LAilAlST ASTROLOGY. 369 



accrued to their life horoscope on marriage, due to the new set of 

 conflicts introduced by the conjunction of their respective years and 

 their noxious influences. And the actual occurrence of sickness, not- 

 withstanding the execution of all this costly worship, necessitates the 

 further employment of lamas, and the recourse by the more wealthy 

 to a devil-dancer or to a special additional horoscope by the Tsi-pa 

 lama. So that one family alone is prescribed a sufficient number of 

 sacerdotal tasks to engage a couple of lamas fairly fully for sevei'al 

 months of the year. To get through the prescribed reading of the 

 several bulky scriptures within reasonable time, it is the practice to 

 call in several lamas, and each at the same time reads a difi"erent book 

 for the benefit of the lay individual concerned. 



The House Demon. 



His appearance is best shown by his picture given in Plate XX. 



He is called the " Nang-lha," ' or Inside God, and is of the nature 



„, , , of a Sa-dag or " Earth-owner demon." And as he 



The house demon. • p • j- •,• • i- ,^ 



IS oi a roving disposition, occupying during the 



several seasons quite different parts of the house, his presence is a 



constant source of anxiety to the householders, as no objects can be 



deposited in the place where he has taken up his position for the time 



being ; nor can it be even swept or disturbed in any way without 



incurring his deadly wrath. It is somewhat satisfactory, however, 



that all the house-gods of the country regulate their movements in a 



definite and known order. 



In the 1st and 2nd month he occupies the 



His movements. centre of the house, and is then called " Khyim-lha- 



gel-thung." 



In the 3rd and 4th month stands in the doorway, and is called 



" Sgo-lha-;-ta-^yag, " "the door-God of 



the horse and yak." 



,, 5th ,, stands under the eaves, and is called 



" ^ngas-pa. " 



„ 6th ,, stands at the south-west corner of the 



house. 



,, 7th and 8th ,, stands under the eaves. 



,, 9th and 10th ,, stands in the portable fire-tripod or grate. 



,, 11th and 12th ,, stands at the kitchen fireside, where a 



place is reserved for him. He is then 



called the " thab-lha " or " Kitchen God." 



' In Chinese he is said to be named " Zng-je." The " House-God '' of the Hindus appears 

 to be a totally different personage — vide The Brihat Sanhita, liii, translated by Dr. Kern in 

 Juur. Royal As. Soc, New series, VI, page 379. 



