182 



THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



thought it best to give full play to the grotesque element in 

 the tale, for which, it must be confessed, the Hiawathian 

 style is provokingly well adapted. I should add that the 

 serious student of G<5nd institutions had better, perhaps, 

 prefer the original to the version now offered. 



I.-THE CEEATION AND TABULATIONS OF THE GONDS. 



In the Glens of Seven Mountains,* 

 Of the Twelve Hills in the Valleys, 

 Is the mountain Lingawangad, 

 Is the flowering tree Pahindi ; 

 In that desert far out-spreading 

 Twelve coss round arose no dwelling : 

 " Caw " saying, there no crow was ; 

 11 Chee" saying, there no bird was; 

 "Kaghum" saying, there no tiger was. 

 And the Gods were greatly troubled. 

 In their heavenly courts and councils 

 Sat no Gods of Gonds among them. 

 Gods of other nations sat there, 

 Eighteen threshing-floors t of Brah- 

 mins, 

 Sixteen scores t of Telinganas ; 

 But no Gods of Gonds appeared there 

 From the Glens of Seven Mountains, 

 From the Twelve Hills in the Valleys. 

 Then the Strong God Karto Subal, J 

 The firstborn of Mahadeva, 

 Of the Great God Mahadeva, 

 Pondered deeply in his bosom 

 O'er a circumstance so curious ; 

 Pondered much, and then he fasted, 

 Devotee-like prayed and fasted 

 For the coming of the Gond Gods 

 From the Glens of Seven Valleys 

 To the councils of the Godhead. 

 Pondered thus till on his left hand 



Eose a most Portentous Tumour, 

 Tumour boil-like, red, and growing 

 Bigger daily, daily bigger, 

 Till it burst, and from its centre 

 Came the Koitor, came they trooping, 

 Sixteen threshing-floors they num- 

 bered. 

 Came and spread them o'er the country, 

 On the hills, and in the valleys, 

 In the arches of the forest, 

 Everywhere they filled the country ; 

 Killing, eating, every creature ; 

 Nothing knowing of distinction ; 

 Eating clean and eating unclean ; 

 Eating raw and eating rotten ; 

 Eating squirrels, eating jackals, 

 Eating antelope and sambar, 

 Eating quails and eating pigeons, 

 Eating crows and kites and vultures, 

 Eating Dokuma the Adjutant, 

 Eating lizards, frogs, and beetles, 

 Eating cows and eating calves, 

 Eating male and female buffaloes, 

 Eating rats, and mice, and bandicoots ; 

 So the Gonds made no distinction. 

 For half a year they bathed not, 

 And their faces nicely washed not 

 When they fell upon the dunghills 

 Thus at first were born the Koitor 

 From the hand of Karto Subal. 



* The Sdtpfira mountains are probably here referred to. 



t Such expressions are used thioughout the legend to denote indefinite 

 numbers. 



% Kartik Swami the son of Siva (Mahadeva) is thus termed in the legend. 



Koitor is the national name for all the Gonds of different tribes. It signi- 

 fies properly " men." 



