There
is an idiom ‘Kappu Kāle’
in Tulu. It is used to describe the
colour of a person, i.e. one who is pitch dark or black in complexion. The meaning of ‘kappu’ is dark or black. Generally, we use ‘kāle’ also with same
meaning of ‘dark’ in every day usage (in Tulu, Kannada, Sanskrit, etc.) while
it has a specific meaning in Tulu. Here the idiom or compound word means ‘a
person who is as black/dark as a kāle’.
There
are many compound words with ‘Kāle’ but ‘Toduta Kāle’ (as voracious as a kāle) and ‘Kappu Kāle’ are still extant and heard in usage. It seems that the phenomenon of ‘Kāle’ is wiped out from
the memory of present Tulu generation. What is then the meaning of ‘Kāle’ here?
There
is a Question & Answer section at the end of the Book: “Tuluvara Marnottara
Kriye - Tulu Janapada Samskara”, writeen by Narayana A. Bangera (NBA) (See:
Post No. 280 dated 7th June, 2011).
During the discussions, Devraj Poojari, a member of Billavara
Association, Dombivli Chapter, posed a pointed question (pp. 66-68) to NBA:
What is Kāle
Kola? Is it unavoidable in Tuluva After-Death/Last
Rites to a departed soul? NAB pointed it out as a forgotten rite, which
was performed by rich people in earlier days. He opined it as a chicanery while
bringing out the difference between ‘kola’ and ‘nema’. We wished to make further studies for a
suitable Post but the matter skipped our memory. Our interest is revived after seeing some
information in pages 58 to 60 on ‘Kaale Kola’ in the Book: “Mogaveera Samaja –
Ondu Adhyana” by Sadananda K. Uchila.(See: Post-347dated 3rd June,
2015).
Kule
and Kāle
What
is ‘Kule’ in Tulu is ‘Pretātma’ in Sanskrit, Kuli (Tamil & Malayalam), Kole
(Havyaka Kannada), and Kolnari (Koraga - Tribal). Péyi/Péti is Tulu synonym of
Kule (also having the meaning of madness or mad person in Dravidian languages).
It means a ‘departed soul’ (Tulu Lexicon Vol.2; p. 774). ‘Kāle’ is a synonym for ‘Kule’ (TL Vol.3; p. 860). ‘Kāle Kola’ is defined in Tulu Lexicon (Ref Vol.2, p.
775) as ‘a kind of spirit worship and dance celebrated on the day of funeral
rituals (usually in the Bunts community) to ward off ghosts and other evil
spirits’. In Kannada, the synonymous term “kalebara”
(=dead body) exists for comparison.
It
is believed that a departed soul - a shadowy apparition commonly known as ghost
- remains in suspended state unless and until all traditional ‘after-death purification
(Samskaras) rites’ are completed (on 13th or 16th day of
death).
It
is believed that ‘kule’ or ‘kāle’ haunts the house, joined by other evil spirits
until a particular day. It is supposed
to depart from the mourning house and stop harming inmates as soon as proper
last rites are performed. It may be
noted that impersonator of ‘kāle’ in the kola ceremony symbolically wears black
dress with white stripes around the chest.
Kāle in Oriental &
World Folklores
Pedakāle (Pedakkāle): One may remember a word ‘Pedakāle’ (Pedakkāle) in Tulu. It means ‘a goblin troubling a woman in
confinement, especially after the child birth.
It is an abusing word, applied to a trouble-monger, comparing him to an
imp.
There
are many fairy tales in Indian folk-lores.
We read during our schooling days about such goblins or ghosts of dead
person appearing or disappearing as a pale shadowy apparition, haunting houses
where new children were expected and where there were death of mother on
child-birth or still-born children. Rumours
are spread about such incidents. Our
elders used to narrate such stories to youngsters eliciting horror. It is reported
these horrifying goblins peep through windows to take stock of things. This explains why confinement rooms were dark
with tiny windows or no windows and with small doors in olden days.
Traditionally,
the convalescing women were looked after by elderly women for puerperal care.
Woman and her baby were never left alone.
This was to ensure that they are not harmed by wicked spirits. Women in confinement always carry a small
hand-knife while going out and in, even when an elderly woman accompanies her. A sickle was invariably kept under her
bed. Here we can recall the cult of
Mani Bāle,
popularly known as Mayandāl, the
legendary protector of women and the punisher of evil spirits feeding on women
and children. The Mayandāl Cult has been deeply
rooted in Tulu Nadu among Tulu women. (Post-306; dt: 13th December,
2012).
Ghoul: There is a word ‘Ghoul’ (pronounced as Ghool or Ghowl)
in English Dictionary. ‘Ghoul’ is
comparable to ‘Kāle’
in Tulu. It is defined as an evil spirit
that robs graves and feeds on the dead.
Origin of the word is traced to Arabic word ‘Ghāla’, akin to Ghol
of Persian, by Western travellers. The meaning
of the word is also applied to a person, who does or enjoys horrible things.
The
Hobson-Jobson Dictionary (p.372) throws some more light on this word by culling
writings of travellers of yore. We quote some of them below:
In
the deserts of Africa, one can meet often-times with fairies. They appear in the shape of men and women but
they vanish soon away like fantastical illusions.
The
Arabs tell many strange stories about the Ghul and their transformations,
allegedly with feet of an ass. These
Ghul appeared to travellers in the night and at hours when one meets no one on
the road. They are led astray when they
followed these spectres, mistaking them to be their own companions.
The
Arab story mentioned above is comparable to Tulu story about ‘Kule tappu muttanaga (= on touching of
leaves of plant affected by ghosts). In
olden days (when there were no battery torches) people used to go to
neighbouring villages at night, carrying torches made of dried coconut leaves,
for seeing Yakshagana Bayalata (= folklore night time entertainment
of a song and dance drama in open field). If they touch without intention some ghost
affected plant while crossing a forest area, they were not able to reach the
spot of the event easily even if they hear the sound of drum (Chande=ಚಂಡೆ) nearby
but move round and round to come to the same spot from where they started. Narrator
of this story laughingly finished it by saying that one from their group eased
out. Then only, they could find the way.
(Note: Kule tappu tree = the leaves of the ghost tree are used in the
ritual to ward off evil effects of ghosts).
Fisher-folk
of Tulu Nadu tell similar stories in which death occurs. Group of young men go for catching fish at
night with cast-nets in rivers. One man
finds another man ahead of him getting more catch by venturing into deeper
water. He goes on following that ghost-man
(not knowing that he is a ghost) until he gets himself drowned.
When
the writer came to Mumbai in the decade of late fifties of last Century, he
heard many ghost stories of haunted buildings in Fort area where there were
accidents during construction. Elderly Taxi-driver relative was telling about
drivers troubled by ghosts during night trips.
In
Afghanistan, the Afghans believe that each solitary mountain ranges and deserts
of their country are inhabited by lonely demon, which they call ‘Ghoole
Beeabaum’ (= the goule or spirit of the Waste).
The spectre is identified by them as a gigantic and frightful figure,
capable devouring any passenger wandering within his haunting place.
What
comes to our mind is that analogy of kāle to similar sounding words in other nations is
natural. Our ancestors passed through
these regions during the course of their historical migration as enumerated
elsewhere in our Blog.
Kule Pattuni/Muttuni
One
from Tulu Nadu might have witnessed incidents of ‘demoniac possession’
in many households. Suffering of the possessed, writhing in pain, shivering,crawling,
crying and abusing, is heart-rending. The ghost-apparent leaves his/her body after
asking for a glass of water when the possessed is beaten by stick-broom. Such
happening has given rise to the cult of ‘exorcism’ in many of the Oriental and
Western cultures.
Some
of the phrases and idioms about kāle and kule are included in the Tulu Lexicon.
Kola
& Nema
Though
these days these words are used interchangeably, for the ceremonial worship of
a divine spirit, the Nema (Niyama in Sanskrit) means annual or
periodical ceremony of worship of a particular deity by following traditionally
laid down rules and regulations. Kola means ‘a game or play’. Heroics of the
divine spirit are enacted/played by invoking it through a medium. At times, the play looks like an amusement (Post-250/20.08.2010;
‘From OlaSavari to Varasari). It is
played for deity of a household, village and group of villages. ‘Kola’ is also a part of‘nema’, which one
cannot deny.
Kāle Kola Performance*
It
is also called a ‘Kule Nalike’ (=Ghost
Dance). There is no specific rules for
this dance drama. It has a psychological
value for relieving grief of bereaved members.
Traditional
class of dancers, such as Nalike, Pambada, Panaara or Parava, are engaged to perform
this ritual. They come one night before
the final ceremony of bidding farewell to a departed soul (i.e. on 13th or 16th
day of death). Kāle Kola duty is
entrusted to these performers by offering them Veelya,( i.e. betel leaf and arecanut), as a token of invitation.
They are given utensils and provisions for them to prepare their meals.
The
ritual needs four impersonator-dancers. First two come dancing as buntas (servants) at the appointed place
of dance with usual attire as is vogue with Kola dancers, i.e. wearing
red-coloured loose shirt and pyjama, covered waist-down with ‘siri’, made of tender coconut fronds split into fine strings, and
adorning special jingling-anklets, called ‘gaggara’
on ankles and semi-circular shaped crown (kirita)
on the head. The third one,in the guise of a horse, joins these dancing
impersonators. They keep on dancing
according to some songs when the fourth dancer, with two sticks, joins them,dancing
as possessed by the ‘kāle’
(departed soul) and making a frightening cry. He is painted black fully with black dress
with white stripes around chest and white circles around eyes. They dance in the fixed arena for some
time. Ghost-impersonator consoles family
members and advises them to live peacefully and harmoniously so as to keep up
the family traditions and customs.
On
the conclusion of the kāle kola, sticks used during the dance are kept on both sides
of the ‘Doope’ (a structure in the
form of a car erected outside the house or at the place of ‘dooloppu’ (heap of
ash and remnant bones of the dead at the place of funeral). Impersonator-dancers take bath in sea or
river. Family members also go for
bath. All these activities get over by
midday and the performers are paid as previously agreed. Individual family members too donate money as
their last respect to the departed soul.
Conclusion
We
wonder how we use certain words, such as cited above, in our childhood without
knowing their meanings. The more we
modernise, the more we forget such words, leave alone their meanings. With changed circumstances, 'kule' remained
in Tulu tongues more than the use of 'kāle'. 'Kāle' remained in
ritualistic performances, though kule
and kāle are
synonyms. The mutual transformation of
'k' to 'g' is common in linguistics. So it is not a wonder that Kule or Kāle is the same as
'Ghoul', Ghul, Ghaala, Ghulee or Gol elsewhere.
The
purpose of Kāle
Kola is to pacify members (present or absent during death time) of a family of
departed soul. It got acceptance among Tulu speakers. What has been started
with genuine intention of showing sympathy and exhorting members for
maintaining ‘undivided and joint family system’ of Tulu Nadu or maintaining ‘cordial
relations’ is misused by an unscrupulous grieving family member? There are
instances that ‘kāle’
impersonator becomes a mouth-piece of a member for getting things told as
he/she wishes for getting major share in properties of deceased.
The
phenomenon of ghost (soul of dead) is entwined with mankind from pre-history
and pre-industrial age to this scientifically advanced era. Proof: The séance
is still practiced.
We
look forward receiving feed-backs on these practices.
REFERENCE
‘Mogaveera Samaja – Ondu Adhyana’ by
Sadananda K. Uchil.
-Hosabettu
Vishwanath, Pune
