1883 ] G-. Singh —Superstitions connected with child birth. 207 
the Anns Act of carrying arms, carry a small knife instead, to frighten 
the fairies and spirits away. 
Y. The handle of the plough (hal da munna) is kept under the 
bed. As the plough turns the soil from which grain is produced, witches 
do not approach such an implement. 
YI. There should be a lock on the bed, or it should be chained round 
(bel maria). Iron has great power of preventing the mischief of witchcraft, 
and a bed chained with iron is therefore quite safe. 
VII. On no account should a cat be allowed to enter the room. Her 
cry even should not be heard by the mother. Some do not even let her 
name a cat (billi). The most unlucky dream for a woman in her confine¬ 
ment is that of seeing a cat. Some^say that witches come in the disguise 
of a cat which should therefore not be allowed access, and others think that 
‘ A'th maha’ (&*bo *#J|), the habit of a child being born in the eighth month 
of pregnancy, is engendered by the fact of a cat entering the room of 
confinement. There are several stories in Oriental literature of sorceresses 
in love having gone to their beloved in the disguise of cats. I believe 
there is one in the Arabian Nights, but I have not got that book with me 
just now and cannot refer to it, and there is another in the Persian book 
justly called “ a jewel in the necklace of a dog”, for referring to which 
I beg to be pardoned. It is in the first part of Bahar Danish (cA’O 
in the 6th story related to the prince. (Compare also iEsop’s Fable, No. 
198). A child born during the eighth month of pregnancy is believed 
to die on the eighth day after birth, in the eighth month, the eighth year 
or the eighteenth year. When speaking of the age of a child, the number 
eight (ath <^t) is called “ an ginat” ‘■sAfcfl (uncounted) so 
^,1 an-ginat din = 8th day 
do. malffna = 8th month 
oaf do. barha == 8th year. 
By the way I may mention here, a baby is called as many years old as 
he is days or months old—4 ‘ barhe’, 1^- ‘ barha , &c. when applied to a 
small baby means that he is 4 days or 1^ months old. Returning to the 
unlucky pussy, if a cat happens to enter the room, ashes should be thrown 
over her to ward off the danger. In native sorcery, the common practice 
to drive witches away is by throwing enchanted grains, or ashes, or water 
over the object possessed, followed by the repetition of the charming words. 
For fairies flowers are used. For semi-gods like Hanuman and goddesses 
like Devi incense is burnt, and prayers substituted for charming words. 
VIII. The house should not be swept clean by a broom, as this might 
have the effect of sweeping all the luck out of the room. 
IX. There should also be no small opening for a drain (mori) in the 
