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Diffraction or Delusion: An Ethnoarchaeological Investigation to the Magico- Medicinal Practices (MMPs) of Mayong, Assam Rakesh Kumar 1 and Dr Shahida Ansari 2 1 School of Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore 2 Department of Archaeology, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune Email: [email protected] ; [email protected] Abstract Magic and Medicine were intertwined in ancient civilization and are acutely embedded in folk healing culture currently. The Indigenous Knowledge (IK) of healing as cultural intangible heritage have been widely discussed by anthropologists, historians and fictional novelists. But within archaeological discourse, these practices have been neglected by the community of archaeologists. Here, the focus has been placed to the ethnoarchaeological investigation of the Black Magic (BM) practices of Mayong, Assam through the re-elucidation of its the material culture and symbolism used during Magico-Medicinal Practices (MMPs) or Magical Practices (MPs). Whereas, the fundamental objective is to critically review the existing archaeological as well as a socio-cultural approach to IK of Magico-Medicinal healing, in which MMPs and MPs have been diminished to the extent of social exclusion. Keyword: Indigenous Knowledge; Magico-Medicinal Practices; cultural intangible heritage; ethnoarchaeological, material culture and symbolism. Introduction worship, sprits manipulation, mystic rituals, sacrifice for gods and spells. Their beliefs in Bon religion have Magic has been defined subjectively in various cultural very much influenced the Tibetan Medical practices context because of the constant variation in firm beliefs. (Bellezza 2005). In the information age (Manuel 1998) For the early man, religion and magic were almost magic, in the form of practical art, is hemmed in similar and were shaped by their premier form along techniques like spells and rites handed over by ‘direct with human existence. James Gorge Frazer (1890) in filiation’ to a cohort from generation to another (Kalita The Golden Bough, regarded magic as to be the 1992: 6) and religion, a self-constrained act, centred on antecedent to the worship of God. Whereas, Bronislaw the various tenant of beliefs, opens equal access for all Malinowski (1940) traces the origin and function of at its nascent stage, are considered as confused ideology magic and religion in the situation of emotional stress by common man. But to the early man or in tribal and like crises of life, a lacuna in pursuit, death and folk community faith in spirits, ghosts, witches, tribal initiation in tribal mysteries’ (Malinowski 1940: 67). godfather and vision of future life are the ‘secondary MPs are sometimes also defined as ‘technique of supernatural reality’2(Malinowski 1940: 42; Rosengren religion’ (Kalita 1992: 6). Magic can be broadly 1976:667-85). categorised into Black and White based on the intention of practices. The MPs who are intended to harm The antiquity of MMPs and MPs goes back to the Vedic somebody considered as BM and whereas MPs intended Period. Atharva Veda (900BCE-700 BCE) is considered to heal somebody is considered a White Magic (WM). as significant literary evidence for MMPs and MPs. As far as archaeological evidence for the belief MMPs and MPs or MMPs are an integral part of the discourse on folk knowledge and culture. Even Codified Medical Systems like Siddha and Tibetan Medicine also gives organised religion and practiced by indigenous people (Hicks importance to magic ( Sébastia 2013; Christopher 2010:359; Bird-David 2000). 2 2012). For example, Tibet has a tradition old folk ‘a combined typology for symbol systems and 1 religion called Bon. It believes in animism , ancestral corresponding standardized activities based on two main distinctions, where the substantive distinction is valid mainly for the symbol level and the functional one mainly for the activity level. Where the distinctions are more or less 1 The religious belief perceives all things—animals, plants, inadequate, they are sometimes replaced by others, which rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork and may be empirically correlated with the originals’ (Rosengren perhaps even words—as animated and alive. It is contrast to 1976: 672) 1 | P a g e MPs are concerned, it could have been traced back to the Palaeolithic period in the firm belief in animism (Hicks 2010:359; Bird-David 2000). For example, Methods Upper Palaeolithic rock art of six-armed chakra along This particular research work is based on the with animal-headed spirit with Puthi from Pachmarhi ethnographic study of Mayong. It also includes some hill, Madhya Pradesh (Fig.1) can be associated with the archaeological theories like post-processualism to belief in MPs (details are in Discussion section) or feet describe to understand the symbols used MMPs and chopped burials of Jorwe culture from Inamgaon (Fig. MPs. and archaeological method of exploration. The 2) are explained as some kind of belief in spits and recovered archaeological artefacts and sculpture has afterlife (Dhavaliker et.al. 1971). Andrew Clifford been also taken into the consideration for batter (2012: 50) in his book The Geologic Model of Religion understating. The texts and content analysis method has proposed a hypothesis that red ochre colour was have also used during the investigation. The certainly used for the practice of sympathetic magic and ethnographic method of data collection includes the can be interpreted as the blood of earth needed for the open-ended semi-structured questionnaire and sustenance in afterlife. According to his description the 3 responses from both the healers/practisers and other example of homoeopathic magic practices i.e. healed/common people to lager picture of like-for-like and like-make like (Clifford 2012: 50) in understanding. The sampling system involves stratified Palaeolithic period in can be attributed to use of ochre random sampling and convenience sampling method. colour in burials practices of Neolithic Gufakaral, Kashmir. Mistry of Magic in Mayong Since ancient time (starting point is problematic to track) the magical beliefs and practices are ubiquitous a. Geographical Placement and Short in Mayong, Assam ( earlier it was the abode of the History of Mayong agropastoral ethnic population but currently it is an th The northeastern part of India is regarded as ‘12 bio- agrarian economy village). The belief in animism, hotspot of global scenario’. These states are having symbolism, superstitious belief still plays an important inhabitants of more 130 major tribal communities out of role in village socio-economic life. It is considered as 427 tribal communities found in India. They are living an epicentre for the widespread tantric and magical in a harmonious relationship with the environment (i.e. practice in India. The people of this village have deep physical geography) and consciously creating a healthy faith in the traditional occult or folk healing practices. ecosystem for the development of the wealthy economic The historical, literary, oral and ethnographic data structure. Their cultures are parallel and competitively suggest that the practice of black magic has been prevailing with its flora and fauna. Out of the 130 present since the earliest human culture stared residing tribes, 70% of tribal populations rely on their in the confined landscape of Mayong. But the environment for herbal medicine from generations archaeologist is cautious to support the statement in (Nanda 2014). absence of proper archaeological stratified data and detail archaeological exploration. Now, these beliefs Mayong, the Village comes under Marigaon district of have been transformed into magico-medicinal practices. Assam (one of the states from the northeastern part of In some cases, practitioners still claim that they can India). Before the division of new political boundaries manipulate the supernatural power (who use to control (before 1947) it falls under the Kamapitha (one of the their fate) and circumstances in the world where they four geographical divisions of ancient Kamrupa4 were granted little medical facilities and inadequate socio-economic power. 4.Kamrup or Kamarupa is the modern region situated There are several kinds of mystical practices are between two rivers, the Manas and the Barnady in Western prevalent in Mayong explicitly aeromancy (prediction Assam. It is congruent to ancient “Kamapitha ” or of weather), augury ( forecast from the behavior of “Pragjyotisha Bhukti”. In medivial period is called as “Sarkar bird), anthroposophy (prophecy by facial feature), Kamprup”. Currently equated with modern “ United Kamrup belomancy (forecast by arrow i.e. ban), bletonism District”( Garg 1992: 428; Goswami 1998: 25; Choudhury (prophecy by water), catoptromancy (prediction by 1959 458). There is no unanimous opinion about the antiquity of Kamarupa. The Kamrupa and northeast region mirrors), Ichthyomancy (prediction by fishes), rd sciomancy (prediction by shadows or ghosts), has no mention in Ashokan record (3 cen. BCE) (Nath 1968:4). First dated mention come from periplus of the tephromancy prediction (prophecy from sacrificial st ashes), xylomancy (prediction by dry sticks) and Erythraean Sea (1 cen. CE) where it describes a people called Sesatea (Casson 1989:241-43). The name Kamrupa is psychometry (prediction by handling an object) (Kalita nd 1992: 16-20). also mentioned in Ptolemy’s Geographia (2 cen. CE) as the of region Kirrhadia and in Arthasastra (1st cen. CE)