150 On tlie Ballads and Legends of the Punjab. [No. 2. 



(11). A monstrous race. Of gods and men the mix'd and 

 spurious brood. 



Such is the Indian notion of the Rakuss, whose approach was 

 preceded by thunder, and who was supposed to have a certain 

 degree of power over the elements. The word giant does not ex- 

 press the nature of the fabulous monster, nor does the Djin of 

 Arabic fable. For although the Rakuss could at times work a 

 miracle by muttering a charm, his power in this respect was sup- 

 posed to be limited to the number of charms he might have learnt. 

 He was also subject to violent death. The belief in the former 

 existence of such a monster is very general throughout the Pun- 

 jaub. The bones of elephants occasionally turned up in the soil on 

 the left bank of the Jelum are universally attributed to the Rakuss. 

 A human being formed upon such boDes would have been from 24 

 to 30 feet high. Traditions vary as to the number of the Rakuss. 

 The name of one is remarkable. It is pronounced Terra or Tera, 

 or rather the sound is intermediate. The giant Terra belonged to 

 the Roman not to the Greek mythology, and could scarcely there- 

 fore have been transferred to the Punjaub. It is Tera who is sup- 

 posed to be still alive in a cavern of Gundgurh. 



(12). For I am sworn thy lot to share, to bless or die with thee. 



The chivalrous spirit of Russaloo belongs to the old and appar- 

 ently original tradition ; to a time when woman held a higher place 

 in society, than at present she holds in India, before in fact, the 

 Muhammadan conquests had introduced their degrading estimate 

 of the sex. As the tradition has reached later years, it has probably 

 been alloyed by the changed spirit of the times. Russaloo is made 

 to commit acts wholly opposed to this noble generosity. The Ballad 

 does not make the woman, for whom Russaloo was about to offer his 

 life, a lady of rank. She is merely a woman, and she is old and in 

 distress ; the three most sacred claims upon a generous heart. He 

 at once adopts her in word and deed as his mother. 



JNatoo rooh my Booddia, hunjoo ra dul kar 

 Jih rub ruksi tera bete ra, my sir deh-sa char. 

 Weep not my old woman : there is no call for tears 

 Since God has placed your son beneath my protection, my head 

 shall be for his. 



