A Brief Profile Of The Chothe Tribe
- Part 6 -

Shyleyn *

Chothe Dance at the Festival of Tribal Dance in March 2012 :: Pix - Phurailatpam Banti

AYU HAILENG RIN

Many changes were obviously made pertaining to the rites and systems of the festival. For, instead of to the feared deity ROKUNGPU, the rats were sacrificed to the most prominent deity, LUNCHUNGPA. On the first day, early in the morning, the village's governing authority members, esteemed elders, village court's officials, priests, and other individuals responsible for the festivities converged at the Ruisang. They discussed and prepared about organizing the festival. They killed large cocks or swine, and prepared a mass feast. Then, they worshipped the village's deity, Lunchungpa at the Lamaan and had the feast. The Hloukal and other elders formally consented to the commencement of the festival. The Tang-Ulin group offered prayers to Lungchungpa and announced the commencement of the festival. The revelers carried on the merry-making till late at night accompanied by songs and dances, under the leadership of the Tang-Ulin.

On the second day, as dawn broke, select PAARPA clansmen collected rice, and other materials and prepared rice-beers and eatables. At an appointed time and place, the PAARPA clans invited the HULPU clans (THAO clans) for a formal party that is, jointly drinking the prepared beer between the Paarpa and Hulpu clans. This tradition was called THURCHANG ZUDON. This tradition symbolized the brotherhood or close relationship between the Paarpas and the Hulpus (Thaos). Sometime later, the members of Lammun would hunt around the jungles and houses, for rats. They would bring nine rats, at the place of the festival. One of the nine rats was kept alive. The Paarpa clans' leader had to kill the live rat. This peculiar trend was adopted to signify a historical event that happened in the olden days.

[During the time when humans were sacrificed to the deity ROKUNGPU, a PAARPA clansman called THATSUH, and a HULPU-(THAO) clansman, THATSHEL participated in a battle. In that battle, the Paarpa soldier THATSUH was fighting an enemy warrior. Unfortunately or as fated earlier, the enemy warrior was dominating the fight, and eventually weighed THATSUH down on the ground. The Hulpu (Thao) clansman, THATSHEL, saw this and ran towards his compatriot, Thatsuh. Thatshel grappled the enemy and flung him down. He was upon the enemy and on the verge of killing him (enemy warrior). Then, unexpectedly, Thatshel turned towards Thatsuh and stated, "Yes, comrade, he (it) is your battle".

Thatsuh, the Paarpa clansman was given the honour to slay the enemy]. Influenced by that incident, the tradition of letting a Paarpa clansman kill a live rat in this festival was initiated. Similarly, the traditional communal drinking party between the Hulpu and Paarpa clans to honour their inseparable relationship was also inspired by those historical events.

In this Ayu Haileng festival, the Paarpa clansman was gifted a live rat. After usual rites and customary traditions, the Paarpa clansman shouted aloud 'KUHI' and chopped the live rat in two. After performing various rites and revelries, people congregated at the village court. There, four of the dead rats were stuck up in poles. The remaining five rats were pierced through with long sticks. Each selected elder would carry these five rats and danced around to the sounds of songs and musical instruments. The Tang-Ulin group would then perform a war dance called CHAMTLUN LAAM.

Each of the Tang-Ulin members carried the traditional sword called Chamtlun while dancing. A song called Sako laamnu was sung in this day, apart from other folk songs. After this, a Thao-Hulpu clansman would sit in the SAIPHUNG, a place for telling stories. Many people thronged the place to listen to the stories of this clansman. After telling stories, the Thao-Hulpu clansman would pinch the rats of their legs and made the rats squeak.

On the third day, the members of Tang-Ulin would distribute each of the nine rats to each clan of the community. They were not to utter even a word and speak while doing so. Therefore, they just entered the kitchen of the prominent clan, and left each rat on the shelf hanged over the hearth. Then, they congregated at a place and drank a wine called BUL ZU. They started communicating with others after that.

SALAH RIN: Salah Rin was celebrated during the month of May for seven consecutive days. This was a festival celebrated to separate between the dead and the living. As done in other festivals, formal request was granted by the chief. The Tang-Ulin worshipped Lungchungpa and announced the commencement of the festival. This was on the first day of the Salah Rin. On the second day, early in the morning, the gifts or materials meant for the dead were prepared. The dead cannot mingle with the living. Therefore, objects representing various things used by the living were made. A list of some of them is given below.

THINGS FOR THE DEAD WHICH SYMBOLISED EVERYDAY UTENSILS

1.For dining table---MAICHAAM (a loosely knitted form of table made from cane & bamboo)
2.Drinking cup---TONGKHA THEI (dried gourd emptied off its seeds through a small hole)
3.Umbrella---ASEEL (round and flat object made of leaves and clamped with bamboos)
4.The Corpse---HLAVAANG (a loosely knitted mat-like object of bamboo)
5.Fish REI----flowers)
6.Hairclip (for woman)----BATHING(clip like object of cane)
7.Vegetables----AMAI AMINSA (ripe pumpkins)
8.Mirror----HLOUHRA (a flat flint)
9.Comb (for woman)----HUISAM (comb-like object of wood)
10.Chilly---AIKUNG (ginger or its roots)

It was a tradition not to offer nice and precious things to the dead. These rites were mainly led by the priest, ATHEEMPU. The Atheempu would perform the rite of offering some portions from the objects to the village deities. As night fell, people would sing songs and dance, as usual. On the third day, the villagers would go to offer the objects meant for the dead (ITHIPOK). It was taboo and a sacrilege to left behind a single object prepared for the dead. Therefore, they checked and re-checked the objects for the dead (ITHIPOK).

After offering the objects, the revelers would dance at the adjacent of the mountain where the graveyard (HLAANKUNG) was located. They danced around and sang songs as if they were in trance. It was believed that, the dancers were trapped by the dead souls. The Atheempu would go and separate the two, the dead and living. The Atheempu would dig out the plant of ginger. As he chopped the ginger in two, the one that symbolised the dead was totally blackened inside. However, when another ginger that symbolised the living was sliced in two, it was bright and yellow. Performing the rites metaphorically, the priest, Atheempu separated the dead and the living.

The dancers and the villagers returned home after that. When everyone crossed the edge of the graveyard, the Atheempu put up a big pole exactly at the margin demarcated between the graves and the village. This pillar symbolised the border between the living areas of the dead and the living. The revelers entered their villages shouting ATHIPA RAM CHU O RAMTING-E; ARINGPA RAM CHU O INNTING-E. The phrase literary means, the land of the dead is the wilderness; the land of the living is towards the houses. On the fourth day, the drummers were led by the HULUDENGPA to perform music.

This day was also called HUNG-REL NEE, i.e. day for playing drums. The drummers would drink wine and start to play drums at a location called HUNG-MATRAI. While playing drums, they also repeatedly shouted words like, TANBONG, TANBONG, TANBONG. Tanbong means chopping off. The sounds signify their victories in battles where they chopped off the heads of their enemies. At night-time, they lighted torches (MEISUM), traditionally made and climbed up at Lamaan. The Lamaan was symbolised by a large flat rock.

On this rock, the village chief would put a bamboo with pointed tip. The revelers would, without breaking it, compete to hammer in the bamboo into the rock (Lamaan). The Tang-Ulin and others tried the test, without any success. However, the Hulaak tried for fifty times and the bamboo pierced through the rock. This feat was done accompanied by black magic. After this, a competition was held. In this game, five groups were again formed from the villagers, and they were to prevent a wooden door from being opened by another group.

On the other side, two members of Tang-Ulin would hang one drum each from their necks. They played the drums and tried to force their way through the door. This game was called HUNG-TLAAN LUT. After that competition, the RUIs carried the log on their shoulders and the Lammun group would climb on it to with the intention of breaking it. The RUIs tried not to let the log break. Just after the game, they performed a rite called MEISA DER. The war was related to their victories in battles. They tried to let cool a burning fire from a distance, accompanied by songs. On the fifth day, before the morning meal, the ASANGs would drink wine and go to the Tang-Ulin to collect wines.

After having meals, they put on new clothes and begun the festival. In the festival, if the HANCHA was too old to participate in the festival, his sub-ordinates and the villagers sang songs and beckoned him. This day was called NONGPI. They sang, "SHUK-O BUNGTE-O, TRUN AE EIYO". It means, come out Bungte, let us begin the festival. Bungte, also called BUNGHONG was the name of ancient chief. He was a Makan clansman who at one time was a popular Hancha in the Loumi. Elderly village officials were beckoned in this way.

On this day also, eatables were offered to the dead at the graveyard. On the sixth day, it was time for concluding the festival. Therefore, revelers just drank wine and eat things, the whole day and night. Nothing much is known about this day. On the seventh day, Thao (Hulpu) clansmen would slaughter swine and bovine animals for a grand feast.

This feast was called AMEH SARUH BAK. It means eating the bones of meat. The feast was held at the residence of Hulpu clansman. In this feast, they did not actually eat bones. They said they were, so that the dead should not know them eating flesh. If they ate flesh, they will audibly say, they eat bones. The festival formally concluded there for the year.

To be continued....