Part 12 (1/2)

5. Jugah _Pennu_, the G.o.d of small-pox.

6. Madzu _Pennu_, or the village deity, the universal _genius loci_.

7. Soro _Pennu_, the hill G.o.d.

8. Jori _Pennu_, the G.o.d of streams.

9. Gossa _Pennu_, the forest G.o.d.

10. Munda _Pennu_, the tank G.o.d.

11. Sugu _Pennu_, or Sidruja _Pennu_, the G.o.d of fountains.

12. Pidzu _Pennu_, the G.o.d of rain.

13. Pilamu _Pennu_, the G.o.d of hunting.

14. The G.o.d of births.[36]

The most southern of the Orissa hill-tribes are the _Sur_; connected by language with the preceding tribes; as they were with each other and the Rajmahali mountaineers.

These stand in remarkable contrast with the rest of the population of Orissa; whose language is the Udiya, a tongue which, according to many, belongs to a wholly different cla.s.s, or, at least, to a different division of the present.

South of Chicacole, however, the Tamul tongues are spoken continuously.

I cannot say where the southern limits of the Sur population come in contact with the northern ones of the--

_Chenchwars_--who occupy the same range of mountains, in the parts between the rivers Kistna and Pennar, and, probably, extending as far south as the neighbourhood of Madras. Their language is the Telugu, the language of the parts around, and of Tamul origin.[37] The contrast between the Chenchwars of the hills, and the Telingas of the lower country lies in their mythologies; the former retaining much of the original creed of their country, the latter being Brahminists.

Below Madras, the mountain range changes its direction, and the next locality under notice is the Neilgherry hills.

The families here are--

1. _The Cohatars_--so little Indianized as to eat of the flesh of the cow, amounting to about two thousand in number, and occupants of the highest part of the range.

2. _The Tudas._--An interesting monograph by Captain Harkness has drawn unusual attention to these mountaineers, the chief points of importance being the comparative absence of all elements of Brahminism, and the occurrence in their physiognomy of the most favourable points of Hindu beauty--regular and delicate features, oval face, and a clear brunette skin. Free from the other religious and social characteristics of Hinduism as the Tudas may be, they still admit a sort of caste; _e.g._, whilst the _Peiki_, or _Toralli_, may perform any function, the _Kuta_, or _Tardas_, are limited. Neither did they always intermarry, though they do now; their offspring being called _Mookh_, or _descendants_.

3. _The Curumbas_, called by the Tudas _Curbs_, inhabit a lower level than the preceding populations, but a higher one than--

4. _The Erulars_ at the foot of the hills; falling into two divisions--_a_, the _Urali_ (a name to be noticed), and _b_, the _Curutali_.

Between the Neilgherries and Cape Comorin, the hill-tribes are worth enumerating, if only for the sake of showing their complexity. According to Lieutenant Conner in the ”Madras Journal,” they are--1, Cowders; 2, Vaishvans; 3, Mudavenmars; 4, Arreamars, or Vailamers; 5, Ural-Uays.

Besides these, there is a population of predial slaves, divided and subdivided.

1. Vaituvan, Konaken.

2. Polayers-- _a._ Vulluva.

_b._ Kunnaka.

_c._ Morny Pulayer.

3. Pariahs.

4. Vaidurs.

5. Ulanders and Naiadi.