Back in Nepal: 19_Then and now - village life and local shamans

Then and now – different overlapping times in village life.

I wrote so much already about the place and I think this is the last time to describe it more properly. My very eastern place very recently did not have electricity or roads and schools (road was built only 2 years ago). Those, who did not work in agriculture, carried goods from Sikkim, walking for 2-3 days across the mountains with heavy loads. Some other woman would make a trip on small trails through mountains for 4 days from Phidim (the closest town) having a baby or two attached in front and the necessary items for household behind. A rare person in the age 35+ have finished more than 5 classes, those a bit older say that there were no teachers around. I’ve talked to people of different ages, those older from the closest ward (bazaar) and those younger migrants (in their early 20ties) from the furthest and highest ward – both of those age group share similar past of exhausting work and lack of shoes and jackets on the snow. Those people did not have electricity, biscuits, they would depend on weather and not warm clothes.

Recently I talked to a boy of 21 who moved from higher mountains here 5 years ago. He needed to leave the school after 5^th class and go to work for 5 years, being a herder in higher and colder altitudes. In that region the food is hard, it’s too cold to plant rice, so they eat corn, which is “easy to grow, hard to eat”. After these 5 years he moved here, which is another ward (same village, just another administrative region) and went to school again, although unsuccessfully, because he forgot most of the things. But in school he found a beautiful girl and got married (here love marriages are rare; mostly they are arranged by parents). In fact, this thin boy of youngish appearance is my favourite interviewee; I can talk to him for hours admiring his intellect. He couldn’t pass 10^th class exams, but personally I would give him master’s degree straight away. By no doubts he is the smartest person I’ve met in this village – he makes objective conclusions, easily goes from details to abstraction, and draws parallels and linkages between different phenomena. I usually say – if I talk to him for 5 days, I can finish my PhD just by writing everything he said. This man of strong physical and moral core, straight opinion and no fear to express it clearly (like absolutely all the others) is only 21 and only few classes of education.

a caravan of "chauri" (a crossed cow and yak) led by young boys; going to the settlement, where the rice cannot be grown

In this central village people now have the road and the life is so much easier. Even though doctors are still located only in Phidim (within 4-5 hours of drive), this place is reachable now. Goods are no more carried from Sikkim and daily vehicles basically bring everything. This local “taxi” (a jeep which is filled with twice more people than its capacity) still operates 1-2 times a day and is the only transport apart from 1-2 motorbikes I’ve noticed around. There are also few shops where I could buy biscuits, noodles, few clothes and soaps.

Beginning of a ritual

Local shamans

Health doctor functions are performed by shamans (called “chakri”), who use drums to go in the transcendental status and ask spirits to help. There is quite a heavy overpopulation of healers who got that special power through shivers. According to my calculations (I have scientific approach to everything!) there is one chakri to 3 households. Depending from ethnicity and religion those chakri have slightly different methods. In this village people can roughly be divided into 2 categories-Hindu and Matawali (mongoloig race, indigenous people). Originally (though not always in practice) Hindu do not drink alcohol. Matawalis, also called drinkers, drink local alcohol almost daily. This drinking culture is inherited also in chakri practices; therefore all those healing procedures and worshiping of gods are done after a great dose of tumba (local alcohol).

Ritual change of clothes of a central guru

Imitation of a shaman

Few days ago I went to chakri event of Limbu (one Matawali ethnicity), organized every 5 or 7 years. On that special day chakris are worshipping their guru (teacher) and have some ritual performances. My excitement went down during the evening quite fast. Chakris most of the time would enjoy their time by drinking and talking to friends (spectators), at some points chanting, making shivers showing their power and beating plates to fight with bad spirits and to make a border for demons not to enter this place. The whole procedure would be accompanied by few very drunk spectators, who would jump after chakris making jokes and imitating healers for the fun and laugh of all the other people. After many hours I was already so tired of doing nothing and getting the same questions which became already so boring to answer (Why are you here, where are you from etc.). Then the rooster was sacrificed by few other drunken people, having in general so much fun. Finally, after 5 hours of waiting the culmination of the evening came and chakris performed a wild dance around the place of worshipping, beating plates even faster and stronger; at the end letting a young chakri to climb up the stairs and to show his shivers. For a while the wild dance together with few men far from being sober continued. Later another healer went inside the house, where he jumped around the middle and sang the future of this house. He was singing in Limbu language, so it was hard to get someone to translate; but finally we got the main idea of his prediction – the eldest daughter and eldest son of this house would not make any harm to this house. One daughter has problems in her stomach and at some points her heart will hurt and she will say “ayay”. Very interesting prediction, I must say, especially taking into account that every young girl in this village has gastritis.