Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism 29 



and seat the girl in the excavation with a basket turned bottom 

 side up over her. The bavaneedu-^ then begins the story-telling, 

 relating the deeds of former Matangis. When the possession 

 comes upon the girl she leaps from the ant-hill, tossing the basket 

 aside, and is then acclaimed the chosen Matangi. None of these 

 tests would seem to be very conclusive. 



The centre of the Matangi worship is in a village called Malin- 

 thapadu, near Cumbum in the Kurnool District. Here every 

 Matangi must come for final initiation. The expenses are heavy, 

 and must be borne by the Matangi or those sending her. There 

 will be much profit to her later by the gifts she receives in the 

 exercise of her office, so the expenses are gladly met. 



The initiation is performed by Brahmans, and appears to be 

 simple. The candidates are placed in a row before the goddess 

 Ellamma, who is supposed to be the original form of Mathamma. 

 Their faces are marked with sacred symbols similar to those on 

 the face of the goddess, after which a buffalo is killed as an offer- 

 ing to Ellamma. These ceremonies continue for five days, when 

 the spirit of Ellamma is said to have fully come upon the Matan- 

 gis. The candidates are then sent away. 



One other ceremony is performed usually in the native village 

 of the Matangi. This is some form of a marriage.^* Usually she 

 is married to a tree, and it is only a matter of form. After that 

 her life knows no moral restrictions. 



The Matangi is Mathamma or Ellamma incarnate, and yet it 

 does not appear that she is worshiped. She takes, however, a 

 most important part in the cult of the village gods. If there is 

 no local Matangi, often one is brought from a distance. She 

 marches behind the master of ceremonies in the procession, and 

 when her time comes she becomes possessed by the spirit of 



23 More commonly called hainedu. The asadis have no part here. 

 There is still another division of the Madiga story-tellers called kommu 

 vandlu, horn-blowers. They recite the Shepherds' Purana, but do not in- 

 fringe on the duties of either asadis or bainedus. 



2* E. Thurston, Castes and Tribes of Southern India, IV, pp. 296, 304, 

 thinks she is not married. This is probably true so far as being married 

 to a man is concerned. E. R. Clough, While Sewing Sandals, p. 74, points 

 out that she is married to a tree. 



29 



