No. 24.— 1881.] 



hu'niyam image. 



117 



These remarks apply to the practice of Kapurdlas. The 

 priests undergo a training — which, if they have a good memory, 

 is of not long duration — namely, the committing to memory of 

 certain charms, invocations, and songs to be accompanied on 

 the tom-tom, drum, and by violent dances. One must live in 

 the neighbourhood of these devil-worshippers to appreciate the 

 form of nuisance known as a ' devil-ceremony.' The tom-tom 

 is beaten violently to accompany the discordant song, and the 

 noises are very violent during the intervals of dancing. The 

 family having the ceremony keep it up from sunset till past 

 dawn the next morning. If any remonstrance is used with 

 respect to such practices, they will excuse themselves on the 

 ground that it is their " religion" or "faith." But the Yaka- 

 durds are in no way respected for being priests, and their 

 remuneration is very little. 



Besides the performance of these devil-dances the Yakadurds 

 practise Huniyam charms,* by which harm — such as disease — 

 is inflicted on one's fellow-creatures. To counteract Huniyam 

 charms counter-charms t are muttered over a cup of oil or 

 a thread, and three limes are cut with an arecanut- cutter 

 whilst charms are muttered 4 The failure of such counter- 

 charms strengthens the belief in the potency of the Huniyam. 

 In most of these Huniyam charms a small image, made of wax 

 or wood or drawn on a leaf, is necessary. Nails made of five 

 metals § (usually gold, silver, copper, tin, and lead) are driven 



* " Kodivina [®SS53©§<33] or Huniyam [g^ceD] is the name given to 



evils of whatever kind inflicted by the agency of charms There are said 



to be 84,000 [Huniyam charms] of every degree of malignity, most of which 

 more or less contribute to bring to an untimely death the person affected 

 by this influence, though that event may be deferred for many years, 

 (C. A. S. Jour. 18S5-6, p. 68.)— Hon. Sec. 



f Huniyam kepima [£C)-2ftcoD £53i8®[]. 



% C. A. S. Jour. 1865-6, pp. 70-1. 



§ Pas Id [ced ©C^J- 



