130 Wilher Theodore Elmore 



As the Census Commission of India has adopted the term, 

 animism, for the Dravidian rehgion, we need not hesitate to use 

 that designation, perhaps modifying it to Dravidian animism. It 

 will be well, however, to examine somewhat more closely the fun- 

 damental conceptions of this Dravidian animism. 



Dravidian Demonolatry. In Dravidian animism there are 

 two outstanding characteristics : the spirits are always from out- 

 side the object of worship, not being the spirits of the objects 

 themselves ; and these spirits quite generally have a human origin. 

 The term, demonolatry, comes more close to describing the un- 

 derlying Dravidian ideas than does any other one expression. By 

 demonolatry we must not understand only what is ordinarily 

 called " devil worship." The dayyamu is a spirit, not necessarily 

 an evil spirit.^^ In practice, of course, it is the evil spirits which 

 secure the most attention, for it is fear of them which calls 

 forth the ceremonies of propitiation. It is, therefore, by a con- 

 sideration of the Dravidian fear of evil-minded spirits that we 

 shall find the key to practically all of the ideas and customs con- 

 nected with their worship.^'' 



The customs connected with the Matangi^^ are striking, and 

 various explanations have been ofifered. We may see if the belief 

 in demonolatry will explain these. 



What can be the meaning of the strange procedure of the 

 Matangi as she rushes about, touching the people with her wand, 

 backing into them, and, worst of all, spitting upon them? She is 

 a Madiga, whose very touch is pollution to a Brahman. More- 

 over there is nothing more polluting than saliva. A Brahman will 

 be thrown into a panic if a leaf plate which has been used chances 



form of animism. It should be remembered that clerks in India are almost 

 exclusively Brahmans. It is not probable that any Dravidians were among 

 those of whom this is told. 



For an excellent discussion of animistic religions in India, see Ch. VIII 

 of this Census Report. 



26 See page 48, note 2. 



^'^ Manual of Administration of Madras Presidency, I, p. 76: "The 

 real worship of the population consists in doing homage either to demons 

 to avert their displeasure, or to deities who rule such demons, to induce 

 their interposition. The former worship is more constant than the latter." 



28 See page 29. 



130 



