SASS Iournal Published by Sociology/Anthropology Students' Society (SASS) Central Departrnent oi' Sociolo gy and Anthropology Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. O Publishcr All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, no part ofthis publication rnay be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any fonn or by any means or process without the prior permission in writing of the copy right holder. The responsibility fol the facts presented, opinions expressed, and interpretation made in the articles rests exclusively with the respective authors. The opinions do not necessarily reflect the vie'ws and/or policy of the SASS. I Year of publication 2008 Volurne III Correspondcnce Chairperson Sociology/Anthropology Students' Society Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Design & Layout Academic Computer Center Kirtipur, Katlulandu Ph:4-331887 Printed at: Printers World Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. Cosmology of Mythical Realities: A Case Study of Danuwar' Man Bahadur Shahu Sal saya ranga satsaya boka pari hai tari deuo Sate ko raicha Matsyendra deula patti hai pari deau "Scvcn Ilundred buffalos and seven goats hclp thcm cross the river Oh! Truly God Matsyendra please make it rain". This article makcs a contribution to the mythical aspects related to subaltem culturc of Danuwar2 which is rather unique and was handed down up to the 2l't cenfury. It aims at throwing a spotlight upon the transccndental value of rnythical principle. The above-mcntioned epigraph is tied to both myth and sacrificial culture. The subject is pleading wilh lt4atsyendra through the song for the rain-making like song of deurali puja. Tbey neither dramatize as deurali puja nor do any ritual experts perform the religious activities to a rainmaking. Matsyendranallr is a god of rain for both Danuwar and Newar of Kathmandu valley. The nryth rcgarding Matsventlrct is similar to the tale of 'Thor and his hammer' from Nordic mythology, Thcre arc sonre myths related to nagas (serpents); they are sources of water thereforc they are offering hen, tika, and akcheta in the period of grain collection. Some legends of the nagas found in Kathmandu are related to watcr. They are nurtured by mysticism. The I This research project was carried out in 2006 (JulyOctober) at Dukuchhp village of Lalitpur districts under the projects of Danuwar folk life and folkways.t Th.y are en-slavable alcohol-drinker belong to Indo-Aryan family they denizen few miles frorn the Kathmandu valley, they are also called Denvar (l{odson 1903) expectt'd to migratc from thc Kanraru Kamache in lndia. i 's;r languagc roolis magacllta and they have sirnilar culturat features like Darai, Majhi and Tharu(Bista 1972). 112 5tr55 1uu,'nal, vol. Iil prirnitive life of Danuwar is scientific and systematic due to the iniluence of myths. Any dcviation from thc nrles may bring disasters such as a like tornado, drought, flood, hollor and hungcr in their life. Danuwar civilization 'thrives on the supematural power of ghosts, spirits, fairies and demons. They explained their natural history of god, goddess and heroes that pertains the story of joys and evils. The contagious magic of god gives the pain like sterility or blight of crops, and he became a scapegoat figure. Danuwar people relay the miracle of myths through the oral history that encompasses tlie supernatural power. They rehearse the several myths allied to religions i.c. rnytlrs regarding Matsyendranall influenced by Buddhism, whereas the myths regarding Dashain and Tihar are influcnccd by Hinduism.'Usually clan, sib and lincagc groups of Danuwar worsliip their rnythical ancestry through thc religious rites and cult activities for the well-being of living members. They are popular as bayo3. Tlte vansavahs (chronicles) have sonre account of the legcnds that trace out their origin of life like thcir gcnealogical affiliation with rharu, ethno-history and habitat. Thcse arc in irnaginative form, that reworking for thc theme of life. The advanccd domi'ating mcanirgs of tlre myths are projecting in subaltern culture which makes life more rigorous and as logical as sciencc. Myths arc dependent on the oral history that presents the nature and cultural nexus that would be comparcd rvith claude Levi-Strauss' book rre Rsw atrl the cooked, rvhere irc elucidates basic structures of cultur.c through the binary pairs or relationships betwecn opposites. He shows that raw is a nature and cookcd is a culturc. Myths help to bind god, men, anirnals and nature togethcr with the philosophy of nragic, witchcraft and fonn of religious expression that cnabled their lives to beconre mcaningful. The social system qnd its clan rcrationship horvcver, depcnds upon the social taboo that has to bc alivs with different relation i,e. clan and kinship. Bcsidc, it aims is to vicw the religious symbols and ritual meanings which have shaped the belief system. They connected thcse things with birth and dcath, welconre and farcwell, puriry and pollution, high castc and lorv castc. Thcir cognitivc systenr relatcd to birth and death, sanskrili (culture) and prakriti (nature), ordcr and disordcr, fortune and rnisfortunc that cnhance social structure in dccent order. Myths and beliefs are intertwincd so that these two aspects inevitably govcrn their society in systcmatized fornr. Thc Philosophy of Tylor and Frazer on belief has linked up with psychological dcvelopmcnt, rvliich incorporates the subjects of magic, taboo and witchcraft. Thcse phcnomcna should account for the feeling and ernotion 3 Anccstral gods those, who met with an untimely death from fire, flood an<l natural disastcr MAN BAHADUR SHAHU: Cosmologt of Mythical Realiries...... I 13 that they incorporate for greed, love, hate and amazements. The adaptation of belief goes uniquely under thc ccrtain assumption of diffusion from one generation to another. To some extent, it reveals the position of caste and creed. This research was tested by my own observation in several occasions in their community. I, therefore, could narrow down the connection between myth and cosmology. Our forefathers are diligent readers rvhose knowledge inspires us through myths and legends. It is a faith of science. Hounever; it survives in accordance with fetish, animism, totem, dlnnna, pop and punya that are important to make a social structure. The superstitious fhith governs the rvorld that tletermines thc journeys, f'ate, lovc and syrnpathy. The divcrsity of their culture is cultivated in decent manner under the influence of beliefs. Myths are inseparable form the ritual. People af{inn that the state of man whose life starts from fetus and end up with corpse, rvhich lrave synrbols, signs, mcanings and metaphorical functions. The bclicfis, horvcvcr, look at Van Gannep theory of tripartite structure of ritcsseparate, transition and incorporation. Danuwari civilization also flourished undcr the horizon of rvitchcraft and sorcery related to taboo and totem rvithin thc certain cultural boundary. They dcfine these invisible objects in their own way i.e. a witch is old, ugly, discreditable, uncombed and giant-like in physical appearance, and gives pain to a person, whereas, sorcery .,r'hosc irnrge is unlike tvitch rvith masculine appearance only. They make their orvn image of the bodies of god, witch and sorcery. Danuwar offer food to their ancestors in the espccial occasions like dashain, tihar and sora sradhe to save their life from ,supernatural forces or evils. Similarly, they are offering to the deities usually 'goats, hens, and buffalos for the strengthening of tire porver in order to conquer the evil forces. In one way it is for the salvation from the evil and another it has becn prevailing in the scheduled fonr.r to build the social solidarity. Their myths basically'include the legends that trace out their origin, ethnoname, migratory and occupational history, anccstral stories and nightrrarc. Both the creation and explanatory rnyths are found in their village. For cxampte, the origin of Danuwar village, their ethnic namc and birth of deitics are the creation of myth, whcrcas formation and charactcristics of thc geographical tcrritory, gods and goddcss, dcmon, soul of anccstor snd divinities life bcncath thc ground arc explanatory. Myths are functionally interrelated, and there is a figurative meaning that provides insight and novelty to all. It is the fundarnental element for the formation of social and cultural institutions. Their myths are similar to other ethnic groups of the world that constifuent bundle of relation with natural and supernatural beings in <Jiffercnt forms. 1 14 51155 7pnp1 al, (tol. Iil N4ytrrs are :,.. T:1'u1".":,:J"liliTi::""#:;:h,::.,: tlt{:r- :ffiffi:l,tf,f,1r;i, i,*";ii,^,,"n of cttrnic. g,o',up, tt,'ougl' balancing cood and cvil' l'ryt"''""iott"'"""""t connectiJn bctwccn natttral and Iupernatural beings;. and muke the pcopie rnore rational and intelligent' It gives thc rcligious '*'*ni'' k""*letlge'an^d^m,essages make the worldview rather than fott" '"o'on'ng'l" ?t"t' rnint :t Oii:; intricate the beauty and evokc the in.rage of their t""fi"* *itftit their geographical landscape' REFERENCES Bista D.B. 19?2' Pcople of Ncpal' Kathrnanclu : Ratna Pustak Bhandar' l{odc,son B. I'i' 1874' Essay on thc languagcs''litcrlturc and rcligion of Nepal ffiffi; fi;print' varanasi: Bharat-Bharati' l97l ' Shahu M.8 2006' Danuwarharuko Sanrajik'Tatha Sanskritik Lokjirvan Ra Lokpadatiko Ek Atlv';:3i.l;tri*o t" Ntptri Folklore Socictv [Rcsearch Rcport in NePalil'