212 Religion &c. among the Karens. [No. 4, 



a lord of the earth, but there is also a lord to every country and 

 land and district. 



Lord of the Earth. 



The lord of the earth appears to he confounded with the king of 

 Hades, and clearly comes from the Hindu pantheon, but probably 

 through the Buddhists. The Sgaus furnish the following account of 

 him : — 



" The lord of the earth existed at the creation of the world, and 

 the elders say, he rules over the whole world. If we go to a distant 

 region, and swear or use foul language, he makes the tigers devour 

 us, or the serpents bite us, or brings sickness upon us. Hence, if we 

 go to another district, or into the jungle, we are afraid to speak 

 unadvisedly, or to use bad language. We fear the lord of the earth 

 will hate us. Therefore before we eat, we offer him a little of our 

 food, and pray : ' Lord of the earth, eat first and preserve us, lord !' 



" If we transgress in our language, while in a distant land, the 

 lord of the earth will kill us before dark ; but if we are in our own 

 country, and are guilty of swearing or using indecent words, we make 

 him an offering and pray : ' We are dark ignorant people. Whatever 

 transgressions we may have been guilty of in our words by swearing 

 or obscenity, do not, lord, set against us. We will make offerings 

 to thee annually, eveiy year. If we do not die, your lordship shall 

 eat of our food continually and of our children's food, generation on 

 generation.' " 



The spirits which are denied admittance into Hades and are con- 

 demned to become evil spirits on earth, are regarded as the servants 

 of the god of the earth, and employed to execute his orders. 



Among the Sgaus in the south, an annual festival, usually in 

 January, is observed, for making offerings to this god and his followers. 

 The Bghais observe- a similar custom, but it is varied a little. 

 Once in three years is the usual period for its performance ; but in 

 calamitous times once in two years, while a succession of good crops 

 and general prosperity will delay it to four or five years. The Bghai 

 festival is held, when the paddy is well up, about the month of July. 

 As the rite has been described to me, the first thing done is to 

 take a hog to a central position in the village lands, and placing it 



