Chapter XVII

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[56] This hole at an ordinary village is sometimes known as a tarupunkudi.

[57] This account of the creation of men and buffaloes was obtained from Arsolv (27) of Kanòdrs, one of the oldest living Todas. It agrees very closely with the story as related to Mr. Breeks.

[58] According to another account, Püv died from trying to catch the image of a white calf in the water. At that time, it was the custom to kill and bury any calf of a white colour, and one had been buried close to the spring.

[59] Usually called petkuter.

[60] These are quite unlike Toda names, nor is the name of the village, Mîtâhârzti, like a Toda name.

[61] ? Pòdrâni or pudrâni.

[62] I do not know exactly to which ceremonies tatòtiti and muòtiti refer. The words mean “he takes the tat” and “he takes the mu,” and evidently refer to some dairy ceremonial. Ponkastiti probably means that he kept pon throughout the year—i.e., gave or sold nothing from his dairy during the year.

[63] A spirit which brings death (see p. 403).

[64] When Keikarskutan shot the bow and arrow he lay down. According to my informants, Keikarskutan lay down to shoot the bow and arrow because he was lame, but shot it in the ordinary way and did not use his legs in doing so. Breeks, who gives a brief version of this legend, was told that the arrow was shot by means of the legs and refers to this method as the ancient Indian custom.

[65] I give this as it was told.

[66] To meet this bird going from right to left is a bad omen; if going from left to right, it is a good omen.

[67] I could not find out the exact meaning of this word, but it appeared to be a name for the blood-stained froth which may come from the mouth of a dying man. In a sentence which occurs later the word appears as pògh (blood), but my informants were certain that pug itself is not blood.

[68] See p. 616.

[69] This is a creeper used in the funeral ceremonies.

[70] Probably the tree or bush from which the material called twadrinar is manufactured by the Todas.

[71] My informants could not say whether the boy went away in the air as a child or as a kite. The boy often assumed the form of a kite later, and it is tempting to suppose that the assumption of this form by the child was connected with the death of the kite, i.e., that it was a case of transmigration. The fact that the child went away in the air and was found sitting on a tree makes it highly probable that it flew in the form of a kite, but my informants could not say that this was definitely part of the legend.

[72] The kwarzam is the name used in prayer (see Chap. X).

[73] This place is close to the spot at which the path from Pishkwosht (Bikkapatimand) to Kodanad crosses a stream soon after leaving the former village.

[74] This pool has been converted into the Marlimand reservoir, the source of the water-supply of Ootacamund.

[75] The Hindu god who sends smallpox is Mari or Mariaman. The Toda name for buttermilk is mòr.

[76] P. 142.

[77] Erd means two, and this translation is a free rendering of the Toda words, though it probably conveys the proper meaning.

[78] I am doubtful about this point at the poh of Kanòdrs.

[79] It is in favour of this supposition that in the legend Kwoten wore the tuni when acting as palikartmokh although he was one of the Tartharol.

[80] It is an Indian practice to add sour buttermilk to the milk to promote coagulation, but this is usually done after heating the milk. It is possible that in some parts of India it may be added to the milk before or immediately after it is drawn.

[81] From the account of Finicio (Appendix I), it would seem that at one time the palol and wursol possessed the power of divination.

[82] For an account of what Midjkudr seems to have said and the consequent proceedings, see p. 392.

[83] I am very doubtful whether the meaning of this and the preceding clause is correctly given in these words.

[84] The middle room of a three-roomed dairy is the nedrkursh.

[85] For the meaning of this see above.

[86] Bulletin, i. p. 182.

[87] The leaves of this plant, Solanum indicum, are used in the ordination of the kugvalikartmokh.

[88] For the meaning of these kinship-terms, see Chap. XXI.

[89] It is noteworthy that the Kotas are not included.

[90] This is the plant, Euphorbia Rothiana, used at the purification of the ti dairy (p. 136).

[91] I think it is probable that all the incantations are said in this manner, but I only had it specifically mentioned in this case.

[92] This distinction was pointed out to me by my informant.

[93] I did not obtain this formula.

[94] Mul, which means bramble and thorn, is here used for the porcupine’s quills.

[95] Pûdrt is probably the Toda form of the word bhût.

[96] Our final difficulty, the laughter over which seemed to overcome Teitnir’s scruples, was in the identification of the spleen, which was described as “a little tongue.”

[97] This and the succeeding photographs were taken in a badly lighted wood, and represent the actual ceremony.

[98] The importance of the omentum in Indian animal sacrifices suggests that the tütmîis might have been the omentum, or have included part of the omentum. At this stage of the proceedings, so many operations were going on simultaneously that exact observation became very difficult.

[99] Andropogon Schœnanthus, a strongly-scented grass.

[100] ? Kiaz.

[101] This estimate included the value of the calf four years hence!

[102] Haug’s Aitareya Brahmanam, Bombay, 1863, vol. ii., p. 85, note II.

[103] I have some reason to think, however, that er may be used as a term for ‘buffalo’ in general, whether male or female.

[104] From the nature of this formula it might be expected that the ceremony would only be performed if the man’s wishes are fulfilled, but, in practice, I think it is clear that the performance is not conditional on the recovery of himself or his buffaloes.

[105] The special mention of uncut ears and tail in this and the erkumptthpimi ceremony suggests that the widely spread practice of cutting the ears of animals may occur among the Todas, but I have no other notes on the subject.

[106] Or irnörtpuspimi, “buffalo giving have we come.” The whole formula runs, “Swami, Teikirzi, the kudrpali, the wursuli, the buffalo pen, may it be well; may it be well with the buffaloes and calves; buffalo giving have we come, may it be well.”

[107] This is mentioned in the prayer of the Kiudr dairy (see p. 220).

[108] According to a later finding of the teuol, the death of Tersveli was due to sorcery (see p. 261).

[109] It will be noticed that the patatpun are placed in the inner room and the ertatpun in the outer room. In the ordinary dairy both would be placed in the inner room, though in different places. The procedure of this ceremony seems, therefore, to resemble that of the ti rather than of the ordinary dairy. It suggests that we have here a relic of a time when every dairy had at least two rooms, one for the things of the patatmar and another for the things of the ertatmar.

[110] I was told at first that it might be done by her husband, but this appeared to be a mistake.

[111] The fact that the people of Melgars and Kwòdrdoni are not allowed to intermarry suggests, however, that there is some relation between these clans which is the cause of the exception.

[112] This may possibly be a corruption of perithtòr.

[113] Eugenia Arnottiana.

[114] Sophora glauca.

[115] Andropogon schœnanthus.

[116] See the bow in the hand of the boy in Fig. 57. This bow is the same as that used in the pursütpimi ceremony.

[117] The buffalo given in this way is called pulkwadr, or bow and arrow gift.

[118] My notes do not make it absolutely clear as to whether he may not also salute the female relatives of his wife, but I do not think that he does so.

[119] According to a recent account given to me by Mr. Thurston, the people leave the spot about six o’clock in the evening. The time is determined by the opening of the flowers of Ænothera tetraptera which is called by the Todas âr mani pûv, or six o’clock flower. This flower is a garden escape, so that this special practice must be recent, but it suggests that the general practice of telling the time of day by means of flowers may be an old Toda custom.

[120] Mr. Natesa Sastri (Madras Mail, August 28th, 1894) states that the bow and arrow are tied round the neck of the woman, so that they definitely take the place of the tali.

[121] This seems to have occurred in a similar ceremony practised by the Badagas, among whom it is said that a woman is not fully considered a wife till about the seventh month of the first pregnancy, when a cord is put round her neck by the husband and the legal marriage becomes complete. (See Thurston, Bull. IV., p. 167.)

[122] Called by the Todas tòri or tòrimul (Berberis nepalensis); its leaves are used in the ordination of the kugvalikartmokh.

[123] Possibly this means “calf of tuni.”

[124] It will be noticed that the woman puts the fragments of tuni in her waist-string on the right side, while the various dairymen who wear petuni put it on the left side.

[125] I am doubtful whether this is essential.

[126] Fawcett, Bull. Madras Museum, vol. iii. p. 242.

[127] According to one account the ceremony takes place on the fortieth day after birth.

[128] For the nature of the name see