1840.] The Hodesum (improperly called KolehanJ . ^97 



Role History of the Creation of the World. 



Their following idea of the creation of the world, and of castes, 

 &c. was communicated to me by some of the Mankees orally, and 

 copied almost verbatim. In the commencement, Ote' Boram and 

 Sirma Thakoor, alias Sing Bonga, or God, were self-created. Sing 

 Bonga is the sun. After them the moon was self-created. 



Ote' Boram and Sirma Thakoor then made the earth ; after that 

 they clothed it with grass, trees, rocks, water; they then made cattle, 

 which were first born in " Bogo Bochee ;*" after them all wild animals. 

 They then made a little boy and a little girl, at the bottom of an 

 immense ravine, and as they had no houses to live in, the gods told 

 them to inhabit a huge crab's cave (Katkomoa.) They grew adult, 

 and Sing Bonga came to see them every day, and called them his 

 grandchildren ; but at length seeing no hopes of any progeny, from 

 their extreme simplicity, he taught them the art of making *' Eely," 

 (rice beer) the use of which caused those sensations, which were in 

 due time the means of peopling the world. 



After the creation of man. Sing Bonga, or the sun, married Chandoo 

 Omol, or the moon, from whence sprung four sons and numerous daugh- 

 ters. Now the four sons kept with their father, and the daughters lived 

 with their mother, and as the sun rose every day, with his four hot, 

 fiery sons in addition, the whole world began to burn; and all the 

 animals and man perishing with heat, entreated the moon to save 

 them ; so the moon resolved within herself to destroy the sun's sons, 

 and went, and accosting the father, said, ^'Our children do much 

 harm to the world, and will soon destroy your labour. I am deter- 

 mined to eat mine ; do you also devour yours." The sun promised he 

 would follow the moon's example ; and so when she hid all her daugh- 

 ters, and came and told him she had devoured them, he destroyed and 

 eat all four of his children ; after which the moon released her daugh- 

 ters from confinement. This artifice so enraged the sun, that he drew 

 his sword and cut the moon in half, but repenting afterwards of his 

 anger, allowed her to get whole in certain days, though she still 

 remained condemned to be in half at others, and so she remained, and 

 all her daughters with her, which are the stars. 



* I could never leai'n what place this alhules to. 



