Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/103

Rh in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute for the latter half of 1915 I have suggested, following Professor Ridgeway, that such a tree may have happened to grow on or near the graves of the Brothers, and have been, in the belief of the people, impregnated with their virtue. "The original tree may have been cut up and distributed, and when it failed a tree or branch brought from the forest may have been treated in the same way, as is done now. The sacrifice of human life has already taken place, once for all, and the tree is dismembered, not in substitution for a man, but because the virtue of this particular man has entered it."

Another royal victim who became a nat was Ngă Pyi, servant of a prince of the twelfth century. His master was sent away by the king to a distant part of the country, and compelled to leave his beautiful wife behind him. He instructed Ngă Pyi to come to him at once if the king sent for his wife. The king did send for her, and Ngă Pyi rode to his master, but slept a night on the way, and was put to death for his negligence.

In the fortune-tellers' booths at the Taungbyôn festival, already mentioned, the images I saw most frequently were those of the Brothers, Yeyingădaw, Tibyuzaung, and Maung Po Tu.

Yeyingădaw seems to be a kind of evil spirit dwelling in the wild country to the west of the ancient shrine of Powundaung in the Chindwin. I could get no other information about her at the festival, perhaps owing to the fear with which she was regarded. I have since heard that she must be propitiated if cattle are to be kept free from attacks by tigers.