Kuki (Indic people); Lushai (Asian people); Lushai language
In the course of my enquiries I did not come across any references
to Pi-leh-pu, but there seems good reason to think that the term
is applied to the mythical ancestor of the clan. In the Lushai
Mi-thi-rawp-lam, it will be remembered that in the centre of the
frame round which the effigies of the ancestors of the celebrants are
fastened there is a white effigy to represent the mythical ancestor
of the whole clan. In some respects Pi-leh-pu seems to resemble the
Lushai Sakhua.
The Ram-huai of the Lushais are known as "Hri-pa" and the Lashi as
"Sakhia." After death the spirits pass to Mi-thi-khua, the road to
which is by the village of Lunchoi and passes up a precipice. It is
so narrow that women with child have to widen it as they go, for which
purpose a hoe is buried with them, or at least laid beside the corpse
during the funeral feast. Pial-ral is called "Pe-ra'," and to reach
it all sorts of animals must be killed and the Ai ceremony performed
for each. The Khuangchoi feast is also considered, if not absolutely
necessary, at least very useful. Triumphs in the courts of Venus will
not help the spirit to pass to Pe-ra'. Women can only reach that happy
place if their husbands take them. A series of feasts or sacrifices
closely resembling the Thangchhuah feast of the Lushais is performed,
but I was assured that the performer's state in the next world was
not in any way affected thereby, the feasts being equivalent to the
Lushai Sakhua sacrifice. The series consists of--
Vok-rial.--A very small pig which has been brought up in the house
is killed and eaten.
Vok-pa.--A boar of five fists' height which has been brought up in the
house is killed, a black hen being also sacrificed at the same time.
The "sherh" are kept inside the house for three days, during which time
none of the household may do any work, but the house is not closed and
anyone may share in the feast. The Vok-rial is performed three times
and the Vok-pa twice, and then a mithan is killed and all share in
the feast. The performer of the She-shun may not cross a big stream
or enter another village till he has sacrificed a hen. Subsequently
he again performs Vok-rial, which is said to conclude the sacrifices
to Sakhua. A feast in which two mithan are killed is called "Bawi." It
is followed by Khuangchoi, in which at least five mithan must be slain.
The spirits of the dead are supposed to become mist after having
lived two or three lives in the other world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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