ABORS AND GALONGS. 79 



out to you ; do what you will with him." This magic is believed to be potent and 

 effective enough to cause in extreme cases the death of the person against whom the 

 enchantment is directed. 



The rainfall in the hills is remarkably heavy and consequently the magical control 

 of rain is exerted towards preventing it and not to encourage heavier or more continu- 

 ous showers than naturally occur. The Dallas on the Kamla river who prophesied the 

 wrath of the god when I indulged in revolver practice almost within the precincts of 

 a village, may have been influenced by the forebodings of an uneasy conscience, 

 (although they had encouraged my shooting at a distance from the houses, the con- 

 ditions in each case being of course perfectly and obviously safe), but the fact seems 

 interesting enough to record, with the observation that the rain god lived up to his 

 reputation. No ceremonies similar to those described by Frazer l for preventing rain 

 have been noticed. 



After harvest the Abors sprinkle a pong and powdered rice on the earth round 

 the groups of granaries, but I have not seen this done. This rite, it was explained, 





s® 



m 



Figure A. 



is a form of tribute to Doing Anggong the spirit of the sky, the husband, and Kine- 

 dene the spirit of the earth the mother, an idea that parallels Ovid's description of 

 the marriage of earth and sky. The pig that is killed at this festival is eaten without 

 ceremony or any dedication ; it is not regarded as an act of worship. 



The emblem erected when breaking out fresh " jhums" bears a distinct resemblance 

 to the emblems used by the Tibetans to scare away demons. % 



Amongst the Galongs the harvest rites are prompted by similar ideas. Long fence- 

 like altars are erected in the cultivation (where the ritual is performed) in honour of 

 the spirits of the fields such as Pirku Pirte Ali and Yapom. The sun-god is also a 

 god of agriculture and is worshipped in the same way ; all that is grown is in his power 

 and he is regarded as the most powerful of all the spirits of the field. Plate XII 

 shows a Galong harvest altar. 



The Minyong rites accorded to the spirits of battle appear to be far more in the 



nature of auguries to see if they are favourably inclined 

 than propitiatory sacrifices. It is quite possible that at 



1 Frazer, The Golden Bough, Ed 1911, Vol. I, p 270 et seq. 



2 Waddell, Buddhism of Tibet, p. 485. The Angong Abors have bee» distinctly influenced in their religion by 

 their Memba neighbours. 



