126 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



The blossom of the tolambo lias a sweet smell ; the bo leaves liave 

 evident religious value, and it is interesting to note that seven leaves 

 were used, that ever-recurring number in Oriental mysticism. 



The piece of rambuk .stalk may have been placed as a substitute 

 for sugar-cane, and maduwela is used in Sinhalese medicine. The 

 paddy ears are the first that are gathered in the field after the 

 threshing-floor has been reaped and the sheaves piled on the sides 

 of the floor. It thus constitutes a sort of first fruit. It is, however, 

 the paddy cut from the threshing-floor* which is the first to be 

 threshed. 



Certain objects are placed on the floor, but not in it at the time of 

 threshing, viz., a shell, presumably the arak-belld mentioned by 

 Dr. Coomaraswamy, a piece of gold, iron, or other metal, and a 

 piece of kohomba wood {Azadirachta indica). Also, if it can be 

 obtained, the gorochanna, or hair ball (= the gore of Dr. Coomara- 

 swamy) of a buffalo. According to the Ratnapura threshing-floor 

 song seven gorochannas should be used. 



These objects are kept in the paddy while it is being trodden and 

 removed when the threshing is finished. They therefore seem to 

 be simply talismans, while the leaves, &c., from the fact that they 

 are buried and allowed to remain in the ground, would rather lead 

 one to consider them as propitiatory offerings to evil spirits. 



The word arak, or in its Sanskrit form draksha, means preser- 

 vation or protection. 



A distinct set of offerings is made to the gods {dewas). These, 

 consisting of betel leaves and various flowers, are placed in a mal- 

 pela or rude shrine erected on the margin of the floor, and usually 

 made of cad j an, but in this case of rambuk, on account of the 

 scarcity of coconut trees in the neighbourhood. 



* It is to be noted, according to the Ratnapura threshing -floor song, that, 

 in addition to the paddy piiila, paddy from the last year's crop should be 

 placed in the hole. 



