According to the oral history passed down to us by our forefathers over the centuries, our community called ourselves “Lotha” because of the ways we practiced the different sacrificial rituals so religiously as briefly narrated below.
In the course of our migration, while sojourning somewhere towards China, two hunters with their hound, went chasing a game. Following the hound which was right behind the game, they crossed a mountain through a natural tunnel and came out to the other side of the mountain. Viewing the landscape from the top of a tree they saw that the land was very beautiful and fertile. They also plucked a few gooseberry fruits and. ate them, after which they drank water from the brook and were surprised that the water tasted sweet. So they were convinced that this side of the world was so good that even the water was sweet. So, they went back to their people and brought them out to this side of the mountain. However, the oldest man among them named Rankhandamo, followed them from behind carrying a mithun’s head on his head. Unfortunately, the tunnel was too narrow for the mithun’s head to be carried through. So, the people told him to leave the mithun’s head behind and follow them. But he refused to, follow them without it. So, he stayed back in the tunnel telling his people to go ahead without him. He only told them to remember him when they reach and live in the new world.
Unfortunately, everybody forgot him on reaching and living in the new world. Sometime later, dysentery broke out among the people in an epidemic form which killed many of them. Then, they realised that it was sent as a punishment ‘by the spirit of Rankhandamo for not obeying him and forgetting him instead. So, they decided to appease the spirit of Rankhandamo through offerings and sacrifices. This is where they started practicing the different rituals of offerings and sacrifices to different kinds of spirits. .
In course of time, these rituals were practiced to cover many aspects of their normal lives. For example, every new year, before they clear a jungle for cultivation, each family would go to a sorcerer or dreamer to find out what needs to be offered as sacrifice to the spirit living in that jungle so that it would not harm any member of the. The sorcerer or dreamer would accordingly find out and inform them in due time.
The items to be offered as sacrifice to the spirits were usually any one of the following: -.a chick, an egg, a cock or a dog. The dog was considered to be the highest item for sacrifice. According to the advice of the sorcerer or dreamer, the family would offer the sacrifice and only thereafter would they cultivate the field. Even after this, as they come across huge trees to be felled while clearing the jungle, they would offer an egg to the spirit which owns the tree. They used to give similar offerings when they have to work near or around massive rocks in the field. ‘
When a person falls sick, they would call an Elder of the village to accompany them and together they would proceed to the outskirts of the village carrying fire and egg and complete all the rituals of sacrifice to the concerned spirit. Thereafter, they would come home, kill a chick through strangulation, examine the intestines and hang it on a pole outside the village. Then, the Elder would pray that sickness, sufferings and misfortunes may not visit the family again. He would also pray that blessings in abundance may be showered upon the family. Likewise, for any kind of ailments, the sorcerer or witch used to be consulted and offerings given as per his advice. Taking whatever objects of sacrifice the sorcerer calls for, usually a chick, an egg, a cock together with charcoal or rice, the family members of the sick would go to the particular place with the sorcerer, clear a selected place, perform all the rituals and, come back home calling the name of the sick person all along the way upto his house. They say the sick used to recover after that.
These different kinds of rituals for offerings and sacrifices were resorted to before sowing of different kinds of seeds in the field and before harvesting them. In fact, in every season a cultivator, had a reason to offer sacrifices to the spirits that they believed had superhuman powers over them.
From the narration of rituals of offerings and sacrifices practiced by our fore-fathers, our people, our tribe was called “Lotha” (lothata Iota eroe jipo), which means a “tribe which practices rituals of offerings and sacrifices most adequately, thoroughly, meticulously, devoutly and religiously”.
N. Khumkhothung Ngullie
Tsungiki, Diphupar
