The Memorial Post of the Mara

Mizoram University Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (A Bi-Annual Refereed Journal) Vol V Issue 1, June 2019 ISSN (P) : 2395-7352 eISSN : 2581-6780 Thori: The Memorial Post of the Mara Malsawmliana* Abstract The practice of erecting a wooden post for memorials instead of stones, sometimes both may likely be important features of the megalithic cultures. The tribal people living in northeast India and even in the Chin Hills practiced such kind of erection of memorials once in the early years. Particularly, the Mara people in southern parts of Mizoram also erected such a post ‘Thori’ in memorial to a prosperous deceased person in the village. But the Thori was no longer used in the Mara society. This paper tries to explain the meaning and significance of the Thori in the Mara society. Keywords : Thori, Seluphan, Mara, Lophei, Pura/Phura, Athipatyukhei, Kima. I similar practice of erecting such wooden post was also made by the Sadang Toraja The practice of erection of a wooden of Sulawesi (Celebes in Indonesia) for post or sacrificial post for commemora- sacrificial purposes.1 tion of a feast of merit as well as in memorials to the dead was one of the com- The practices of erecting a wooden mon features of some of the tribal cultures. post for memorials instead of stones, Some of the tribal people living in north- sometimes both may likely be important east India particularly amongst the Garos features of the megalithic cultures. Some and the Maras prevails a custom of set- of the Chin groups in Burma have also ting up of a wooden memorial post at the used a wooden plank or post for memori- grave for memorials to the dead while the als to death instead of stones. Some of practice of erecting sacrificial post (i.e y- them were rudely cut and decorated with fork) was prevalent among certain Naga carving of pictures etc.2 tribes and the Mizo in their early society Since the erection of wooden memo- which were mostly connected with a feast rial post and sacrificial post was connect- of merit. The Chin groups in Burma also ed with a feast, only the chief and a pros- have a custom of erection of such sacrifi- perous person were able to do it. Apart cial post in their early society.Besides, a from the memorial post, performance of * Associate Professor, Department of History, Govt. T. Romana College, Aizawl, Mizoram 47 Malsawmliana a feasts and setting up of a sacrificial post vation is that the term ‘Mara’ is a Mara is intended to enhance the prestige of the transliteration of the word ‘mawra’ mean- donor in the society. In the early Mizo ing ‘bamboo land’ (Maw –bamboo, Ra- society, the sacrificial post (i.e. seluphan) land).5 The word ‘mawra’ is purely a re- was erected during the performance of production of the Haka word ‘Mauram’ Sedawi chhun, one of a series of a feast of meaning ‘bamboo land.’ The term ‘mara’ merit. is defined as ‘dwellers of the alien fertile land’. II The Maras are believed to have The Maras, also called as the ‘La- moved from the Chin Hills of Burma to kher’, occupied a large hill tract of the their present habitat during the first half southern part of Mizoram and the whole of the 18th century AD.6 Many of the clan region inhabited by them was known as members also settled in the present Chin ‘Marara’ in their local language meaning Hills of Burma particularly the Haka Sub- ‘the land of the Maras’.3 The area is bor- division where they are known as the dered by the long international boundary ‘southern chins’.7 with Myanmar in the east and south while the north and west is flanked by the III Lawngtlai district of Mizoram. The Maras customarily erected me- The Maras constitutes a tribal group morials only for those people who died a and called themselves as ‘Mara’. It is a natural death pithi. The various kinds of generic term for the whole Mara people memorials erected for memorials to the composing the different territorial tribal death may be stated as follows - groups of the Mara living in the Mara area The lobo was the cheapest and ordi- of Mizoram and the hill tract of the Haka nary memorial stone, which the widow Sub-division of the Chin Hills of Myan- and the poor families could afford .8 mar. The Maras were also called the ‘La- The lophei was a funerary stone; it kher’ particularly by the Lusei, meaning was ordinarily erected in memory of the ‘the plucking of cotton’ (la-cotton, pluck- dead on the grave. A lophei is a plain flat kher’). The Christian Missionary RA Lor- stone which is laid on top of the grave, raine concludes that ‘the Lakher is a supported on all four sides by four stones Lushai name for the Mara tribe, the spell- of the same length planted on their sides. ing and pronunciation is absolutely for- The size of lophei varies from village to eign to the language. Mara is the correct village or person to person, depending on name for the people in their own lan- the prominence of the deceased person in 4 guage.” the village and the prosperity of the fami- There are various derivations for the ly.9 The wooden post called Thori is also word ‘Mara’ and the most plausible deri- erected over the grave along with the 48 Thori: The Memorial Post of the Mara lophei. The Mara perform Athipatyukhei type of memorials was a heavy and ex- ceremony, which means ‘sitting with the pensive in its constructions which require dead,’ the idea being that on this occasion many labours and feasts, therefore, only the dead man’s spirit will visit its home the chiefs and wealthy families could af- for the last time before going off to the ford it. The Maras calls such types of stone final abode of the dead.10 The funerary monuments as Phura and they are usual- stones were planted on the day when the ly erected at the entrance of villages on Athipatyukhei is performed. one of the approach roads. Since the erec- The lodo/lodawh is regarded as me- tion of phura is associated with the memorials restricted only to the chiefs and morials of dead chiefs and wealthy per- wealthy persons in the society. It was a sons of the Mara clans, they are concen- large in size usually measuring about 2m trated only in the Mara inhabited area in length, 2m in width and 1m in height, within and outside Mizoram particularly is usually located at the entrance of the in the Haka area and Thantlang range in 13 village. Each platform (lodo) is made up the present Chin Hills of Burma. of a number of stones each of which mea- sure 2 feet in length and 1 foot in breadth. IV Thus the lodoh takes the form of a square The thori (also calls Thangri by NE enclosed by four stones walls about 3ft Parry in his ‘The Lakher’) was a wooden high, and the empty space in between is memorial post, usually erected near the then filled up with soil and a flat stone grave or memorial stone lophei or lodo. It placed on it.11 was a traditional practice erected in me- The tliatla was a very simple memo- morial to the deceased person, who was rial stone. It was ordinarily a platform of economically wealthy in the village. about six to eight feet, two feet wide and It was of about nine to fifteen feet two feet high. It was erected for the mem- high, erected along with the stone monu- ory of both the deceased men and wom- ments near the grave.14 It was very typical en.12 and was the most beautiful decorated me- Another type of memorials was a morial tablet. The Thori was made of avy heaped up stone rubble (or cairns) i.e. tree (Gmelina arborea, Linn), ritually it Pura/Phura. They are pyramidal in shape. was considered ana or taboo to use other 15 It was a memorial to deceased chiefs and trees. wealthy persons in society. The heights of Its upper parts of about six feet was these monuments are usually about 2 to hewn into square shape having four 3meters and its bottom is a circle base of straight sides, and its design was divided about six feet wide in diameter. It may be into four sections such as body, neck, head noted, that cairns are raised as memorials and hair. Each part or section was deco- only for male members in society. This rated with geometric designs indicating 49 Malsawmliana certain heirloom goods and other posses- In case of warrior, another wooden sions. post which was about three feet high was The lower parts of the post represent specially erected by the side of his thori. a body which is surmounted by a head. If In such a post, holes are made through the the deceased was a man, the thori has no top and a peg is inserted through each hole neck and the body runs straight up to the for each human head taken by him and head while a woman’s thori has a sort of for each slave captured in a war or raid. lozenge-shaped neck. The post is carved Thus, the wooden post of the warrior who with chisel and conventional ornaments, had taken four human heads and captured but may vary in different villages.

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