1855.] Notes on Northern Cachar. 629 



father, and has power to inflict diseases on those who displease him. 

 He is considered a harsh and vindictive god, though not entirely 

 malignant. His anger is averted by prayers and sacrifices made 

 either directly to himself or to his father. 



Thila has a termagant of a wife called " Grhumnoo," who is also 

 possessed of power, and makes it felt in the shape of slight dis- 

 tempers such as headaches, toothaches, &c. She is described as 

 being most jealous of her husband, and of her own position, resent- 

 ing all omissions of her name in prayers offered up to her spouse. 

 " Ghumoishe" is the deity or demon who exercises the most baneful 

 effect upon mortals. Death is supposed to be induced by his appa- 

 rition, and diseases of the worst description are caused by his anger, 

 which is supposed to arise from natural bad temper, and cruel dis- 

 position and not to answer the ends of justice. By some he is said 

 to be an illegitimate son of Puthen' s, but others deny the relation- 

 ship, and say, he has no connexion with the god whatever. The 

 idea of making the origin of evil proceed, thus, from an illegitimate 

 source is exceedingly clever. Ghumoishe is married to Khuchdm, 

 a malignant goddess who has special power over diseases of the 

 stomach, and these two are the terror of the Kookies ; prayers are 

 never offered to them, but sacrifices are made to appease their wrath, 

 and Puthen is likewise called upon to avert it. Hilo is the daughter 

 of this couple and the goddess of poisons, having power to make 

 all eatables disagree with those who have offended her ; she is also 

 appeased by sacrifices or her influence is counteracted by prayers 

 to Puthen. 



" Khomungnoo" is the household god, whose sphere of action lies 

 within the domestic circle. " Thingbulgna" the forest god, having 

 jurisdiction in the jungles, besides whom there are river gods, and 

 gods of the mountains and rocks. Each metal has a god who 

 presides over it, and exercises power over everything having relation 

 to it. Thus the god of silver is the god of wealth ; and the god 

 of iron is held in reverence by blacksmiths, and warriors, and is the 

 god of battle. The gods of rivers, mountains and metals have no 

 distinctive name beyond that of the matter over which they preside, 

 and are merely called " Tui Puthen" or water god, " Thf Puthen" 

 or iron god, &c, which makes me think that they may not be distinct 

 personages, but merely the separate attributes af Puthen itself. 



