By Raphael Warjri
3. Ritual, music and folk instruments as markers of identity
The article’s discussion of the “maryngod” (a Khasi folk violin), its role in mourning (Jamlu), the flute, Jew’s harp and percussion, and especially the tale of the farmer, the vampire-creature and the red-vented bulbul intervening—this section points to how folklore, ritual performance and musical instruments encode cultural memory.
Music, lament, folklore duel between farmer-musician and vampire, bird-helper, stain on the bulbul’s tail—all of this is a rich narrative terrain. These folk motifs serve social functions: they preserve identity, sanctify mourning, mediate human-supernatural relation.
In the academic literature, the role of oral tradition and instruments in Khasi culture is emphasised. In a matrilineal society with an oral past, instruments become carriers of memory, as much as myths.
4. Matriliny, change and contemporary tensions
Although the article doesn’t explicitly focus on matriliny, the themes of origin, lineage, pledge to maternal and paternal kinship (“tipkur tipkha”), and the golden era narrative implicitly underscore the centrality of kin-relations. This is especially significant given your stated interest in preserving Khasi matriliny.
Scholars note that the Khasis are one of the largest remaining matrilineal communities in India. However, contemporary scholarship also flags tensions with patriarchy’s increasing influence, property disputes, erosion of customary law under colonial-legal frameworks. For example:
“While Khasi women are often perceived as empowered, it emphasised ongoing gender debates within the community. … Real authority is often concentrated among a few individuals rather than being an equally distributed collective consensus.”
MEI- Matrilineal Exogamous Institution
Thus, the mythic narrative in the article subtly connects with deeper issues: lineage, inheritance, changing social order, the human condition in the context of matriliny.
5. Commentary on the article’s strengths and gaps
Strengths:
The article provides a compelling mythic framework that is richly symbolic and culturally specific—fitting for the Khasi world.
It links cosmic themes (divine assembly, creatures, gifts) with social themes (human pledge, kinship, power).
It includes folk performances: the maryngod, the tale of the farmer, birds, parasites—this grounds the myth in lived cultural practice.
It offers a narrative arc: a golden age – human act – loss of divine protection – enduring struggle.
Gaps / Questions:
The matrilineal dimension: while implied (honour maternal and paternal kin, youngest daughter as heir in Khasi culture) the article could more explicitly engage with how the myth intersects with matriliny: e.g., the pledge to maternal kin, the youngest daughter, the role of women in the ‘golden age’, etc.
The article does not fully address how these mythic narratives are translated into contemporary social practices or contested in practice—e.g., how matriliny is being challenged, how youth engage with these myths, how Christianisation or modernisation affects them.
It would benefit from more explicit linkage between myth and ecological or material practices (e.g., land, forest, animals)—since the myth deals with creatures, it invites an ecological reading.
6. Implications for preserving Khasi heritage and matriliny
With the interests in folk-inspired story, dialogue-based concept, public statement on preserving Khasi matriliny, the article offers the following affordances:
Symbolic resources: The myth gives you powerful symbols—divine assembly, gifts, serpent/tiger envy, the mammon creature Thlen, the protector-role for humans, the stamped stone at Nongkhrah, the maryngod, the bulbul’s red tail.
Narrative structure: Golden age – rupture – consequence – endurance. This lends itself to exposition of the golden era of Morba & Shibet, incidents of folly and curiosity and the vernacular collapse, struggle, re-affirmation.
Social message: The myth emphasises stewardship (“tipbriew tipblei” – honour mother/father, conscience), right living, the consequences of greed (Thlen), of unchecked curiosity (Syiem Nongklung). It can be aligned with contemporary issues: the erosion of matriliny, patriarchal encroachment, environmental degradation, cultural decline.
Material heritage: The maryngod and associated folk tales provide a concrete heritage link. You could adapt the mourning-tune narrative into showing how music/ritual encodes communal memory.
Matrilineal preservation: Link the mythic pledge (to maternal/paternal kin) with the matrilineal institution, showing how the human to human-animal divine order mirrors or informs the social order in Khasi society. Perhaps show how forgetting the pledge (or human folly) leads to breakdown—not just of divine protection but of matrilineal values (inheritance, clan continuity, women’s roles).
7. Suggested academic references to deepen the grounding
Here are a few academic works that could be consulted to emphasise further:
Wattanagun, Kanya. “The Divine Ancestress in a Matrilineal Society: The Imprints of Khasi Matriliny on the Legend of Ka Pahsyntiew.” Thammasat Review. (analyses Khasi myth and matriliny) (Thai Journal Online)
Shangpliang, Rekha M. “Khasi matrilineal kinship: The ideology ‘Long jait na ka kynthei’ (From the woman sprang the clan).” NEHU Journal Vol. XIX No.2. (North Eastern Hill University)
“Matriliny: The Cultural Cradle of Khasi Kinship System” (East India Story). (East India Story)
“Matrilineal society of Meghalaya” (Facts and Details). (Facts and Details)
A review on colonial-legal critiques of matriliny can be further elaborated in the book: Mei: Matrilineal Exogamous Institution
8. Concluding reflections
The article is both poetic and culturally grounded. It presents the Khasi world as one deeply embedded in mythic imagination, where the divine, the natural, the human and the social converge. But as I am aware (and as the academic literature underscores) matriliny is not simply a cultural relic—it is a living system under pressure. The golden age narrative metaphorically invites reflection on the “age” of cultural harmony, and the human act of curiosity or greed marks the shift to our present, less protected, more vulnerable condition.
In my work on preserving matriliny and addressing emerging patriarchal aspirations, I might use this mythic frame to argue: that the erosion of matriliny is akin to the withdrawal of divine protection—the social pledge is broken, vulnerability sets in, meaning is lost—but cultural resilience lies in remembering the original pledge, re-asserting the logic of “tipbriew tipblei bad tipkur tipkha”.
The abolition of the matrilineal system (Marumakkathayam) among the Nair community in Kerala was a gradual shift from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, culminating in legal acts like the Travancore Nair Regulation (1925) and finalized by the Kerala Joint Family System (Abolition) Act of 1975. Driven by colonial influences, reform movements, and the desire for nuclear family structures, this shift replaced communal property management by a maternal uncle (Karanavan) with individual, patriarchal inheritance.
Khasi Heritage: The Cradle of Khasi Culture
The interconnection of nature is deeply ingrained with spiritual significance, with energy flowing from the elemental forces shaping and sustaining life. From the radiant warmth of the sun to the tranquil influence of the moon, from the refreshing breezes of the air to the life-giving flow of water, and from the transformative power of fire to the awe-inspiring might of thunder and earthquakes, each element plays a vital role in the tapestry of existence.
Within this vast tapestry, certain natural features are believed to be inhabited by spirits of various dimensions, imbuing these landscapes with sacred significance. Rivers, mountains, forests, caves, and other natural wonders are seen as the abodes of these spirits, each with its own character and influence on the world.
Human society, too, plays a role in shaping the spiritual landscape, with deities being harbored and revered according to the desires and needs of individuals, families, and communities. Landmarks such as Sohpetbneng peak, Diengiei peak, Shyllong peak, and Ka-Meikha peak are believed to be inhabited by Sylvan deities, each associated with different aspects of human life and the natural world.
Rivers like the Kupli, Kynshi, and Umngot are seen as the homes of spirits, both major deities and minor spirits, whose influence can be benevolent or malevolent. In ancient times, it is said that all spirits were revered as bountiful deities, but mischievous spirits were eventually condemned to the subterranean realms.
In this way, the spiritual and natural worlds are intimately intertwined, with each aspect of the environment imbued with meaning and significance, reflecting the rich tapestry of beliefs and traditions that have shaped the cultural landscape of the region.
The mythology surrounding Mawlongsyiem at Sohra is rich with tales of familial relationships and divine retribution. Mawlongsyiem is revered as the major deity of Mawsmai territory, and is believed to be the father of Ka Ngaid, Ka Shwar, and Ka Taro. Ka Ngaid, in turn, is the mother of U Thlen, who famously married the toad ‘Ka Hynroh’.
According to legend, Ka Hynroh or the toad gave birth to a creature that was inadvertently devoured by her husband, U Thlen or the mammon pithon. Upon realizing his mistake, U Thlen was consumed with fury and remorse. He made a solemn vow before the divine council that he would sustain himself by feeding on human blood and amass great wealth. As a result of this pledge, U Thlen was condemned to the subterranean realms.
Ka Shwar and Ka Taro (feminine demonic spirits that caused harm and possessed by human victim), siblings of U Thlen, are associated with virulent substances known as Ka Lasam and Ka Bih, respectively. These substances are believed to be wielded by the keepers of these spirits, who can infect their victims with their effects. Ka Lasam is said to cause bleeding of the gums and affects the interior portion of the mouth, while Ka Bih leads to swelling of the lips and affects the outer portion of the mouth.
Also Read : https://highlandpost.com/a-commentary-of-khasi-folklore-24/
