EXPLANATORY NOTES.
“Zulf-kur-Nain.”—A compound of the two words “Zulf” and “Kernain.” The first in Persian represents a curl, and the latter is from the Arabic word “Kernai,” a horn. It is supposed that “Secundur” or Alexander the Great had two curls on his forehead like horns, so he was given the surname of “He of the two Horns.” (See Hughes.)
“Ab-Hyātt.”—-Ab, Persian for water; Hyātt, Arabic for life. The incident of Alexander’s search for the Water of Life is referred to by Crooke in these words: “According to the ‘Sikandar-Nama’ (written A.D. 1200 by Abu-Mahomed) Kwaja Khizr was a saint of Islam who presided over the well of immortality, and directed Alexander of Macedon in his vain search for the blessed waters. The fish is his vehicle, and hence its image is painted over the doors of both Hindus and Mahomedans, while it became the family crest of the late Royal House of Oudh.” As to Alexander, it is generally the result of a great name to be enshrined in fables, and as it has been said, to become the basis of mythopœic fiction as in this tale.
“Raven.”—The word used for this bird by the narrator was Dhur-Kōwa; Kōwa, literally meaning a crow, answering to the word Kawwâ in Hindustani.
The natives of the district draw a great contrast between the raven and the crow. With them the former is an emblem of greed and rapacity; the latter, of quickness and cunning. They hold the raven to be a bird of ill omen, and are not singular in their belief. In some of our own country-sides they are said to forbode death.
“The boding raven on her cottage sat
And with hoarse croakings warned us of our fate,”—Gay.
The raven is often, in the legends of other countries, referred to as a bird which causes disappointment. Apollo sent a raven on a message, but he perched on a fig-tree and there waited until the fruit was ripe. There is also the memorable instance recorded in Holy Writ of the Raven sent out from the Ark. There are traditions too, about other birds, but that which is considered the most ominous is the “Ghoo Ghoo” owl, Ghoo Ghoo being the Hindustani word for this peculiar owl, whose sound is dreaded as a devil-bird. Of the smaller owls they have no such fear.
Note.—There is a native saying in the district in regard to the habits of the crow, which may appear to be asleep, but is ever on the alert.
Kânh kirrar khutâh dhâh
Vyssâh nah karreeay sathrydhâh
TRANSLATION.
Put little trust in a sleeping crow, a bunniah, or a dog; their eyes
are open though they appear to sleep.
It is as well to add here under this tale of “Secundur” the words they apply to the uncertainty of his great life.
Saddhânh nâh Baghay “Bulbul” bolaynh
Saddhânh nâh Bâgh Baharânh
Saddhânh nâh Raj khusheedhâ hondhâh
Saddhânh nâh Mujlio Tarrânh.
TRANSLATION.
For ever the Bulbul in the garden warbles not;
For ever the garden is not green and flourishing;
For ever kings do not reign in unalloyed happiness;
For ever friends each other’s society enjoy not.
Note as to owl omens.—Certain physical infirmities in man are reckoned inauspicious, and forbode evil, such as to be blind of one eye. It is very unlucky to look at a one-eyed man, and even if he should be in a high position, as was the case a long while ago with a celebrated chieftain in the North of India, he does not escape a sneer.
When he put an increased tax on the weavers, it is said they taunted him in the following rhyme:
Jowahur Singh kanah
Thray rupeea khuddee. Panj rupeea tana
TRANSLATION.
Jowahur Singh, the one-eyed man,
Fixes a tax of three rupees on the hole we sit in, and five rupees on the warp besides.
Again, they have a saying as to those to be avoided:
Kurria Brâhman
Gorâ Soodh
Kotay gurduniah
Kunjah Rajpoot.
TRANSLATION.
A black Brahmin,
A fair-coloured Soodh (Soodhra, or low caste)
A short-necked person
A blue or grey-eyed Rajpoot.
There are many other evil omens too numerous to mention; such as, meeting a corpse being carried to burial; an oil seller; or a woman with an empty water-pot; a crow sitting on a dry tree with no water near. The reverse of the picture is lucky; so it would be a piece of good fortune to see a crow sitting on a tree near where there was water.
With some Hindus it is unfortunate when setting out on a journey for one of the party to sneeze, and they generally get down for a while until the evil spell, supposed to be from an evil bird is believed to be over. Men of the sweeper caste are often called “Kal-jibha,” or black-tongued, and whose curses always prevail.
“Trees.”—There is a universal belief amongst Hindus that in most trees certain spirits take up their abode, and that to destroy a tree is to disturb the spirits, who have to be appeased by offerings of grain and oil to keep off evil consequences to the village.
There are certain special trees in addition to the two oracular trees of Alexander, called by the natives Mather and Emaüsae, notably the Ficus religiosa, or “Pepul” tree, towards which their veneration shews itself in devotional acts which may be termed “Tree worship.” In the Hazara and other districts it is not an uncommon thing to see small hollow shrines placed beneath this particular class of tree, containing a small lamp, and sprinkled over with yellow ochre and oil, while the tree itself is encircled by a white thread.
One such tree was planted years ago in the jail for Indian transports at Singapore; the charge of which was for years under Major McNair, one of the authors of this volume. It was called by the Hindus “Aswatha,” and it was currently believed that it spoke and sang through the points of its heart-shaped leaves. They looked upon it as the abode of their principal deities.
The “Tulsi” shrub, or “Holy basil,” as before said, is also held in great veneration, and has over and over again formed the subject of verse. Here is one example:
Tulsi birwa bagh men
Seencht hay komlahay
Rahê bhurlosa Ram kay
Purbuth pur hurriayi.
TRANSLATION.
The Tulsi tree that grows in the garden
Droops even when well watered;
But where it grows dependent only on God,
There, even on mountain tops, it is green and fresh.
The famous fabulous tree, “Pari Jatamu,” which one reads of in the Puranas, (old Sanscrit records,) a sort of jasmine; and the Vata fig-tree of “Orissa,” were said to be endowed with knowledge and speech like the oak of Dodona. By approaching them in a respectful manner you obtain from them knowledge, riches, and everything you can wish for, but they are difficult of access.—Wilford.
Note.—In many parts of India it is well known that to make an offering to a deity offended, and to pacify his wrath, five twigs of the following sacred trees are put into a jar of water and invoked.
1. Aswatha (Ficus religiosa).
2. Vata (Ficus Indica).
3. Adumbar (Ficus glomerata).
4. Sami (Mimosa albida).
5. Amra (Mango) (Spondias Mangifera).