Chapter I: Front Matter

FOLK LORE NOTES.

Vol. II--KONKAN.

COMPILED FROM MATERIALS COLLECTED BY
The late A. M. T. JACKSON, Indian Civil Service.

R. E. ENTHOVEN, C.I.E., I.C.S.

BRITISH INDIA PRESS, MAZGAON BOMBAY.
1915

REPRINTED FROM THE "INDIAN ANTIQUARY"

BY B. MILLER, SUPERINTENDENT, BRITISH INDIA PRESS, BOMBAY

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Nature Powers.
PAGE.
Worship of minor local deities. Sun-worship. The Swastika.
Circumambulation round images 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.

The Heroic Godlings.

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
from 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.

Shráddhas and other ceremonies performed for the
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 40

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 bhut 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 body.
Methods of driving away evil spirits from the body. Reliefs
regarding sneezing and yawning. Rákshasa or the malevolent
demon. Other malignant spirits. Evil spirits which go about
headless. The haunts of evil spirits. Ghosts of women dying
an unnatural death. Spirits of persons killed by tigers and
other wild beasts. Ghosts of women dying in childbed or
menses. Precautions taken by parents at the birth of
children. Beliefs in connection with bats and owls. Spirits
which haunt ruins, guard buried treasure and occupy valleys 49

CHAPTER VI.

The evil eye and the 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 the
soul to the other world. Cremation and burial. The customs
of shaving the hair. Offerings of food to the dead.
Manifestation of evil spirits in form. The practice of
breaking earthen vessels at death. Kites connected with
mourning. Benevolent spirits. Spirits which haunt trees.
The guardian spirits of crops and cattle. Spirits invoked
to frighten children 60

CHAPTER VII.

Tree and Serpent worship.

Trees connected with deities and saints. Legends and
superstitions connected with them. Marriage of brides
and bridegrooms to trees. Snake worship. Shrines of snake
deities. Deified snakes. Snakes guarding treasure. The
village treatment of snake-bite. The jewel in the head of
the snake. Guardian snakes 71

CHAPTER VIII.

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
pounders, 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.

Chetaks and Chetakins. 85

CHAPTER XI.

General.

Rural ceremonies connected with agricultural operations.
Rites performed for the protection of cattle. Rites
performed for scaring noxious animals 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 Holi 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 xxxvii

FOLKLORE OF THE KONKAN.