1916.] Demon-Cultus in Mundari Games. 119 



ing morning, the proprietor of the tree, who had by this time 

 become a sadder but a wiser man owing to the theft 

 of his fruits, says to himself: "I shan't leave any more 

 of my fruits on the tree. The rascally thieves are stealing 

 them all and taking them away/' Just as he is thus soliloquising 

 to himself, the thief, looking the very picture of innocence^ 

 once more presents himself before the owner and asks for 

 the loan of a knife to kill a fowl with. The owner of the 

 tree, believing his words to be true, lends him the same knife 

 as he had done on the previous occasion. On getting it, 

 the former goes away. During the night, however, the thief 

 cuts down the jack-tree with it. The very next morning, he 

 goes as before to return the knife to its owner. When, in 

 the morning, however, the latter comes out of the house, lo ! 

 and behold his surprise at seeing his favourite jack-tree felled 

 to the ground and lying prostrate on it. 



He then goes to consult a sokha or ghost-finder in order 

 to ascertain from him as to what malignant spirit or demon 

 might have played the mischievous prank upon him by cutting 

 down his favourite jack-tree. It so happens that the ghost- 

 finder, to whom he has betaken himself for advice, is no 



other than the wily purloiner of his jack-fruits. When the 



proprietor of the tree lays his case before him, the pretended 

 ghost-finder, assuming an air of solemnity, directs him to 

 bring one white hen, one black goat and one buffalo, besides 

 rice and the other customary offerings to propitiate the offended 

 bhut (demon or evil spirit) with. The duped proprietor, 

 taking his directions in all earnestness, duly brings the re- 

 quired offerings at the prescribed time. Then the travesty 

 of worshipping the angry demon and making him the offerings 

 to appease his wrath with, is gone through. When the mimic 

 ceremony is finished, one of the boy-players catches hold of 

 the legs of the boy who simulates the felled jack-tree ; while 

 another player takes hold of him by the hands — all bawling 

 out the following rhyme at the top of their voices : 



c e 



Sim darom joma chi ? 

 Merom darom joma chi ? 

 Kera darom joma chi ? * ' 



Translation. 



" Will you eat fowl- sacrifice ? 

 Will you eat goat-sacrifice ? 

 Will you eat buffalo-sacrifice ? ■ ' 



The boy representing the tree then stands up again. 

 Then all the other players join hands and dance round the tree. 1 



1 The Mundas and Their Country. By S. C. Koy. (Calcutta : 1912) 

 pp. 492-494. 



