Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 3.djvu/447

Rh rice, flesh of the pig, and a bit of its ear. A little in front of these is buried a rotten egg. The chicken, whose head is buried, is boiled, and eaten by children who have not yet donned a cloth. The Khond puts the rice, piece of the ear, and the hair of the pig, under the roof. In the evening the cattle come home, and are tied by the ropes used in the ceremony. Then the women break their fast — they must eat then. Drinking and dancing occupy the two following days, during which no manure is removed from the cow-shed. On the third day, the Khonds come out with a lump of it in the hand, and throw it in one place, forming a heap, on which the priest pours liquor and rice."

The following example of a Kondh oath is given by Mr. J. A. R. Stevenson. "The subject of the circumstance is first repeated by the swearing party, and a basket containing the following things is held before him: —


 * A blood-sucker (lizard).
 * A bit of tiger's skin.
 * A peacock's feather.
 * Earth from a ' white-ant ' hill.
 * Rice mixed with fowl's blood.
 * A lighted lamp.

He proceeds with his oath, touching each object in the basket at that part of the oath which refers to that object. 'Oh! father (god), I swear, and, if I swear falsely, then, Oh! father, may I become shrivelled and dry like a blood-sucker, and thus die. May I be killed by a tiger. May I crumble to dust like this white-ant's hill. May I be blown about like this feather. May I be extinguished like this lamp.' In saying the last words, he puts a few grains of rice in his mouth, and blows out the lamp, and the basket with its contents is made to touch the top of his head."