20 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIII, 



reasons which I do not think we yet fully understand." * The 

 bachelors strip themselves completely naked, because nudity 

 is an effective charm for driving off the demon of disease. 2 



From the idea of driving off the disease-spirit by such a 

 ceremony as has been described supra, to that of driving away 

 public calamities by undertaking a ceremonial expedition, is but 

 an easy transition. In fact, we find, among the Oraons, the 

 existence of the custom of undertaking ceremonial expeditions 

 for the purpose of transferring, by means of magic, real or 

 imaginary calamities from the country. These are known as 

 Rog-Khedna (or « Disease-driving ' * ) expeditions of which there 

 are two variants— one being undertaken by the men, and the 

 other by the married women. 



Whenever it is known that some misfortune has befallen 

 the cattle in a certain village, as, for instance, when it is 

 rumoured that a cow has given birth to a pig, or that the 

 pJough-cattle are refusing to work when taken to the fields, the 



£T*iT a y? t0 undertake the "disease-driving" expedition, 

 tfut the Oraon women have to undertake it, when rumours are 



I T.w the ? ffec , fc that certain females among them have given 

 rnrtn to animals or fowls or monstrous children. Before start- 

 ing the women of every family sweep the floors and courtyards 

 ot their respective houses and besmear them with coudung and 

 water. [Note that both cowdung and water are spirit-scarers.] 

 Ihe sweepings are then thrown into the nearest stream or pool 



fnZ -n \T o e l the WOmen ret,,rn home and bathe. In 

 some villages, the Pahan or his wife burns incense in his house. 



frnm ^n m ? °l W ° men ' f the case ma y be > go their rounds 

 from house to house in their own village, carrying with them 



l° r , tW0 bamboo-baskets, a brass lota and a few mango- 



hoShnM? elI - k v n °^ , 8 Pf Nearer), and receive from each 



rNoE ?! ? a ndful ° f riC6 ° r Wartta (Ekusine coracana). 

 £l , , g ' am " are spirit-scarersl. Then they go to the 



m^n„Vii age i in f he - direCti0n °PP° site to «»at ^ which the 

 tlTnext J\ t ^ll 1S 8aid fc ° have taken P lace - Arriving at 

 riot nr S V th ,Y repeat the «ame process of begging for 



Then rET"' han f fulS ° f Which the y recei ™ i« their baskets. 

 tnc Ji 7 * ^ r ° Cee l ° a 8econd villa g e in the same direction 

 t ev hlZ fin ?e , and ™ arMa in ^e way described before. When 

 villLi rinHnH b I ggmg f ° r doles of rice and ™™ in three 

 secluded ^ ng ^ th61f ° WQ) ' the y 8°' afc midday, to some 

 vis ted anH ti? n ^ ? Ut8kirts of the lasfc village they have 



reqX'for th^ 6 -^° k M mUch of fche rice or ™ruals they 

 require for their midday meal, and partake of it. The remain- 



W a L T &Co VO mT °l ,t ^ ° f °° d ' By Grant Allen. London 



Northern India. (Ed. 1894). p. 41. 



and 



