G’BYE GOA: KOLS/KUNNBIS By Valmiki Faleiro The last major pre-Aryan group to settle in Goa were the Kols. They followed the Asuras from Chota Nagpur and, on arrival, subjugated them to lord over the land. Asuras were milder people. Kols were fierce, a “semi-savage” hunting tribe. (‘Kol’ means wild pig.) The tribe name ‘Kol’ got corrupted to ‘Kul,’ ‘Kulvadi,’ ‘Kulmi,’ ‘Kulambi’ and ‘Kunnbi.’ Kols were sub-grouped as Velips, Zalmis and Gaunkars – actually occupational caste names, also common among Asuras/Gawdas. Velips handled religious affairs, Zalmis handled other specific tasks, while Gaunkars, regarded more intelligent, took up farming, hunting and assorted survival activities for the community. Rev. John Wilson thought ‘Kunnbi’ comes from ‘Krishmi’ (tillers of land; also plough.) German anthropologist Gustav Oppert denounced the theory and said ‘Kunnbi’ came from ‘Ku’ (mountain), hence a mountainous tribe that originated in South India, where indeed they are known as ‘Kurumbars.’ Rest of India, Kunnbis are found in Maharashtra, Gujarat and pockets of north India. They tilled land, by the slash-burn-cultivate system (‘Kumeri’), yet in use in hilly areas of hinterland Goa. And cropped cereals like millet. Like earlier Asuras/Gawdas, their tools and implements were of wood or stone – pointed, sharp-edged or blunted, as per need. Units of measurement of produce – by weight or volume – like Kudov, Khandi, Kumbh, revolved around the numbers 12 and 20 – like 20 smaller units made a single larger unit (viz.- 20 khandis equal one kumbh.) Note the Ks in Ku, Kunnbi, Kurumbar, Kumeri, Khandi, Kumbh! Once regarded a sub-caste of Marathas, Kunnbis considered themselves just below Dhangars, but superior to Molvolls (washermen) and Nhavi (barbers.) At their weddings, a barber would wash the feet of the bridal couple and apply vermillion to the guests while a washerman would spread a clean cloth for the couple to sit for the ceremonies on the ground. End of the day, the washerman and barber would carry the child bridal couple on their shoulders, dancing to music by Mhars. Kunnbis, including Christian, shun pork (save a wild boar) and beef, if not so scrupulous about a plump bandicoot or a monitor lizard. They were mostly vegetarian. Kols worshipped the Earth Goddess, represented by the anthill, ‘Roen,’ renamed ‘Sateri’ and ‘Bhumika’ after her capture by Indo-Aryans. They also worshipped trees like the ‘Peepal’ and ‘Vod’ (and, perhaps in acknowledgement of the status of original settlers, the ‘Kel’ tree of Mhars, but in the lowest rung of their female deity hierarchy.) Other deities worshipped were Mahamaya and Ravalnath, and those of earlier tribes – Betal, Nagesh, Navadurga and Mallikarjun. Saptakoteshwar was a deity of the Velips. They also worshipped the dreaded tiger, as deity ‘Vagro.’ A temple to ‘Vagro’ was demolished by the 16th Century Portuguese in Utorda, Salcete. It was Kols who first followed the twin-deity cult of ‘Gram Dev’ (village deity) and ‘Kul Dev’ (family deity.) They conducted religious affairs by themselves, no latter-day Brahmin ‘bhats.’ They offered fowls in sacrifice – a white rooster for the Sun God, red or black one for other deities, including ‘Chando,’ the Moon God. Billy goats were also sacrificed. They did witchcraft (‘Ghadiponn’) and human sacrifice. Outright sacrifice was later toned down to hanging men from wooden stakes, with iron hooks pierced into the back (as in Madkai-Ponda) or rapidly rotated from a wheel (as in Poinguinim-Canacona.) The blood- letting was banned by Gov. Joaquim Fernando Pestana on Dec 6, 1844. Another custom. If a pregnant woman died, her legs were broken and the body taken out of the house not through the main door, but through a hole punctured into a side wall (resealed immediately after the cremation.) The path to the cremation ground was then strewn with thorns and, by way of abundant caution, millet was strewn along the way – all because, if the dead one (the poor ‘Alvatin,’ despite her broken legs) overcame the thorns on the way back home, she would slip and fall on the millet. And even if Alvatin overcame that, she would find no way inside the house, because the passage by which she had left was now only a blind wall! P.S.: Margao activist Siddarth Karapurkar asks (Herald, 10 May) if fish from sewage- contaminated Xelpem lake is fit for human consumption. If pigs that feed on we-know- what are safe, why would Xelpem fish be otherwise? My thought. (ENDS.) The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column at: http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=330 ====================================================================== The above article appeared in the May 17, 2009 edition of the Herald, Goa
