Friday, March 29, 2024
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The Niamtre examples

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 By Dr Omarlin Kyndiah

In virtually all cultures the birth of a healthy child, a son in patrilineal and a daughter in matrilineal society is a joyous occasion. No such unanimity, however, exists with regards to the birth of twins. Almost all early and primitive societies gave interpretation to twin births which vary from the most auspicious to the sinister. In the ancient legends of Egypt, Greece, and Rome twins have figured prominently and are in a highly exalted manner. They were assumed to have supernatural powers and qualities. Within the African communities, the belief system of twin births varies. The Igbo speaking-people of southeast Nigeria, for example, feared the birth of twins. By contrast, their Yoruba neighbours, in southwest Nigeria, praised the birth of twins. Igbo society viewed twins as a bad omen sent by the “Gods.” They considered twins as supernatural beings that could bring devastation to society. Consequently whenever twins were born, their parents had to leave them at the “Evil Forest” to die. Twins were put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest. These cultures existed in the Iron Age. Such superstitions and traditions defy the dignity of human existence.

Mr. PRT Gurdon in his book titled ‘The Khasis’ mentioned that the Khasis consider the birth of twins a ‘sang’ or ‘taboo’. He wrote that, “the Khasis argue that there is but one Ka Iawbei (first ancestress) and one U Thawlang (first ancestor), so one child, either male or female should be born at a time. Birth of twins is regarded as a visitation from God for some ‘sang’ or transgression committed by some member of the clan”.

Every summer, in the first weekend in August, thousands of twins converge at Twinsburg, Ohio, a small town southeast of Cleveland named by identical twin brothers nearly two centuries ago. The three-day festival is known as Twins Days Festival, where a three-day marathon of picnics, talent shows, and look-alike contests is organised. This festival has grown into one of the world’s largest gatherings of twins.

Doctors in India are wracking their brains to solve the riddle of 220 plus twins born to 2,000 families in the far-flung village of Kodinhi in Kerala. Experts are wondering at the uncommon phenomenon of twin births which is nearly six times more than the global average. This place is known as Twin Town of India.

The Jaintias too have integrated a special belief system pertaining to twins in their traditional religion. The Jaintias saw twins to be significant. In the Pnar language, twins are called “Ki Kha Mynrap”. They are looked after and treated with honour, and twin births are much celebrated because they are considered a sacred blessing and gift from God (U Tre Kirot). This belief system on twin births is connected to the myth of the Niaw Wasa. In a Divine Dorbar, God told U Niaw Wasa that they would no longer be able to see Him since His task of creation is completed. God commands that each family make a hut called ‘Yung Blai’ and therein He would bless each family with deities. One such deity will emerge as twins, God commanded! These family deities represent the force of nature on which the prosperity of the family depended and also plays major roles in shaping human affairs in the myth of U Niaw Wasa.

Many scholars, authors, newspaper writers, and commentators have attempted to study the tradition connected with to twin births in the Niamtre family. Their conjecture is that the tradition is influenced by Hinduism. Considered a sacred blessing and gift from God (U Tre Kirot), the twins are given due honour, respect, and special status in the Jaintia family and society. Special rites and rituals are performed in the family that helps signify their cultural identity.

The religions and customs have strong influences on food habits through food laws such as taboos. Among the Niamtre community, twins and their mother are barred from eating potatoes. The species which is prohibited is Solanum tuberosom Linn and not the red skin variety.  The exact cause, dating, and the sequence of culture is a difficult one and outside my competence. From antiquity, there is a narrative among the Pnars that on a particular day twin brothers saw the ‘twin potato tubers’, and henceforth they vowed not to eat potato. However, it is imperative here to mention the cultures of the early Chimú or the Proto-Chimú. In the Chimú native folklore, ‘twin potato tubers’ are regarded as being endowed with special reproductive gifts. Human twins were likewise endowed with special powers. Interestingly, the Spanish chronicles too speak of the magic value of twin maize cobs.

David Scott the British administrator was the first to introduce potato (Solanum tuberosom Linn) in the Khasi Hills in the early part of the 19th century. Some say that since the Jaintias fought a fierce battle with the British who attempted to suppress their traditions and religious beliefs, that could be the reason for twins being prohibited from eating the potato variety introduced by David Scott.

It is a common practice across the world, that twins are  given a special name ranging from names that rhyme (Jayden and Caiden/ Akash and Prakash); similar sounding names (Leila & Laura), names that honour the ancestors ( Hazel and Vivian), names that start with the same letter (Abhay and Ajay). The fraternal twins of an inter-racial marriage between Amanda Wanklin and Micheal Biggs in the USA were given intertwined names: Millie Marcia Madge Biggs and Marcia Millie Madge Biggs. The Jaintias name male twins as U Ram and Lakhon and Ka Kongka and Durka for female twins. Hence, there is no uniformity and unanimity across cultures in naming twins after the name of gods and goddesses. For instance, when a couple gives birth to twins for the second time or third time, they are given different names.

When the Sutnga Dynasty expanded into the plains division and established Jaintiapur as the capital of the Kingdom, they might have been influenced indirectly to some extent by the Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharat. From these epics, they might have picked up names for twins. Though the Jaintias adopted the names of Hindu gods in naming twins,  it cannot be construed as an influence of Hinduism, because the traditions and the belief systems of the Jaintias on twin births is unique and different from Hindu practices. The present writer is struggling to find a Hindu family naming twins sons as Ram and Laxman and twins daughter as Ganga and Durga. Therefore, the claim that the traditions and the belief systems of the Jaintias on twins are an influence of Hindu ideology is not a fact authenticated by history. This assumption needs careful attention and in-depth understanding of  the Jaintia worldview and the belief system of the Niamtre. Hinduisation of the Jaintia Dynasty by the Kings when they invaded the plains is an attempt to legitimise or consolidate their power structure and to make the structure acceptable by the people of the plains division.  However, the Jaintia Kings retained their social bases such as the matrilineal law of succession.  Hence, acceptance of new ideas that do not alter the basic ‘structure’ of traditions and belief systems is the characteristic of a progressive society.

(Email: [email protected])

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