The “ Kols” of Chota-Nagpore. 185 
season called “‘ angua,”’ because it is danced in front of the house 
instead of the akrah ; to this and to a feast held on the occasion the 
young men are not invited. 
The “ Jadoor’”’ dances commence on the completion of the great 
harvest of the rice crop, and continue till the commencement of the 
hot season. This is one of the most characteristic dances, from the 
peculiar way in which the arms are interwoven and clasped behind 
the back of the performers. 
Then comes the “ Sarhool,” at the close of the month of Phalgoon 
or early in March. The Sarhool is the flower of the Saul tree which 
now blossoms. The boys and girls make garlands of these flowers, 
weave them in their hair and decorate their houses with them. The 
dance on this occasion, called the ‘‘ Baihini,” is a very frisky one. 
The boys and girls dance to each other, clasping hands and pirouetting, 
so as to cause ‘ dos-d-dos’’ concussions which appear to constitute 
the best part of the fun. Yet the subject of the song sung at the 
Sarhool feast is a sad one. A girl who had married out of the village 
is supposed to return to it in affliction, and to sit weeping at one side 
of the house, whilst her former associates are revelling at the other. 
The songs are in the Moondah language. 
They have besides different dances for weddings, and a dance called 
“ Jumhir” which is suited to any occasion. The dances above briefly 
noticed are all more or less connected with some religious ceremony, 
but this is left to the elders. The young people seem to me to take 
little interest in that part of the festival, which is, in proportion to 
the dancing, in, importance like the bread to Falstaff’s sack. They 
are always ready for a dance, and night after night in some villages 
the akrah drums collect the youths and maidens after the evening 
meal, and if you go quietly to the scene, as I have done, you may 
find that, whilst some are dancing 
@, others are flirting in the most 
demonstrative manner, seated in detached couples on the benches or 
on the roots of the great trees, with arms round each others’ waists, 
looking lovingly into each others’ faces. 
Next to dancing, that which most engrosses the mind of the Kol 
is the belief in and fear of witchcraft. All disease in men and in 
cattle is attributed to one of two causes, the wrath of some evil 
spirit who has to be appeased, or the spell of some witch or sorcerer 
