THE EARTH DEMONS. 373 



" marriage matters, and let everything happen to this family according 

 "to their wishes. Do not be angry with us, but do us the favours we 



a 



ask. 



"" Om hharal dok !^ (here clap hands) 

 0}n khamrhil dok ! (do. do. ) 



Benneu swaka ! " 



The Demons of the Sky. 



The local demons of the sky are under the control of the grand- 

 father of the three worlds — Old Father Khen-pa, 

 -y emons. ^^^ .^ ^^ ^|^ m2(,i\ with snow-white hair, dressed 

 in white, and riding on the white dog of the sky, and in his hand he 

 carries a crystal wand. He is the owner of the sky. 



The ceremony called nam-go, or "the closing of the doors of the 

 ^, . , . sky," so frequently prescribed by the tsi-pa lamas, 



Their worship. -ij Jii- a i.j? i. 



'^ IS aaaressed to nim. An arrangement oi masts, 



threads, images, &c., exactly similar to that used in the above-noted 

 sa-go cei'emony, is constructed, the only difference being that in this 

 case a dog's skull is used (the Dog was especially associated with the 

 analogous LsTes worship of the Romans, vide foot-note"), and it is di- 

 rected upwards, pointing to the sky; and the sign of 

 the parkha painted on the forehead is that of Khen, 

 and is in blue colours. And the ceremony is the 

 same except in its introduction and in the name of 

 the chief servants : — 



"O! 0! we turn towards the Western sun, to the celestial mansion 

 " where the sky is of turquoise, to the grandfather of the three worlds — 

 "Old Khen-pa, the owner of the sky. Pray cause your servant, the 

 "white Nam-tel, to work for our benefit, and send the great planet 

 " Pemba (Saturn) as a friendly messenger, &c. &c." 



Prevention from injury by the Eight Classes (of Demons). 



Oin-swa-ti ! The means of preventing the injuries of the eight 

 classes (of demons). 



' The meaning of the " dok " is " let all evils be annihilated ! " 



- " The images of men and women made of wool were hung in the streets, and so many 

 balls made of wool as there were servants in the family, and so many complete images as there 

 were chQdren (Festu.i apud Lil. Gyr). The meaning of which custom was this : These feasts 

 were dedicated to the Lares, who were esteemed infernal gods ; the people desiring hereby 

 that these gods would be contented with these woollen images and spare the persons repre- 

 sented by them. These Lares sometimes were clothed in the skins of dogs (Plutarch, in Prob.) 

 and were sometimes fashioned in the shape of dogs [Plautus), whence that creature was con- 

 secrated to t]iem.." —Tooke's Pantheon, page 280. 



