122 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S> 3 XII, 



believed to be the ghost of some hunter killed while in the pur- 

 suit of game. Like the Wild Huntsman of European legends, 

 he haunts the forest in which the tragic incident happened 

 and may be heard hallooing to his dogs. If the goat to be offered 

 up as a sacrifice to this demon, when it is marked with vermilion 

 on the forehead and rice and water are sprinkled over it, 



shivers and shakes off the water from its body, it is looked 



upon as an omen that the demon has accepted the offering ; 



and it is forthwith slain. 1 



A goat of a perfectly black colour is always preferred for 



sacrificial purposes. If it is u without a single spot of white," 



it is a very acceptable offering for demons and all malignant 



deities and spirits of the same ilk, as will appear from the 



Thags' selection of it for sacrifice to their demon-goddess Devi, 



and from its requisition for the worship of the demon in the 



Mundari children's game described herein. This practice is 



prevalent not only in Northern India but also in the Southern 



Presidency of which a marked feature is its demon- worship. 



The most famous festival in honour of a demon is held at 



Puttoor, a suburb of Trichinopoly , and is based on fehe following 

 legend : 



Once upon a time, a demoness named Kolomayi had a 

 temple in Travancore. She thirsted for human blood and could 

 only be propitiated by the sacrifice of children. A large number 

 of children were sacrificed to her ; but still she was not appeased. 

 Consequently, the people were afflicted by her with outbreaks of 

 epidemics and the sufferings of a great famine ; while the holo- 

 caust of children threatened to depopulate their land. In this 

 strait, the sore-stricken people made up their minds to deport 

 her to some other land and thereby free themselves from her 

 visitations. With this object in view, they constructed a raft 

 whereupon they placed the image of Kolomayi and set it adrift 

 upon the waters of the Cauvery. The raft was at last stranded 

 at Puttoor where it was buried under the ground. Some ryots, 

 who were excavating earth, accidentally dug out the image of 

 Kolomayi. Thereupon the grim goddess threatened to curse 

 them if they did not instai her in a temple and arrange for her 

 daily worship. This they did, and arranged for her puja with 

 offerings of fruit, camphor, sugar and butter. But the demon- 

 ess would not accept anything short of the sacrifice of children. 

 Her demand struck terror into their hearts. As their women 

 were not as prolific as those of Travancore, they could not afford 

 to sacrifice their children. Therefore they made up their minds 

 to deport her again and informed her accordingly of their de- 

 cision. But Kolomayi, remembering the discomforts of the 

 voyage on the raft and the long entombment under the ground, 



at A Cr °oke's An Introduction to the Popular Reliqion and Folklore of 

 Northern India (Allahabad Edition of 1894), pp. 163-4. 



