Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/195

 8 } ‘es IV. ] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LiTERATURE. 165 or Manasa Mangal, have a similar source. Old systems of worship seem to fly before us, as we begin to thread the mazes of the history of the ‘Mangal Gans. For instance, we have the worship of the Planets, probably introduced by the Sythic ‘Brahmins in a very remote age. It is my own belief that the story of Crivatsa and Chinta, which occurs in most of the Bengali versions of the Maha- bharata, and cannot be traced to any known ‘Sanskrit original, represents an attempt, fashionable A story in at a certain period, to popularise the worship of ক ‘Saturn or Gani, through these Mangal Gans. When we consider how much of the recitation, at any given performance, may be the rhapsodist’s own composition and what portion is derivative or traditional, we are able to realise the way in which this particular form must have contributed to the growth of the great Epics. The Mangal Gayak is accountable to none, for the source from which he The Gayak and his draws his narrative. He may take one part of his ভাতার recitative from one version of the story, and another from another, at his own sweet will. His only responsibility is to please his audience. ‘The songs with which his religious and descriptive passages are interspersed may be his own, or traditional, or lyrics of unusual beauty that he has picked from other poets of the countryside. The chorus ts in such rapport with him, that they will often begin the accompaniment, in hushed fashion, on the last words of his recitation, bursting into fuller music as he enters on the song. Sometimes, again, they will be silent until the song gives the signal. All this, which may seem to thoughtless ob- servers crude and unliterary, in actual fact consti-