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it all up. He then left them, and they, finding the liquor to their taste, drank deeply, and becoming intoxicated forgot they were brother and sister. They confessed to Marang Buru when he visited them next day, but he assured them they had been guilty of no offence. They afterwards made themselves a rude covering from the leaves of the Bare tree.*

In course of time seven sons and seven daughters were born to them. They remained here in Hibiri Pipihri till their children grew up. About this time, some say, Pilchu Hārām and Pilchu Budhi quarrelled, and separated, others say the separation was by Marang Buru's orders. However, it came about they separated, and Pilchu Hāṛām took the sons with him and settled in Suipur, and Pilchu Budhi took the daughters with her and went to Puipur. The young men were great hunters, killing deer, peacocks, tigers, etc. The girls were in the habit of going to the forest to gather potherbs. The two old people, knowing the direction each had taken, warned their charges against going where it was probable the one party might meet the other.

One day the seven sons went to the Surukuc forest to hunt, the girls also came to the same place to gather potherbs. Having collected their herbs, the girls were amusing themselves, singing and swinging on the branches of a Chapakia Bare tree.† The young men hearing singing said among themselves, "There are human beings near. Attracted by the sound they drew near, and saw the girls under the Chapakia Bare tree. When the girls became aware of the presence of the young men they left off swinging, and began to dance a Dahar dance, and to sing:

"The ants are swarming, Mother,

On the branches of the Chapakia Bare tree,

They are swarming, Mother. "

The young men then drew near to where they were dancing, and the girls invited them to join them. They accepted the invitation, and the two parties uniting began a Lagre dance.

• Ficus bengalensis, Linn.

+ Ficus tomentosa, L.

They paired according to their ages, the eldest son with the eldest daughter, and so on, down to the youngest. During the dance they sang the following:

"Underneath the Chapakia Bare,

Mother, see the young Boibindi deer."

Becoming tired of dancing, they went off by their pairs to the forest. As her daughters did not return as usual in the evening Pilchu Budhi was distressed and began to weep. On hearing her weeping Marang Buru came and enquired why she was troubled. She informed him that her daughters had gone off with some young men, and had not returned. He said, "Do not distress yourself, I shall bring your old man to you. After a short time he did so, and the old people met again after many years' separation. After this they removed to the Sui forest, where they all resided together.

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From here they went to Haradata, and then moved on to Khōjkāman, where they were divided into the following groups or tribes in the order of the birth of the males: (1) Kisku, (2) Murmu, (3) Hembrōm, (4) Sōren, (5) Hasdak, (6) Māradi, (7) Tudu. Afterwards other five groups or tribes were added. They are, (8) Baske, (?) Besrā, (10) Pauria, (11) Core; the twelfth, however, has been lost. (At this part of the narrative the following is sung by the reciter to a Dong air :

In Hihiri, Mother, I was born,

In Pipihri, Mother, I saw the light,

In Haradata, Mother, 1 grew up,

In Khojkāman, Mother, I was sought for.)

From Khōjkāman they went to Chãe, and thence to Champa, where they resided many years. Here their social distinctions or divisions were instituted. Kisku became the royal tribe under the cognomen of Kisku Rāj. The Murmus became the princely tribe, and were named Murmu Thakur. Hembrōm was ennobled, and known as Hembrōm Kuār. The Sōren became the Soldier tribe, and were named Sōren Sipahi. The Marndis were appointed the king's treasurers and stewards, and named Mārndi Kipisār.

The Tudus took to music, and received the title of Tudu Mandariya. There is no record of the offices conferred upon the other tribes preserved in the appellations they bear at the present day, although tradition records that the Baske group or tribe were merchants or traders.

Here Fort Kōendā was built, and was the residence of the Royal House of Kisku. Fort Champa belonged to the Princely House of Murmu, and Fort Badodi to the Marndi Kipisar. There were other forts, such as Fort Khaira, but tradition is less decided as to the tribes in whose possession they were.

About this time a great calamity overtook the race. It was almost utterly destroyed by fire from heaven. There are several versions of the tradition regarding it. Some say it occurred in Hihiri Pipihri, almost immediately after the creation of Pilchu Haṛām and Pilchu Budhi. Others assign it to a later period, and mention different localities as the scene of the catastrophe. Various reasons are also given as to why the race was thus visited. Some say, it was sent by the Deity as a punishment for the sins of the people; others that two discontented members of the Marndi tribe invoked the vengeance of Thakur upon those who had offended them. The account which places it immediately after the creation simply states the fact and avoids all reference to the causes which operated to bring it about.

The version which places this fire-flood at the earliest period. is as follows:

When Pilchu Hāṛām and Pilchu Budhi had reached adolescence it rained fire-rain for seven days and seven nights. They sought refuge from the burning liquid in a cave in a rock, from which when the flood was over, they emerged unscathed. Jāher-era then came and interrogated them as to where they had been. They replied, We were underneath The following verse completes the description :Seven days and seven nights it rained fire-rain, Where were you, ye two human beings:

a rock, "

Where did you pass the time?

Another variant is as follows:

At the time the different social distinctions and duties were assigned to the various tribes, it is said the Marndis were overlooked. Two members of this tribe, by name, Ambir Singh and Bir Singh, who had their residence on Mount Hērē, learning that they and their co-tribesmen had been slighted, became incensed against those who had been more fortunate, and prayed for fire from heaven to descend and destroy them. Their prayer was answered, and one-half of the country was destroyed, and half of the population perished.

The house in which Ambir Singh and Bir Singh lived was of stone, with a door of the same material. It therefore resisted the fire which was devastating the country far and wide, and the inhabitants escaped unhurt. (At this point in the recital the following is sung to a Bāhā air:

Thou art shut in with a stone door,

Ambir Singh, thou art shut in with a stone door,

Ambir Singh, the country is burning,

Ambir Singh, the country is burnt up.)

When Kisku Raj heard of what had happened, he enquired who had done it. He was informed that it was the work of Ambir Singh and Bir Singh. He at once ordered them into his presence and enquired why they had brought such a disaster upon the people. They replied, "In the distribution of distinctions and offices all were considered but ourselves." To this Kisku Raj replied, "Yes, yes, do not act thus, and you also shall receive an office." They then caused the fire to be extinguished. Kisku Rāj then addressing them, said, "I appoint you treasurers and stewards over all the property and possessions of all kings, princes, and nobles. All the dhan* and rice will be under your charge. From your hands will all the servants and dependants receive their daily portion. From that time the Märndi tribe became Märndi Kipisar. Another variant has it that while at Khōjkāman the iniquity of the people reached

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such a height that Thakur Jiu punished them by sending firerain upon the earth. Two individuals alone of the whole race escaped destruction by hiding in a cave in Mount Haradata.

About this time the chief of the house of Kisku took to himself a concubine named Sabnaerā, said to belong to the Birhor* tribe. She had a son whose name was Mādho Singh. On Madho Singh reaching man's estate he was employed in collecting revenue. One day two persons, named Bhat and Purhut, said to him, "Why do you work so hard, seeing you have only yourself to provide for? Why do you not get married?" Madho Singh replied, "I am not of the same caste as they are, and no one will give me his daughter to wife. " They said, "We will introduce the subject to the king and try to arrange the affair for you." They, therefore, on the first opportunity broached Madho Singh's marriage to several members of the house of Kisku, but they rejected the proposal with scorn, and roughly handled the two for having dared to suggest a marriage between Madho Singh and a daughter of the house of Kisku. They were greatly incensed at the treatment they had been subjected to, and vowed to have their revenge. So on meeting Madho Singh they said to him, "It was on your account we were beaten and disgraced. They would not listen to us, so we advise you to itut † one of their maidens.

When it became known that Madho Singh intended to wed one of their daughters by force, they held a consultation to decide as to what should be done. They said, "We are one people, and Madho Singh belongs to another people; we cannot give him one of our daughters. Come let us flee the country altogether." So they made carts having the axles all of one width, and taking as much of their household goods with them as they could, they left during the night. But some of them preferred their property to their caste. So they said, "Our lives will not

Literally jungle men. Birhors are a wandering tribe of Kolarian origin, who earn a precarious livelihood by the sale of ropes, etc., made from the fibre of Bauhinia Vahlii, eked out by jungle fruits, roots, etc.

† A form of marriage among the Santals in which a man forcibly weds a woman by simply marking her on the forehead with red lead, or sindur.

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