206 
G. Singh —Superstitions connected with child hirth. [No. 3, 
birth of a son is kept away from the mother for a time to prevent her 
feeling a sudden rapture of happiness. 
The dayi (midwife) washes the child with water put in an earthen pot 
(thikra), in which must be thrown some silver before the midwife would give 
the child to the mother. Whether this means a sort of fictitious purchase 
to defeat the mischief’s of witchcraft, similarly as the 1 dhukao ’ ceremony 
means an attack on the family of the bride and taking her away by force, 
(the primitive method of procuring wives), is a question which cannot be 
hastily answered. But it is a fact that the midwife does not give the male 
child to the mother until she is paid. For one day and a half the child 
draws no nourishment from its mother’s breast. The pap must be washed 
by the sister of her husband, if there be any, before any nourishment can be 
given from it to the son. The husband’s sister is paid according to means 
for this ceremony. 
Throwing oil on the ground is the thing done on all auspicious occasions, 
probably to satisfy tbe demons of the earth. This is also sanctioned by 
Brahmanical ritual, and with them worship of the earth-gods to prevent the 
mischief of the demons inhabiting the lower strata of the earth is frequent. 
Oil is thrown under the bed of the mother, where green grass is also put, 
green grass (dub being the emblem of prosperity. It is also 
given by friends to the father of the new born child in congratulation of the 
birth of the son and indicates their good wishes to the new born. 
To prevent any mischief to the child or the mother during the time 
of her confinement, the following precautions are taken: 
I. Fire must be constantly kept in the room and should never be 
allowed to die out. The primitive Aryans were fire-worshippers and I 
think this is a remnant of their hom (%¥) and other ceremonies now 
never practised except on marriage. The Gubars of Persia used to keep 
fires burning for hundreds of years, and it was most probably so in ancient 
India. 
II. Grain must be kept near the bed of the mother. Grain repre¬ 
sents plenty of good luck, which has a peculiar power of removing all evil. 
III. Water should always remain in the room. It is the common be¬ 
lief that witches attack the unclean, and water being a purifier they cannot 
come near it. This belief is very general and is found as well in Islam as 
in Brahmanism. The Musalmans have it on the highest authority that 
$> ' 9 9 s Cts 
water is the purifier ), so it is also according to Manu. 
IV. Some weapon should also be placed near. It is believed that 
witches have no power over armed persons, but they attack the weak and 
the foul. It is from this belief that the bridegroom when marching at the 
head of a marriage procession must be armed, so that fairies being enamoured 
with him might not take him away. Those who are now deprived by 
