Funeral rites of the Kabuis
- Part 2 -

Dr Budha Kamei *

The size of the grave varies according to the physical condition of the dead person. Normally, it is dug in right angle to the depth of about four or five feet and at the bottom a niche is excavated to insert the coffin. R. Brown writes that the grave of Kabuis is thus prepared: "a trench is first made, and at right angles to this the ground is excavated and a recess made, into which the coffin is inserted, the earth being afterwards filled in".

It is believed that grave is the home of the dead. So every effort is made to comfort the departed soul. When the digging of the niche is completed, a small line is drawn by an elder with its finger just near the niche. This is locally known as Kanungduipang Hekmei. Kanungdui is a mythical river which symbolizes a boundary between life and death. They put a coin in the mouth of the dead in the belief that the soul has to travel across the Kanung River by paying the same to the ferry.

Then, a fire of thatch is contacted the grave as purification called Maihammei. Another idea of contacting fire is probably to give warm, light and comfort the soul on its way to the other world. It may also mean to drive away evil forces. According to Dictionary of Anthropology, "The fire at or enroute to the funeral are probably to warm and light the spirit, as well as to put off the ghost".

The dead is adorned with best traditional dress and costume. It is believed that in the land of dead, everything is opposite so in dressing also they make it opposite of the living being does. There is a custom that when a man dies they create a mark on some part of the body with soot. After some years, a child is born in the family with a similar mark; it is believed that the dead man has been reborn again. A coin is also put in the mouth of the dead which is intended to pay to the ferry for crossing the Kanungdui. After the dressing is over, the family will offer wine to the participants. This is called Ponshujoujangmei meaning drinking holy wine.

This is followed by a ritual called Theipahdapmei which means killing a fowl for the deceased. In this ritual, an elder of Pei who acts as priest kills a fowl in front of the bed of the deceased striking it once on the ground by pronouncing: Kumeile Hei Nangtheiphathidi meaning this (name of the deceased to be cited here) is your food. The victim is roasted and cut into small pieces. Then, it is cooked by the old women of kengjapui and rice is also cooked by them for the dead.

The Kabuis believe that the dead has to make a journey to the other world, to which they actually belong. So, the living descendents prepare food stuff packets to eat and drink on different places through which he will pass his travel to the land of the dead. The curry of Theipha, Takan with rice is cloaked with seven plaintain leaves and thus prepares the seven packets of food. It is performed by an elder of Pei. This seven food stuff packets are locally known as Thei Napdom.

The same elder puts all the seven packets in a basket called Kka in the following orders by saying the name of the deceased.
(1)This first packet is for eating at the Narangbang which means beyond the village gate. After saying this, the same packet will be put in the Kka. The similar performance is done with the rest of the six food stuff packets.
(2) This second packet is for eating at the Bamdondai, meaning the big resting place.
(3) The third is for eating near the Kanung River.
(4) The fourth one is for giving to them who receive you at Taroilam.
(5) The fifth is for giving to your parents and grand parents (those elders who died ahead of the person).
(6) The sixth one is for feeding the dog of the Taroilam.
(7) The seventh is for giving to the khanana, the evil spirits of the Taroilam. This ritual is locally known as Thei Napdom Nimmei.

During mourning, the Kabuis sing traditional songs such as Magenluh, Lamlonlu etc. for the departed soul. It is believed that funeral songs help the deceased to enter the land of the dead with his head held high[64]. When the necessary preparation has been completed, the coffin is brought in and a little thatching grass burns inside it to drive off the evil forces[65].

Pon (salt) is also spread inside the coffin. They carefully wrap the dead body with a cloth which is supposed to contain the soul66 and then put the same inside with a pillow of unginned cloth under its head67. The coffin is closed with a wooden plate and nailed it. Tanthing (three sticks) are put under the coffin and tied by the Phounamloi (bamboo pieces).

Tying the coffin is prompted by fear of the dead.[68] It also implies that the dead may be malevolent and has power to harm the living because the dead can come forth from the grave not merely as spirits, but in the bodily form[69]. The coffin is covered with a traditional cloth like Pheingao or Mareipan as a precaution to protect from evil spirits. After this ritual, they lift up the coffin on their shoulders by pronouncing: 'Ho-ou-we' and start to go with its feet forward.

The practice of carrying out the dead with its forward is to prevent from seeing the way back[70]. Just before crossing the main entrance they turn around the coffin thrice in anti clock wise and move towards the grave. At the very moment, an elder with a dao performs a ritual called Rah Hamei at the entrance. The main idea of this ritual is to drive off the evil forces[71]. The custom of turning around the coffin is to deceive the deceased not to come back again and make trouble the family.

Basically, the funeral consists of conveying the deceased from his home to the place of burial. This act of transportation has generally been made into a procession of mourners who lement the deceased and it has often afforded an opportunity of advertising his wealth, status or achievements. When the coffin is arrived at the grave, the same process of turning around the coffin is performed. Finally, the coffin is inserted in the niche. This is called Theilimei.

Just before it, Phounamloi, the bamboo pieces which binds the coffin is removed. Now, the Phounamloi comes to be recognised as Pushi. A man with the Pushi hits once in the grave by pronouncing: 'Kumeipu/kumeilu nangkaimeinum nangthei Jon-gangmei Naiyethai Mei Pushirui kathamna kathao Gang-o-de' meaning if any one of your relative follows you turn him back by hitting with this Pushi. Then, it is placed near the coffin.

"His survivors are careful to equip him with all the necessary material objects such as clothing food, arms and tools as well as those of a magico religious nature- amulets, passwords signs etc. which will assure him of a safe journey or crossing and a favourable reception as they would a living traveler".

The Kabuis burry the dead along with articles like Napdom Khatni Taktu (Food stuff packets), Khengmu Deimu ( rice-beer), Shaobon (one set of pointed thorny for the purpose of defending from the attack of enemeies or evil spirits), Bui (a spear for throwing to the enemies or evil spirits), Bang (a dao for chopping the evil spirits or enemeies), Buirong (a walking stick), Laogai (a small spade for cultivation), Tambem, Tangnuk, Tangnam (Weaving equipemtnts for female) for his or her use on the way and to the land of the dead.

Among the Nagas, the dead body is buried and the spear and dao are always buried with him. R. Brown says, "The corpse is buried on the day of death in a coffin, in which, under the body, are placed a hoe, spear, cooking pots and cloths for his use in the other world." Then, a male member of the family erects a bamboo stick about 3ft long close to the niche. This is called Loukham Teng Khunmei meaning the last thing for the dead. Another idea is a pillar which divides between life and death. It is performed by saying: 'Ho-ou-we Tameipule Lampingleo Ai naiye' meaning you go without fear.

Finally, the grave diggers fill up the grave with earth. With the burial of the dead body; the man is incorporated to the land of the dead as a new member78 because the underworld is supposed to be the land of the dead79. Carl Clemen80 has rightly stated that "the earth is the soul of life, but it is also the realm of dead". The grave diggers with their spades on their shoulders go around the grave thrice in clockwise and also repeat the same anti clockwise. This custom is known as Tarou lam Lamei which means dancing of grave dance.

Then, they wil break the gourd which is placed on the grave. A fish bone made of bamboo pieces is also placed on the grave which indicates a division between life and dead81. On the fifth day accounting from the day of death, the fish bone will be removed from the grave. Grave dance signifies to the dead man that he is no more[82]. The deceased is thus comfortably provided for and admonished by word and deed to go into the other world, and in any case not to meddle with living, the mourners return from the grave.

Funerary rites do not usually bring to an end with the disposal of the corpse by burial. Post funerary ceremonies and customs generally have two not necessarily mutually exclusive motives[83] to purify the mourners and to mourn the dead. When the funeral is ended, all who have taken part in it must commonly be purified. Purification means the ritual which is used to protect against unclean, sinful and undesirable situations[84]. The purification of the mourners is the other post funerary action. "A corpse straddes the boundary between this world and the next and as with most such liminal objects it is regarded as simultaneously powerful and polluting"85. All the participants in the funeral are therefore in need of cleansing before they can return normal life.

Consequently, the Kabuis perform various forms of purification, chiefly; washing or sprinkling of water, Gahroumei (to rub a slice of the mixture of turmeric, leaves of kaa plant, Ngeinem, a kind of thatch grass and water at the jaw) and Thanjoujangmei (drinking of holy wine) [86]. "The ancient Greeks put all the door of the death chamber a vessel full of pure water obtained from another house, so that all who came out might purify themselves"[87].

Finally, fire is contacted by all the participants in the funeral to drive off the Evil sprits that comes along or follows and only after this ritual; they are permitted to enter their respectively houses[88]. Frank Byron Jevons89 states, "They pass through or over a fire is to make communion with the fire-God because it has the purificatory power".

In spite of the elaborate precautions to prevent the dead man from returning, he is often thought to be present in the dwelling after the actual disposal of the corpse90. Accordingly, measures are taken by them to purify the place and remove the tabu. This may be accomplished by driving away the ghost. In this connection, the two elders of Pei who officiate as priests will perform the Kaiphekmei meaning cleansing the house with Ten Maimit, a kind of grass.

A feast is usually a part of the funeral rites. Among the Kabuis, the funeral banquet is held in presence of the corpse before burial. This meal is the sacrificial food called Takan Jan which offers for the deceased[91]. The purpose of funeral feast is to bring all the survivors together, and sometimes with deceased in the same way a chain which has been broken by the removal of one of its links must be rejoined[92]. It is a rite of incorporation.[93]

Funeral feast may be interpreted as in honour of the dead[94]. It may also be a fare well banquet– a send off one who is unwilling to go at the termination of which the deceased is formally but firmly shown the door"[95]. R.Brown[96] states that "On the death of a Kowpoi Naga a feast is given by his surviving relations to the friends of the family and others should the parties be well off". The funeral rites themselves are also held to place the obligation on a dead man to give the survivors the benefit of his supernatural power[97].

When a man dies with debt and at the same time he has no one in the village to repay the debt; in that case, the dead is buried with formal ceremonies and every requirements in the funeral will be brought out by the villagers. To make him as a free and undebt both in the living world and to the land of the dead, a ritual locally known kakhukdoudanmei is accomplished. An elder of Pei who acts as priest divides his khuk into two halves and places on the grave. This act signifies to God and mankind that this man has nothing and free from debt in the living world as well as in the Taroilam[98].

On the fifth day counting from the day of death, Tarou kashemmei is accomplished. Tarou kashemmei means to repaire the grave for beautification. All the relative and friends of the deceased take part and a stone flat is also erected over the grave99. The erecting of stone is in honour of the death.[100] Offerings like rice, curry, wine, fruits etc are placed on the grave for the departed soul.

In Kabui society, the period mourning of a death is observed for one year until the celebration of Gaangai festival. The mourning of the dead is observed especially by near relatives in the form of abstention from amusement. The meaning of such action seems evident: "grief felt for the loss of a dear relative or friend naturally express itself in forms of self denial. But the purpose may sometimes have been those who still enjoyed life in this world"[101].

In view of Arnold van Gennep[102], "mourning seems to be as an aggregate of taboos and negative practices marking society of those placed in a sacred impure state". It is believed that during mourning, the living mourners and the deceased constitute a group, situated between the world of the living and the world of the dead[103]. Gaan- Ngai is the biggest post harvest festival of Kabui people which holds in the month of December or January every year.

In this festival, farewell is given for all those who died in the previous year[104]. Emile Durkheim[105] says, "When an individual dies, his soul quits the body in which it dwelt, and after the mourning is accomplished, it goes to the land of the souls". On the first day of Gaan-Ngai, a fare well feast is given for the deceased in which all the relatives and friends of the dead take part. They believe that the spirit of the dead leaves the burial place after the festival[106]. These rites lift the prohibitions of mourning and make reintegration into the life of society[107].

The death of a person decreases the strength in a group or community consisting of limited number individuals is an event of mean importance. The nearest relatives are severely disturbed and the whole community is mutilated. The whole event breaks the normal course of life and shaken the moral foundations of the society.

Death is, therefore much worse than the removal of a member. It threatens the very cohesion and solidarity of the group upon which the organization of the society, its tradition and the whole culture depends. Herman Hooker[108] says,"Death is as the foreshadowing of life. We die that we may die no more".

Concluded ....