1865.] Religion &e. among the Karens. 223 
Frricism. 
The Karens, in some of their observances, come very near to the 
worship of “stocks and stones.’ Many keep stones in their houses 
that they suppose possess miraculous powers, and which seem to re- 
present the household gods of the ancients. 
A Bghai writes : 
“The elders say : Some stones are possessed of superhuman powers, 
and if we possess them, we shall succeed in our undertakings, and 
obtain a sufficiency of food. If we possess but a little, that little will 
not be expended by using, but will always be enough to supply our 
wants. 
“ Some stones are called paddy stones, because those who possess 
them, obtain good crops of paddy. Some stones are said to make us 
invulnerable; so that when javelins are thrown at us, spears thrust 
against us, or blows aimed at us with swords, we shall not be hit; or 
if hit, they will not enter our flesh. 
“These stones crave blood. If we do not give them blood to eat, 
they will sometimes eat us. So people kill hogs and fowls, and then 
pour the blood into a vessel, and put the stones into the blood. 
“Tf the stones are thrown away, after a considerable time, they 
will be sometimes found to have come back again to their old accus- 
tomed places. 
“Tn a village of thirty families, perhaps ten will have these stones ; 
but in some villages nearly every family will have them. They are 
sometimes bought and sold, and those that are reputed good ones, 
will sell at from thirty to fifty rupees. Some that have been in a 
family a long time, the owners dare not sell. Ii a stone is sold at 
less than its real value, or is stolen, it will return to its former owner. 
“We have heard that the inhabitants of the village of Deu-mu-kha 
had a number of stones, the principal one of which they called 
Lwai. No one dared to touch or even look on these stones, excepting 
the officiating priests in the sacrifices to the lord of the earth. They 
had charge of the stones, and were called their lords or masters ; and 
when a black builock was sacrificed to the lord of the earth, a fowl 
was sacrificed to these stones in the same place. 
“Tt is said that the Burmese on one occasion made an attack on 
