Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/462

two sacred plants, which had been previously offered to the god in his house. Having waded out into the centre of the stream, the maibi moved slowly to and fro, tinkling a small bell, while on the bank another maibi tinkled a bell and chanted in company with some maibas. Suddenly the priestess in the river stumbled and fell, and then rose with the brass vessel full of water. Khumlangba had come. The vessel with its sacred contents was placed in a litter, and carried up to the lai-sang. At Moirang, where dwells the god Thāngjing, the procedure was different. The Moirang ningthau and his wife were seated under umbrellas by the stream which runs through the village (Plate XI.), In the lap of each was an earthen vessel containing 20 gunmetal coins, a betel nut, and a pān leaf, the top being covered with leaves from which project bunches of leaves surmounted by white flowers. To the neck of each jar a cotton thread was attached, the remainder being wound upon a bobbin. The maibis sprinkled the water with rice flour and roasted rice called puk-yu, wai-yu. Seven short lengths of bamboo were stuck in the mud beside the water, and these were sprinkled with rice and water. This was an offering to the seven Sa-roi-nga-roi, evil spirits always on the look out to injure mankind. The chief maibi then came forward and entered the water, carrying a parcel wrapped in leaves containing a duck's egg, a little gold and silver, and a lime. She first flipped the water with her fingers thrice, to remove any evil influences, and then immersed the parcel. After withdrawing it she threw it into the stream. This operation was repeated with another parcel, and then with two together. The first two parcels were for the gods of the rivers and lakes, known as Ike Ningthau and Irai Leima. When the maibi threw the offerings, she murmured,—"We give you this to eat. We know you as Muba and Mubi (Black Ones)." Every Manipuri has a pet name, and the maibi used these nicknames of the god and goddess to show