When a man has been killed by a tiger (_bagh_) he is deified and
worshipped as Bagh Deo. A hut is made in the yard of the house, and an
image of a tiger is placed inside and worshipped on the anniversary
of the man's death. The members of the household will not afterwards
kill a tiger, as they think the animal has become a member of the
family. A man who is bitten by a cobra (_nag_) and dies is similarly
worshipped as Nag Deo. The image of a snake made of silver or iron is
venerated, and the family will not kill a snake. If a man is killed
by some other animal, or by drowning or a fall from a tree, his
spirit is worshipped as Ban Deo or the forest god with similar rites,
being represented by a little lump of rice and red lead. In all these
cases it is supposed, as pointed out by Sir James Frazer, that the
ghost of the man who has come to such an untimely end is especially
malignant, and will bring trouble upon the survivors unless appeased
with sacrifices and offerings. A good instance of the same belief is
given by him in _Psyche's Task_ [399] as found among the Karens of
Burma: "They put red, yellow and white rice in a basket and leave it
in the forest, saying: Ghosts of such as died by falling from a tree,
ghosts of such as died of hunger or thirst, ghosts of such as died by
the tiger's tooth or the serpent's fang, ghosts of the murdered dead,
ghosts of such as died by smallpox or cholera, ghosts of dead lepers,
oh ill-treat us not, seize not upon our persons, do us no harm! Oh
stay here in this wood! We will bring hither red rice, yellow rice,
and white rice for your subsistence."
That the same superstition is generally prevalent in the Central
Provinces appears to be shown by the fact that among castes who
practise cremation, the bodies of men who come to a violent end or die
of smallpox or leprosy are buried, though whether burial is considered
as more likely to prevent the ghost from walking than cremation, is
not clear. Possibly, however, it may be considered that the bodies
are too impure to be committed to the sacred fire.