Vermilion And Marriage-Folktales From Bihar

Four Oraons (members of a tribe) were fast friends from boyhood. They used to dance together on the same dance floor and had sworn mutual friendship. When growing up they took to different professions. One of them hawked vermilion, another became a weaver, the third took to wood carving and the fourth became a goldsmith. Once they came upon the idea of going and seeing new places while earning their livelihood. They took their tools and started walking.

They visited many places. Once they had to spend a night in a mango orchard. After having their meal they decided that as it was an unknown place they had better take turns in keeping watch overnight. The wood-carver was the first to keep the vigil while the other three slept. After some time the wood-carver got tired of sitting idle and, taking up a piece of dry wood, he chiselled it into a female figure. He put the woman thus shaped on her feet and woke up the goldsmith to take his turn.

The goldsmith got up and after a while spotted the wooden figure. He thought, «She is a lovely girl but she needs an ornament». So he made a gold chain and put it around her neck. He also made a pair of earrings and bangles and put them on her. He then woke up the weaver and went to sleep. During his vigil the weaver saw the wooden woman, admired her figure and ornaments and started thinking, «Something is missing. Ah, she should have a sari». That very minute he counted up the threads for a sari and wove a garment. Very fondly he wrapped her in it. He then woke up the vermilion-hawker and saying, «Your turn has come, brother, please be on the watch,» he retired. The hawker, while on the watch, saw the wooden woman and anointed her forehead with vermilion just at daybreak. The wooden woman came alive and stood there, a coy and beautiful damsel.

The four friends started quarrelling as to who should marry the girl. The wood carver said that if he had not given her a shape she would have remained a log. The goldsmith claimed her for the ornaments he had given her. The weaver said, 'I gave her clothes so she is mine». The hawker insisted that he had the best claim. While the four friends were quarrelling they saw a holy man coming. They made him their arbiter.

The holy man heard the claims of the four friends and said, «He that made her is her father; he that clothed her is her elder brother; he that gave ornaments is her uncle; but he that brought her to life and put vermilion on her forehead is her husband.» The four friends bowed to the decision and the woman became the wife of the hawker.