No. 26.— 1883.] PADDY CULTIVATION CUSTOMS. 



45 



childhood of the world. The power of sun, moon, and stars 

 are invoked jointly with the dreaded spirits of evil — those 

 " unknown gods," to whose baneful influence is attributed 

 the many changes and chances incident to daily life — and 

 the less malignant Devatdvo, to appease whom resort is had 

 alike to the priest of Buddha, the Rattddiyd, and the Kapu- 

 rdld. 



That the ignorant cultivators should themselves be unable 

 to account for the performance of these ceremonies — the 

 inheritance of ages — is not surprising; but, though they are 

 slowly and surely dying out with the spread of knowledge, 

 the majority of villagers in inland districts attribute the 

 short crops of the past few years to their non-observance 

 and the waning faith in their efficacy.* 



In no other occupation are superstitious practices more 

 rigorously observed than in agriculture. This is only 

 natural, when the vital importance to the goyiyd of ensuring 

 against precarious seasons and failure of crops is held in 

 view. 



Preliminary Operations. 



From the first commencement of agricultural operations 

 until the harvest is fitly closed by the feast of thanks- 

 giving to the gods, every stage is made dependent on the 

 occurrence of a " lucky hour," or, to speak more accurately, 

 the position of planets and asterisms at specified moments. 



At the outset the astrologer (neketrdld) is interviewed 

 with the bulat-ata or usual fee of 40 betel leaves and a 

 leaf of tobacco, and asked to name a suitable time to start 

 work.f 



* " And indeed it is sad to consider how this poor people are subjected 

 to the devil ; and they themselves acknowledge it their misery, saying 

 their country is so full of devils and evil spirits that unless in this manner 



they should adore them, they would be destroyed by them If a 



stranger should dislike their way, reprove, or mock at them for their 

 ignorance and folly, they would acknowledge the same, and laugh at the 

 superstitions of their own devotion ; but withal tell you that they are 

 constrained to do what they do to keep themselves from the malice and 

 mischief that the evil spirits would otherwise do them, with which, they 

 say, their country swarms." — Knox, Ceilon, pp. 77, 83. 



t Note 1. 



