In a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said; there
is also a boy of those two persons. In front of the house there is
also a Murunga tree. A Yaka having come, remained seven years in the
Murunga tree in order to "possess" the woman.
While they were in that manner, one day the man and the boy went on
a journey somewhere or other. The woman that day having [previously]
put away the bill-hook, brought it to the doorway, and while preparing
to cut a vegetable, said, "This bill-hook is indeed good [enough]
to cut a Yaka."
The Yaka who stayed in the Murunga tree at the doorway, having heard
what the woman said, became afraid, and having waited until the time
when the woman goes into the house [after] cutting the vegetable,
the Yaka slowly descended from the Murunga tree.
When he was going away, the woman's husband and boy, having gone on
the journey, are coming back. The Yaka met them. Then the Yaka asked
at the hand of those two, "Where did you go? I stayed seven years
in the Murunga tree at the doorway of your house, to 'possess' your
wife. To-day your wife, sharpening a bill-hook, came to the doorway,
and looking in my direction said, 'This bill-hook is indeed good for
cutting a Yaka.' Because of it, I am here, going away. Don't you go;
that wicked woman will cut you. Come, and go with me; I will give you
a means of subsistence. I, having now gone in front, will 'possess'
such and such a woman of such and such a village. You two having said
that you are Yaksa Vedaralas, [240] and having come [there], when you
have told me to go I will go. Then the men having said that you are
[really] Yaksa Vedaralas, will give you many things. When you have
driven me from that woman, again I will 'possess' still [another]
woman. Thus, in that manner, until the time when the articles are
sufficient for you, I will 'possess' women. When they have become
sufficient do not come [to drive me out]."
Having said [this], the Yaka went in front and "possessed" the
woman. After that, the man and the boy went and drove out the
Yaka. From that day, news spread in the villages that the two persons
were Yaksa Vedaralas. From that place the two persons obtained
articles.
The Yaka having gone, "possessed" yet a woman also. Having driven him
from there, too, these two persons got articles. The Yaka "possessed"
still [another] woman also. Thus, in that manner, until the very
time when the things were sufficient for the two persons, the Yaka
"possessed" women.
After the articles became sufficient for the two persons, one day the
Yaka said to the two, "The articles are sufficient for you, are they
not?" The two persons said, "They are sufficient."
Then the Yaka said, "If so, I shall 'possess' the Queen of such and
such a King. From there I shall not go. Don't you come to drive me
away." Having said it, the Yaka went to that city, and "possessed"
the Queen.
The two Yaksa Vedaralas came to their village, taking the articles
they had obtained. Then a message came from the King for the Yaksa
Vedaralas to go. The two persons not having gone, remained [at home],
because of the Yaka's having said that he would not go.
After that, the King sent a message that if they did not come he would
behead the Yaksa Vedaralas. After that, the two persons, being unable
to escape, went to drive out the Yaka.
Having gone there, they utter and utter spells for the Yaka to go. The
Yaka does not go. Anger came to the Yaka. In anger that, putting [out
of consideration] his saying, "Don't," the two persons went and uttered
spells, the Queen whom the Yaka has "possessed," taking a rice pestle,
came turning round the house after him in three circles to kill the
Vedarala. [241] When she was raising the rice pestle to strike the
Vedarala, the man's boy said, "Look there, Yaka! Our mother!"
Then, because he had been afraid [of her] formerly, when the boy said
it, the Yaka, saying, "Where, Bola?" and also rolling the Queen over
on the path, face upwards, and saying "Hu," went away. The Queen came
to her senses.
The King gave the two persons many articles. The Yaka did not again
come to "possess" women. That man and boy having come to their village,
and become very wealthy, remained without a deficiency of anything.
North-western Province.
In The Indian Antiquary, vol. xvi, p. 217 (Folklore in Southern India,
p. 214), in a Tamil story related by Natesa Sastri, a Brahmana was
turned by Siva into a Brahma-Rakshasa for refusing to impart his
knowledge of music to others, and he resided in a Pipal or Bo tree. A
poor Brahmana of Sengalinirpattu (Chingleput, land of the blue lotus)
assisted him to escape from the wretched music of a piper by removing
into another tree, and out of gratitude the demon "possessed" the
Princess of Maisur, in order that the Brahmana might obtain wealth by
driving him out. Afterwards, when the demon "possessed" the Princess
of Travancore, intending to remain, the Brahmana frightened him away
by a threat that he would bring back the piper.
In Folk-Tales of Hindustan (Shaik Chilli), p. 6, a beggar's wife beat
him with a stick for coming home foodless, threw his turban into a tree
and struck at it time after time, hitting the tree at each blow. The
blows and her abuse frightened away from the tree the ghost or Bhut
of a Brahmana of the family who had committed suicide. The ghost and
the man travelled along together as friends in misfortune. By their
arrangement the man drove the ghost from the Minister's daughter,
but refused to officiate when it "possessed" the Sultan's daughter,
until ordered to be executed. When the ghost threatened to kill him
he told it he had terrible news, his wife would be there in a few
minutes. The ghost left at once, and the man married the Princess
and succeeded to the throne.
In Indian Nights' Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 298, a man's termagant
wife was thrown into a well, and there married a demon, but in fear
of her he soon hid as a man, in a mosque. Becoming friendly with
the former husband, who recognised him, he promised to marry the man
to the King's daughter, whom he thereupon "possessed." When the man
drove him out she was given in marriage to him, together with half
the kingdom. The demon, after warning him not to interfere, then
"possessed" the Minister's daughter. After at first refusing to act,
the man frightened him away by saying his former wife was coming.
In The Enchanted Parrot (Rev. B. H. Wortham), a variant is given
in the stories XLVI and XLVII. The woman terrified everyone around,
and a goblin who lived in a tree near her house ran away. The husband
also left, became friendly with him, and was advised to go and cure
the King's daughter. He cured her, married her, and received half the
kingdom. Then the goblin carried off this Princess. The man went in
search of her, and frightened away the goblin by whispering that his
wife was coming.