Rest Days; A Sociological Study 49 



fact that the different clans have different madnols. Whatever 

 be the origin of these Toda rules, there is, writes Mr. Rivers, 

 " little doubt that when at the present time a given act is done or 

 not done on a given day, the action is not based on a belief in 

 lucky or unlucky days, but, as nearly always among the Todas, 

 on custom prescribing that the act shall or shall not be done on 

 that day."^* 



The question may be raised whether the resemblance of the 

 Toda madnol to the Hebrew Sabbath may not be accounted for 

 by supposing the former institution to have been founded on 

 ideas borrowed from Christians or Jews. If this has been the 

 case it is certain that the borrowing took place very long ago. In 

 studying the origin and history of the Todas we have no record 

 that reaches back more than three centuries. From various close 

 resemblances between the Toda customs and those of the people 

 of Malabar Air. Rivers thinks it probable that the Todas at one 

 time lived in Malabar, migrating thence to the Nilgiri Hills. 

 Both Christians and Jews were well established in Malabar more 

 than a thousand years ago. If the Todas left Malabar before 

 these settlements of foreigners were made, then Jewish or Chris- 

 tian influences can be excluded; if the migration took place sub- 

 sequently, then they may have contributed to the development of 

 the Toda institutions.^^ 



In spite of these considerations Mr. Rivers is apparently in- 

 clined to consider the Toda madnol as substantially a native in- 

 stitution which may help to explain the origin of the Hebrew 

 Sabbath. " In a busier community than that of the Todas, the 

 existence of dift'erent niadnol[s'\ for different clans of the com- 

 munity would soon become a serious obstacle to carrying on the 

 business of life, and such a community would probably agree that 

 all clans should have the same holy day. At present the madnol 

 is undoubtedly more sacred than the other sacred days, and if 

 the latter were then to be neglected, we should have a community 

 in which various activities were prohibited on one day of the 



^' The Todas, 410 sq. 



^' Ibid.. 459, 695 sqq., 710 sq. 



49 



