TRANSFORMATION 181 



own had died in this way he was constantly worried 

 by the old ladies of the harem, whenever they saw a 

 snake in the house, to take measures to free the 

 deceased from his life as a snake. So he consulted an 

 expert, and the following rules were prescribed : He 

 was directed to have a snake with five hoods made of 

 silver gold wood or clay, to represent Vasuki Naga 

 the lord of snakes. He was to fast, and on the 

 Nagpanchmi, or feast of the dragon, in the month of 

 Bhadon he was before eating to worship this image 

 with an offering of milk flowers oleander lotus-flowers 

 sandal-wood-powder and sweetmeats. Then he was to 

 feed a Brahman with jaur, or rice boiled with milk 

 and sugar, ghi and a laddu sweetmeat. Then making 

 a libation of washed rice and white sandal-wood- 

 powder in honour of the image, he was to pray the 

 lord of snakes to free that member of his family who 

 had been born in the race of snakes, owing to his 

 death from the bite of one of them. " This remedy," 

 he goes on to say, "in the opinion of my mother has 

 proved effectual ; and now whenever she sees a snake 

 and I ask her if it is my uncle who still appears in 

 that shape she says : * No ; this is not your uncle. It 

 is a messenger from Shesha Naga who is prowling 

 about to discover what the world is doing and to kill 

 some evil-doer. ' " l The Majhwars, an aboriginal 

 tribe of South Mirzapur, " believe that the souls of 

 departed ancestors are embodied in certain animals." 

 If after a death a calf be dropped and it refuse to 

 drink milk, the Ojha, or exorcisor, is called in. He 

 very often declares : " Your father has been reborn in 

 this calf." Such a calf is therefore taken great care of 

 1 N. Ind. N. and Q. iv. 130 (par. 295). 



