Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH 1, 1872.
one of the doors, he entered it, and found himself in reproaching him, struck him in the face. But she a most magnificent apartment. Through it he saw 'l had scarcely done so when despair mastered her an open space that appeared to be the garden of the heart, and she cried out in the deepest anguish, that castle, but there was in it only one tree of excessive " he now must die within four days." " However," height and which was entirely composed of pearls she said, "do shoot one of these animals, so that and corals. The delighted sportsman filled his people may not say that you have returned emptysack in which he carried his corn and left the place, handed." The poor man returned trest-fallen to hoping to enrich himself by the sale of the pearls. his home, lay down and died on the fourth day. As he was going out of the door he saw an C.-DAYALS-WIZARDS AND WITCHES. innumerable crowd of serpents following him. In
The gift of second sight, or rather the intercourse his agitation he shouldered the sack and attempted
with fairies, is confined to a few families in which to run, when a pearl fell out. This a serpent
it is hereditary. The wizard is made to inhale the at once swallowed and disappeared. The sports
fumes of a fire which is lit with the wood of man, glad to get rid of his pursuers at any price,
the chili (Panjabi, padam) a kind of firewood threw pearl after pearl to them, and in every case it
which gives much smoke. Into the fire the milk had the desired effect. At last, only one serpent
of a white sheep or goat is poured. The wizard remained, but for her [a fairy in that shape ?] he
inhales the smoke till he apparently becomes infound no pearl, and, urged on by fear, he hastened
sensible. He is then taken on the lap of one of the to his village-Tarsing, which is at the very foot of
spectators who sings a song which restores him to the Nanga Parbat. On entering his house he found
his senses. In the meanwhile, a goat is slaughtered it in great agitation ; bread was being distributed
and the moment the fortune-teller jumps up, its to the poor as they do at funerals, for his family had
bleeding neck is presented to him, which he sucks given him up as lost. The serpent still followed
as long as a drop remains. The assembled musiand stopped at the door. In despair, the man
cians then strike up a great noise and the wizard threw the corn-sack at her, when lo ! a pearl glid
rushes about in the circle, which is formed round ed out, which was eagerly swallowed by the ser
him, and talks unintelligibly. The fairy then appent which immediately disappeared. However,
pears at some distance and sings, which, however, the man was not the same being as before. He
only the wizard hears. He then communicates her was ill for days, and in about a fortnight after the
sayings in a song to one of the musicians who events narrated, died, -for fairies never forgive a
explain its meaning to the people. The wizard is man who has surprised their secrets.
called upon to foretell events and to give advice in 2.-The Fairy who Punished Her
cases of illness, &c. &c. The people believe that in Human Lover.
ancient times these Dayals invariably spoke corIt is not believed in Astor that fairies ever marry rectly, but that now scarcely one saying in a human beings, but in Ghilgit there is a legend to hundred turns out to be true. Wizards do not now that effect. A famous sportsman, Kiba Lori, who
make a livelihood by their talent which is connever returned empty-handed from any excursion,
sidered its own reward. kept company with a fairy to whom he was deeply D.-HISTORICAL LEGEND OF THE ORIGIN OF attached. Once in the hot weather, the fairy told
GHILGIT. him not to go out shooting during the seven days There are few legends so exquisite as the one of the summer, "-the "Caniculars"-which are called which chronicles the origin or rather the rise of Bardá, and are supposed to be the hottest days in Ghilgit. The traditions regarding Alexander the Dardistan. I am," said she, "obliged to leave you Great, which Vigne and others have imagined to for that period, and mind you do not follow me." exist among the people of Dardistan are unknown The sportsman promised obedience and the fairy to, at any rate, the Shiná race, excepting in so far vanished, saying that he would certainly die if he as soiae Munshi accompanying the Maharájá's troops attempted to follow her. Our love-intoxicated may, perhaps, accidentally have referred to it in Nimrod, however, could not endure ber absence. conversation with a Shin. Any such information On the fourth day he shouldered his gun and went would have been derived from the Shikandarnama out with the hope of meeting her. Crossing a range of Nizami, and would therefore possess no original he came upon a plain, where he saw an immense value. There exist no ruins, so far as I have gone, gathering of game of all sorts and his beloved to point to an occupation of Dardistan by the fairy milching a " Kill" [markhor], and collecting soldiers of Alexander. The following legend, howthe milk in a silver vessel. The noise which Kibá ever, which not only lives in the memories of all Lorí made caused the animal to start and to strike the Shin people, whether they be Chilásis, Astoris, out with its legs, which upset the silver vessel. The Ghilgitis, or Brokhpa-[the latter, - I discovered, fairy looked up, and to her anger beheld the dis- living actually side by side with the Baltis in Little obedient lover. She went up to him and, after Tibet], but which also an annual festival conime
. Elewhere called cht."