306 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



so begotten are affiliated on the boy-husband. When 

 he grows up his wife is old and probably past child- 

 bearing. He therefore in his turn cohabits with some 

 other boy's wife in a similar manner and procreates 

 children for him. 1 Among the Malaialis of the 

 Salem district " the sons when mere children are 

 married to mature females, and the father-in-law 

 of the bride assumes the performance of the pro- 

 creative function, thus assuring for himself and his 

 son a descendant to take them out of Put. When the 

 putative father comes of age and in their turn his 

 wife's male offspring are married he performs for 

 them the same office which his father did for him. 

 Thus not only is the religious idea involved in the 

 words Putra and Kumaran (both meaning son) carried 

 out, but also the premature strain on the generative 

 faculties which this tradition entails is avoided." The 

 word putra means one who saves from Put, a hell 

 into which those who have not produced a son fall. 

 The custom described is in fact widespread in the 

 south of India, and as we shall see hereafter is by no 

 means confined to that country. 2 



More than this, libertinage is practised under the 

 sanction of religion to procure fecundity in women. 

 We need not insist on mythological stories of barren 

 women who have been embraced by gods and thereby 

 obtained issue, nor on the imitation in modern times 

 of these ancient tales by devotees who passing the 



1 Shortt, Trans. Ethn. Soc. N. S. vii. 194, 264 note. It is not 

 clear that this is a case of polyandry, which it is understood the 

 Reddies repudiate. Rather it would seem that the nominal husband 

 and father never cohabits with his wife " at all. 



2 Thurston, 49 sgq., 108 ; Trans. Ethnol. Soc. N. S. vii. 264; 

 Ind. Ceus. 1901, xv. 141, 181. 



