The khaumo ceremony

Author: Jean Robert Opgenort
Date of submission: 15 April 2007

Two types of ceremonies

The khaumo, which is known as khasi in the language of the swamdi, is a sacred Wambule ceremony which is performed for the ancestors and deities of a particular family to ensure the happiness of the family or after the death of a relative. Avināth Rāī (VS 2057), Mahājit Rāī (VS 2054) and Gaṇeś Rāī (VS 2056f) refer to the two variants by the terms फुरी खाउमो phurī khāumo, फूरी खाउमो phūrī khāumo or फूरीखाउमो phūrīkhāumo and कुयामो खाउमो kuyāmo khāumo or कुयामोखाउमो kuyāmokhāumo respectively. According to Wambule legend, the khaumo was instituted at the mythological time of the original family. Gaṇeś Rāī (VS 2056f) states that the word खाउमो khāumo or खाउम्वा khāumvā is composed of an element खा khā, the meaning which is unclear to him, and the word उमो umo or उम्वा umvā ‘grandmother, especially paternal’. In my view, the element kha in the nouns khaumo and khasi ‘work’ conveys the sense of ‘deed, work’. I propose to translate the term khaumo literally as ‘religious work in honour of grandmother’. The khaumo usually lasts three days, although the period can be extended to four or five days.

‘Flower’ khaumo

The phurī khāumo is performed to ensure the happiness, health, prosperity and good luck of a family. The name of this event contains the noun phuri ‘flower’. The ceremony is a joyful event which can be held in whatever month deemed appropriate, generally on the occasion of mishaps suffered by the family, during the construction of a new house or at the anniversary of a marriage. The phurī khāumo is a comparatively inexpensive ceremony. Guests do not bring presents, and only ginger and small quantities of grain and alcoholic beverages are required.

‘Sorrow’ khaumo

The kuyāmo khāumo is a type of funeral ceremony. This term corresponds to the Nepali term बर्खान्त barkhānta employed by Pradīp Rāī (VS 2052). Gaṇeś Rāī (VS 2056f) translates the term कुयामा kuyāmā into Nepali as शोक śok ‘sorrow, grief’. Avināth Rāī (VS 2057) defines the कुयामो kuyāmo as मरणशौच maraṇśauc ‘death-purification’. The kuyāmo khāumo or bʌrkhʌnta is performed 45 days or one year after a relative dies. The timing is not strict, however, and the ceremony may also conducted in a more appropriate season, such as is the tenth month, माघ Māgh (January-February), the eleventh month, फुगुन Phāgun or फाल्गुन Phālgun (February-March), the first month, वैशाख Vaiśākh (April-May), the second month, जेठ Jeṭh or ज्येष्ठ Jyeṣṭh (May-June), and the third month, असार Asār or अषाढ āṣāḍh (June-July). The seventh month, कात्तिक Kāttik or कार्तिक Kārtik (October-November), is generally considered an inauspicious month. The funeral ceremony is a serious event which marks the end of a period of mourning, during which singing, playing musical instruments, eating certain foods and using certain implements are forbidden. The other ceremonies that have to be performed as a result of the death of a relative are discussed in the final section of this chapter.

Expenses

The kuyāmo khāumo is far more expensive than the phurī khāumo because of the considerable quantities of food involved. Gaṇeś Rāī (VS 2056f) states that the animal sacrifice consists of one buffalo bull (Nep. राँगो rāṁgo), one female piglet (Nep. ज्याँली सुंगुर jyāṁlī sũgur), one male piglet (Nep. सुंगुरको पाठो sũgurko pāṭho), a cock (Nep. भाले कुखुरो bhāle kukhuro) and a hen (Nep. पोथी कुखुरो pothī kukhuro). The household must also provide seven to nine jars of ci, four jars of rʌksi ‘liquor, Nepali eau-de-vie‘ (<Nep. रक्सी raksī), large quantities of ŋasi, different kinds of grain such as rice, maize and finger millet Eleusine coracana, and eggs, fish, milk and curds. Relatives, friends and neighbours attending the ceremony are also prevailed upon. They have to bring presents such as wooden vessels, ŋasi, grain and maize that has been twice ground (Nep. च्याँख्ला cyāṁkhlā). The eldest daughter’s husband’s family, which is known as the मूलदानी कुटुम्ब mūldānī kuṭumba ‘main daughter’s husband’s relatives’, is heavily taxed and must bring as many supplies as the family for whom the khaumo is performed, except for the animal sacrifice. Mahājit Rāī (VS 2054) estimates a minimum of 24 पाथी pāthī, i.e. about 96 litres, of finger millet Eleusine coracana, 55 or more of maize, and ten of husked rice. The cost of the khaumo which I attended personally on the 19th of February ad 2000, i.e. the seventh of फागुन Phāgun VS 2056, were estimated at about 25,000 Nepali rupees. It is not surprising that many people have replaced the ceremony with a cheaper variant known as dyakro, which is discussed below.

Beginning day

The kuyāmo khāumo ceremony usually lasts three days. The first day is called थाल्नी दिन thālnī din ‘beginning day’. On this day the मूलदानी कुटुम्ब mūldānī kuṭumba ‘main daughter’s husband’s relatives’, the हाँगादानी कुटुम्ब hāṁgādānī kuṭumba ‘branch daughter’s husband’s relatives’, which are the relatives of the non-eldest daughters’ husbands, and the nakso and ŋabuco gather at the house of the deceased. In the language of the swamdi, the daughters are referred to by the names of the older and younger sister of the original family, i.e. Jāumo and Khliumo. As the nakso begins to feed the family deities, the ŋabuco and सुरिमचो surimco set out to search for a surim. The main nakso and his assistants perform a special cleaning ritual by hammering a peg into the ground near the house and by spreading around some बाबुमो सेरा bābumo serā ‘ceremonial husked rice’ in the courtyard.

If people choose to erect a place to commemorate the deceased and provide a resting place for his or her soul, this is done on the first day. A resting place is commonly located at a cross-road in the shade of the tree Ficus bengalensis (Nep. बर bar) or Ficus religiosa (Nep. पीपल pīpal). The resting place generally consists of a platform built of earth, plaster or brick (Nep. चौतारो cautāro) or a platform with a bamboo-frame roof but without walls (Nep. ठाँटी फलैंचा ṭhāṁṭī phalaĩcā). The people who build the resting place are accompanied by four nakso, four ŋabuco and four मासिमे māsime ‘female dancers’, who move to the rhythms of the sumdi ‘cymbals’, which plays a central part throughout the ceremony. If no resting place is built, the sumdi shall be played on the second day. All the mourners reunite in the evening at the house of the deceased. The daughters of the deceased bring the goods that are needed for the khaumo ceremony inside the house. These goods include foodstuffs such as ci, nasi, rʌksi, and implements such as a likhi ‘bow’ for shooting arrows and leaves of the syalmo tree. The nakso and ŋabuco perform a final ceremony and feed the ancestors.

Deity day

The second day is called सामादिन sāmādin ‘deity day’. This day is the most important. A new surim with four to five branches is planted in the courtyard of the house, surrounded by four rough and untrimmed poles of the cosi tree on each of the two opposing sides, and decorated with leaves of the syalmo tree. Any old pillar will be uprooted, burnt and thrown away. According to Gaṇeś Rāī (VS 2056f), the main nakso starts the ceremony by singing a khaumo-swamdi and calling out the names of ancestors. The sumdi are played all the while, for it is believed that the souls of the ancestors are present when this instrument is played. If the sumdi are not played, the soul of the deceased cannot join the souls of the ancestors.

After the completion of the khaumo-swamdi, the main nakso strikes the sumdi fourteen times and makes six rounds around the fireplace in a counter-clockwise direction. Accompanied by the सुम्दिचो sumdico, the nakso and ŋabuco dance towards the courtyard, where four मासिमे māsime ‘female dancers’ and several सिट्लिचो siṭlico ‘male dancers’ have already been dancing around the buffalo bull, pigs and chicken in a clockwise direction. After this dance called खाउमो सिलि khāumo sili has been performed, the वाब्लाचो vāblāco ‘archer’ of the दानी dānī ‘daughter’s husband’s relatives’ shoots the buffalo bull and pig, which have been tied to the surim. This slaughtering is referred to as सेबिल याङ्चाम sebil yāṅcām (Plate 26). The दानी dānī prepare and distribute the meat for and in the name of the deities, spirits and ancestors. Hereafter, the people engage in a काँचोपूजानाच kāṁcopūjānāc ‘raw worshipping dance’, which consists of six rounds that have to be made around the central fireplace in a counter-clockwise direction (Gaṇeś Rāī VS 2056f). Then the बर्खी पुकुवा barkhī pukuvā is performed: the daughters of the deceased purify their माइती māitī ‘paternal home’ and the कुल kul ‘family’ of the deceased. The daughters shaving the heads of their brothers and wash their sisters-in-law. The brother receive new clothes and the white hat that marks the mourning process is thrown away. The prohibitions concerning food and utensils are removed. The sons of the deceased and their wife’s are fed eggs, fish, meat, milk and curds. The house and the sons are ritually cleansed by sprinkling them with cow’s urine (Nep. गहुँत gahũt). In return, the हाँगादानी कुटुम्ब hāṁgādānī kuṭumba receive presents called catum, and the मूलदानी कुटुम्ब mūldānī kuṭumba get gifts known as casuwa. Presents generally include pots, pans and new clothes which have first been placed at the pilumba before. After another dance called ढ्वातुसिली ḍhvātusilī has been performed, the sumdi are not played again, but carefully placed in a cave for a certain time.

Giving leave

The third day is called दानीबिदादिन dānībidādin ‘day on which the daughter’s husband’s relatives are given leave’. This is the day on which the deceased’s brothers, sons and daughters and their husbands, the other relatives, the nakso and his helpers return home.