Coffer-fish (Ostracion), 80
Coins, medicine, 196;
offerings, 104, 168–71, 176, 178, 179, 244;
omen, 46;
on magic square, 33;
on navel, 55;
put in sacred fire, 185;
representing deity, 170;
tied to marriage cloth, 49;
to ward off evil eye, 114;
waved round patient, 119;
worn as charm, 192, 195–6,
as vow, 171
Coloured water (ārati), waving, 117, 118
Conch, musical instrument, 294;
on cow’s horns, 111
Concubines kept by demons, 239
Constellations as omens, 55
Coorg, human sacrifice, 213–4
Coral charm, 193
Corpse used in sorcery, 236, 247
Cow, 17, 58, 59, 79, 80, 88, 111, 150, 156, 176, 202, 301, 305
Cow-dung, 36, 53, 59, 79, 120, 208, 209, 228, 271, 283, 288, 289, 292, 293, 296, 303
Cowry shells in divination and fortune-telling, 276, 277, 283
Cremation ground, goddess, 236;
sorcery ceremony, 229
Cromlech, 14
Cross-roads, 114, 184, 243, 244, 252, 267, 307
Curls as omens, 52–3
Cutch making, vow, 177 Cynedon Dactylon, 45, 292
Dacoity and housebreaking, omens, 21–2, 40, 41–2, 55, 120
Dakni, 49
Dandāsi, 136
Dasara festival, 29, 82, 174, 280, 282
Dāsari, 75–6, 142, 146, 147–8, 258
Date-palm, knots in leaves as vow, 158–9
Datura, love charm, 239
Days, lucky and unlucky, 17, 20, 21–2, 24, 29, 30, 35, 44, 45, 46, 65, 67, 69, 104, 105, 133, 134, 186, 218, 240, 242, 284, 286–7, 299, 300, 301
Death, omens, 15, 19, 20, 31, 54, 57, 62, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70
Debts settled by goddess, 172
Deer, bone and horn, 82; skin, 280
Dēva-dāsi (dancing-girl), 46–7
Devil dance, 245
Dharba grass, 52
Dipāvali festival, 135
Dirgāyus, 25
——, wild, 79 Dolichos Lablab eaten at agricultural festival, 300
Donga Dāsari, 41
Dreams, lucky and unlucky, 19–20
Drowned persons, spirits, 193, 254, 256
Dung beetle, 106
Durga pūja, 280
Ears and tail of dog cut off, 57
Earth, annointing body, 45;
against evil eye, 115, 116;
balls on corpse, 51;
carried by immoral women, 52;
effigies, 114, 120, 219,
249, 254, 287, 305;
from grave as charm, 194;
in boundary dispute, 38;
pelting with, 206, 303;
rolling in, 145, 146, 150;
trodden on against evil eye, 115,
by elephant, 83;
urine of enemy, 187, 248
——, See Ant-hill
—— god, 59
——, menstruation, 296
Earth-eating, 38–9
Effigy, 244, 250–1;
ant earth, 36;
ashes, 44, 307;
bamboo, 114;
brick, 113, 287;
charcoal, 307;
clay, 148, 247, 308–9;
coloured powder, 114, 244;
earth, 114, 120, 219,
249, 254, 287, 305;
lead, 251–2;
rice, 114, 245;
straw, 96, 112;
wax, 248;
wood, 112, 164, 249–50
Eggs, 21, 34, 37, 70, 121, 132, 133, 187, 249
Ejjugadu sorcerer, 244
Elephant, 83, 191, 192, 203, 297
—— post for meriah sacrifice, 202–3 Erythrina indica, milk-post, 49
European casts out devils, 181–2
——, spirit propitiated, 178
—— tongue, 120
Female, unlucky omen, 21
Ficus hispida, 293
Finger, amputation, 240–1
——, sacred (hōmam), 51, 185, 186, 212, 213
Fire-walking, offering of hair to deity, 141;
omens, 35;
priest sits on thorns, 145
First-born child, amputation of finger, 240–1;
buried where jackals can devour it, 58;
used in magic, 224–5,
277, 240–1
Fish, sacred, 100–1
Fishermen’s gods, Ganjam, 164–5
Fishes, superstitions, 100–2
Fishing-net and trap to catch spirit, 243
Flowers, omens, 35, 41–2, 47–8, 56
Fœtus extracted for magic, 223–6, 229
Forefinger unlucky, 30
Fortune-teller, initiation, 284;
Irula, 284;
Yerukala, 75
Four-legged objects, objection to carrying, 81
Fowl, 36, 70, 98, 105, 150, 154, 171, 246, 295, 304;
sacrifice, 15, 37, 41,
55, 68, 69, 88, 120, 133, 137, 148, 149, 152, 156, 175, 176, 177, 178, 187, 210, 214, 245, 248, 252, 253, 255, 284, 296, 302, 303
Fox, 191
Frenzy during divination or possession, 142, 144, 145, 147, 254, 255–6, 278, 279, 284–5, 287
Frog, 252, 253, 280,
305, 306;
toad, 100
Ganēsa, Ganapathi, or Vigneswara, 75, 103, 130, 156, 178, 180, 185, 276, 289, 291, 294
Gangajātra festival, 148
Gaping, omen, 26
Gavara, 142
Gazelle (chinkāra), 82
Geometric patterns to cure disease, 184–5, 243
Ghī, 78, 86, 124,
132, 133, 147, 185.
See Butter
Gingelly (Sesamum), 46, 50, 76, 127, 192 Givotia rottleriformis, charm, 194
Goat, 105, 154, 176,
202;
sacrifice, 14, 37, 57,
69. 82, 119, 137, 146, 148, 149, 150, 175, 205, 210, 214, 217, 244–5, 255,
267, 282, 284, 295
Go-cart on wheels as vehicle of god, 175
Gourd (Lagenaria) used in sorcery, 227;
to ward off evil eye, 114
Grain, omens, 21, 36, 49,
136;
in fortune-telling, 283;
mixed with meriah ashes, 204;
representing goddess, 61;
to appease evil spirit, 245
—— crop, omens from cattle, 60
Grāma dēvata (village deities), 14, 22, 27, 145, 151, 283;
Amba Bhavani, 281–2;
Ankalamma, 22, 65;
Ankamma, 285;
Chaudēswari, 39;
Chenchu Dēvudu, 286;
Durgamma, 143, 151;
Ellamma, 41, 137;
Gangamma, 38, 144, 156,
219;
Gurumurthi, 254;
Guttalamma, 155;
Huligavva, 41;
Karuppan, 153;
Kodalamma, 36, 304;
Kolapuriamma, 283;
Kolaramma, 103;
Kulanthal Amman, 172–3;
Māgāli, 279;
Māriamma, 37, 144, 146,
148, 151, 176, 214;
Mashani Chendi, 236;
Nukalamma, 15;
Pīda, 175;
Pōleramma, 35, 283, 285;
Saptha Kannimar, 166, 284, 285;
Sattāndi Amman, 103;
Siddēdēvaru, 177;
Yerakamma, 75
Grindstone in rain ceremony, 305
Gul bel (Tinospora cordifolia), 94
Gun fired off to accelerate childbirth, 54
Hair, burning, 53, 115;
offered to deity, 137, 138, 140–1;
to snakes, 135;
shaving, 22, 29, 45, 309;
singeing as omen, 35;
use in magic, 220, 248, 250, 253–5;
worn as charm, 193
Hair-balls vomited by cows, 61
——-marks (suli) in horses and cattle, 61–5
Hamstringing of murderer’s corpse, 257
Hand, imprint against evil eye, 119–20
Hanged person, bark of tree as charm, 194
Hanumān, 41, 186, 194, 195, 304
Homicide, 199–236;
as thank-offering for recovery from illness, 208;
for discovering treasure, 215–21;
to appease the earth spirit, 214,
215;
to cure possession by devil, 221;
to ensure good crops, 199–207;
to get rid of concubine, 231;
to get rid of sorcerer, 232–4, 236;
to increase fertility of the soil, 208–9;
to insure cattle against disease, 209;
to propitiate village deities, 214;
to secure fœtus for sorcery, 224–30;
to stay epidemic, 235–6
Hoofs burnt in lying-in chamber, 53
Hook-swinging, omens, 71
Horn burnt during eclipse, 44;
in lying-in chamber, 53
Horse, 29, 62, 64, 82, 166, 186–7
——, images set up in fields, and at Aiyanar shrines, 166–7