February, 1873.] THE MENHIRS OF HASSAN. 40 a village or of the country has to take place at the Ku]i Kota. 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 Ivotas 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 is represented by several stones. Here and there stone-enclosures are found around the Kotas, and the Kotas themselves vary very much in size. Demons arc not fed except at masques, and on the performance of particular vows : in the latter case no Maleyajas or Tujus 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 glean, the Menhirs of the Hassan district may be divided into the follow ing classes :— 1. Maate 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 every village, but their history has been forgotten. They are usually divided into three compart¬ ments, but not always; for on the Mulnad we 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 stone is intended to commemorate, often bear inscriptions in the old Canarese character. Now that the oldest form of this character has been 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 Sivabactaru (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 engraved upon them. This charm, it is sup¬ posed, averts or removes the cattle disease from 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. 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-tdlu Kallu (Vyasana’s arm- stone).—These are rare, and are generally close to the Mutt (monastery?) of some Saiva priest. The following story from the Skanda Purana is said to account for the origin of these stones :— Vyasa was once asked by his disciples—“ Who is the first and greatest—Vishnu or Siva?” Vyasa replied—“ Vishnu.” Those of his disciples who preferred Siva expressed an unwillingness to be satisfied unless Vyasa would make this statement on oath, in presence of the god, in the temple of Isvanath. Vyasa .agreed to do so, and, raising his right hand, began to take the oath before the god. This was too much for Busisvara, 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 Isvara was undoubtedly his superior. Vyasa now returned to Isvara and begged that the arm which had offended might, as a punishment, be tied hereafter to the leg of Busva (the bull, Siva’s vehicle). To this Isvara agreed, and supplied Vyasa with a new arm.
