Lepcha
Contents |
Lepcha
This section has been extracted from THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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Origin
Rong, Kltamba, Mon, a Mongolian tribe of Sikkim, Western Bhutan, Eastern Nepal, and Darjiling. They are divided into two branches-Rong and Khamba. The former claim to be the original inhabit¬ants of Sikkim, while the Khamba are believed to have immigrated some 250 years ago from the Kham province of China, whither a deputation of Lamas had been sent to choose a ruler for Sikkim. The Raja selected by them brought with him a number of his own tribe, who retained the name of their original home as associating them with the ruling family. The distinction, however, has not operated as a bar to intermarriage, and the two branches are now thoroughly amalgamated. Both, in fact, probably some .of the same original stock, and represent two successive migrations of Mongols into Sikkim.
Physical type
" In person)" says Dr, Campbell,! "the Lepchas are sbort, averagiag about five feet in height: five feet six inches is tall, and four feet eight inches is a common stature among the men. The women are shorter in the usual proportion. The men are bulky for their height, but rather fleshy than sinewy. The muscular development of their limbs is inferior to that of the Magars, Gurungs, Murmis, and other Parbattiahs. They are very fair of skin, and boys and girls in health have generally a ruddy tinge of complexion. This is lost, however, in adolescence, although the fairness continues. The features are markedly Mongolian, but there is a fulness 'and roundness of feature accompanied by a cheerful expression and laughing eye which renders the face a most pleasing one. The total absence of beard and the fashion of parting the hair along the crown of the head adds to a somewhat womanly expression of countenance in the men, and the loose bedgown sort of jacket, with wide sleeves, which they wear, contributes still more to render it rather difficult for strangers to distinguish the sexes, especially in middle age. The men very often look like women, and the women sometimes like men. The hair is worn long by both sexes; the younger men allowing it to hang loose over the shoulders, the elders plaiting it into a tail, which sometimes reaches to the knees. The women of rank wear their hair in two, and sometimes in three tails, tying it with braids and silken cords and tassels. The Lepchas, both male and female, are dirty in person, rarely having recourse to ablution. In the cold and dry season this renders them unpleasant inmates of a close dwelling, but in the rains, when they move about and are frequently wet, they are clean and sweet. The tempera¬ment of the Lepcha is eminently cheerful, and his disposition really amiable. In ordinary intercourse they are a very fascinating people, and possess an amount of intelligence and rational curiosity not to be met with among their Bhotia, Limbu, Murmi, or Gurung neighbours, and indeed rarely, if ever, to be seen among people so completely secluded from foreign intercourse as they always have been. The marked contrast in these respects between the Lepchas aud the listless, un inquiring natives of the plains renders association with them a source of much pleasure to Europeans. They are wonderfully honest, t.heft being scarcely known among them; they rarely quarrel among themselves. I have never known them to draw their knives on one another, although they always weal' them. For ordinary social purposes of talking, eating, and drinking, they have great unanimity, but for any more important purposes of resistance to oppression, the pursuit of industry or trade, their confidence in one another is at a low pitch j they fly bad government rather than resist it, and used to prefer digging for yams in the jungle and eating wretchedly innutritious vegetables to enduring any injustice 01' harsh treatment. They are singularly forgiving of injuries, when time is given them, after hasty loss of temper. Although they were ready enough to lodge complaints before the Magistrate against one another in cases of assault and other offences, they rarely prosecuted to a decision, generally preferring to submit to arbitration or making mutual amends and concessions."
Internal structure
The internal structure of the tribe, so far as I have been able to ascertain it, is shown in Appendix 1. '1'he subject is most obscure, and Lepchas themselves seem unable to throw much light upon it. Besides the main divisions of Rong and Khamba, which, as has been stated above, have no special bearing on marriage, the Lepchas recognize ten groups, which they call thars. These appear to have been at one time exogamous, and the Adiupuso thar is said to be so still. The rest, however, have lost their exogamous character, and their members may marry women of their own or of other groups. Two thars, Barphungpuso and Adinpuso, rank higher than the other eight, and do not permit intermarriage with them. The distinction is said to arise from the fact that the officials of the Sikkim State are invariably chosen from these two tha1'S, and they probably are the descendants of the Khamba clansmen who followed the chief from Tibet. Village headmen (mandals ) are drawn from among the eight lower tha1's, and these groups represent the main body of cultivators in Sikkim. Members of these thars again may intermarry with Limbus, which is forbidden for Barphungpuso and Adinpuso. The primitive rule of exogamy baving tbus fallen into disuse, the Lepchas supply its place by a table of prohibited degrees which does not differ materially from that expressed by the common formula mame1'a, chachera, eto., already often referred to. Intermarriage is barred only for three generations in the descending line, except when a with or adoptive relationship has been entered into, in which case the prohibition is said to extend to nine generations. The ceremony observed in with is of the same general charaoter as among the Murmis, but Lamas, not Brahmans, officiate as priests, and Tibetan soarves are exchanged as pledges of amity instead ot the rupees used by the Murmis. The wives of the two friends take part in tbe ceremony, and are not troubled by the strict etiquette which among the Nepalese regulates the conduct of a wife towards her husband's dost.
Marriage
Lepcha girls usually marry between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Men marry later owing to the difficulty of getting together the bride-price, which ranges from Rs. 40 to Rs. 100 according to the rank of the parties. The freest courtship is permitted, and sexual license before marriage is tolerated. If a girl becomes pregnant, the man is expected either to marry her or to pay some compensation to her parents tur the reduction in value which she has undergone. Formal proposals of marriage are usually made to the bride's parents by pibus or go-betweens acting on behalf of the lover. If the proposal is accepted, the pibus go to the bride's house with Rs. 5 as earnest money, and ten seers of marua beer and a Tibetan scarf. An auspicious day for the marriage is then fixed by the Lamas. The ceremony, performed first at the bride's and then at the bridegroom's house, is of a very simple character. Bride and bridegroom sit side by side on a carpet, and the Lama ties a silk scarf round the neck of each and then changes the scarves, so that the bride wears the bridegroom's and vice ve1sa. Rice is sprinkled over their heads, they eat together, and drink manu!, beer out of the same cup. The proceedings end with a feast. The married couple spend three days in the husband's house, and then usually go on a month's visit to the bride's parents.
When a man is too poor to pay the bride-price, he is often allowed to marry, as it were, on credit; 'out the bride does not leave her father's house, and the husband goes to live with her and work for his father-in-law until the full amount has been made up. Polyandry, though comparatively rare, is not entirely unknown among the Lepchas. As might be expected, the Tibetan form of the custom is followed , and the younger brothers share the favours of the eldest brother's wife. Polygamy is permitted, but is not practised on a large scale. A widow may marry again, and is subject to no express restric¬tions in her choice of a second husband. It is considered, however, proper for her to marry her late husband's younger brother, and if she marries an outsider, this brother-in-law usually keeps the children, and in any case may claim repayment of the bride-price. The full ceremony may be employed at the marriage of a widow, but the parties usually content themselves with the mere announcement by a Lama that they have become man and wife.
If a married couple cannot agree, arbitrators (pihus) are appointed to attempt to adjust their differences. If they fail after two or three attempts, a formal divorce is effected with the concurrence of the Lama who married the pair. The wife returns to her father's house, and her husband pays some compensation to her parents. When a woman is taken in adultery, a panchayat considers the case and determines the amount of fine (gysh) to be paid to her husband by the paramour. The amount of the fine is not fixed by custom, nor does it bear any stated proportion to the bride-price. Where adultery is proved, the husband has a right to divorce his wife without paying compensation to 1]er parents, and to take away her ornaments. Physical chastisement is never inflicted, nor is the right of divorce invariably exercised. Divorced wives may marry again by the same ceremony as is in use at the marriage of a virgin.
Inheritance
In matters of inheritance and succession the Lepchas follow a tribal custom of their own, which is adminis¬ tered by the panchyats of the tribe, and rarely comes before the regular courts. At a man's death his property is supposed to be divided equally among his sons, but the rule of equal divi ion is liable in practice to be modified by other considerations. Thus the widow and daughters of the deceased usually live with the eldest son, and where this is the case he gets an extra share of the property. In Sikkim, again, it is held that the rule of equal division only applies where the sons render equal service to the Raja of the country, so that if one son does service and the other!! do not, that one gets an extra share of the property. A similar principle is recognized by the Lepchas of Darjiling. In dividing an inheritance account is taken by the panchayat of the extent to which the different heirs have contributed to the improvement of the property, and their shares are adjusted accordingly. Brothers have no claim by right of descent, but shares may be awarded to them by the panhayatt in proportion to the work they have done during the lifetime of the deceased. Wills are unknown ; but a father may make a verbal declaration in favour of a particular son, and the panchayat will give effect to this declaration of his wishes. If sons survive, the unmarried daughters are maintained by thorn, and neither they nor married daughters take any share in the property. If, however, there are no sons, a manied daughter may succeed, provided that she and her husband have lived in her father's house. The whole system, however, is extremely fluid and indefinite, and the rules stated above are in practice constantly modi¬fied by the panchayat with the object of doing substantial justice to the various claimants.
Religion
Most Lepchas at the present day profess to be Buddhists, and follow in a more or less intelligent fashion Religion. the observances of the northern sect of that religion. It is clear, however, that at no very distant time their sole belief was a form of Shamanistic Animism of the same general character as that described in the article on the Limbus. conspi-cuons traces of this faith still survive among them, imperfectly hiddon by the thin veil of Buddhistic usage. In the belief of the average Lepcha, mountain and forest, rock and stream represent ill-defined but formidable powers who threaten mankind with a variety of physical ills, and require to be constantly appeased through the agency of Bijuas or exorcists. N at all of these powers are evil, and some are even credited with taking a kindly interest in human affairs. But savage theology, expressing doubtless the experience of primitive man as to the distribution of good and evil in the world, teaches that the good gods abide in their own place and take no heed of mankind, while the malevolent deities are in a constant state of jealous and mischievous activity. The former therefore gradually drop out of notice and fade from the memories of men, while the latter, strong in the fears they inspire, may even outlive an entire change of religion on the part of their votaries. The snow-clad giant Kinchinjanga, chief among the elemental deities of the Lepchas, who vexes men with storm and hail and sends down avalanches and torrents to wreck their fields and sweep away their homes, has been transiated to the milder system of Buddhism, where he figures as the tutor of Sakya Muni himself. Eshegenpu, PaIden Lhamo, Lapen-Rirnbuchi, Genpu-Maling-Nagpu, and Wasungrna are less easy to identify; but the fact that they receive offerings of meat and 'ln1l1'tU/' beer in addition to the flowers, fruit, rice, and incense sanctioned by Buddhist usage, lends some weight to the conjecture that they belong to an earlier and more barbarous system. Ohirenzi or Lachen-Om-Obhup-Ohhimu is said by the Lepchas to be the same as Mahadeva. His wife is U madeva. Both are beheved to have been worshipped by the Lepchas before the introduction of Buddhism. Tibetan Lamas serve the tribe as priests, and preside at all Buddhist ceremonies. Lepchas themselves rarely become Lamas, but many of them are exorcists (Bijuas or Ojhas), and exercise consider¬able influence by their power of averting the ill-will of the gods and appeasing the spirits of the dead.
Disposal of the dead
The dead are usually buried, fully clothed and in a sitting position, facing towards the east. Before Disposal of the dead. burial the corpse is kept sitting in the house for two or three days with food before 'The grave is lined with stones and a round cairn built on the top surmounted by a flag. Among the Rong Lepchas an Ojha is called in about a month after dea.th to perform a simple propitiatory rite, at which a cow or a goat is killed and much manta beer is drunk. This is sometimes repeated on the first anniversary of the death. The object is to put the dead man's SpU1.t to rest,. and to prevent him from plaguing the living with bad dreams. At harvest time offerings of rice, manuz beer, and various kinds of food are presented by the head of the house¬hold for the benefit of ancestors in general. The higher classes of Khamba Lepchas burn their dead, pound the fragments of the bones which remain, and throw them into a river, not into a Jhora or hill stream. The subsequent propitiatory ceremony is sometimes very elaborate, as in the case of the obsequies of the sister of the Sikkim Raja, described by Mr. J. Ware Edgar, C.S.I ., in the following passage 1 : ¬ "Before the figure [meant to represent the dead person, in this case the Sikkim Rajah's sister, who was a nun] was a table on which were different kinds of food; on another table at the side were various things which had belonged to the woman when alive; while on a third, 108 little brass lamps were arranged in rows. Long lines of monks in dark red robes and with very tall caps of bright Caps soon on their heads sat on carpets placed in the middle of the chapel and chanted litanies throughout each day of my stay at Toomlong. " It chanced that I saw the conclusion, and learned the meaning of this ceremony at Pemiongchi, where the lay-figure of the nun was taken some days after I left Toomlong. There for three days the figure was seated before the altar, and the monks chanted the litanies for the departure of the soul of the dead nun *' '" "'. On the third day the relations, friends, and dependents of the deceased brought or sent gifts of food or clothing or money, which were all laid before the figure of the dead woman; while the head Lama, standing in front of his chair and turning towards the figure, stated the nature of each gift and the name of the donor. 'towards even¬ing the tea-cup of the nun was fresbly filled with tea and her murwa jug with murwa, and all the monks solemnly drank tea with her. Then many people who had known and loved the nun when alive went up, and, prostrating themselves before the figure, kissed the hem of the robe as a last farewell, while the monks chanted the litanies more zealously than ever, and the head Lama, who had left his chair and gone to one of the tables, went through some elaborate ceremonies the meaning of which I could not make out. At about nine o'clock the chanting ceased, and the Lama again stand¬ing in front of his chair made a long speech to the soul of the nun, in which he told her that all that could be done to make her journey to another world easy had been done, and that now she would have to go forth alone and unassisted to appear before the king and judge of the dead When the Lama had finished his address, some of the monks took down the lay-figure and undressed it; while others formed a procession and conducted the soul of the nun into the darkness outside the monastery, with a discordant noise of conoh-shells, thighbone trumpets, Tibetan flutes, gongs, cymbals, tambourines, drums, and other most disagreeable but nameless instruments."
Food
" The Lepohas," says Dr. Campbell, I " have no caste distinctions. Those who live under the Nepal Government are obliged to conform to the Hindu laws of that State, which prohibit the killing of the cow. This they do, however, with a very bad grace, and rarely forego an opportunity of visiting Darjiling to indulge their beef-eating propensities. 'They are gross feeders, eating all kinds of animal food, including the elephant, rhinoceros, and monkey, and all grains and vegetables known to us, with the addition of many roots and plants altogether exoluded ITom our oulinary list. Pork is their most favourite flesh next to that beef, goat, and mutton. The yak is considered the best beef, the next to that the flesh of the Sikkim cow, afine animal, and last the Bengali and common cow. All birds are included in their list of eatable game. Of the canion of wild animals, that of the elephant is most prized.
The favourite vegetable food is rice; next to it wheat, barley, maize, millet. murwa, and a fine species of yam called "bookh," which grows all over these mountains, at elevations of from 1,500 to 3,000 feet. During the rains, when grain is soaroe, they contentedly put up with ferns, bamboo roots, several sorts of fung~, and innumorable succulent plants found wild on the mountains. A large-rooted arum is much used at this season, after being soaked in water for six days to remove its aorid juice; still it often produces colic, and is poisonous. Fond of fermented and spirituous liquors, the Lepchas are neverthele s not gi ven to drunkenness; their common beverage i a kind of beer made from the fermented infusion of Indian oorn and murwa, which is weak, but agreeably acid and very refrehing. They drink this at all times when proourable, and when making a journey it is carried in a large bamboo" chunga," and diligently applied to throughout the day. They have no distilled liquor of their own, but they greatly admire and prize all our strong waters-our port and sherry, cherry brandy, and mara chino. 1'ea is a favourite beverage, the black sort brought from China in large cakes being that preferred. It is prepared by boiling, after which the deoootion is churned up in a "chuDga," with butter and salt. Milk is never talten with tea. Their cooking is careless, coarse, and not clcanly. Rice is generally boiled when travelling in pieces of the large bamboo; at home, in Coal' e iron pots. Vegetables are always boiled in oil, when the latter is procurable, and spiced with capsicum and ginger, of which these hills possess very fine kinds. Salt is not a commonly used condiment, the chief souroe of its supply till lately being Tibet, whence rook-salt is brought on men's baoks : the easier communication with the plains of Bengal by the new Darjiling road admits of the importation of this article at a cheaper rate, and sea-salt is rapidly taking the plaoe of the other.
Dress
" The Lepcha dress is simple and graceful. It consists of a robe of striped red and white cotton cloth crossed . over the breast and shoulders, and descen ng to the calf of the legs, leaving the arms bare; a loose jacket of red cotton cloth is worn over the robe by those who can afford it, and both are bound round the waist by a red gridle; some strings of coloured beads round the neck, silver and cora1 earrings, a bamboo bow and quiver of iron-pointed arrows, and a long knife complete the dress of the men. 'The knife, called "ban" by the Lepchas, and "chipsa" by the Bhotias, is con tantly worn by the males of all ages and ranks; it hangs on the right side, suspended from the left Shoulder, and is used for all purpoes. With the "ban" the Lepcha clears a space in the forest for his house and cultivation; it is the only tool used by him in building; with it be skins the animals that fall a prey to his snares and arrows; it is his sword in battle, his table knife, his hoe, spade, and nail-parer. Without the " ban" he is helpless to move in the jungle ; with it he is a man of all work: the expertness with which it is u ed by the boys of a few years old even is the astonishment of strangers.
The women are less neatly dressed than the men : a piece of plain unbleached cotton cloth, or the cloth of the castor oil in sect-the indirolled round to form a sort of petticoat, with a loose red gown of the same, and a profusion of mock coral and coloured bean necklaces, form their entire wardrobe. They are the domestic and farm drudges of the men, performing all out and in-door work along with their husbands, and much besides. It is not unusual to meet a stout and active man, bow in hand, sauntering along the road followed by his wife and sisters heavily loaded with grain or merchandise. It is tho delight of a Lepcha to be idle; he abhors the labour of practising any craft, but he expects that while he is amused and unemployed the female part of the household shall be busily engaged in the field, or in looking after the pigs and poultry. In recent times they have taken to work in tea plantations and as chair-bearers: and the necesity for money, since we introduced it into their country, has malle them more teady workers."
Occupation
"The Lepchas are poor agriculturists, their labours in this art being confined to the careless growing of rice, Indian corn, murwa (Sessasum 0I'ientaiis), and a few vegetables, of which the brinj aI, cucumber, and capsicum are the chief. Their habits are incurably erratic : they do not form permanent villages, and rarely remain longer than three years in one place, at the expiration of which they move into a now part of the forest, sometimes near, often distant, and there go through the labour of clearing a space for a house, building a new one, and preparing the ground for a crop. The latter operations consit in cutting down the smaller trees, lopping off the branches of the large ones, which are burnt, and scratching the soil with the" ban," after which, on the falling of a shower of rain, the seed is thrown into the ground. Their houses are built entirely of bamboo, raised about five feet from the ground, and thatched with the same material, but a smaller species, split up." The Lepohas numbered 3,952 in 1872 and 202 in 1881 in the district of Darjiling.
Lepcha
(From People of India/ National Series Volume VIII. Readers who wish to share additional information/ photographs may please send them as messages to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged in your name.)
Synonyms: Rong [West Bengal]
- Subcastes: Khamba, Rong [H.H. Risley]
Titles: Lama [West Bengal] Surnames: Chong, Dangidi, Keng, Lama, Lepcha, Lohok, Mongmin, Namcheng, Namchu, Namoda, Nongsong, Rangan, Song [West Bengal] Exogamous units/clans: Chongmu, Dangidimu, Kengmu, Lohokmu, Mongminmu, Namchengmu, Namodamu, Nongsongmu, Ranganmu, Songmu Namchumu, Songdiamu [West Bengal]
- Septs: Adinpuso, Barphungpuso, Lukson, Naimzingmung, Ranogmung, Sangmi, Singdyang, Sungutmung,
Tarzukmung, Tingilmung [H.H. Risley]
