THE HOUSE GOD. 371 



When at the door no bride or bridegroom can come or go, nor 

 any corpse. Should there, however, be no other way of exit by a 

 ■window or otherwise, and there be urgency in the matter of the 

 passage of a bride, bridegroom, or corpse, then must be made with 

 wheaten flour the images of a horse and a yak, placing on each image 

 respectively some skin and hair of each of these animals. Then tea 

 and beer are also offered to the spirit, who is then invited to sit on 

 these images. Then the door is removed from its hinges and carried 

 outside, and the bride, bridegroom, or corpse is taken out or enters, 

 and the door is again restored to its place. 



When at the kitchen fire. No part of the fire-place can be 

 removed or mended at that time, and no corpse can go there, nor must 

 any marriage then take place. And should any visitor arrive, he must 

 be screened off from the fire-place by a blanket and the " chhos-mge- 

 khri" scripture read. 



When in the verandah, there is a little trouble; only the outside 

 of the house must not be whitewashed nor repaired or disturbed in 

 any way. 



Should it be thought that he has been slightly offended, and 

 in every case so as to err on the safe side, it is recommended that the 

 wurship of "spang-kong-snang-Jrgyad chhab-^tor-ichos, " or " the water 

 sacrifice of the 8 Injurers, " shouM be done. 



The Demoks of the Earth. 



The local earth demons are named Sab-dak or Sa-dak-po (sa-Mag-po) 

 or "Earth owners." The most malignant are the 

 ar emons. <'(j,nyan." These infest certain trees and rocks which 

 are always studiously shunned and resjDected, and usually daubed 

 with paint in adoration. The earth demons are very numerous, but 

 they are all under the authority of "Old mother K/ionma." She rides 

 upon a ram, and is dressed in golden-yellow robes, and her personal 

 attendant is "sa-thel-ngag-jjo." In her hand she holds a golden noose, 

 and her face contains 80 wrinkles. 



The ceremony of Sa-ffo, so frequently referred to in the lamaic 



prescriptions, is addressed to her*. It literally 



eir worsiip. means " the closing of the open doors of the earth " 



to the earth spirits, and it is very similar to the worship of the Lares 



by the Romans. 



In this rite is prepared the magical emblem consisting of an 

 elaborate arrangement of masts and strings and a variety of mystic 

 objects; most prominent among which is a ram's skull with attached 

 horns, which is directed downwards towards the earth. 



