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have lost relatives by the tiger think it necessary to propitiate 
the tiger-demon. ‘The Gonds also pay him reverence. Since 
the deities of these tribes are anthropomorphic, it is a matter: 
of course that gender should be allotted them ; hence god- 
desses are frequently worshipped, and they show themselves 
not a whit behind their male consorts in malignant and blood- 
thirsty disposition. The Bhuiyas and Savaras, though recog- 
nising the benevolent sun-god, pay special honour to a savage 
goddess called Thakurani, who was formerly propitiated by 
human sacrifices. It is thought that upon her worship is 
founded that of the Hindu Kali, who once received human 
victims in this very part of India. 
But the most remarkable system of human sacrifices, in 
connexion with the worship of female deities, was that insti- 
tuted in honour of Tari, the earth-goddess of the Khonds. 
Since she presided over fertility,victims were immolated chiefly 
at the time of sowing. The persons destined for sacrifice, 
called Meriahs, were kidnapped from the plains or from other 
tribes, and, under strict guard, were petted and fed like cattle 
fattening for the slaughter. Children were allowed to grow 
up, and were encouraged to marry and rear families, but 
parents and offspring were equally devoted to the goddess, 
and were liable at any moment to be sacrificed to quench her 
thirst for blood. When the time of offerimg came, the body 
was hacked into small pieces, and each worshipper struggled 
to secure a shred of flesh or piece of bone to bury in his 
field. It has been about forty years since an end was put to 
these horrid rites by the combined efforts of Major 8. C. 
Macpherson and General John Campbell. The Khonds say 
that Tari lives in heaven with her beneficent husband, Bura 
Pennn, while numerous inferior gods roam the earth, seen by 
the lower animals, but invisible to men. It cannot be doubted 
that the custom of human sacrifice was once wide-spread in 
India, as indicated not only by the facts just stated, but by 
the practice of sham offerings existing among other tribes at 
the present time. The Oraons and Gonds even now make a 
wooden or straw image of a man, and after prayer to a 
divinity for the blessings desired, sever its head with the 
stroke of an axe. Asa general rule, the inferior gods stand 
in no clearly-recognised relation of dependence upon the 
superior gods. Their will is usually exercised independently 
of higher control. We have noticed an interesting exception 
in the case of Kols, who assert that there are certain blessings 
reserved for the sun-god, Sing Bonga, to grant; and that 
offerings made to the lower gods will induce them to intercede 
with their master in behalf of the supplicants. One of the 
