Study of Selected Rituals of the Kuki Traditional Religion

The Kukis traditionally practised a number of rites and rituals related to all aspects of life - cultural, religious, social, political, and economic. But today, most of them are celebrated just as reminiscent of the past.

(Zhimomi 2001:83). Therefore, in the following paragraphs we shall discuss a few selected traditional rituals and incantations of the Kuki and try to see the relevance in today’s con­text. Some selected important rituals associated are presented here:

14.2.1 Lhakou (Invoking Souls of the Departed)

Lhakou ritual is important and a frequently performed ceremony in Kuki traditional reli­gion. This ritual is usually done for the villages, animals, and also vegetation (Haokip 2000:53). The literal translation of lhakou would be lha-soul and kou-to call; so in simple terms it would mean ‘invoking or calling of the souls.’ A genuine meaning would still be dif­ficult as lhakou is of different forms depending on time and occasion in which these rituals are to be performed.

14.2.2 Chang Lhakou (Invoking the Soul of the Paddy)

Chang lhakou literally means calling/invoking the soul of the paddy. This ceremony is per­formed for the whole village at the time of planting or sowing seeds or when the seeds start germinating. Sometimes, the performance also depends on the convenience of the village (Haokip 2000:53). It is mainly performed during the chang kut festival, the time when the paddy starts to ripen and when chang nungah, a special paddy stalk (virgin paddy), is found during harvest⁷. However, chang lhakou is not only meant for paddy, but also for differ­ent varieties of seeds and pulses. It consists of sacrifice of a fowl to appease the soul of the paddy for blessings of good yield (Haokip 2011:116). The chang lhakou incantation, as paraphrased in English, is as follows:

Phe... (spraying wine through the mouth).

One that is from the river bank of Phaipi coming out from the hole of Mao (bamboo specie). Mother Squirrel has floated by an aidel leaf.

May paddy soul come today?

May paddy soul that flocked to my grandfather come?

May paddy soul who blessed my father come?

May that one in the possession of Thingkennu come?

May the one carried by Tellhangnu come?

May paddy soul of right and left come?

May paddy soul of a filed with great length come?

May paddy soul of a broad field come?

Paddy souls of progeny Khongman come.

Paddy souls of progeny Lengmang come.

Paddy soul of Japanese⁸ come.

Paddy soul of Guite clan come.

Paddy soul of Telvum clan come.

Paddy soul of Telsom clan come.

Paddy soul of Lunkhel clan come.

Paddy soul of primordial race come.

Paddy soul of pedigreed race come.

May paddy soul come?

Paddy soul of my grandfather come.

Paddy soul of my father come

(Chongloi 2008:338-339)

The main objective of performing the changlha kou ritual is to placate the soul/spirit of paddy so that the fields of the entire village would be blessed by the deity of paddy for bountiful crop yields.

14.2.3 Sa Lhakou (Invoking the Soul of the Animals)

The rite sa lhakou is another important village or communal ceremony of the traditional Kuki. The literal meaning of sa is meat/animal, but here it denotes wild animals; lha is soul/spirit; and the word kou means invoking/calling⁹. Sa lhakou literally means invoking/ calling the spirit of animals. Hunting animals for food was one of the important livelihood pursuits in the traditional Kuki society.

The ritual is performed once in a year. Tradition does not specify the exact day in which the sacrifice is to be performed. So, it varied from one village to another, corresponding to the village custom. Hence, at least once in a year, the haosa pu (village chief) with the help of the thempu performs this ceremony for the hunters of the village so that they may have providence in their hunting (Haokip 2000:56). For this ceremony, the haosa pu invites all the hunters and the thempu; and he sacrifices a cock. The ritual is performed by the thempu holding the cock that is meant for sacrifice; he blesses the rite with chants (Haokip 2000:56-57).

O you cock! You are the progeny of my grandmother, black and white hens and cocks. You who descended from the highest layer of heaven, who have reached Kangmaiphai. O you cock! You were caught by my Pi Chongneng.

You were reared in giljom, gilbem when my grandfather fed you.

When my father fed you, from today and onwards.

O you Cock! I captured you from the trap and from nowhere.

Today I called the soul of Jalhenglha (elephant) and Javomlha (bear) in you.

O you cock! Let flutter your feathers.

I called the soul of Juhleng (reindeer), Juhlhun-sajuh (wild boar).

I called the soul of Abahkai (lion), and soul of Humpi (tiger).

O come the souls of wild boar, deer, big and small animals.

O come the souls of my forefather.

Come O souls of manchin and manphal.

Come O souls of my forefather, “Kongloi” the village wants your presence.

Come O souls who came from Chamlipia.

Come O souls who come from Lailipia.

Come O souls from Noichin bolpi.

Come O souls of animals from everywhere.

Come O souls of unknown animals.

Come to my village, come O where we burn.

Come to the way side, come O like the ants.

Come O souls of animals, the village wants your presence.

You have liver, pretend as if you do not have liver

You have heart, pretend as if you do not have heart.

Never doubt, and never be gloomy.

Come O souls to our Um, and occupy your place.

Come O souls inside our pot¹⁰

In Kuki tradition it is customary for a man, who holds a high position of respect on killing a required number of wild game, to perform chon (the highest feast of merit) during his life time. Therefore, the profession of hunting in traditional Kuki community was not impor­tant only to meet dietary requirements, but to achieve high social status while living, and to secure a paramount seat in mithikho (the land of the dead) after death; a successful hunter is also ensured happiness in afterlife (Haokip 2019:74-75). However, in today’s context, hunting wild animals is strictly prohibited even though some illegal hunting is still in prac­tice. The ritual ceremony remains significant for the Kuki as traditional reminiscences, but has no relevance for the present Christian Kukis.

14.2.4 Mi Lhakou (Invoking the Soul of Humans)

Another important version in the ritual of lhakou is mi lhakou (invoking/calling the soul of humans). In this too, kilha lah lhakou (invoking the soul by reclaiming) is significant. If a person encounters a traumatic experience, the traditional Kukis believe that the soul of the person has flown away. It is also believed that if a person is seriously ill some evil spirit is holding back or keeping the soul in chains¹¹.

Chalha hungin

Chapalha hungin.

Chanulha hung in

Athem achinglha hungin.

Literal translation

May the souls of children come?

May the souls of sons come?

May the souls of daughters come?

May the souls of wise and clever come?

Here, what is invoked is the gift of children which means asking Chung Pathen (Supreme Being), who is the Pen kipatna, Poh kipatna, meaning the ‘origin of birth, origin of life’ (Haokip 2008:78); as it is believed that Chung Pathen (Supreme Being) has gifted children to all the clans. There are two ways of performing this cha lhakou ritual. Some invoke all the names of the clans, while some limit the names to their own clan and sub-clan¹⁷. This ritual is still relevant among the Kuki Christian today, however the practical aspect of ritu­als and animal sacrifice is replaced by prayers either by the Christian priest or the father being the head of the family (Haokip 2000:59).

The significance of performing the lhakou ritual indicates the importance of knowing its origin, be it a human, animal, plant, stone; or anything is tantamount to knowing the divine secret, and this knowledge places the human person in a position to a heuristic employment.

14.2.5 Indoi (Bundle of Charms) and Hun Ahkang Tha (Sacrifice of a White Cock)

The practice of indoi ritual is considered to be one among the most important religious prac­tices among the Kuki as it occupies a centre stage of Kuki religious symbolism (Touthang 2003:95). William Shaw terms Indoi as ‘house god’ or ‘house-magic’, or a ‘bundle of charms’ (Shaw 1997:73) which is made either by the thempu or by person who has the expert knowledge of what is required (Gangte 1993:217). Each house-holder has its own Indoi. It serves the whole family so long as the members all live together, but on separation new Indoi may be made (Shaw 1997:73)¹⁸. The components of Indoi proper are taken from the flora and fauna of the Kuki world and household items (Gangte 1993:209-210). The following elements are the components of Indoi:

1 Vohpi maikem (slanted skull of a mother pig)

2 Kelchal kiheh (curl/twisted horn of he-goat)

3 Peng/Hailhi/Um (small gourd)

4 Khaokol (bamboo bangle/wristlet made of gopi)

5 Chemkol (knife or dao made of gopi)

6 Teng/Tengdop (spear made of gopi)

7 Miluh/Pothul/Pocha (small basket made from gopi)

8 Khaopi/Vomgui (a cord made from a fibre tree called ghaopi)

9 Belval (a circular stand for a jar made of bamboo/gopi)

The above mentioned components are bound together and placed at hongcha, the roof of the portico; and the place where Indoi is hung is called biching. Worship of Indoi once a year is obligatory; but in some exceptional cases, when illness, death and other exigencies demand, it can be worshipped as many times as necessary (Gangte 1993:210). When all the components as described above are ready, the father or the u-pa and the thempu (priest) prepare ritual for new Indoi. Then the thempu (priest) invokes the blessings of Pathen for the owner of the house with the following incantations (Chongloi 2008:235-237):

Bless me as you have blessed the mother pig with the slanted forehead.

Bless me as you have blessed the he-goat with its curved horn.

Bless me as you have blessed the beautiful bangle.

Bless me as you have blessed the indispensable sword.

Bless me as you have blessed the useful gourd jar.

Bless me as you have blessed of smooth trunk of the se tree.

Bless me as you have blessed the metal procured from Burma.

Bless me, do not form deformity in me or deal with me in careless manner.

Throughout the year may I offer you with meat and wine.

Let the one known to my ancestors bless me.

Let Mother-God bless me.

Father-God bless me, the father-of me.

Let the mother-giver of grain bless me, the father-giver of grain bless me.

Let the mother-benefactor of labour bless me, the father-benefactor of labour bless me.

Let mother-benefactor of wealth bless me.

Create me neither in deformity, nor deal with me in careless manner.

As your cattle are taken care of efficiently, may it be so with mine.

As you take care of yourself, may it be so with me.

As your spouse and descendents are well look after, May it be so with me.

Bless me as proprietor of seeds of all kinds.

Endow me with grains numbering tens and thousands.

Deal graciously with me till such a time when my skins shrink with age as is the case with gourd.

Take care of me even as you have done to the blessed thinghe tree^19.

Bless me as you have done so with khaopi tree that has ten layers of cortex²⁰.

Bless me even as you have done so with the gopi (bamboo species) that grows to maturity with magnificent bend.

Create in me no deformity, nor deal with me in unconcern way.

Throughout the year may I offer you with meat and wine.

Bless me even as you have taken care of the vomgui plant²¹.

Deal with me generously till old age as is the case with the gourd.

So after saying this, the thempu takes the bits of articles enumerated above in a small gourd and hangs them outside the front wall of the house above the door. Thus, the ceremony ends and there is much drinking of Zu (fermented rice beer) and eating. The Indoi thus made is carried by the owner of the house wherever he goes until his death. Indoi therefore, is apparently for the protection of the person for whom it is made, which is also evident from the ceremony of the institution and chants (Gangte 1993:216-217).

The symbol of Indoi signifies the presence of Chung Pathen. The possible means to define and describe the Kuki religiosity is found in the symbolism of Indoi as the component or ingredient used in Indoi symbolises longevity of life²². The significance of Indoi lies in the incantation. For instance, there will be no slanted skull of female pig unless the pig grows to old age, so also the curled horn of he-goat. So, when the thempu (priest) invoke the Indoi, the first two lines are about a request to bless the owner of that particular Indoi; as Chung Pathen had already blessed vohpi maikem (slanted skull of female pig) and kelchal ki heh (curled horn of he-goat).

The significance of indoi ritual can also be viewed as having ecological significance. Because it is through the binding together of all the components that Indoi is made up, the interconnectedness of all organisms and their environment is manifested through which ecological harmony is perceived (Haokip 2007:78). Another significant point that can be drawn out is that the relationship between Kuki and their environment seems to be more ambivalent and less clear-cut. Everything is sacred and everything is also profane, i.e. dif­ferentiation of the sacred and the non-sacred becomes difficult. Therefore, the Kuki eco­theology while acknowledging all in nature as originating from Chung Pathen recognises them as a special channel of god’s grace and uses them to invoke god’s favour (Chongloi 2013:116). In each of the rites one could see a common theme running, or in other words, the result aspired to achieve is one and the same, i.e. one could heuristically make use of the sacred power manifest in these creatures. In order to establish the fact that the one ritually slaughtered is imbued with sacred power of the incantations; and invariably it has to trace its origin in heaven or to the ultimate reality itself (Chongloi 2008:180).

14.2.6 Hun-Ahkang Tha (Sacrifice of a White Cock)

Another ritual practice in relation to Indoi is hun ahkang tha. Literally hun is a specific time of worshipping god by a family. The Kuki worship Chung Pathen as a final resort and besides, they worship and appease the minor deities (Doungel 2009:55). Doungel gave a comparative study on the significance of hun in relation with today’s context²³. Hun-ahkang tha ritual is done on the occasion of worshiping god by head of the family (insung mipa). Hun-ahkang tha is also the time when Chung Pathen is worshipped and appeased by killing a spotless white cock and cooking it without breaking its bones (Kipgen 1982:88)²⁴. The ritual time is the occasion when the old Indoi is replaced and the installation of new Indoi takes place; it is also the time to worship god for a year before all works begins. And the worship of Indoi is not necessarily done only for Chung Pathen, but also for other deities.

On the occasion of hun the Indoi bundle is taken down from its original place as described above and hung on the doikhom (ritual post), which was then meticulously deco­rated with the feathers of a spotless white cock (Chongloi 2008:203). In view of the fact that Hun Ahkang Tha (sacrifice of white cock) is a family ritual, and the father being the head of the family can act as the thempu (priest) and perform the rituals ceremony along with the tubul (head of the tuchas - could either be the eldest son-in-law or the sons of father’s sister). The three-tiered relationship is mainly derived from marriage alliances. The household forms a closely knitted unit in the social structure of the Kuki. In this system all households in the village are connected through the network of Tucha - Sunggao - Becha relationship (Gangte 1993:67-69)^25.

According to the tradition after decorating the doikhom (ritual post) by the tubul, the rituals begin by asking permission from Chung Pathen (Supreme Being) by the priest about the spot where the ritual post would be erected. The priest talks to himself - questions and answershis questions himself, as if the answer is the response/instructions of Chung Pathen (Supreme Being). In this process he is believed to have received advice from Chung Pathen (Supreme Being) to enquire about the spot from Noimangpa²⁶ (Lord of the underworld). The priest then would ask Noimangpa for the spot, in the process of questioning and answering, and would identify the spot, in the front of the house, as if shown by Noimangpa. After identifying the sport to erect the post, the priest continues with the following incantations (Haokip 2000:19-20):

Let mother God, let father god bless me.

Let Lhoutin nu Lhoutin pa the spirit bless me.

Let the mother-giver of grain take care of me.

The father-giver of grain take care of me.

Let Lenthang progeny bless me.

Let Thanglen progeny bless me.

Let Golkhup bless me.

Let Paikhup bless me.

Throughout the year may I provide you with meat and wine.

Taking the spotless white cock the following incantation is chanted²⁷:

Let mother god and father god bless me.

Bless me as you have blessed Gopi that grows to maturity with magnificent bend.

Bless me as you have blessed the puthul (basket made of bamboo).

Bless me as you have blessed the vomgui (wild creeper) plant.

Bless me as you have blessed the indispensable gopi chemjam (bamboo knife).

Bless me as you have blessed the beautiful chaotin (bangles made from bamboo).

Bless me as you have blesses the khaopi (wild creeper) that has ten cortex layer.

Bless me as you blessed the Gopi tengcha (bamboo spear).

Deal graciously with me till such a time when my skins shrink with ages as is the case with gourd/bless me as you have blesses the Thinghi tree.

Bless me like you blessed my friends, Lenthang, Thanglen, Golkhup and Paikhup.

When the chanting of blessing prayer is over, the thempu would throttle the white cock and thus, carefully would observe the legs. If the right leg moves or spreads widely it is consid­ered to be a good omen and the performer of the ritual is hopeful to perform hun ritual the next year; it is considered a good omen for him and his family. Otherwise, the omen is treated as inauspicious. After observing all of the omens, the thempu kills the cock and cooks it whole, and eats only the flesh portion without breaking the bone. The bones are carefully taken and placed inside doibom-puthul (a small basket - one of the components of Indoi) and after putting bones inside the basket he continues with the following incanta- tions²⁸:

Let mother god and father god bless me.

Bless me mother god;

Bless me father god.

Let Lhoutinu, Lhoutinpa bless me.

Continuing with the following incantations after putting the bones in the puthul (bamboo basket) the thempu then proceeds toward his house. Going out to the kellim (porch) he continues with his incantations²⁹:

Come O soul! Come O soul.

Come O my soul, come the soul of my wife,

Come the soul of my children, our wine tastes better than any other wine.

The last part of the hun is sacrificing a cock by divination with the following incan­tation³⁰:

O you cock! You are the progeny of my grandmother black and white hen and cock. You come from the lower layer of the soil.

My grandfather brought you and protects you from other animals.

I have now replaced you for soul in exchange.

Then by strangling the cock thempu says: khovei tulai phat tokah a thitoh inte, mantoh inte natileh, navei in hinkhen inlang, navei hungme in, phanante hoinante natileh, najet in hinkhen inlang najet hungme hen. The literal English translation would be “till this time for the coming year whether should I expect death or be lost, and if it is so you show it through your left leg, but if it is the opposite you show it through your right leg”. Then the thempu strangles the cock by its neck and sees the position of the legs. If the right leg is parallel it is a good sign for the next hun. Finally, the priest takes the cock towards the ritual post (doikhom) and drops the cock to the ground from its top; he observes the position of the falling cock’s head. It is believed that if the head turns to the courtyard of the house it is a good omen.

14.3