A Brief Profile Of The Chothe Tribe
- Part 4 -

Shyleyn *

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

RUMAN BAK: When a man elopes with a woman, he will have to offer swine of six feet and Jars of wine among others. If the couples are customarily marriageable to one another, the man needs to offer only the required fines. This is called RUMAN BAK. The elders of the woman's clan would be the recipient of such fines. Cases of elopement by violating the traditional marriage laws often resulted in fining unspecific amount of cattle, things or money, troubles and even violence.

In this Ruman Bak system, the man offers his future father-in-law a SUMRING, measured with his own palm. In return, the family of his future bride gifted the man, (their future son-in-law) a large cock, shirt (LINGLOOT), and a spade. The cock was to bring good health to the son-in-law and the shirt to bring wealth and fortunes. The spade was for digging the man's own grave. This tradition symbolised the eternal relationship between the two families.

MARRYING OUTSIDE A VILLAGE: If a woman marries a man settling outside her village, the man has to, apart from the usual fines, offered a six feet long swine to the woman's village authority. This tradition is called PHUNGTAANG-RAM. The village authority is the recipient of this fine. The palm of the right hand of a village elder is used in taking such measurements.

FESTIVALS YAANGPAL-KA RIN: Yaangpal-Ka is a youth festival and was celebrated in the month of August for two to three days. In this festival, competitions in sports of various disciplines, singing songs and performing traditional dances were held. Prior to this festival, permission of the Hloukal (the village's governing authority) was taken. Various songs were sung, and rituals performed before the commencement of this festival.

1st day: On the first day of the festival, village youths divided themselves in groups called (LAWM) and competed in a discipline called RUIKAI (similar to the modern Tug-of-War). Village youths divide themselves in groups (LAWM) and compete in this sport. Each LAWM would compete to become the overall champion. This game, like others, is accompanied by songs sung by the members of the village's administrating bodies, and joined later by traditional singers and the public.

EFFECTS OF TUG OF WAR: The ancient Chothes believed that, the game RUIKAI increases the sizes of the produce of their vegetables. They also believed that, the game even increases the sizes of pumpkins, potatoes and the likes. The day usually ended with merry-making. Apart from religious rites and other traditions, sports and other forms of competitions were also held in this celebration.

OTHER INDIGENOUS GAMES: Another ancient game was racing in sledges. Three or four small bamboo or planks were placed on four small wooden wheels. This was their indigenous form of a sledge, called KANG-LUI. The competitors will slide down sitting on each of them from the top of the hill up to the ground. The sides of the hill were strewn with pine leaves for making the sledge move smoother and faster.

The Chothes also compete in wrestling, called TABUN in their dialect. It is similar with the traditional wrestling forms (MUKNA) of the Meitei community. They also held races. In the sports events, girls would make colorful garlands of flowers (REIKUL) and gifted them to their teams or favorite individuals. In those days, the village elders and administrative leaders chastened young girls found not preparing a garland (Reikul) during the festival.

2nd Day: On this day, young maidens woke up early in the morning and hanged traditional clothes around the location where sports are held. This day was called ZU LA NI. At the noontime, the indigenous game called HRANGHRAAN CHAWM was held. This game is a combination of modern games like High-Jump and Long Jump. A rope made of leaves, twigs and other materials is tied around the waist of each competitor.

One tip of the rope touches the ground. Soon the signal is given, and the tips of the lengthened ropes are set on fire. The competitor would jump over pits and bars on the way, as much distance as he could, until the fire is on the verge of reach the waist of the competitor. Individuals from the different groups would boldly participate in this hazardous discipline.

The clothes hung by the girls were taken out soon after the game ended. They would be hung again when another game started. In the evening, the girls would gift each competitor clothes, eatables and other items. The boys and the girls would dance in a circular pattern in pairs to the sound of music and applauses. In the night of this day, the youths competed in drinking locally made rice beer or wine. This tradition was called KAITAM.

Wine is kept in a large pot from where it scooped out with a traditional spoon called VANSANG (made of dried gourd). Each youth would try to drink up the wine in the spoon in a single swig. In the night-time, merry making with dances and songs was a compulsion. Songs glorifying their victories in battles, and their achievements were sung in this festival. The songs also glorified their dexterity and strength in martial arts and their valor.

3rd day: On the third day, songs were sung from morning to dawn of the next day. They usually begin the singing with the song called HON ZAITENU. During breaks, the leader of the singers would offer a portion of wine to the gods by sprinkling the wine to the ground. This rite was performed so that the singers do not get confused or become too weary when singing. This rite was called, NUNGJAI KAITAM.

Soon after having meals or lunch, singing would promptly continue and such singing were led by a leader called LA-CHINGPA (leader of the singing groups). Then, the boys and girls would go outside of the ceremonial hall and continue to dance and sing at the lawn. After that, they would again enter the hall and sing songs till dawn. The Yaangpal-Ka festival's celebrations ended there and then.

CHULTUK RIN: The Chultuk means 'to have yeast'. This Chultuk Rin was celebrated around the month of September for two to three consecutive days. As was done in all festivals, formal permission of the village chief and the governing authority was taken by the revelers, priests, youths and other villagers accompanied by songs and dances. The tradition of asking for the village's chief's permission was usually led either by the priest (ATHIEMPU) or the leader of the TANG-ULIN.

THE TANG-ULIN would sing a song pleading for the chief's consent. Soon after he sang, his assistant the TANG-NAOPANG would sing supporting the request of his senior. As soon as the permission was granted, the village's chief and his assistant were taken out on palanquins to the place of the celebrations. This main program of this festival is to taste different kinds of wines made from yeast.

1st day: On the first day, followed by prayers offered to the village's deities, the villagers indulge in merry making and performing rituals. Many types of wines, with different tastes, were taken out and tasted. As the night fell over the day, the YUZONG-ULIN (chief winemaker/chief vineyard keeper or the head of those in charge of winery) would pour out the remaining or the dregs of the wines on the ground.

He would sing songs while doing so. It symbolised the sending out of the old wine and welcoming the new one. After every line of his song, the members of the LAMMUN group would respond like "LO THAR NO-AE, LO LUI AE". Specially made wines or beers were kept in big jars. The wines or beers were shared by many people. Small pipes of bamboos were used to drink the wines. These types of wines or beers were considered very special.

2nd day: On the second day, the revelers led by the Tang-Ulin would plead for the village's chief to participate in tasting the wines and in the festivals. Some rituals accompanied by songs and dances were performed too. After the rites, the village chief participated in dancing and singing. The revelers joined the merry-making till the festival officially concluded, in the same day.

To be continued....