https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/70904/fullThe Santal creation myth and the story of the snake goddess Manasaearly 20th century65 × 8 1/8 inches (165.1 × 20.6 cm)Ink and colors on paper, mounted on newspaper and paper bagMuseum Purchase Fund62.33610Beginning at the top, the scroll depicts scenes of:
1. Manasa, the snake goddess flanked by a man and a woman;
2. a depiction of the Jagannath (Krishna) with blue face, in the center Subhadra, his sister, and on the right his brother Balarama with white face, flanked by the monkey god Hanuman on the right and Garuda on the left
3. The cows that grant wishes
4. A scene from the Santal creation myth showing the first human beings born from the eggs of the geese Has and Hasil, along with the marine creatures and worm that created the earth
5. The seven sons of Pilchu Haram; Pilchu Haram and his wife Pilchu Burhi in the woods finding the herbs and bark from which to make fermented boiled rice; the seven daughters of Pilchu Burhi
6. Three festive scenes, including musicians and the making of rice beer
7. The marriage of the rich merchant Cando’s son Lakhindar and his bride Behula.
8. Because Cando refused to worship Manasa, the snake goddess,she poisoned six of his sons with snake venom. On Lakhindar's wedding night she sends four serpents to kill Lakhindar. Behula prevents three of them from hurting her husband but she falls asleep and the fourth serpent kills Lakhindar. Behula takes her husband’s corpse on a raft down the river to the realm of the gods encountering various perils along the way.She meets Neto, washerman to the gods and assists him with the laundry.
9. Depiction of the gods, who are pleased with Behula’s washing of their clothes, and they command Manasa to extract the snake venom from Lakhindar’s corpse, bringing him back to life. Behula is grateful and promises to convert Cando.
10. After Cando’s conversion, Manasa restores the lives of all of Cando’s sons.
11. Depiction of the Jagannath trio
12. Added scene on paper bag of unidentified subject, perhaps a self-portrait of the artist/story performer?
Paintings1928405156Unidentified artistIndia, Bengal, Santal communities62.3361_Disc4093_80965022