Siva, 24, 65, 71, 86, 101, 115, 162, 163, 184, 279, 297, 305, 307, 308
Skewer through cheeks and tongue, 138, 143, 144, 145
Skull, human, used in sorcery, 228, 241
—— of bull to ward off evil eye, 113
Sleep, omens, 19
Slippers, beating with, 28
Smallpox, 29, 36, 39, 59, 115, 166 175, 212, 235
Smasanākollai festival, 136
Snake, 20, 25, 43, 71, 89–91, 96, 98, 186, 260
——, cremation, 123
—— gods, propitiation by Pulluvans, 129–32
—— grove, 122–3, 126–7, 129, 131
—— mosque at Manarghāt, 129
—— shrine (nāga kovil), 92
—— songs, 128
——-wood tree, 91
Snakes, images, 43, 124, 127, 160
—— inhabit white-ant hills, 129, 133–6
Sonaga, 196
Square, magic, 32, 36–7, 74, 78, 183, 184, 194, 215, 274, 276
Squirrel, 83–4
Srādh (anniversary ceremony for dead), 67–8, 83
Srāvana Belgola, colossal Jain figure, 135
Srinivāsa fish, 102
Sterility, umbilical cord a cure, 55
Stone, magic (yantram rāyi), 180, 183–5.
Stones piled up as vow, 158;
in honour of deity, 155–7;
throwing into house, 239;
water-worn in shrine, 14
Strangers, unlucky omen, 111 Strychnos Nux-vomica, 248, 251, 290
Sugar, 78, 86, 140,
147, 170, 171, 213.
See Jaggery
Sun, 43, 51, 64, 204, 206, 276
—— god, 35
Suttee, 75
Sword balanced on pot, 39;
boundary ceremony, 36;
cutting body, 144, 145, 278;
in worship, 153, 177
Tāli, 46, 47, 48, 51, 143, 153, 158, 166, 195, 297
Teeth, extraction, 257–60
Telli, 81
Temple car, 53, 114, 144,
222–3, 297;
festival, 142 Terminalia
tomentosa, 36, 304
Tēyyambādi, 128
Thanda Pulayan, 246 Thelyphonus (whip-scorpion), 105
Thorns fixed to door, 296;
lying and sitting on, 145;
stuck into effigies, 120, 251, 252, 254;
to catch earth spirit, 243
Thread, sacred, 194
—— (string), charm, 193;
for tying yantram, 220;
movement as omen, 15, 41;
wound round ant-hill, 135–6
Thulabhāram ceremony, 171–2
Thunder, 19
Tiger, 14, 57, 74–6, 189, 260, 261, 262, 280
Tirupati (Tirumala), 55, 137, 141, 143, 148, 156–9, 161, 168–9
Tiyan, 46, 82, 128, 162–3, 246
Toad, 100
Tobacco, 20, 27, 178, 208, 250, 259
Toddy, 186, 187, 200, 251, 252, 253, 262, 263, 287, 295, 299, 302
Torch, against evil eye, 115;
beating body, 146;
in death ceremony, 244;
rain ceremony, 309;
snake ceremony, 131;
rag torch tied to tree, 156
Treading on charm, 185,
243, 247, 252, 307;
on name cut on road, 159;
water poured on footsteps, 51.
See Earth
Treasure, beliefs, 85, 90–1, 102, 221;
human sacrifice, 215–21
Tree of testimony as charm, 188
Tree-snake, Dendrophis, 96;
Dryophis, 96, 97
Trisula (Siva’s trident), 183–4
Tūd (Meliosma pungens) in Badaga ceremony, 300
Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), 53, 291
Turban, omen, 41
Turmeric, 36, 40, 77, 114, 117, 125, 130, 166, 170, 171, 175, 176, 177, 185, 190, 194, 199, 202, 206, 212, 227, 243, 246, 269, 278, 283, 284, 292, 293, 295
Twins, 54
Umbrella, unlucky, 29, 63;
silver, offering, 160
Uncle, 55;
maternal, 54, 55, 70;
paternal, 55
Urine of animals as omen, 15,
21, 58;
of enemy in magic, 187, 248;
of cattle, 58, 59, 79,
97;
of monkey, 73;
of monsters, 310–1;
of wild dogs, 79
Vada, 40–1
Valluvan magician, 268
Valmīki, 135
Varuna japam, prayer to the rain god, 308–10
Velama, 216
Velichchapād, 277–8
Vellālan, 133
Venus, planet, 44
Vettiyan grave-digger, 309
Vettuvan, 151 Vigna Catiang seeds as omens, 39
Virgin and Child, picture works miracles, 161
——, catamenial blood in magic, 240;
corpse in sorcery, 242;
vows, 158
Vishnupād (feet of Vishnu), 193
Vontigadu ceremony, 50–1
Vulture, sacred, 86
Washing of feet, ceremonial, 22, 31
Water, charm, 189;
drunk as charm, 187;
holy, 14, 123, 220;
poured over idol as vow, 147;
cf. 142
Wave offering, 114, 115, 117–9, 135, 171, 245
White-ant. See Ant
Whooping-cough caused by Bhairava, the dog-god, 196
Winnowing basket, 292, 293;
fan, 26, 283, 306;
sieve, 20, 80, 117, 287;
tray, 68, 283
Wolf, 77
Woodpecker, 85
Wool of black sheep, charm, 191
Words, lucky and unlucky, 29, 30, 31
Yantram, 182, 185–7, 196–7, 219, 227
Yantrasara, 181
Yerukala. See Korava
Yetah fish (Bagarius), used in magic, 253
Yōgi, 104