By H H Mohrmen
The Khasi Pnar traditional wisdom and understanding of nature is not only unique but is also profound. The Khasi Pnar like any of the first nations lived and has been living in harmony with nature. Much before the world talked about the interdependent web of existence, the Khun u Hynniewtrep already have their myths and legends which depict equality of all creations. It is believed that in the days of yore, the golden era or the virgin age as we would like to call it, human and animals were not only talking to each other, but they even lived as equal creations of Creator.
The mythology of the moon, the sun and the rooster is one example of the peoples’ conception about the inter-dependent web of existence and in our context the interdependence is not only among earthly creations, plants and animals but it is even inter-planetary. The folk tales of people with inter-planetary connections is the tragic love story of the sun and the peacock and how the tear drops of the Sun lamenting for her lost love became the beautiful marks and patterns in the peacock’s feathers. There is a story of how the Thunder was attracted by the glittering sword of an animal called Civet (Kui) in the warrior dance organized by both human and animals and that the Thunder who borrowed the dazzling sword took it with him to the sky.
We talk about common stewardship of the planet earth but the people of these hills believe that the animal kingdom of 30 species are equal partners of human beings of this earth. The Khasi-Pnar people believe their origin to be from a huge tree that connected heaven and earth and is located on top of a hill. This tree was the heavenly navel (sohpet bneng) was sought to be cut by some humans. Since they could not complete the task of cutting the huge trunk in a day, a tiger that came at night would lick the wounds of that tree and it would be whole again. So the cunning humans kept watch on a particular night and saw the tiger at its work. Next day they stuck the sharp end of the axe at the point where the tiger would lick the tree. The unsuspecting tiger’s tongue got severely cut and it bled to death. This tree connecting heaven and earth was finally brought down. While nine families were left behind in paradise, seven families remained on earth never to be united.
The Khasi Pnar’s immense reverence for nature is also obvious from the fact that people would not step on the fields to sow seeds unless certain religious rituals are performed. At the time of harvesting people seldom eat the fruits of their fields without offering the same to the gods first. Many rituals and festivals were woven around the two important seasons – the planting and harvesting seasons.
The folk story of the Iew luri lura (market of chaos), where the whole creation including humans conducted their commercial activities is another legend which indicates people’s understanding of the interdependent web existence. According to this Khasi legend it was after fellow animals accused and condemned the dog for selling excretion that the animals came to live with humans. Legend has it that every animal kicked and trampled on the fermented beans and hence the smell of the paste lingers on their feet. It was because the smell remained on the animals’ feet that the dogs could trace the scent of other animals and thus help man to hunt for animals.
The two major Khasi Pnar ruling families also have a divine origin. The story of the Jaintia monarch began with Lo(t) Ryndi catching a fish from the river Waikhyrwi. The fish became a beautiful woman whom he married and the children from the wedlock became the first ruling family of the Jaintia Kingdom. The ruling family of the Khyrim and Mylliem state of the Khasi hills is also believed to have originated from u Lei Shillong or Shillong god which had three children, ka Ngot, ka Iew and ka Pahsyntiew. The two elder sisters became rivers and are known as Umngot and Umiew, while the youngest sister became a beautiful damsel and lived all by herself in the Marai cave. She is known as ka Pahsyntiew, which means to woo, to court or entice by using flowers. She became the great grandmother of the ruling clan of Hima Shillong.
The Khasi Pnar believes that the rivers are not mere rivers but they too have a persona. The popular belief is that the Lukha river, the Lunar and the Lynju were sisters. The Passah clan of Jaintia hills till date would not cross the Kupli without giving the river some offering because the Kupli is the progenitor of the Passah clan and Yale is Kupli’s husband who was represented by a beautiful waterfall. This waterfall is their ancestral grandfather and was lost forever after the Kopili hydel project was established. In Jowai, the Myntdu river not only is believed to be a person but the river which flows around Jowai is worshipped as the guardian angel and sacrifices are offered to the goddess every now and then. It is a taboo for anybody to defecate or pass urine in the river. The hills people also believe that water is divine (umksiar um rupa) which is God’s gift and all the rivers are sacred.
Sacred groves, is another example of the Khasi Pnar’s respect and reverence for nature. Sacred forests as the name implies are considered sacred in the sense that the entire area is protected and the forest is kept pristinely conserved. The sacred groves in many cases are believed to be the places where the god U Ryngkew u Basa dwells. Traditionally the Khasi Pnar would not cut any tree at random or at one’s own whims and fancy. Before cutting a tree the Khasi- Pnar would pay obeisance to God and seek his forgiveness for cutting the tree for his own needs.
Speaking about the tiger, the Khasi-Pnar were not only fascinated by this majestic animal but also shared a close relationship with it. Hence most of the time when they address the tiger, they would lovingly called the tiger ‘um ’la’ or brother in law. The Rymbai clan also has a story related to the Tiger. Once when their great great grandmother was to cross the river to return to her village, suddenly the river was flooded so she could not cross over. It was the tiger which came to her rescue by carrying her on its back across the river. The Khasi- Pnar also share the legend of men who can change themselves to tigers.
Ki Khun u Hynniewtrep not only have names for all the plants, animals, fishes, birds and different kinds of grasses in their land but they also have stories about most of their fellow creatures with whom they share their homes. Khasi Pnar people who still respect and adhere to their culture and traditions continue to live close to nature and consider it their mother. Everything in nature and in the sky are related to them in some way or the other. The relationship is also based on the fact that both animals and human share a common story hence a common bond. Their way of life vis-à-vis the relationship with nature is pious to say the least, and one profoundly respects this connection and lives this way of life religiously.
Like any other indigenous people, the Khasi Pnar or the Khun u Hynniewtrep Hynniewskum has a very close connection with the nature; in fact nature is everything to them, but mining has not only destroyed our environment but it has cut the umbilical cord that connects the hill people to their mother. Mining in Meghalaya has not only killed streams and rivers but it has most importantly disconnected people from nature which their ancestors have for so long considered sacred because it provides and sustains all their needs. Mining and unsustainable development is the major cause of the erosion of our culture and tradition.