Brahmans generally do not worship Jakhmata at Sangameshwar in the Ratnagiri minor local deities. In former times Brahmans District are worshi)>ped by pujdris who belong who worshipped these deities were excommuni- to the Gurav and Blioi castes respectively. cated by their caste-men. Such Pujdris were The god Ganpali at Makhnele has for his compelled to wear a folded dhotur or waist pujdri a Wani. The pujdris of the temple of cloth, and were forbidden to put wn the gandh Shiva at Lanje in the Ratnagiri District are or sandal paste mark in straight or cross lines. Wanis.* It is said that the pujdri of Punda- They were allowed to put on the iila or circu- rik at Pandharpur is a Kirata (fisherman) by lar mark of sandal paste. Another reason why caste. ^' Brahmans are not the Pujdris or worshippers The pujdri of the goddess Narmata at Sid- of such deities is that Brahmans cannot accept gad in the Thana District is a Koli; whilst or partake of the Kaivedya offering of cooked the pujdiis of Kanoba, Khandoba, and Vetal food, fowls, etc., made to them. Lower class are of the lower castes. <> The goddesses people can partake of such oflFerings, and are Mahalakshmi of Kolvanand Vajreshvari have therefore generally the worshippers or minist- their pujdris chosen from the lower castes. ^ rants of minor local deities. The pujdris of Jari-J\Iari,MIiasoba, Bahiroba, At Palshet in the Ratnagiri District, there Clieda and other deities which are said to are two grdmdevis^ viz., Jholai and Mharjai, prevent contagious diseases, are alwaj-s men ^ and thie pujdris of these deities are respect- of the lower castes.- ively a Gurav and a Mahar.i The pujdris of The pujdris of the guardian goddesses of goddesses are generally men of the lower the villages Petsai, Dasgaum and Nizampur castes. The guirdian goddesses of the vil- are a Mahar, a Kumbhar or potter, and a lages of Pule, Varavade, Nandivade, and Rila Maratha, respectively. " The pujdri of tlie 1 School Master, Palshet, RatQugiri. 2 School Master, Adiv^re, Ratniigiri. 3 School Master, Parule, Ratmlgiri. « School Master, Makhnele, Ratniigiri. 5 School Master, R;ijlipnr, Ratnagiri. 5 School Masters, Agashi and Arnala, Thana. J School Master, Malad, ThSna. 8 School Master, Shah-ipur, Thina. 3 School Master, Dasgaum, KoWba. FOLKLORE OF THE KOXKAN guardian goddesses of Chaul in the Kolaba In the Ratnagiri District some people District belongs to the lower castcs.i The worship the Sun on the Sundays of the goddess Mangai has always a Mahar as her month of ^hrdian, A ceremony lield on the Ralhasaptami ie,^ jmjdri.- Everyday the god Shiva is required day, the 7th day of the bright half of Mdgh, is deemed a s))ccial to be worshipped first by a pujdri of the Gurav festival in honour of tlic Sun-god. On that caste. The pujuri of Bahiri, a corruption of day people draw, on a small wooden stool, the word Bhairav, one of the manifestations an image of the Sun, seated in a chariot of Shiva, is a man belonging to the lower cas- drawn by seven horses, and worship it with tes. Similarly the pujdris of Bhagavati, Bha- great reverence. Milk is then boiled on a vani, Ambika, Kalika, Jakhai, Jholai, Janni, fire made of cow-dung cakes in front of the Kolhai, Vadyajai, Shitaladevi, Chandika, etc., household Tulsi plant. If the milk over- are persons belonging to lower castes.^ flows to the east, it is believed that tliere It is considered by the Hindus very me.ri- will be abundance of crops, but if it flows torious and holy to worship the Sun ; and by to the west it is taken as a sign of the near Brahmans the Sun is considered to be their approach of famine.