FEBRUARY, 1873.]

THE MENHIRS OF HASSAN.

40

a village or of the country has to take place

is represented by several stones.

at the Küli Köta.

there stone-enclosures are

The heads of the fowls and

pigs are given to the performers, and the trunks are taken home to be prepared for dinner. The demons have their Kötas everywhere, near to and far from the houses and villages. A stone on an earth-bank under a tree some

times represents a body of them, sometimes only one of their number; at other places one demon

Here and

found around the

Kötas, and the Kötas themselves vary very much in size. Demons are not fed except at masques,

and on the performance of particular vows : in the latter case no Maleyālas or Tulus are required. Demons' food is arrack, fowls, and pigs, all three articles being much liked by the Coorgs themselves.

THE MENHIRS OF THE HASSAN DISTRICT. BY CAPTAIN J. S. F. MACKENZIE.

FROM all the information I have been able to

engraved upon them. This charm, it is sup

glean, the Menhirs of the Hassan district may be

posed, averts or removes the cattle disease from

divided into the following classes:—

the village once a year; the villagers assemble to worship it, when 101 of each of the following articles are presented—viz., pots of water, limes, plantains, betelnut, betel leaves, and copper coins. 4. Kari Kallu.—This is a plain, unhewn stone found inside and close to the village-gate.

1.

Maste Kallu.-These are rare. From three

to four feet high, adorned with the simple figure of a woman, they mark the spot where some devot ed wife has sacrificed herself on her husband's

pyre. Transient as the flames in which she perished has been the woman's fame; her his tory and her name are lost. No inscriptions are ever found on such monumental stones: there

is the figure of a woman, and nothing more. 2. Kodu Kallu (slaughter-stones).-These, as I have before observed, are common all over the district.

Several are to be found in almost

Neither figure nor inscription is ever found

upon it. It was set up when the village was first formed. Once a year the headman of the village, or his henchman—the Kulwadi—presents an offering to this stone. 5. Vyasana-tólu Kallu (Vyasana’s arm stone).-These are rare, and are generally close

every village, but their history has been forgotten. They are usually divided into three compart

to the Mutt (monastery 2) of some Saiva priest.

ments, but not always; for on the Mulnad we

is said to account for the origin of these stones:— Vyasa was once asked by his disciples—“Who

find only an armed man and his wife. The divi sions between, and by the side of, the panels, in which are sculptured the three stages of the important event in the hero's history which the

The following story from the Skanda Purāna

is the first and greatest—Vishnu or Śiva."

stone is intended to commemorate, often bear

Vyasa replied—“Wishnu.” Those of his disciples who preferred Śiva expressed an unwillingness to be satisfied unless Vyasa would

inscriptions in the old Canarese character. Now

make this statement on oath, in presence of the

that the oldest form of this character has been

god, in the temple of Išvanāth. Vyasa agreed to do so, and, raising his right hand, began to

deciphered, the reading of these inscriptions ought no longer to be the riddle it has been. The linga is always delineated in the upper compart ment. This proves that the men who were slain

were Šivabactaru (followers of Siva). The Bellala kings (A.D. 1000) were not followers of Siva; and since their time no kings of that faith have ruled the country. Either, then, the court reli gion differed from that of the masses, or these stones were erected before the time of the Bellala

kings. Judging by the character of the in scriptions, I should say they date from 800 to 1000 A.D.

3. Toda Kena Kallu.—These are rare. They are found near the village-gate, and have a charm

take the oath before the god. This was too much for Busiévara, who could not stand his master

being reduced to the second place.

He there

fore drew his sword and cut off Vyasa's arm.

The holy man appealed to Vishnu to restore the arm he had lost in attempting to assert his

superiority. The god appeared and told his disciple that he was helpless in the matter, since Išvara was undoubtedly his superior. Vyasa now returned to Išvara and begged that the arm which had offended might, as a punishment, be tied hereafter to the leg of Buswa (the bull,

Siva's vehicle). To this Isvara agreed, and supplied Vyasa with a new arm.