Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu/56

TIYAN ::3. A gold kadakkan in each ear, and an iron ring on the ring finger of the left hand.


 * 4. A thorn in each ear (another was similarly ornamented). Not married.


 * 5. A gold ear-ring in each ear. An iron ring on the little finger of the left hand. Two silver rings, in which is set a piece of hair from an elephant's tail, on the little finger of the right hand.

A few individuals wore brass rings, and some had ear-rings, in which a red stone was set. Amulets were worn by some in little cylindrical cases on a string, to protect the wearer against enemies, the evil eye, or devils. One man wore a silver girdle, to which an amulet in a case was fastened, underneath his cloth, so that it was not in view to the public. One individual only is noted as having been tattooed, with a circular mark just above his glabella. The arms of a good many, and the abdomen of a few, bore cicatrices from branding, apparently for the purpose of making them strong and relieving pains.


 * (b) South Malabar, Males.

In the country parts, the waist cloth is always worn above the knee. About a third of the individuals examined wore ear-rings. The ears of all were pierced. Those who were without ear-rings had no scruples about wearing them, but were too poor to buy them.
 * 1 . Blue spot tattooed over the glabella.


 * 2. Silver amulet-case, containing fifteen gold fanams, at the waist. He said that he kept

the coins in the receptacle for security, but I think it was for good luck.
 * 3. Ear-ring (kadakkan) in each ear. A copper amulet-case, containing a yantram to keep

off devils, at the waist.