Critical-23

1.1.The Philosophy of Apiepasaihna

The most significant element of Mara culture maintained was, however the comprehensive Mara philosophy of life called ‘apiepasaina hro’. Apiepasaina hro literally means ‘self-denial for the cause of community and individuals who were in need’. Since apiepasaina hro was regarded as the highest quality of life, everyone tried very hard to get the title apiepasai, which no one officially granted but was conferred by the conventional judgement of the villagers. The certificate was nothing but a cup of rice-beer called “apiepasai No” offered on the occasion of social drinking as recognition of the contributions and sacrifices one had made for others. A cup of rice-beer did not matter much, but the recognition of one as apiepasai was extremely difficult to attain and was highly regarded in the Mara society.

Apiepasaina hro implies a context of independence and self-sufficiency. The Maras in the pre-literature era hardly attempted to conceptualize or philosophize the term since they tended to understand all socio-religious values in concrete terms and rarely articulated apiepasaina hro as a theory.

It was this principle which compelled the Maras to extend hospitality to unknown strangers or travelers, to provide them food and shelter and with a lunch pack for their continuing journey. McCall’s description of the practical exhibition of this life principle displays much of its social implications:

Crops of the sick would be tended by the strong; the chief’s lands would be weeded as a mark of support, help would be given to rebuild houses accidentally burn down, warriors would volunteer when their help was needed hunters would strive to be energetic in the chase, and in general the good citizen was he who was foremost in meeting calls that were really necessary for the good of the whole village.

Apiepasaina hro so overwhelmingly pervaded the whole life of the Mara society and of individuals in their private, social and religious enterprises that in certain contexts it became synonymous with the generic term ‘Mara’. Thus when a man or a woman is said to be un-Mara, it means that he or she is lacking apiepasaina hro and there can hardly be any remark more insulting to the people concerned. However, the author notices the uniqueness of the Mara apiepasaina hro not in its teaching but in the degree of its impact on the Mara society. Apiepasaina hro is undoubtedly the inner core and dominating life principle of the Mara people.

1.2.Mara Traditional Festivals

Historically, the Mara had two festivals Chapchar kut and Lyuva khutla. Owing to the limitation of space, only the main points will be highlighted here.

Chapchar kut or Lyuva khutla was held every year in March or April after the jhum had been cut and dried. This festival was celebrated to give thanks to God or Khazopa for His protection from all kinds of injuries and for all the blessing he bestowed on them during their engagement in the forest. It lasted for about 3 days or more depending upon the villagers who could afford to celebrate. Every family was expected to prepare rice beer to cover the whole festival. Young people were not supposed to drink beer except on this occasion. On the first day of the festival, the chief clan slaughtered the pig and followed by others of the tribe on the following days. The young men and girls participated in various dances and songs. Traditionally, the Maras were not allowed to have any quarrels between husbands and wives during this festival. Therefore, chapchar kut or Lyuva khutla was the happiest time in the life of the Mara society. Even in today’s Mara community, these festivals are being celebrated by them with the forms of various performances like playing the traditional games, displaying different dresses wore by different tribes from olden days to modern times, bamboo dance, and many more. These festivals will be reinterpreted in the chapter four.

1.3.Mara Traditional Dances and Songs

Dances not only marked the socio-cultural, but also the religious life of the traditional Mara society. They were performed only on certain occasions like lyuva khutla, which was a religious custom and ceremony and festive days like chapchar kut. It is also to be noted that beer drinking was traditionally and culturally compulsory in singing and dancing. Dances were always accompanied by lively music using instruments such as drum or gongs. But the Exclusive missionaries prohibited participation in these functions because they perceived them as pagan practices. This created cultural alienation in the Mara context.

Before the coming of the British and the Christian missionaries, the Maras developed various folk songs and communal dance. Like folk songs singing was a type of singing and dancing having a particular tune and a way of singing that moved the public to participate in the dance.

Later, alongside folk songs singing, certain types of singing and dancing called ‘thih la’, ‘awkhypa lâ’, and ‘sawlakia’ which mean communal singing and dancing became popular in the Mara society. The author will substantiate how these elements gradually indigenized into Mara Christian hymns and dance in the following chapter.

Conclusion

In the Mara primal religion there was the concept of a Supreme Being (Khazohpa), who was worshipped by the people by performing different social and religious sacrificial ceremonies. However, due to the inclusion of drinking rice-beer in their religious worship, the western missionaries without having proper and critical assessment of the concepts and teachings of Mara religion, branded the Mara traditional religion as heathenism. In addition, there were some animistic practices in the Mara primal religion because they offered sacrifices to evil spirits for healing from illness and sicknesses. The then missionaries failed to understand that in the Mara primal religious practices, there was ‘atheihna or panana’ which means ‘worshipping God’ and propitiating evil spirits. These two religious practices should clearly be differentiated if we try to do theological hermeneutics in the Mara context.