The Todas
THE TODAS
Rivers’s Todas.
D. R. R. Clark, Ld. Printers, Edinburgh
BY W. H. R. RIVERS FELLOW OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
London MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1906 All rights reserved
It has been my object in writing this book to make it, not merely a record of the customs and beliefs of a people, but also a demonstration of anthropological method. The great need of anthropology at the present time is for more exact method, not only in collecting material, but also in recording it, so that readers may be able to assign its proper value to each fact, and may be provided with definite evidence which will enable them to estimate the probable veraciousness and thoroughness of the record.
With this idea in my mind I have tried to describe as fully as possible the way in which my account has been built up, and have been careful to point out the different degrees of trustworthiness of different portions of my story. Perhaps I have been so anxious to make it clear when my record is of doubtful value that sometimes I may have laid undue stress on its uncertainties and deficiencies.
I have not attempted such a comparative study of Toda institutions. It was often very tempting to suggest resemblances with the practices of other peoples of the present or the past, but the result would have been to swell the book to unwieldy dimensions, and perhaps to have obscured the description of the life of the people. In giving parallels for Toda custom I have therefore limited myself to examples from other parts of India, and even here I have only dealt with a few resemblances which illustrate certain suggestions made in the final chapter on the origin and affinities of the Toda people.
In conclusion, I am very glad to express my gratitude for help received from many sources. The researches on which the book is based were undertaken in consequence of the award to myself of the income of the Gunning Fund of the Royal Society for the years 1901–2, and my work was also assisted by a grant from the British Association. In India I received every assistance from those whose official positions gave them the means of helping me, and my thanks are especially due to Mr. Edgar Thurston, whose kind interest and assistance I cannot sufficiently acknowledge. I owe much to the care and attention with which my two interpreters, P. Samuel and Albert Urrilla, performed their duties, and I am greatly indebted to the managers of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society at Ootacamund for the services of the former, and to Mr. C. M. Mullaly and Mr. Hadfield for giving the latter leave from his forest duties in order that he might help me.
W. H. R. Rivers
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THE TODAS
PREFACE
CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PHONETIC SYSTEM
Map.
THE TODAS
Methods
The Village and the House
The Daily Life of the Todas
Sketch of Social Organisation
The Dairy Organisation
The Dairy
The Toda Buffalo
Dairy Procedure
The Care of the Ordinary Buffaloes
The Tarvali
The Kudrpali
The Wursuli
The Daily Life of the Wursol
The Kugvali of Taradr
The Dairy of Kanòdrs
The Teivali Dairy
The Contents of the poh
The Daily Life at the Ti
The Palol
The Kaltmokh
The Mòrol
New Dairy Vessels
The Five Ti
The Nòdrs Ti
The Kars Ti
The Pan Ti
The Kwòdrdoni Ti
The Nidrsi Ti
Migrations of the Village Buffaloes
Migration of the Ti Buffaloes
The Palikartmokh
The Wursol
The Kugvalikartmokh of Taradr and the Pohkartpol of Kanòdrs
The Kaltmokh
The Ordination of the Palol
The Tesherst Ceremony
The Niroditi Ceremony
The Pepkaricha Ceremony
The Irpalvusthi Ceremony
Giving Salt To Buffaloes
The Ponup Ceremony
Pithi
Ön
Teikirzi
Teipakh, or Tirshti
Anto
Kulinkars
Nòtirzi
Korateu or Kuzkarv
Puzi and Kurindo
Kwoten, Teikuteidi, and Elnâkhum
Kwoto or Meilitars
Other Gods
The Village Prayer
Prayer of Kuudr
Prayer of Kiudr
Prayer of Kwirg
The Prayer of the Kanòdrs Dairy
The ti Prayer
The Anto Prayer
The Prayer of Makars
Comparison of the Procedure of Different Dairies
The Sanctity of Milk
Special Dairy Customs
Purity and Impurity
Women and the Dairy
History of the Dairy
Divination
Sorcery
The Evil Eye
Various Magical Remedies
Omens
The Erkumptthpimi Ceremony
The Sacrifice at the Ti
The Erkumptthpimi Prayer of Kuudr
The Kars Prayer
The Teutütusthchi Ceremony
Offerings
Irnörtiti to the Ti
Irnörtiti, Tuninörtiti and Pilinörtiti
The Irnörtiti Ceremony
Tuninörtiti
Pilinörtiti
The Pursütpimi Ceremony
Childbirth
Seclusion after Childbirth
Uncovering the Child’s Face
Naming the Child
The Tersamptpimi Ceremony
The Ear-piercing Ceremony
The Puzhutpimi Ceremony
The Tiveri tûr Ceremony
The Slaughter of the Buffaloes.
The Cloth-giving Ceremony
The Cremation
Some Special Funeral Ceremonies
The Interval between the two Funerals
The Marvainolkedr
The Koòtiti Ceremony
The Azaramkedr
Funeral Laments
Purification Ceremonies
The Funerals of Children
Funeral Contributions
Amnòdr
Origin of Funeral Customs
The Madnol and Palinol
The arpatznol.
Sacred Numbers
Hills and Other Places.
Rivers
Villages
The Dairy
The Threshold
Bells
Relics
The Buffalo and its Milk
Other Animals
Trees and Plants
The Sun, Light, and Fire
Stones
The Gods
Influence of other Religious Systems
Magic and Religion
The Value of the Genealogical Record
The Trustworthiness of the Genealogies
Buffalo Pedigrees
The Toda Population
Proportion of the Sexes
Twins
The Determination of Age
Kinship Taboos
Kinship Salutations
The Duties of Kin
The Regulation of Marriage
Kinship and Marriage
The Marriage of Matchuni
Polyandry
Polygyny
Exchange of Brother and Sister
The Custom of ‘Terersthi’
Divorce
The Mokhthoditi Institution
Sexual Morality
The History of Pinpurz Kutan
The Clan
The Kudr
The Pòlm
Laws of Descent
Adoption
Government
Crime
Suicide
The Monegar
Headmen
Property
Debt and Servitude
The Position of Women
Clothing
Methods of Wearing the Hair
Skin-marks
Ornaments
Food
Fire-making
The House
Implements and Utensils
The Pounder, Sieve, and Broom
Weapons
Measures and Numerals
Money
The Calendar
The Week
Astronomical Ideas
The Sun
The Moon
Planets
Constellations and Stars
Games
Riddles
Poetry and Music
Phonetics
Sacred Language
Secret Language
Change of Name
Taboos on Names
Todas and Badagas
Todas and Kotas
Todas and Kurumbas
Todas and Irulas
The Tarthar Clans
The Teivali Clans
APPENDIX IV
GLOSSARY
INDEX
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
GENEALOGICAL TABLES.
Table of Contents
Colophon
Availability
Metadata
External References
Corrections
