Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/46

34 as it rolled and bounded along the ground in a line parallel to the players, the latter shot at it with their little arrows, and hit it often. It is therefore obvious that the men are habituated to the bow and arrow from childhood, even though they are not regular hunters; but, as we shall see presently, a Muppan sometimes finds it useful to be expert with these weapons.

During one of my visits to Wynaad I observed a small hut constructed high up and near the top of an immense clump of bamboos, some thirty feet or more from the ground. This was within a few yards of the hut of a Muppan which was itself somewhat removed from the little pâḍi, as a cluster of huts is called. The erection in the tree was said to be for occupation by the wife and three children of the Muppan, who was often absent. They slept in it for safety, as wild animals were numerous. It was reached by a very insecure-looking ladder, which was nothing but one long bamboo, the branches of which had been lopped off a few inches from the stem. As it seemed impossible that any human being could make such an ascent, a small boy was sent up to show me how. He went up with the greatest ease, much to my amazement.

The owner of these two establishments, one of which was useless without the possession of monkey-like agility and balance, was said to be the man who “kept the god”; so I went into the hut on the ground to have a look. The objects which were pointed out to me as representing “the god” were as follows:—A bundle of strips of bamboo, some three feet in length, bulged in the middle and tied at the ends; an axe; a bow; arrows; some ôḍikal sticks; a pair of stag’s horns. All, except the last, were objects for use. In another pâḍi not far off I saw objects just such as these, which were also said to represent “the god.” I thought at the time that the bundle was a fetish and protective, but it was evidently not completely so,—from the hut in the tree.