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Deccan Nursery Tales or, Fairy Tales from the South By: C. A. (Charles Augustus) Kincaid (1870-1954) |
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by C.A. Kincaid, C.V.O. 1914.
To my little son Dennis Whose interest in these stories
first induced me to offer them to the public
this little volume is affectionately inscribed PREFACE These stories first appeared in the Times of India newspaper, and my
acknowledgments are due to the editor for his courtesy in permitting
their publication. I have translated all of them as literally as possible from the
original Marathi. But, owing to the difference between Marathi and
English canons of taste, I have had in a very few places slightly
to change the sense. In some places, owing to the obscurity of the
original text, I have had to amplify the translation. In other places
I have had to cut short the descriptions of Hindu rites and ceremonies
so as to avoid wearying the English reader. It may not be out of place to say just a word about the Indian gods
mentioned in the stories. It must be remembered that the main Hindu
gods are three in number. They are all sprung from a common origin,
Brahma, but they are quite separate beings. They do not form a trinity,
i.e. three in one or one in three. And each of them has a wife and a
family. The following genealogical tree will, I hope, help the reader.
Brahma
Shiva = Parwati
Ganpati
= the daughters of Agni
Kartakswami [1]
Vishnu = Mahalaxmi
Brahmadev = Saraswati
Of the above gods, Shiva, his son Kartakswami, and his wife Parwati,
Vishnu and his wife Mahalaxmi only are mentioned in the following
stories. Besides these, however, the Sun and Moon and the five
principal planets obtain a certain amount of worship. The Sun is
worshipped every morning by every orthodox Hindu. And Shani or Saturn
inspires a wholesome fear, for his glance is supposed to bring ill
fortune. Then again, besides the main gods, the world according
to Hindu belief, which in this respect closely resembles that of
the ancient Greeks, is peopled with Asuras (demons), Devkanya
(wood nymphs), Nag kanya (the serpent maidens of Patâla), and
Gandharwas (a kind of cherubim). The first three of these find a
place in the ensuing fairy tales. The scientific doctrine is that Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu
the preserver of life, and that Brahmadev is the creative spirit. In
practice, however, Brahmadev is almost entirely disregarded, while the
Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, Parwati, or Mahalaxmi just as they feel
inclined, or as the particular sect to which they belong requires them. Lastly, it must be borne in mind that the Hindu year consists of
twelve lunar months. In the Deccan the year begins with Chaitra,
corresponding roughly with April. The months then succeed each other
in the following order: Vaishak, Jesht, Ashad, Shravan, Bhadrapad,
Ashwin, Kartih, Margshish, Paush, Mag, Phalgun, Each month begins on
the first day of the new moon and is divided into two parts. The first
half comprises the period from the new moon to the full moon. This is
the bright half of the month. The second half comprises the period
from the full moon to the new moon. This is the dark half of the
month. The lunar months are made to correspond with the solar year by
the interposition of an "adhik" or intercalary month every third year. C.A.K. CONTENTS
I. The Sunday Story
II. The Monday Story
III. The Tuesday Story
IV. The Wednesday and Thursday Story
V. The Friday Story
VI. The Saturday Story
VII. Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
VIII. The Island Palace
IX. Nagoba, the Snake King
X. Parwati and the Beggar Man
XL Parwati and the Brahman
XII. Soma, the Washerwoman
XIII. Vasishta and the Four Queens
XIV... Continue reading book >>
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