Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism 143 



body unburied, and avoid the place for months through fear of 

 the ghost." 



In other cases the footprints of the mourners are swept away 

 so that the ghost may not be able to track them. The people 

 shake out their clothes fearing that a ghost may be in hiding. At 

 times a stone is set up to impede the progress of the ghost.^* The 

 soul is considered to be dependent upon the living, and so is pro- 

 vided for, or it will return and do harm.^^ 



The ghosts which become deities are generally those of person- 

 ages about whose death there has been something peculiar. 

 Wicked people, especially if they have died because of their sins, 

 have an open sesame to the pantheon. It is because their ghosts 

 are dangerous and so are feared.^^ 



Another class of ghosts which is feared, and whose members 

 easily become deities are those who have died violent deaths, 



53 Gazetteer of Madura District, p. 105. 



s* This suggests the origin of an idol. It may be thought that the ghost 

 will remain by the stone, or perhaps that as offerings are placed by the stone 

 the ghost will come no further. The step from this to considering the 

 stone to be the representation of the spirit would be a short one. The 

 custom of placing rags in a tree may be connected with this. The Gazetteer 

 of South Arcot, I, p. 102, says that no one seems to know the reason for the 

 custom, but the people think it will do some good. Travelers, especiallj^ 

 tear a piece from their clothes and leave it in the tree. This may be so 

 that no spirit may follow them. The spirit will stop to examine the rag 

 in the tree and so lose the scent. In Madras within a short distance of the 

 Government Museum is a furlong stone which has hotlu placed on it. Per- 

 haps this too is to stay the progress of some pursuing spirit. 



55 Census of India, 1901, p. 407. 



56 In the Nizam's Dominions there lived recently a much feared rajah. 

 Since his death he is worshiped as a malignant demon who gives cholera, 

 etc. Associated with him is a female ghost, Ramamma, who was his con- 

 cubine. Manual of Kurnool District, p. 153. A curious custom is reported 

 in the Manual of Administration of the Madras Presidency, I, p. 81, to the 

 effect that because it is thought that spirits of criminals executed for their 

 crimes will return, the hamstrings of the criminals are severed to prevent 

 their traveling. The State Manual of Travencore, II, p. 55, says that many 

 of the demons originate from those whose lives have been cut short by an 

 untimely death. The spirit fills out its existence as a demon. The only 

 difficulty with this theory is that as a demon the spirit never seems to finish 

 its existence, but is immortal. 



143 



