DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3909#0131
.( 12 )
During the Nauroz [evidently because it is not a national festival] and the Eed, none of
these national Shin songs are sung. Eggs are dyed in different colours and people[go about amusing
themselves by trying which eggs are hardest by striking the end of one against the end
of another. The possessor of the hard egg wins the broken one. The women, however,
amuse themselves on those days by tying ropes to trees and swinging themselves about on
them.
E.-LEGENDS KELATING TO ANIMALS.
1.—A BEAE PLATS WITH A COEPSE.
It is said that bears, as the winter is coming on, are in the habit of filling their dens
with grass and that they eat a plant, called " ajali," which has a narcotic effect upon
them and keeps them in a state of torpor during the winter. After three months, when the spring
arrives, they awake and go about for food. One of these bears once scented a corpse which he
disinterred. It happened to be that of a woman who had died a few days before. The bear,
who was in good spirits, brought her to his den where he set her upright against a stone and
fashioning a spindle with his teeth and paws gave it to her into one hand and placed some
wool into the other. He then went on growling "mu-mu-mu." to encourage the woman to
spin. He also brought her some nuts and other provisions to eat. Of course, his efforts
were useless, and when she after a few days gave signs of decomposition he ate her up in despair.
This is a story based on the playful habits of the bear.
2.—A BEAR MAEEIES A GIEL.
Another curious story is related of a bear. Two women, a mother and her little daughter,
were one night watching their field of Indian corn "makkay," against .the inroads of these
animals. The mother had to go to her house to prepare the food and ordered her daughter to
light a fire outside. Whilst she was doing this a bear came and took her away. He carried
her into his den, and daily brought her to eat and to drink. He rolled a big stone in front of
the den, whenever he went away on his tours, which the girl was not strong enough to remove.
When she became old enough to be able to do this he used daily to lick her feet, by which they
became swollen and eventually dwindled down to mere misshapen stumps. The girl, who
had become of age, had to endure the caresses of her guardian by whom she eventually became
enceinte. She died in child-birth, and the poor bear after vain efforts to restore her to life
roamed disconsolately about the fields.
3.—OEIGIN OF BEAES.
It is said that bears were originally the offspring of a man who was driven into
madness by his inability to pay his debts, and who took to the hills in order to avoid his
crGuitoi's
4.—THE BEAE AND THE ONE-EYED MAN.
The following story was related by a man of the name of Ghalib Shah residing at a
v illage near Astor, called Parishing. He was one night looking out whether any bear had come
into his "tromba" field.f He saw that a bear was there and that he with his forepaws
. * The scrupulousness of the Gipsies in discharging such obligations, when contracted with a member of the same race,
used to be" notorious.
t Tromba to be made eatable must be ground into flour, then boiled in water and placed in the "tshamiil" [in Astori]
or " poptish -■ [Ghilgiti] a receptacle under the hearth and has to be kept in this place for one night after which it is fit for
use after being roasted or put on a tawa [pan] like a Chupatti [a thin cake of unleavened bjead.]
" barao " or tshitti barao=sour barao [mdro barao=sweet barao.]
During the Nauroz [evidently because it is not a national festival] and the Eed, none of
these national Shin songs are sung. Eggs are dyed in different colours and people[go about amusing
themselves by trying which eggs are hardest by striking the end of one against the end
of another. The possessor of the hard egg wins the broken one. The women, however,
amuse themselves on those days by tying ropes to trees and swinging themselves about on
them.
E.-LEGENDS KELATING TO ANIMALS.
1.—A BEAE PLATS WITH A COEPSE.
It is said that bears, as the winter is coming on, are in the habit of filling their dens
with grass and that they eat a plant, called " ajali," which has a narcotic effect upon
them and keeps them in a state of torpor during the winter. After three months, when the spring
arrives, they awake and go about for food. One of these bears once scented a corpse which he
disinterred. It happened to be that of a woman who had died a few days before. The bear,
who was in good spirits, brought her to his den where he set her upright against a stone and
fashioning a spindle with his teeth and paws gave it to her into one hand and placed some
wool into the other. He then went on growling "mu-mu-mu." to encourage the woman to
spin. He also brought her some nuts and other provisions to eat. Of course, his efforts
were useless, and when she after a few days gave signs of decomposition he ate her up in despair.
This is a story based on the playful habits of the bear.
2.—A BEAR MAEEIES A GIEL.
Another curious story is related of a bear. Two women, a mother and her little daughter,
were one night watching their field of Indian corn "makkay," against .the inroads of these
animals. The mother had to go to her house to prepare the food and ordered her daughter to
light a fire outside. Whilst she was doing this a bear came and took her away. He carried
her into his den, and daily brought her to eat and to drink. He rolled a big stone in front of
the den, whenever he went away on his tours, which the girl was not strong enough to remove.
When she became old enough to be able to do this he used daily to lick her feet, by which they
became swollen and eventually dwindled down to mere misshapen stumps. The girl, who
had become of age, had to endure the caresses of her guardian by whom she eventually became
enceinte. She died in child-birth, and the poor bear after vain efforts to restore her to life
roamed disconsolately about the fields.
3.—OEIGIN OF BEAES.
It is said that bears were originally the offspring of a man who was driven into
madness by his inability to pay his debts, and who took to the hills in order to avoid his
crGuitoi's
4.—THE BEAE AND THE ONE-EYED MAN.
The following story was related by a man of the name of Ghalib Shah residing at a
v illage near Astor, called Parishing. He was one night looking out whether any bear had come
into his "tromba" field.f He saw that a bear was there and that he with his forepaws
. * The scrupulousness of the Gipsies in discharging such obligations, when contracted with a member of the same race,
used to be" notorious.
t Tromba to be made eatable must be ground into flour, then boiled in water and placed in the "tshamiil" [in Astori]
or " poptish -■ [Ghilgiti] a receptacle under the hearth and has to be kept in this place for one night after which it is fit for
use after being roasted or put on a tawa [pan] like a Chupatti [a thin cake of unleavened bjead.]
" barao " or tshitti barao=sour barao [mdro barao=sweet barao.]