BHIL TRIBES.
391
throw her into the water, when, if she sink, she is no witch, but if she swim she is. Another mode is by rubbing red pepper in the eyes, which in a witch has no power to produce tears. ‘
is
by the ceremony of Chdk
Bhi'ls
of the two villages to which
Their method of settling disputes
Phinia, or the assemblage of
The
the disputants belong.
all
the
matter
is
then discussed
and when they
are agreed as to the Sentence to be passed, one party pours a quantity
of spirits into the hand of his opponent, who, after praying that ever quarrels again on the point
now
settled, the
Mata or small-pox may fall upon him, drinks then goes through the same ceremony.’
The are
Bhi'lala is
off
he
the other party
a cross between a Bhil and Rajput.
Of
this class
They do not intermarry
the Bhil chiefs of the Vindhya range.
all
it
if
curse of the deity
with Bhils, but only in their own caste. Their marriage ceremonies comprise the agreement, the betrothal, and the wedding. The cere-
mony
of agreement consists of an interchange of
visits
by members of
the bride’s and bridegroom’s family, during which the necessary liquor preliminaries is drunk. The betrothal and wedding are performed by the bride and bridegroom being painted over for the discussion of the
with turmeric ten days before the wedding, both parties eating together,
and the bridegroom being conveyed on horseback to the bride’s house, where a mandap or kind of shed is put up, which he first enters. The bride is then brought out to him, and they both march seven times round a burnt-offering of oil-seed and barley, their clothes being tied together. The night is spent in drinking and dancing, and in the morning the bridegroom takes the bride to his own house. The dowry given by the bridegroom is Rs. 16^, or 33s., while the bride contributes her jewels. The BhilaM women do not make second marriages, although the Bhil women may. If the husband die, his brother alone may take the widow, and all the property and children. But the brother-in-law sometimes gives her away, without consulting her wishes, to
another
man
property
is
bride an irregularity which proves a fruitful Should a widow have no offspring, her husband’s
for a
source of quarrel. divided
among
formal. there
Bhil
is
his relations.
Bhilalas, and are less With them marriages take place at the age of 12 years, and no betrothal. The Bhils are very suspicious of their wives.
Bhil marriages differ
women who
run away to a
somewhat from those of
leave their husbands subject the
man
with
whom
fine of twelve cattle in the case of a first marriage
in the case of a second.
In the case of running away with a
they
six
virgin,
is only three. The Bhils bury boys and virgins and those who have died of small-pox. All others are burnt the funeral ceremonies being performed by the Gosain Rawals, who are generally presented
the fine
with a bullock for their part in the work.
