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14
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1897.
cream is pat in the churn salt is dropped into the fire to overcome witchcraft,39 In St. Kilda when cattle are moved they are purified with salt-water and fire.co In Suffolk (1860), to bury a handful of salt (probably after waving it round the patient) cured ague. As the salt dissolved the ague left.1
(To be continued.)
THE ANDAMAN FIRE-LEGEND.
BY M. V. PORTMAN.
: A. One of the oldest of the Andamanese Legends is that regarding the first introduction of fire to the people after a great cataclysm had occurred, during which much of their territory was submerged and all their fires were extinguished. It appears also to be the best known, and the Andamanese are more generally agreed apon the statements in it than in any of their other legends, each elder of the same tribe giving the same version of the story.
The legend in each of the five languages of the South Andaman group of tribes runt translated freely, as follows:
TRANSLATIONS.
I. Ákabéada. God was sleeping at Tāül-I'óko-tíma. Lúratút came, stealing fire. The fire burnt God. God woke up. God seized the fire; he took the fire and burnt Lúratút with it. Then Lúratút toos (the fire); he burnt Tárchéker in W6ta-Emi village, (where then ), the Ancestors lit fres. (The Ancestors referred to were) the Tómo-lá.
II. Ákarbálé. Dim-Däūra, a very long time ago, at Kéri-l'óng-tāüwer, was bringing fire from God's platform. He, taking the fire, burnt everybody with it. Bólab, and Tárkāür, and Bilichau fell into the sea and became fish. They took the fire to Rók wa-l'ár-ténga village and matle fires there.
III. Púchikwár. God was sleeping in Tüīl-l'óko-tíma. Lúratút went to bring fire. Lúratát caught hold of the fire; then he burnt God. Then God woke up. God seized the fire. He hit Lúratút with the fire. Then again he hit Tárchál with the fire. Chaltér caught hold of it. He gare it to the Ancestors at Wüüta-Emi. Then the Ancestors made fire.
IV. Áūkāūjúwoi. Mr. Pigeon stole a firebrand at Kúro-t'ón-míka, while God was sleeping. He gave the brand to the late Léch, who then made fires at Karát-tátak-émi.
V. Kol. God was sleeping at Taül-l'oko-tíma. Lúratút took away fira to Oko-Émi. Käilotat went to Min-tong-tí (taking fire with him from Oko-Emi). At Min-tong-tá the fire went out. Kāülotat broke up the charred firewood and made fire again, (by blowing up the embers). They (the people there ), became alive. Owing to the fire they became alive. The Ancestors thus got fire in Min-tong-täük village.
Gentleman's Magazine Library, "Manners and Customs," p. 38. 46 Cemming's Hebrides, p. 336. « Gertleman's Magazine Library, "Popular Superstition," p. 129.
