Nepal. How to preserve the beliefs of ancestors?

Occupation: Leading Research Fellow, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, RAS
Affiliation: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

Liliya A. Streltsova

Occupation: assistant, Department of Theory and Methods of Training in Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Faculty of Asian and African Studies
Affiliation: St. Petersburg State University
Address: Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

Journal name

Asia and Africa Today

Edition

Issue 6

Pages

58-65

Abstract

This article deals with traditional beliefs of the Limbu, a small Nepalese ethnic group, practically unexplored in Russian Asian and African studies. These beliefs composed a multi-level complex of shamanistic ideas and animistic views, deeply rooted in ancient times. They relied on the oral tradition embodied in the mundhum corpus of sacred texts. Myths run through the intense and eventful ritual life of Limbu. It included agricultural rites, life cycle rituals, and specific local mangenna and tongsing rituals. Traditionally Limbu did not build temples for rituals, arranging instead altars from natural materials. For the long period of time shamans have been the keepers of myths, transmitted the oral tradition of mundhum and performed various rituals. According to their functions, there were three types of shamans: fedangma, samba and yeba (bijuva).

Since the beginning of the XX century the beliefs of Limbu have undergone a number of transformations mostly due to political and socio-cultural reasons. In this process no small share had Sanskritization - the spread of the Hindu religious tradition. The religious foundations and ritual practices have undergone significant changes under the influence of Hinduism. Shamans were replaced by Brahmin priests-pujaris. There appeared religious reformers and new teachings, combining traditional beliefs with Hindu ideas, oral texts received written fixation, Limbu started to be erect religious buildings as well.

Keywords

Nepal, limbu, traditional beliefs, archaic, shamanism, animism, myth, ritual

Received

31.01.2022

Publication date

07.06.2022

Number of characters

21764

Cite

GOST	Albedil M., Streltsova L. Nepal. How to preserve the beliefs of ancestors? // Asia and Africa Today – 2022. – Issue 6 C. 58-65 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://asaf-today.ru/S032150750020423-7-1 (circulation date: 26.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S032150750020423-7
MLA	Albedil, Margarita, Streltsova, Liliya A. "Nepal. How to preserve the beliefs of ancestors?." Asia and Africa Today 6 (2022):58-65. DOI: 10.31857/S032150750020423-7
APA	Albedil M., Streltsova L. (2022). Nepal. How to preserve the beliefs of ancestors?. Asia and Africa Today (6), pp.58-65 DOI: 10.31857/S032150750020423-7

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 2, views: 384

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Roy B. 2012. Gorkhas and Gorkhaland. Darjeeling: Parbaty Roy Foundation, 504 p.

2. Das K. 1896. The Limbu or Kirati people of Eastern Nepal and Sikkim. Journal of the Buddhist Text Society of India, appendix I, pp. 31-34.

3. van Driem G.L. 1987. A Grammar of Limbu. Berlin; New York; Amsterdam: Mouton de Gruyter. 604 p.

4. Gaborio M. 1985. Nepal and its people. Moscow. (In Russ.)

5. Risley H. H. 1892. Limbu. The Tribes and Castes of Bengal. Ethnographic glossary. Vol. 2. Calcutta, Bengal Secretariat Press, 572 p.

6. Rugh M. 2020. Sitting on the edge of wonder. Art and Animism in the service of person and planet healing. Ecopoiesis: eco-human theory and practice, Vol. 1, No. 1) (In Russ.)

7. Sagant P. 2008. The Dozing Shaman. The Limbus of Eastern Nepal. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 461 p.

8. Gustavsson L. 2013. Religion and Identity Politics in the Indian Himalayas: Religious Change and Identity Construction among the Limboos of Sikkim. M.A. Thesis. Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, 160 p.

9. Subba T.B. 2009. Clear mountains, blurred horizons: Limbu perception of their physical world. Culture and the Environment in the Himalaya. Routledge, pp. 114-131.

10. Basilov. V.N. 1984. Chosen by spirits. Moscow. (In Russ.)

11. Albedil M.F. 2020. Representation of Myth in Traditional Indian Culture. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies, 12(2), pp. 262-275. (In Russ.)

12. Schlemmer G. 2003. New Past for the Sake of a Better Future: Re-inventing the History of the Kirant in East Nepal. European Bulletin of Himalayan Research. 25/26, pp. 119-144.

13. Seva Lung. नावाचइत् मुन्धुम (सृष्टिको आख्यान) 26.05.2015. (Creation myth in mundhum). (In Nepali). https://www.facebook.com/ groups/103303693099715/permalink/803124349784309 (accessed 26.01.2022)

14. Meletinsky E.M. 2000. Poetics of myth. Moscow. 407 p. (In Russ.)

15. Chemjong I.S. 2003. History and Culture of the Kirat People. Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, 269 p.

16. Yakhtung B.L. माङ्गेन्ना अनुष्ठानमा कुखुराको बलि 24.08.2016. (Chicken sacrifice during Mangenna ritual. (In Nepali). https://www.facebook.com/groups/103303693099715/permalink/1049013285195413 (accessed 26.01.2022)

17. माङसेवासाबा प्रमुख मनप्रसाद थङलङ. माङगेन्ना के हो? (What is Mangenna? (In Nepali). https://youtu.be/a8dWo9GPvTg (accessed 26.01.2022)

18. Subba C. 1995. Limbu Culture and Religion. Kathmandu: K.B.Subba 334 p.

19. Jones R.L. 1976. Sanskritization in Eastern Nepal. Ethnology, Vol. 15, No. 1. Pittsburgh, pp. 63-75.