*

Mariatale was the wife of Chamadaguini, and the mother of Parapourama, who was no less a being than the great Vichenou in his eighth incarnation. Mariatale commanded the elements, which power she was to retain as long as her heart remained pure. She was one day collecting water from a pool, and forming it into a globe, according to her usual custom; when she saw reflected from the surface of the pool, the images of a group of beautiful winged sylphs, who were hovering over her head. Their delicate forms, and graceful movements, when fluttering in the air, drew too much attention; desire entered her heart, on which the water instantly lost its spherical form, dissolved in her hand, and flowed into the pool. From that moment she could never carry water without the assistance of an urn. Chamadaguini discovered by this loss of power the mental impurity of his wife; and was so violently enraged that he commanded his son instantly to smite off her head.

The mandate was obeyed, but Parapourama became so deeply afflicted with the death of his mother, that the father relenting, desired

* Voyages aux Indes Orientales et a la Chine par ordre du Roi depuis 1774. jusqu'an 1781. par. M. Sonnerat, &c. &c. &c. Paris 1781. Tom. i. p. 244.

him to rejoin the decollated head to the body, and whisper a prayer in the ear, by which she would be reanimated. The son was transported with joy; but from eager precipitation, united to the body of his mother the head of a Parichi, who had been executed for infamous deeds.

The virtues of a goddess, and the vices of a demon, were thus mingled in Mariatale, who, therefore was expelled from her home; and wherever she passed, she committed abominable cruelties. At length to pacify her, and to put a stop to her ravages, the deities, named Deverkels, assigned her the power of curing the Small Pox, and promised that she should be invoked in that distemper. But Mariatale fearing, that in consequence of her degradation, she would no longer be adored by her son, besought the Deverkels to grant her another child. They gave her Catavaragen: and the mother and son share between them the adoration of the Parias, one of the lowest casts in India. This son is the only deity to whom offerings are made of dressed. meat and salt fish, which is owing to his being considered as the son of a Parias.

The goddess is the great deity of this cast, and many temples have been built to her. There is also an occasional festival in honor of her which is celebrated on no fixed day, but whenever an alarm is taken. There are persons who have

6

been kindly treated by Mariatale, or who are desirous of her protection, that sometimes make a vow from gratitude, or to gain her favor, to suspend themselves in the air. This is performed by a rope fixed to a high projecting beam, with two hooks which are stuck through the flesh of the votary's loins; who is then raised up twenty feet from the ground, and whirled round and round in the air. During this horrid ceremony, he is expected to preserve a cheerful countenance. For if he sheds one tear, he is expelled from his cast, and dishonoured for life.

This ceremony is disapproved, and even despised by the Bramins.

Baldæus *, a Dutch clergyman, passed some years in Hindostan and Ceylon. From the information which he collected from those Bramins whom he had opportunities of meeting; and from their sacred books, he gives a very different account of the Small Pox God. dess.

He calls her Patragali, and gives a print of her tremendous form: she had eight faces and sixteen arms, and was the daughter of a god

* A true and exact description of the East India coast by Philip Baldæus, about the year 1664. Collection of Voyages. Churchill, vol. iii.

named Ixora, whose figure was equally extraordinary.

It happened that Ixora was oppressed by a very terrible monster, whom he durst not encounter ; but Patragali assaulted and destroyed this enemy. Then exulting in her victory, she went to communicate the tidings to her father, who being accidentally naked, escaped from modesty into a cistern. When Ixora had heard his daughter's narrative, he bestowed as a reward, some morsels of flesh, and a copious draught of blood. But perceiving that she was dissatisfied, he cut off one of his fingers, and by the wound, filled a large bason with his own blood, which he presented to Patragali. The maw of this ravenous Deity, though thus glutted with her father's blood, was not satiated: and in her fury, she took off some golden beads from a chain she wore round her neck, and dashed them at his face. Ixora exclaimed, "Basuri ! "Oh you revengeful woman!"

There immediately broke out on his face a great number of small pimples: on which, to pacify her, he created two beings to attend and serve her: desiring that she would henceforth reside among mortals, and require from them vows and sacrifices.

Some less important actions of Patragali are related; and it is stated that whenever the

Small Pox occurs, it is believed to be sent by her; and all those attacked are immediately abandoned by their friends, and left to the care of a fraternity of Bramins belonging to the pagoda of Patragali.

No authority but a consistory of Bramins can pretend to decide, which of these, or what other is the true name, genealogy, and deeds of the Small Pox deity. But all accord in her extreme antiquity. Holwell* an English surgeon, who resided many years at Bengal, mentions that there are forms of worship, with poojahs or offerings instituted for this female goddess in the Attharva Veda; one of the most sacred and ancient books of the Hentoos; which according to the Bramin calculation, was promulgated three thousand three hundred years agot. The

* An account of the manner of inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies, by I. Z. Holwell, F. R. S. 1767.

A professor eminently skilled in the oriental languages has enabled me to correct Holwell's orthography: who wrote Aughtorrah Bhade, instead of Attharva Veda; and Gootée ka Tagooran, instead of Guti ka Takurani: the last words are likewise erroneously translated Goddess of Spots: whereas the correct translation is Goddess of the Small Pox. This mistake has completely misled Dr. Woodville in his reasoning and conclusions respecting the Small Pox in Hindostan. Vide History of Inoculation, Introduction.

† A deduction of 1000 years is made by some modern orientalists, on this calculation.