10 
W. H. P. Driver— The Birijiyas. 
[No. 1, 
Marriages usually take place in January, and the pair go to visit 
their parents in a year’s time. Asurs usually marry only one wife, and 
widows can re-marry. They must marry in their own tribe, but the 
parties must be of different gotors. Married people can separate but 
it is considered a disgrace to do so. Property descends to male heirs. 
Customs regarding children. —A mother is considered unclean for 
fifteen days after the birth of a child. After this time both she and the 
child are anointed with oil and turmeric, the child’s head is shaved, 
and it is named often after grandparents, or after the day on which 
it was born. Before deciding upon a name, they throw two grains of 
rice into a bowl of water ; when the propitious name is called, both 
grains will sink and keep together. A dinner is given to all relatives 
on such occasions. The boys have their forearms burnt, but the girls 
are not tattooed. Every large village has a Dhamkuriyd or a bachelors’ 
hall, in front of which the boys and girls dance. If the elders catch girls 
in the Dhamkuriyd the boys are heavily fined, and their fathers have to 
pay if they cannot. 
Death customs. —The ceremonies for the dead are as follows : — 
Those who die a natural death or are killed by accident or by vio¬ 
lence, are burnt on the banks of a river. Those who die of any disease 
are buried and three or four large stones are placed over the grave. It 
is customary to feed all relatives after a death. 
The Asurs, like all Kolarian tribes, are very black, and have 
nothing to boast of in the way of features, but they are of good phy¬ 
sique and have hardy constitutions, although they appear to be dying 
out. 
The Birijiyas. 
Habitat. —The Birijiyas are a small Kolarian tribe to be found in 
the parganas of Bar’we and Chhechhari in the Lohardaga district, 
and also in the neighbouring Native State of Sir’guja. In appearance 
they are black with flat faces, but of good physique, and many wear 
the hair in matted locks. They are quiet, unwarlike people (even 
those who live on the hills), and live by cultivation of rice, urid , rdhar , 
bodi , marud , &c. They say they come from the Mahadeo Hills, and 
the following is the story of their origin. 
Origin. —The god Mahadeo made the figure of a horse out of clay, 
but he was not pleased with it; he then made a dog, but this also did 
not take his fancy; so he finally found a scarecrow and put life into it, 
when it was turned into a man. He liked his appearance, and so made a 
wife for him in the same way by animating another scarecrow. 
Titles and connections .—The Birijiyas sometimes take the title of 
