Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/460

428 within its mysterious precincts. Should the bird ascend a small mound, flap its wings, and crow lustily, all is well, but, if it remains quiet, the worst may be expected. This is the only occasion on which the sacred place may be entered; should any daring person enter at another time, he would assuredly be killed. In years in which the harauba is not held, five pigs are offered to Panam Ningthau in his other grove, which is a little way outside the village. The lesser godlings, though they have each a lai-pham, have no grove or lai-sang.

The principal feature in the worship of these Umanglais and Lairemas is the lai-harauba, the "pleasing of the god." I have written elsewhere a full account of Khumlangba's "Pleasing," and therefore will not again describe the ceremonies in detail. The ceremonies differ considerably, but in every case the spirit of the god has to be enticed from some stream. As most of the gods are hill deities, it struck me as curious that they should have to be enticed from water, but my enquiries only elicited the reply that of course all Umanglais came from water. The object of this ceremony of enticing is to bring the god into a state of activity. I was told that the gods are eternal and ever-present, but that in ordinary times they are in a state of quiescence, and by this ceremony they are persuaded to show their power by taking possession of their favoured worshippers. The harauba is also thought to strengthen the god and make him more capable of helping his worshippers. Possession is described as the god mounting on the head. Any person may become possessed, but only while the gong is beating during a harauba, i.e. at the time when the worshippers are worked up to the highest pitch of excitement. The gods and goddesses prefer to be served by women, and, therefore, should a man become possessed