[960] Sarat Chandra Mitra, “On some Ceremonies for producing Rain,” Journal of the Anthropological Society of Bombay, iii. 25. On these Indian rain-charms compare W. Crooke, Popular Religion and Folklore of Northern India (Westminster, 1896), i. 68 sqq. Mr. E. S. Hartland suggests that such customs furnish the key to the legend of Lady Godiva (Folklore, i. (1890) pp. 223 sqq.). Some of the features of the ceremonies, though not the ploughing, reappear in a rain-charm practised by the Rajbansis of Bengal. The women make two images of Hudum Deo out of mud or cow-dung, and carry them away into the fields by night. There they strip themselves naked, and dance round the images singing obscene songs. See (Sir) H. H. Risley, The Tribes and Castes of Bengal: Ethnographic Glossary (Calcutta, 1891–92), i. 498. Again, in time of drought the Kapu women of Southern India mould a small figure of a naked human being to represent Jokumara, the rain-god. This they place in a mock palanquin and go about for several days from door to door, singing indecent songs and collecting alms. Then they abandon the figure in a field, where the Malas find it and go about with it in their turn for three or four days, singing ribald songs and collecting alms. See E. Thurston, Castes and Tribes of Southern India, iii. 244 sq. We have seen (pp. 267 sq.) that lewd songs form part of an African rain-charm. The link between ribaldry and rain is not obvious to the European mind.
[961] T. C. Hodson, “The Native Tribes of Manipur,” Journal of the Anthropological Institute, xxxi. (1901) pp. 302 sq.
[962] B. Houghton, in Indian Antiquary, xxv. (1896) p. 112.
[963] C. Lumholtz, Unknown Mexico (London, 1903), i. 330.
[964] G. Turner, Samoa, pp. 345 sq.
[965] Father Lambert, in Missions Catholiques, xxv. (1893) p. 116; id., Mœurs et superstitions des Néo-Calédoniens (Nouméa, 1900), pp. 297 sq.
[966] W. R. S. Ralston, The Songs of the Russian People, pp. 425 sq.; P. v. Stenin, “Ueber den Geisterglauben in Russland,” Globus, lvii. (1890) p. 285.
[967] Aristophanes, Clouds, 373.
[968] M. Abeghian, Der armenische Volksglaube, p. 93.
[969] J. Rendel Harris, MS. notes.