153 



from 3 to 4 years old in these villages are frequently 

 given necklaces made of Strombus rings alternating 

 with elong-ated olass beads. Some other castes in the 

 same neighbourhood, Mokayans and Tiyyans together 

 with some Mappillas are said to follow the same custom. 

 Usually the rings do not exceed twelve in each necklace. 

 Adults do not wear these amulets as is the habit of the 

 women of certain sections of the Cheruman caste in 

 Malabar ((/. p. 158) and of the Hill Vedans of Travan- 

 core. How far these and other facts connote former 

 wide or even universal prevalence of this habit among 

 the indigenous population of Malabar, is a line of inquiry 

 likely to repay careful investigation. 



Finger rings purporting to be made from chank 

 shells, but usually cut from a small species of Strombus 

 common on the western coast of the Gulf of Mannar, are 

 also used very freely throughout the Tamil country and 

 also in Malabar and Cochin, chieHy by non-Brahmans 

 among Hindus, as amulets against evil spirits, the evil 

 eye and certain sicknesses. In Tinnevelly, Madura and 

 Ramnad the custom is very prevalent among both sexes 

 of non-Brahmans, Labbai and Marakayar Muhammad- 

 ans in whose veins much Hindu blood is present, also 

 affect the custom. The Vellalans, although like Brah- 

 man adults, they wear, except in one section, neither 

 chank-bangles nor rings, often provide their children 

 with chank -rings or else with pieces of chank-shell tied 

 on the wrist of the right hand by means of black thread, 

 as an amulet against the disease called chedi which is, 

 I believe, rickets. In some cases the ring or piece of 

 chank is placed on the wrist only when the disease has 

 laid hold of the child, in others it is tied on when the 

 child attains its second month and kept there till it is 

 three years old, when it is believed that all danger of 

 contracting the disease is passed. Among the castes 

 ranking next, — Chettis, Kollans, Thachchans, Thattans, 

 Nayudus, Idayans, and Chaluppans, a chank-ring is often 

 worn as an amulet against pimples on the face : occa- 

 sionally their young children are provided with small and 

 roughly ornamented chank-bangles to safeguard them 

 against chedi. The low castes or Panchamas such as 

 Pallans, Valayans, Paraiyans, etc., are the most regular 

 devotees of these amulets. 



