The Dumals have no subcastes, but they have a complicated system of
exogamy. This includes three kinds of divisions or sections, the _got_
or sept, the _barga_ or family title and the _mitti_ or earth from
which they sprang, that is, the name of the original village of the
clan. Marriage is prohibited only between persons who have the same
_got_, _barga_ and _mitti_; if any one of these is different it is
allowed. Thus a man of the Nag _got_, Padhan _barga_ and Hindolsai
_mitti_ may marry a girl of the Nag _got_, Padhan _barga_ and Kandhpada
_mitti_; or one of the Nag _got_, Karmi _barga_ and Hindolsai _mitti_;
or one of the Bud _got_, Padhan _barga_ and Hindolsai _mitti_. The
_bargas_ are very numerous, but the _gots_ and _mittis_ are few and
common to many _bargas_; and many people have forgotten the name
of their _mitti_ altogether. Marriage therefore usually depends on
the _bargas_ being different. The following table shows the _got_,
_barga_ and _mitti_ of a few families:
Got. Barga. Mitti.
Nag (cobra) Padhan (chief) Hindolsai
Nag Karmi (manager) Unda (a village in Athmalik)
Nag Behra (Palki-bearer) Kandhpada (a village in Athmalik)
Nag Mahakul (great family) Do. do.
Nag Mesua (shepherd) Dalpur (a village in Baud)
Nag Karan (writer) Kandhpada (a village in Athmalik)
Nag or Nagesh Mahakul (great family) Bamanda (a village in Baud)
Bud (a fish) Kolta (caste) Kandhpada (a village in Athmalik)
Bud (a fish) Baghar (buffalo) Do. do.
Bichhu (scorpion) Mahakul (great family) Bamada (a village in Baud)
The only other _gots_ besides those given above are Kachhap (tortoise),
Uluk (owl) and Limb (_nim_-tree). The _gots_ are thus totemistic,
and the animal or plant giving its name to the _got_ is venerated
and worshipped. The names of _bargas_ are diverse. Some are titles
indicating the position of the founder of the family in life, as Naik
(leader), Padhan (chief), Karmi (manager), Mahakul (great family) and
so on. Others are derived from functions performed in sacrifices,
as Amayat (one who kills the animal in the sacrifice), Gurandi
(one who makes a preparation of sugar for it), Dehri (priest), Barik
(one who carries the god's umbrella), Kamp (one who is in charge of
the baskets containing the sacred articles of the temple). Another
set of _bargas_ are names signifying the performance of menial
functions in household service, as Gejo (kitchen-cleaner), Chaulia
(rice-cleaner), Gadua (_lota_-bearer), Dang (spoon-bearer), Ghusri
(cleaner of the dining-place with cowdung). Other names of _bargas_
are derived from the caste's traditional occupation of grazing cattle,
as Mesua or Mendli (shepherd), Gaigariya (milkman), Chhand (one who
ties a rope to the legs of a cow when milking her). These names are
interesting as showing that the Dumals before taking to their present
occupation of agriculture were temple servants, household menials
and cattle-herds, thus fulfilling the functions now performed by the
Rawat or Gaur caste of graziers in Sambalpur. The names of the _mittis_
or villages show that their original home was in the Orissa Tributary
Mahals, while the totemistic names of _gots_ indicate their Dravidian
origin. The marriage of first cousins is prohibited.