Critical-14

1.1.The role of marriage

Marriage among the Mara society is not the same as that of English in term of living together. Engagement is the forerunner of marriage. Marriage price follows on the wedding day. The father of the lady demands price for legalization. The price is called ‘ma’. Beside ‘ma’, there are other items of price such as ‘puchao’, ‘nochao’, ‘Okia’, ‘Chyuchao-chaechao’, ‘mahra’. ‘Puchao’ is for uncle, ‘nochao’ is for mother’s sister, ‘okia’ is for father or her brother, ‘chayuchao’ is for brother, and ‘mahra’ is for lady’s kin and kith.

2.      Mara Traditional Religious Worldview

Religious world view is used here to mean the Mara concept of God and spirits in connection with human beings, the world and the nature. This world view is culturally structured and consists of assumptions and perception of realities and their responses to it. All the primal worldviews are based on assumptions which they believe to be true, but these assumptions must be scrutinized in the light of modern critique and analyzed using a postcolonial theological perspective. Mara traditional religious world view is given below for analysis of the Mara understanding of God, human and the world.

Supreme Being

Kazohpa or God who was worshipped and sacrifices were offered to Him.

Celestial beings

Ava Khazoh (Father Heaven), Vaange (Heavenly being), Vachu Nonai (Damsel of the heaven) are active and have contact with human beings.

Benevolent spirits                                          malevolent spirits

Khazohno, Lasi, etc.                           Lyurâhripa, ahripa, tlâh-khasôh, etc.

Human beings

God-human, human-animals, soul or the spirit of a person or animated objects.

In the Mara world view heaven was above and the earth was below. They believed that the abode of the Supreme Being and all other celestial beings was heaven, though they frequently visit human beings and lived with them. Thus human beings who lived on earth saw their existence in the midst of malignant spirits and so they offered sacrifices to placate these spirits.

2.1.Benevolent spirits

Khazopah: The Mara believed in the existence of Khazohpan or the High God, who is distinctive above all else. Khazohpa probably means‘Holy Father’; holy in the sense of pure and unmixed. Khazohpa was a remote being dwelling exclusively in heaven. While other spirits were closely involved in human affairs, Khazohpa was more or less an onlooker from heaven. It was to him human beings prayed when they were placed in extremely difficult situations. They used to say, “Khazohpa above is looking down on us” or “our Khazohpa is good” meaning that he would ultimately help them. When all else failed, it was to him they turned for help. Maras highly respected Khazohpa as a good spirit, who never harm nor demand anything from human beings. Sacrifice was made to Khazohpa.  There was no doubt that Khazohpa was the director of human destiny. It was he who ordained who was to marry whom. Such couples are known as ‘Khazohpa sahrichakhipa’ those whose hairs are joined together by Khazohpa.

Khazohno

Maras believed that khazohno, ‘mother of nature’ to be the wife of Khazohpa and thus the spirit was treated as a goddess. Again in the Mara terminology, ‘no’ refers to feminine character and ‘paw’ signifies masculine form. The word ‘khazohno’ is used only in poetry and therefore can be considered as the poetical name of Khazohpa. It was also believed that khazohno was sometimes identical to and sometimes distinct from Khazohpa. She was believed to be the goddess who always blessed humankind as a mother does.

Lasi

Lasi are believed to be a female spirits who had connection with human being. They did not hurt human being but rather bless them. Whenever, they have connection with human-men, they have a desire even to marry with them. But they will never reveal themselves to whom they have no love. Whatever, they are believed to be as good spirits.