Vol. XI, No. 9.) North Indian Charms for Scorpion-Stings. 309 
[V.8. ] 
made, the peasant digs-up five clods of earth with his spade 
and then sprinkles the water from the Jota five times with the 
branch of the mango tree into the trench.! At the Pola 
festival held in Berar, the bullocks of the whole village are led 
in procession under a sacred rope made of twisted grass and 
covered over with mango-leaves.* Whenever cattle murrain 
breaks out in Northern India, it is a common practice to hang 
ipa rope of straw into which mango-leaves have been strung, 
over the roadway by which the cattle enter or leave the village 
m their way to the grazing-ground.’ [Note that five is a 
lucky number and that the Dub, the Kusa and various other 
grasses are spirit-scarers. ] . 
We should now see how the belief that the mango tree is a 
expels all evil influences and malignant spirits. Fortunately, we 
fnd that this idea is prevalent among the Mindas of Chhota 
agpu ; 
on the occasion of marriage-ceremonies and the bridegroom and 
bride are sprinkled with water by means of mango-twigs in 
m. 
hen the Minda marriage-procession leaves the bride- 
#00m’s village, it stops at the first mango (ult) tree on the 
way. Round the trunk of this tree, the bridegroom puts a 
mark of rice-flour dissolved in water, and ties up a thread 
Houth a mango-stalk and molasses. After chewing the mango- 
Stalks a little, he gives the chewings to his mother who gulps 
%eeds on the palanquin, vacated by the bridegroom, to a 
bouring ane pe Arriving there, the bride puts a 
Mark on the tree with moistened rice-flour and ties up a thread 
‘ound it. The tree is thus made a witness (sakhi) to the 
hen i i t the 
Then again, when the Miinda bridegroom arrives a 
Leecupntntheaye Tin) 06g See NT Teepe 
' Op, cit., pp. 369-70. 2 Op. cit.,p. 377. 8 Op. olf BBB. 
* The Miindas and Their Country. By 8. C. Roy ca: The City 
Bonttreduction by E. A. Gait, Esq., 1.0.8., OLE. Calousa: : 
P. 445. 
