THE SAL FOEESTS. 363 



with much carving from the kernels of forest fruits, marks his 

 holy calling. 



The Byga charmer's most dangerous duty is that of laying 

 the spirit of a man who has been killed by a tiger. Man- 

 eaters have always been numerous in Mandld, the presence 

 during a part of every year of large herds of cattle fostering 

 the breed, while their withdrawal at other times to regions 

 where the tigers cannot follow causes temporary scarcity of 

 food, too easily relieved in the abundant tall grass cover by 

 recourse to the killing of man ; the desultory habits of the 

 wild people, and the numbers of travellers who take this short 

 route between the Narbada* valley and the plains of Chattis- 

 garh, furnishing them with abundant and easy victims. The 

 Byga" has to proceed to the spot where the death occurred, 

 which is probably still frequented by the tiger, with various 

 articles, such as fowls and rice, which are offered to the 

 manes. A pantomime of the tragedy is then enacted by 

 the Bygd, who assumes the attitude of a tiger, springs on his 

 prey, and devours a mouthful of the blood-stained earth. 

 Eight days are allowed to pass ; and should the Byga* not, in 

 the interval, be himself carried off by the tiger, the spirit is 

 held to be effectually laid, and the people again resort to 

 the jungle. The theory rests on the superstition, prevalent 

 throughout these hills, that the ghost of the victim, unless 

 charmed to rest, rides on the head of the tiger, and incites 

 him to further deeds of blood, rendering him also secure from 

 harm by his preternatural watchfulness. To remove pesti- 

 lence or sickness, they have a pleasant notion that it must 

 be transferred to some one else ; and so they sweep their 

 villages, after the usual sacrifices, and cast the filth on the 

 highway or into the bounds of some other village. 



The real Byga medicine-man possesses the gift of throwing 



