Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/106

 80 the gateway of his garden, beside his offering,—a stem of sugar cane or plantain stuck in a lump of mud, some betel-nut, rice, water, and sometimes a few pieces of sugar cane and a piece of burning pine wood. This is said to have been the continuous custom since the days of the king Khagenba. In the Manipur Chronicle, under the year A.D. 1628-29, we find,—"He (Khagenba) went to inspect the village of Laiching, and on this occasion the villagers throughout the whole route crowded on both sides of the road to pay respect to their sovereign, and throughout the route the residents on both sides of the road cleaned the ground in front of their houses, and planted a plantain tree at each door, and a burning lamp with some fruits was kept there to worship their king, and from this time this was the established custom of paying respect to the king when he was out."

At the site selected some grass sheds facing inwards had been erected in the form of a hollow square. The Raja and his following took their seats within, and the spearmen, swordsmen, and others showed off their skill in the open space in the centre. Directly the Raja had taken his seat, some five or six horsemen started off to the scene of the special ceremonies, which was about a quarter or half a mile further on. For some months past rice had been daily thrown out under a certain tree, and consequently a considerable number of crows had become accustomed to waiting there for their daily meal. When the horsemen had arrived the rice was thrown down, and the crows swooped down on it. Then a man with a gun crept up, and from a few yards' distance fired a blank round. The birds of course took flight, and the direction of flight of the first bird to rise decided the future of the Raja and the State for the next year. The bird took a northerly direction, which was said to foretell cheap rice.

The following are the interpretations attached to the different points of the compass:—If the bird flies north-east and then returns quickly to the rice, extreme good fortune to the Raja; if north-west, rice and fish will be plentiful; if west, receipt of news of wars from other countries; if south-west, worms and mosquitoes will abound, and the Raja and the people will be ill at ease; if south, much sickness and many deaths; if south-east,