Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism 35 



serve them for their own use. The cloths are returned to those 

 who have loaned them for the occasion. 



In the evening the people of the shepherd caste observe the 

 domadi, or marriage feast, in which only married people whose 

 partners are still living may take part. This takes place under 

 the jammi tree. Drums are beaten to keep away interfering 

 spirits. The story-tellers, in this case the komniu vandlu or horn- 

 blowers, recite the Shepherds' Purana, and at the close of each 

 Hne the people shout and throw a little food into the air for the 

 spirits and demons. 



At the close of this feast a sheep is turned loose and all run 

 after it. It is the prize of the one who catches it, and the poor 

 sheep is often almost torn to pieces. The common explanation 

 of this part of the exercises is that if the sheep is caught it 

 proves the truth of the goddess. More probably, however, the 

 custom has come down from some ancient shepherd rite. At 

 night the sports continue, people disguising themselves as Giri 

 Razu and Renuka, and acting some of the scenes in the Shep- 

 herds' Purana. Some of these stories will be given later.* 



The fifth day there is still more feasting, then the carts are 

 drawn around the temple. After this occurs the hook-swinging 

 ceremony, which appears to be the only bloody or cruel feature 

 in the entire festival. A goat is tied up to the end of a long pole, 

 which swings horizontally on a pivot at the top of a high post. 

 A heavy stone is tied to the other end of the pole to balance the 

 goat, A man is then tied beneath the goat and both are swung 

 round and round, the man showering down betel leaves on the 

 people. The original method was to swing the man up with the 

 hooks fastened in the flesh of his back.^ When this was pro- 

 hibited by the government the hooks were placed in the flesh of a 

 goat's back. This is now also prohibited, and so both are tied to 

 the pole. The placing of the hooks in a goat's back is said to be 

 still very common, and at times the original method of fixing 



* See pages 100 sq. 



" Ward, A View of the History, Religion, and Literature of the Hindus, 

 London, 1818, I, p. 24, tells of hook swinging to Siva. This would make 

 still more certain the Dravidian origin of Siva. See page 12. 



35 



