beside the corpse. This practice is continued till the
forty-ninth day from death, as his spirit is free to roam
about for this maximum period. To feed the manes
of the deceased a sacrifice for the dead is offered,
ROUGH GOING
by calling all the hungry demons by means of a small
gong struck by a horn, and throwing a cake and rice
into the nearest stream.
All night and day Lamas sing the litany for sending
the soul to paradise, and read over the corpse directions
as to how to avoid pitfalls and ogres, and to find the
white path which alone leads to a good re-birth.
Throughout there is a blending of ideas as to the future
life: it may be heaven, and it may be hell, and again
there is the re-birth of transmigration. Before removing
the corpse from the house an especial feast of
delicacies is set before it. Then a Lama ties one end
of a long white scarf to the corpse and, holding the
other end himself, walks in front of the corpse-
carriers blowing a trumpet made of human thighbone
and beating a drum. He frequently looks back
to invite the spirit to accompany the body, which,
he assures it, is being led in the right direction, and
chants a liturgy for general edification. After the
corpse comes the rest of the procession. The corpse
is disposed of by cremation or burial, or is exposed
to be devoured by vultures and dogs, but there still
remain the rites for expelling, from the house and
locality, the demon who caused the death.
To do this a toy tiger is fashioned out of grass and
mud plaster, and a toy figure of a man is placed on his
back, and to lead the tiger is a man with a bird’s head,
and to drive it another with an ape’s head; finally
around these figures are placed all kinds of food, wine
and coins. After the sun has set, when alone demons
can take their walks abroad, the neighbours and the
members of the household, armed with swords, knives,
&c., wildly cut the air, assisted by the Lamas beating
drums and cymbals and blowing trumpets, and by
these means formally eject the demon with cries of
“ Begone ! ” The small figures are then carried away
from the house and placed, if possible, where four
roads meet. Meanwhile, to make . doubly sure that
the demon has really left the house, a Lama remains
behind and makes frantic passes in the rooms, mutters
spells, and throws hot pebbles roasted in the fire into
all the corners of the dwelling. Besides all this a
lay figure of the deceased man is made, and dressed