W. H. P. Driver —The KorTcus. 
132 
[No. 2, 
Dasliera tlie men dance the ‘ Kombakulapa,’ a step which reminds one 
of the Scotch Hoolachan. 
The men have a great variety of steps in their dances. They stand 
erect, sway about, and hop more than the women. The women usually 
bend forward. They sway about their arms as well as their bodies, and 
sometimes link their hands. In all this they resemble the Kols of Chota 
Nagpore, but a distinctive feature of the Korku women’s dancing is the 
stamping of the feet, their anklets jingling in time with the music. 
Their musical instruments are chiefly wooden drums and bamboo 
flutes. The men play on the drums, sometimes sitting, and sometimes 
whilst dancing. 
Their tunes have a distinct resemblance to those of the Chota 
Nagpuris, but they have a peculiar custom of finishing their songs with 
a kind of ‘ Yodel ’ with the back of the hand to the mouth, and then 
screaming like jackals. 
The Korkus have their own priests, or ‘ Bhumkas ’, who offer sacri¬ 
fices for them at certain stated times. Their 
Religion. office is hereditary. 
They worship the following the gods or demons :— 
“ Gomoij,” or the sun, who receives a sacrifice of a goat once a 
year at the Dasliera; Kala Bliairam, the most dreadful of the demons, 
who receives a goat; Bag Deo, Khera Deo, Chumria Deo, Daora Deo, 
and Dular Deo, who each receive a goat; Bhal Deo, who receives a cock 
and an egg; Hanuman Deo, and Mahabir Deo, who each receive flour, 
sugar, cocoonuts, and the like. 
These demons inhabit high trees, hills, and streams. The Akhari 
Deota lives at the village Akkra. 
The following are the names of their festivals :— 
Dasliera, Pola, Dewali, Sewrat, Fagooa, Chait-puja, Bhawe, and 
Akhari. 
In cases of individual sickness the head of the house offers a sacri¬ 
fice to the offended demon. 
The ‘ Churil ’, or ghost of a pregnant woman, is driven out of the 
party possessed by blowing, and by burning chillies down the throat. 
They do not believe much in wizards and witches, and they have 
no superstition about wearing the hair matted (Jatta) as in Chota 
Nagpur. 
