HORNELL -THE INDIAN CONCH 39 



them to be of chank-shell. The bead necklaces are usually wound many times round 

 the neck itself, roughly forming a collar often reaching as high as the chin. The chank 

 necklace is worn at a lower level, and lies on the shoulders and on the upper part of 

 the breast ; it looks much like a chain of office and is indeed the badge of the tribal 

 sept. At Tanur (Malabar) where after much trouble three Cheruman women were 

 got together for my inspection, one of the husbands had to be paid a day's wages to keep 

 guard over them to prevent their flight. They were all exceedingly shy, and it was 

 with much reluctance that they stood up in front of my camera. As will be seen by 

 reference to PI. Ill, Fig. 1, the chank ring necklaces (chanku modira mala) are made 

 up of a very large number of rings not strung but tied by the upper edge to a strong 

 cord in such a way that each ring overlaps its neighbour on one side and is similarly, 

 overlapped on the other side by the succeeding ring, much as the rings in chain armour 

 are arranged. From 50 to 100 rings are required to form a full necklace of this pattern ; 

 as each ring costs from 3 to 6 pies in the local bazaar, the total cost may amount to 

 Re. 1-8-0 or Rs. 2, a large sum to these exceedingly poor people. The Cherumans who 

 wear these chank chains in the Tanur neighbourhood say they belong to a sept named 

 Kalladi Cherumans and that they wear them to distinguish themselves from the Paliya 

 and other septs with which they may not intermarry. In Tanur bazaar I saw a single 

 example of another pattern of this strange necklace worn by a woman also said to be 

 a Kalladi Cheruman. In this case the number of rings used were comparatively few, 

 20 in all, and between each pair were strung a couple of glass beads of different colours. 

 Each ring was separated by an interval of about an inch from its neighbour on either 

 side, and instead of being fastened to the common cord by a single loop, it was fastened 

 by two separate loops which enabled it to lie flat upon the skin. The woman shrank 

 against the wall, averting her face and trying to sidle away, and it was with great 

 difficulty she could be persuaded to answer a few particulars. Among other information 

 she gave, was the statement that this necklet is believed to protect from evil spirits. 



So far as I have been able to ascertain, these chank necklaces are assumed soon 

 after a girl attains puberty if her parents can afford it. If they be very poor and cannot 

 afford it, then, when her marriage is arranged, it is generally settled that the bride- 

 groom shall provide the needful ornament. There is no special ceremony followed 

 at the time a girl puts on her chank necklet for the first time. As a rule the men of the 

 family attach the rings to the cord. 



This custom seems to be losing ground quickly, for while many people knew of it 

 further south in Malabar, I never saw this ornament in use in North Malabar. Many 

 Cherumans were seen between Cannanore and Mount Dilly, but all said few use it now, 

 preferring glass or imitation coral beads for their necklets. There is no doubt that 

 formerly the custom was widely spread among the servile population of Kerala, and as 

 these people's religious beliefs consist almost solely of the dread of malignant spirits, 

 it is extremely probable that originally the necklet was used as an amulet against demons 



