Broom and Gloom

A couple of weeks back, I was reading a number of the myths and the legends of the Khasis and I realized that it is amazing how such stories were said to have been produced  orally, hundreds of years ago, in a state of timelessness  which is almost dreamlike and still one could see these myths and legends alive and living in the form of the daily activities and practices of the people.

The storytelling tradition which is an inherently important part of the Khasi society goes way back to the time of the creation of their myths and legends when they were orally passed down from one generation to another. Why I chose the word ‘storytelling tradition’ is because the written script of the Khasis came into being only in 1840.

It is said that the Khasis are indebted to their myths and legends for their worldview about one living God ‘U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw’ or the creator of all things, which holds that Man and Nature are creations equal to one another. This is evident when one takes the Khasi legends and myths that are based in a certain time in antiquity and goes through them; one would definitely find that a greater majority of these stories would begin with ‘Long long ago when man and nature spoke as one.’

What is even more fascinating than the origin of these stories is how these stories could now be seen as the articulators of the cultural memory of the people from which these stories emerged. It is somewhat of an undisclosed yet apparent secret that the continued survival of a culture lies in the articulation of its own memory.

What I will be discussing today is neither the worldview nor the ecological ethos of the Khasis which were derived from the myths and legends; rather I would be discussing on the origin of something which is very much a part of day to day life’s activity and meetings.

It is here that one would find, perhaps, the origin of two practices which are very much part of the daily activities of life. I have purposely made the topic as broom and gloom because I would be discussion two stories in brief and relate them to daily life.

It is said that most Khasi practices have their origins in their myths. Numerous social customs which are still highly regarded and practiced in the Khasi society have their roots in the myths and legends passed down from one generation to another and their place in modern Khasi society are still the same.

It is from the legend about a man named Ren who falls in love with a river nymph that a particular practise which is very much adhered by the Khasis came into being. According to the legend, the river nymph who was also in love with Ren was taken to his home to meet his mother. Ren’s home was prepared and cleaned by his mother to welcome her future daughter-in-law but being forgetful, forgot to hid the broom from sight(the broom being a symbol of filth and muck) which offended the nymph who left Ren’s house with disgust.

This legend continues to be part of every Khasi household. Early in the morning, houses would be dusted and broomed, and the broom would then be kept somewhere out of the sight of guests lest it offends them if they happen to see a broom which is a sign of great disregard.

Likewise, there exist numerous myths and legends on an amazingly large range of topics whose impact on Khasi society is immense and what is remarkable is that these myths and legends which encompasses a wide range of circumstances and situations of human activity continues to be a part of the society regulating the daily affairs and dealings of the people.

The second legend which falls under the heading gloom is the story which is based on friendship and love and a bit of fear and death which ensues after. This is the legend of ‘kwai, tympew, shun and duma’ or betel nut, betel leaf, lime and tobacco. This legend too like most Khasi legends is based in a period of timelessness. According to the legend, the incident of the story took place in a small village hut in the ancient Khasi village called Rangjyrwit. When one looks at this story from today’s angle one would be shocked perhaps to see that from the point of view of material wealth, the characters involved (Nik Mahajon and Shing Raitoi) had nothing in common; yet their friendship is one which creates a lasting effect because they chose death in the end rather than hurt the feelings and the sentiments of the other.

According to the legend, Nick Mahajon, a rich bachelor, was invited for the first time to Shing Raitoi house- Shing’s house was but a small shack, is very much identifiable to a poor man’s hut. Shing and his wife Lak were happy to receive their friend in their house. However, this happiness was only momentarily, they wanted to offer something to the guest, some eatable; being poor they had nothing to offer. Lak tried her best to request her neighbours to spare her some rice to cook but they too being poor could afford none. In desperation and shame, Shing stabbed himself with a kitchen knife. For him it was better to die than to live with such shame. His wife pained with grief and sorrow over the death of her spouse and only companion could not see things getting any better and plunged the same kitchen knife into her breast and killed herself.

Meanwhile, Nik Mahajon is getting restless for he has been sitting alone in the living room for some time. It is also regarded improper to leave a guest alone. He decided to check on his friend only to find a gruesome scene before him in the kitchen floor. Nik was dumbstruck and on surveying the kitchen realized what has happened and the cause of it being him. His wealth meant nothing to him without his friend and he too took the same knife and decided to end his life. While the thief in the story is very much incidental, the important bit of the story lies in the metaphorical representation of Nik Mahajon as ‘kwai’, Shing Raitoi as ‘tympew’, Shing’s wife as ‘shun’ and a thief as ‘duma’ which was said to be later transformed by God so that such a fate would not befell on others in trying to procure gifts or pleasantries to exchange with friends and guests alike.

Likewise, this legend could be seen as an integral part of Khasi society even till today.  It was said that the practice of exchanging kwai( consisting of kwai, tympew, shun and sometimes duma) could be seen as an act of extending hospitality to one another.  It could also be looked at, as a way in which the rich and the poor too could extend the same hospitality to one another without the necessity of preparing rice, tea or anything else which would otherwise become a burden on the poor.

The practice of hiding the broom after the house has been clean and dusted and the practice of exchanging kwai is still very much alive and living till today. It is amazing to see how hundreds of year’s long tradition could still be seen alive and living in a twenty first century modern society. There is always an inclination to shift towards something new- that is what the history of the world often tells us. Here, however, we see instead a living memory still being a part of everyday life.

An Introduction

What makes our planet so special is humanity. Earth, as a planet, has a memory of 4.6 million years which is called ‘Geological memory’. In the thousands and thousands of years that have passed, uncountable number of societies and communities sprouted as well as co-existed with one another- changing, evolving and developing with time, while some disappeared with little or no proof/memory of their existence.

Memory is infinite and would mean nothing, unless articulated. The world has heterogeneous cultures that can be seen from the uncountable myths and legends that exist all over, speaking about the great Continental Drift that led to the formation of Gondwanaland and Laurasia, which could have possibly led to the evolution of memory.

Memory is based on articulation. Unless articulated, memory will seize to be memory as it would soon be forgotten and it would simply vanish without a trace. This is how varied cultures survived even after thousands of years- each culture articulating its memory in its own distinct manner.

A land so rich with cultures and traditions is a wonder on its own. Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and a region of historic trading routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.

The culture of India is the way of life of the people of India. India’s languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. The Indian culture, often labelled as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old.

The cultural diversity of India, especially of the north- eastern part of India, is incredible! With more than two hundred ethnic communities co-existing with one another, each being different and unique in so many aspects makes it truly incredible. What I would like to share with everyone is the memories of my community, the Khasi community of Meghalaya, and how our cultural memories are produced, preserved, developed and promoted by various modes of articulation.