Story 144 - How A Tom-tom Beater Got A Marriage From A Gamarala

AT a certain time there was a Gamarala. The Gamarala had a daughter. In the same country there was a very rich Tom-tom Beater (Naekatiyek). There was a son of the Tom-tom Beater's. In order to make search for a marriage for him he tramped through many countries. From those countries he did not obtain one.

After that, he went to yet a country on the other side of a river. Having gone there, when he looked about there was a Gamarala at a village [who had a marriageable daughter]. When he asked for the daughter [in marriage], he said he would not give her. Thereupon, thinking and t hinkin g of a scheme he acted accordingly, that is, in this manner.

He caught an egret. He made a bundle of lights, and taking these he went again to the village at which the Gamarala stayed. Having gone [there], at the time when he looked about [he saw that] there was a large betel creeper on a tree in front of the doorway of the Gamarala’s house.

After that, having come at night and gone up the tree, and hidden himself so that he would not be seen, [after] lighting the bundle of lights he called the Gamarala:

“Village Headman ! Village Headman !”

Then the Gamarala having come running, looked upward, and seeing that the bundle of lights were burning the Gamarala became afraid.

Thereupon the Tom-tom Beater says,

“I, indeed, the Devatawa of this village, am speaking. Wilt thou hearken to what I am saying ?”

he asked.

The Gamarala, being afraid, said,

“I will hearken.”

Then the Tom-tom Beater called the Devatawa, [said],

“They say that thou wilt not give thy daughter to the boy of the Tom-tom Beater of such and such a village. Why ?”

The Gamarala said,

“Because our pollution rules (indul) are different I said I cannot give her,”

he said.

Then the Tom-tom Beater Devatawa who was in the tree [said],

“Give thou thy daughter to him. On the seventh day from now he will obtain the sovereignty. If thou shouldst not give [her] I will kill thee.”

Tying the bundle of lights to the leg of the egret, he said,

“lam going,”

and let the egret go.

Thereupon, having seen that the lights were burning on the leg of the egret [as it flew away], the Gamarala thought that the Devatawa said it.

Then the Tom-tom Beater, being invisible to everybody, descended from the tree, and went to his village.

Two or three days afterwards, he came with the wedding party to the Gamarala’s house, for the purpose of taking away the daughter. Thereupon, having eaten the [wedding] feast, on the morning of the following day, because the giving of the Gamarala’s daughter was demeaning he put her in a sack, and having tied it as a bundle for carrying under a pole, [the Gamarala] gave her, placing [the pole] on the shoulders of two persons, and telling them to go. Then, lifting up the load, the party went away. Having gone thus, it having become night they stayed near a tree.

At yet [another] city, the King of the city, having seized a bear that ate human flesh, and put it in a sack, and tied it as a bundle for carrying under a pole, gave it to two persons, and told them to take it and throw it into the river.

At that time that party also came to the place where that [other] party were staying. Thereupon, without speaking they placed the two bundles in one spot. In the very same way again, without speaking they were sleeping in one place.

On the morning of the following day, at dawn, the wedding party having arisen went to the village, taking the bundle in which the bear was tied.

The people who remained here unfastened the bag in order to put the bear into the river. At that time [they saw that] a Princess was there. So the party having gone taking the Princess gave her to the King. Then the King married that Queen.

The wedding party who went taking the bear bundle having gone to the house, that very day, in order that the faults (dosa) of the bride and bridegroom might go, drove away any evil influence of the planets (baliyak).

At that time, having put the sack and the bridegroom into a house they shut and tied the door. Having tied it they conducted the service [against the evil influence of the ^planets] in the open.

Thereupon the bridegroom who was inside the house unfastened the sack in order to take out the bride. Then the bear having come out began to bite the man.

The bridegroom said,

“Don’t bite me! Don’t bite me!”

When he was saying it, the men who were sending away the evil planetary influences said,

“Ayibo ! Ayibo I”^[1]

The two who were in the house remained without speaking any words [after that].

Thereupon it became light. These people having gone [there] opened the door. Then the bear that ate men having sprung outside and bitten the [would-be] mother-in-law, went into the midst of the forest. The bridegroom, the bear having bitten him, died.

North-central Province.

 

Note:

In a variant of No. 59 in vol. i., the Gamarala inquired regarding the naekata at his daughter’s reaching marriageable age.

The man replied,

“Through this little lass (paenci) seven men will die. Ane ! O Gamarahami, because of this little lass don’t make this country desolate,”

and advised killing her. When this man was carrying her away tied in a sack, intending in reality to marry her to his'son, some people who had a savage bear in a similar sack found the bundle left on the roadside temporarily, and made an exchange. The son was killed by the bear while the father danced outside, beating a tom-tom (udaekkiya).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

May life be long ! This is the usual response made at incantations during ceremonies for removing sickness caused by demons or planets. The words are addressed to the power invoked, and must be uttered very loudly.