Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-05-24
HOOK SWINGING IN INDIA.


n B2rDarou, Custom 1 nat mas Recently
Been Revived in Hindostan.
A barbarous custom. which has been
obsolete for many years in India, Is
about to be revived. SAYS the London
Graphic In fact. the initial step has
been taken by its recent enactment in
a little village in south India. Ii Is
the ceremony of hook swinging
which is essentially human sacrifice.
When various scourges, such as small
pox. cattle disease. or famine. aff1ict
the people. the goddess Miramal is
supposed to be angry and will be pro-
pitiated only by most cruel rite.
The brutalizing ceremony was en-
acted near Madura few years ago.
At one time it was held frequently. but
was stopped through the efforts of an
American missionary some twenty
four years ago. 1t has not been re-
enacted till the present time, but the
managers of the festival declare 1t
their intention to heneeforth celebrate
the custom annually. As people the
Hindoos are of nervous temperament
and suffer physical torture as keenly
as any race. But there is a caste who
are numerous in southern India, known
as the kullen or thief caste. who de-
light in scenes of blood and seem al
most callous to suffering. 1t is among
these people that this custom OF hook
swinging Is carried out.
Some weeks ago, when it was deter
mined that hook-swinging was neces-
sary again, on account of the failure
- iarhf saia ad o.
cording to the olden plan, from four
villages, and lots cast among them.
The lot fell on young kullen of the
age of %. He was of medium height
and remarkably well built. He was
taken at once to the temple and pre-
pared for his ordeal. What these
preparations were is secret. but they
must have been of nature to benumb
the sensibilities. On the day appointed
for the swinging to take place thou
sands of people had gathered to wit
ness the horrible exhibition. The vic
tim was taken from the temple. the
iron hooks were imbedded in the mus
cles of his back, and he was led to the
scene of his torture.
The pole on which he was to be
swung was about fifty feet long. At
its middle point it rested on a pivot
like projectio n rising from car" By
a short, strong rope the hooks were
bound to one end of the pole, which
had been lowered. The signal being
given, the farther end was pulled
down and the victim raised to a height
of about thirty feet above the heads of
the people, his only support being the
iron hooks in his back. He was swung
once in a circle around the car. and
then the latter was st ,rted forward.
1t was dragged by means of large
ropes, and through distance of prob
ably three-quarters of a mile, the
young kullen dangling above for the
period of one hour and quarter. As
sudden jerks were given to the pole by
occasional sinkings of the wheel of the
car into hole in the road the unfor-
tunate man was tossed from side to
side, but the hooks did not tear
through their fastenings. Throughout
the ordeal he kept his hands waving
to show he had not tainted. From
time to time he pulled up flowers and
fruit by means of a rope. and scattered
them about to the people below.
These. as they fell were eagerly
grasped. When the car had come
back to its starting place the goddess
was considered to be satisfied: the vic
tim was lowered and the ropes united,
but the hooks were not taken from his
back for several hours.
On account of his magnificent ply
sique, and also. no doubt. largely from
the fact that he had been drugged. he
was in less exhausted condition than
might have been supposed. With the
hooks in his muscles he went about re-
ceiving sums of money from the peo-
pie. At nightfall he was taken to the
temple and the hooks were removed.
Why will the government not inter-
fere to prevent these scenes? The
authorities were notified of the coming
occurrence, but returned an answer to
the effect that ina>much Is this suffer
ing was voluntary they could not in
terfere. But so is ~suttee" voluntary.
so is the act of throwing ones self be-
fore the wheels of the car of Jugger.
naut. But these and other kindred
barbarities have been interdicte6 by
the government