MUNDARI POETRY, MUSIC AND DANCES. 93 



the powerful rings of the palandu that element of faithfulness or strength which is 

 proof against trials and lasts even unto death. 



The following song may serve as another striking instance of this method of gener- 

 alizing, and thus idealizing : — 



I. Who, brother, made the golden battle-axe ? 



Who, brother, made the silvery arrow-heads and shafts ? 



II. The blacksmith, brother, made the golden battle-axe. 



The silversmith made the silvery arrow-heads and shafts. 



III. Don't, please brother, bring out the golden battle-axe. 



Don't, please brother, parade the silvery arrow-heads and shafts. 



IV. 'Tis dripping with blood, the golden battle-axe. 



They are wet with gore, the silvery arrow-heads and shafts. 



Now there is not a trace of gold on the Munda's battle-axe nor a thread of silver 

 adorning his arrows. But gold and silver being the brightest among metals and of 

 different hues, are here used to call up a vivid picture of the flash and glitter which the 

 brandishing of polished arms produces in the bright sun'ight. The poet simply intends 

 to place the fighting youth and their armour in the most favourable light, in order to 

 put ah this sheen and glamour over against its real end, and thus condemn it by 

 presenting, in the last stanza, the once dazzling arms as covered and darkened with the 

 blood of fellow-men, as instruments and s'gns of the agonies of the s 1 ain and the 

 wounded. It is the Munda's way of saying in a poet'c manner, that all the fascinat- 

 ing sheen and glamour of a nation's youth in arms can never be either a justification 

 or a compensation for the horrors of war. 



Two examples may suffice to illustrate the use of contrasting terms in two subse- 

 quent lines for the purpose of widening or generalizing. 



A young man invites his comrade to come with him to the forest and dig out the 

 fresh bamboo shoots, which are considered a great delicacy. His friend dissuades him 

 from the dangerous errand, and winds up by these four lines : — 



I 2 



Kalanga gatingre ! Kulajana do ! 



I 2 



Kalanga sangaing re ! taruljana do ! 



3 4 



Dasi Korage huakiado ! 



3 . . . 4 



Kamirin Kurige sodar kiado ! 



Let us not go, my friend ! it is full of tigers you know ! 

 Let us not go, my chum ! it is full of wild beasts you know ! 

 These mauled the man-servant you know ! 

 These mangled the maid-servant you know ! 



