48 Hnfton JVcbstcr 



offender, his family, or his buffaloes. It would seem that a man 

 might habitually and notoriously desecrate the niadnol, but no 

 steps would be taken by himself or the community so long as 

 things went well with the man. If he should become ill or if his 

 buffaloes should suffer in any way, he would consult the diviners 

 and they would then certainly find that his misfortunes were due 

 to his infringement of the laws connected with the sacred days."^^ 



There is much variety in the days observed as the madnol or 

 palinol of the different villages and clans. The most frequent 

 days appear to be Wednesday and Friday, which are sacred in 

 six clans. Sunday is sacred in five clans, Monday and Tuesday 

 in three, Thursday in two. In no clan does Saturday appear to 

 be kept as a holy day.^- 



The origin of these sacred days among the Todas is very 

 obscure. Mr. Rivers first suggests the possibility of the institu- 

 tions of madnol and palinol having grown out of the belief in 

 unlucky days. The code of rules prescribing what might and 

 what might not be done would then be only an elaboration of the 

 common superstition which restricts activity at such unlucky 

 periods. But there are several dif^culties in the way of this 

 view. It is extremely doubtful whether the Toda in general has 

 any such belief in days lucky and unlucky,"^ and if he has, the 

 idea is probably a recent importation from the Hindus, among 

 whom the superstition is very prevalent. Again, the distinction 

 between madnol and palinol is one which cannot be satisfactorily 

 explained by such an hypothesis. Finally, the different clans of 

 the Todas have different sacred days, whereas one would expect 

 lucky and unlucky days to be the same for the entire community. 

 This seems especially reasonable when it is considered that the 

 sacred days, by restricting intercourse between the different clans, 

 produce much inconvenience, which of course is increased by the 



'" Rivers, 407. 



^- Idem, 408. 



^See Rivers, 411, for a reference to certain restrictions which may have 

 arisen out of a belief in unlucky days". Ross King {Journal of Aiitliro- 

 pology, 1870, i. 2>?> sq.) expressly attriliutes this superstition to the Todas. 



48 



