, 1877-12-02
IN DE 4.
Tho santha|s, an Aboriginal Tribe
of Hindostan.
rhe;r Traditions of Their Origin, and
of the Creation Of the World.


mo
~, ta,o ,n,t nave come in contact with; aud I
iss,, t,.oiu with the Santl,als, most interest
sA .oo,,c. among whom have been staying
~ ~ ,hr mast three months, and whose peculiari
~! ~. ,.nvuare, and traditions have been study
irr with 1lr greatest interest
THE SASTHALS
IN aboriginal tribe inhabiting the high
',s.o,u.lsnls and mountainous districts Of Cen
~, India. They arcthe remnants OF barba-
lo..s rare who inhabited the country before the
srvans entered it. and who were either con
orered and made slaves By them, or fed to the
a.rorutain:, where through ages they have main
,,.,e,1 ,crfcct independence. According to their
49,, traditions, they came from Armenia, from
,.,,nt IIarara. where mau and woman had
sared them selves in Il cave when the world WAS
1o.,r,y,,l bv q ilre-nool, and. travelling east
.-,r,. ,1cy came tn Ivan, thence to Canuallar,
,,,,, afterwards 10 Cnampa with the seven rivers
n,un,s1,n, where they multiplied rapidly and
lived hano;ly Tor many wears, until they were
a~ren son, inward and into the mountains by
,cb,,r race vino snmc from the North. They
sre divided into twelve tribes, and each OF these
ar,;, into twelve families. Originally there
n,re bu; seven tribes, but five more have been
ad1ca. and one is lost. The following arc the
.,eyeu remaining: !, Hasdak, !, klshnu; g.
v,r,nu: i, Manlti; 5, Hcmrom; 6, Soren; +,
Tr.,n. !. Baske: 9, Chorc; 10, Paoria IL, Bcsra.
They have alsoa
TRADITION OF THE CREATION,
according 10 which there first existed high
r,o,,utaiu and u.ucl, water. over which Il duck
AMI i, .rakt we're living about. And the Good
snir;i said 10 Marair Buru Cthe Great Mountain,
tLr Devil or Evil Spirit OF the Santhais):
.sWnere shall We put these birds that they NAV
There is lotus-rlaut.'' Good Spirit: WHO
,,r reis, This ra,tht' Marair Buru: AtTherc
!, \ crab out there" Then the crab was called
and commanded To raise tho earth, and, wlth1hc
assistance of The earthworm-klnC and the tor
sieaCv, and the Good Spirit commanded A!ara;r
Brru to sow seed in it to keep it together:
Yrcu the duck iaii t.,~s Oh the earth. out OF
Which were ha1chei 4 man anl 4 woman,-
pi|,hu Il:iam and Plcllu Brudhi. AS they
w,re uskcd NIara:r Burlt made clothes for them,
and l!c showed them how to make Intoxicating
drinks. and told them to drink. and when they
we're drunk and fell asleep. he dragged them
together and placed them side By side,
where they 1cn.aiuea till morning, after
whith seven sons an AMI seven daughters
md. though the Santhals believe in one God
WHO has created everything, they never worship
Him, but they
WORSHIP MARA1E BURU,
Inc Esll one, aua: Us tl1ss ~ :nsousM ullnh.
fhe:F pFiEe'pa HUGE " no1s - ~ He! "'A"e~
Ha" many arc tnere nt,t III 1A!aeied WIZ W.T.
ship ,ia+air Buru: II they are asked vi J they
do not worship the true God, they invariably
answer, Il He is good md does US no harnl,--
wnv should nc tfooblc ourselves ABOUT 1i1n;
but e1a:alI buru Il '1ad.-he osn7s 1an1ne .!Hu
s:cSIcss Il VIZ 10 MOI "olsE'p HUI ~ Sctt"
drunk, and offer to him goats, chickens. and
::ct as sacrihte to appeasc 1lls anger" lucy
bare also great number OF evil spirits OF less
Importance: hut must leave mythology. anu
,elu7n to their institutions.
Tneir form oi government Is patr1archal. anu
heir quarreis are settled ny their Chieis. Their
m'a.e Of punishment IS either by hne or eN-
communication. When person IS tined, the
n'Eey is USED lor a grand least, III Wh':1 Tue
Eaolc VILLAGE, or perhaps huilncr ~ Fll4aSts,
1a7take- Ii a man allows his wife to rule
him MS punishment VIII he e1co1nmun'caslon.
called 10 Han. Faly1athy- thou1n permitted,
is not generally prac1icrd. Poly:n'urS docs not
exist A. 1t dne5 among some o. Tue Sortneln
Mount al!l-t7ibes. a woman VINO las no s!'tl-
oren Is also despiseo, afu has 10 90 al tnc uFts
work.
lhe santhals arc .,.
Ht*7EsS. AtHicCLTSf1sIs, AND coNnEEnS.
tErlr weapons are Tue DOW, spear. anu SUCK
'e" sa:tfals WI attack . t1se1 Win nothing
FL III speaI, a lew years ago Tue country M:ls wa.
~" faerc are only KY lctt. = very 'arSe
E''yai Bengal tiger was kllieu q II" s1ass ago.
1hc ]ackals pry aTouno N great numbers every !
nsnt taroucn tIle ''i!ascs, puS .nss seuoo,,, , a.
1ash l'r"1le, nnic:s they aFe aslcep. " M shakGs
anu llzards 1ncfc Is SIeil aounual''e, ailu 'tls
es1itnafcd that more tl1h -V'os' People sslc an-
aaaliv from shakc-o!le ~ lltoIa: :ta1oH' t.1e
eanthaIs we nha no artisans ol any h.tlu: nor alc
tae' III 1"r servants Anss ~. Aa luz! prasa Ill.,
sna ear.hch Vessels, "et ~ - oln tl'e Luz
aoosr VINO a1c WY eA!sA. m WI E.'1
TITS 1ncF are Hu"etet' ea.elth1- H"ntuat
vii! tr"t all aaF WIN '1o'n !lt u sats pou1'4s
on Ills Shulce's, auu "e w eli,i:I Wv 1is LIZ
ten 1nee centsl Gay. anu poatu aI',iseil. !he
No'acn w no meals arc eousaoe1cu etlual "lta
1he men. anu cannot ~ ~" ~ a.u e.t "In ths,
s,il 'hey are many e'uies pe1tsa VIZ tAaa .ne
1ltiiA"n "ot1itt' 1.
1he SaNt;ials ave IN t.1a@gs. ine9! HOUSES
~ ~ o'A'1t u 't'4, ai9 : 49,. ~ .
4lcll on'e ""u,e"oN.soou tonIss' - :eu 1 .aa
.e" ofass a.u " eAsn ~. .,ess a+ t. iu ,,.,
eouS'si> ei'ee - LIZ oaI .ne, -. .ueat 20 - ~
~ t1elE ieasts: ne o!.iN sa1'!1ens tnat M .tlc
"ea "eas Is eio.n aiounu .'!c, 1u.rs, oo' LIZ
fns.tos ns :, issc hans,
sae' ~. ~ h'u" ~ .t {, onn - 1nn.
s .,e ias''ieii 'oa 'nc I 'vJ hn. 80 III
.so'n ~. "ouu =. ~ t, .,sp aa.a
onf 1r. , :" e,1a | ~, r;T,,,t aho
H.. .nsl 'i1s III. ',o;a - irass;,,1;: nor,;,1.
th' 40 ar.;h,. haro o,.nr soa1,
W: eGs1 ,iee " % si. as'u ,ho
a.. S,,,'ni ~ ,od;a o,.tia and an,ie M.
da ,;ar a-AN4l ea;,., eror, r;t-;a1 n1ise
;,o - ~, Fnrano,n ar1 American SIS
,c.s 1917 t.eN . 1utops @ "u ..f ,.'n..1--.
ai Fa s-;oL+ -ho,,