Limbu people


The Limbu or Yakthung are Kirati people indigenous and native to the Himalayan Limbuwan region of the Indian subcontinent, what is now modern-day Eastern Nepal, Northern Sikkim, Kalimpong India and Western Bhutan.
The original name of Limbus is Yakthung, Yakthumba or Yakthungba. Limbu males and Limbu females are called "Yakthumma" or "Yakthungma". In Ancient texts believe that "Yakthung" or "Yakthum" is a derivative from China and some interpret its meaning as the "Yaksha winner". In Limbu language it means "heroes of the hills", which connotation with ancient Kiratas. Subba is also a title given by the Shah Kings to only Limbu village chiefs. Subba was not an indigenous Yakthung terminology, but now they are almost interchangeable terms.
Their history is stated to be written in a book called Bhongsoli also known as Vanisavali of which copies are kept in some of the most ancient families. There are hundreds of Limbu Clans and Tribes. Each Limbu clans are classified under their Tribe or subnational entity or according to their place of origin.
The Chinese text Po-ou-Yeo-Jing, translated in 308 AD, refers to the Yi-ti-Sai, a name which is an exact equivalent of Kiratas.
The Limbus were also one of the earliest inhabitants of Sikkim. Their estimated population of 700,000 is mainly centred in the districts of Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Taplejung, Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Panchthar, Ilam, Kathmandu, Nakhipot, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur in Nepal. These are all within the Mechi and Kosi Zones or "Limbuwan". Portions of the Limbu population are also located in the east and west districts of Sikkim. A smaller number are scattered throughout the cities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and in north and south Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma, and others have recently migrated to the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United States and many other countries.

History

Language

Accounts with Sirijunga
Limbu is one of the few Sino-Tibetan languages of the Central Himalayas to possess their own pre-20th century scripts.,

Vowels and consonants

Vowels:
ʌ, ɑ, i, u, e, ɑi, o, ɑu, ɛ, ɔ
Consonants:
k, kh, g, gh, ŋ, c/ts, ch/tsh, j/dz, jh/dz, t, th, d, dh, n, p, ph, b, bh, m, j, r, l, w, sh, s, h, tr

Universal vocabulary

1. Sun: nam;
2. Moon: la:ba;
3. Star: tanchoˀba;
4. Soil: kham;
5. Water: cwat;
6. Stone: luŋ;
7. Fire: mi;
8. Home: him;
9. Tree: sinŋbuŋ;
10. Mother: mamaˀ;
11. Father: ambo;
12. Path: lam;
13. Flower: phuŋ;
14. Head: thibokpa;
15. Eye: mik;
16. Leg: laŋ;
17. Hand: huk;
18. Eat: cama;
19. Drink: thuŋma;
20. Walk: laŋghekma;
21. Sleep: imma;

Culture

Limbus practice many of their own life cycle rituals. They believe that lineage is not transmitted patrilineally. Rather, a woman inherits her mother's gods, and when she marries and lives with her husband she brings with her the deities that will then be recognized as the household deities.
Limbu bury their dead and observe for two-to-three days through practiced death rituals. During death ceremony, they put the head of dead in chares ko thal and coin on forehead. They block the nose, ear and put alcohol on the lips of the dead body. Nikwasamma is a dead ritual done to cleanse the house by Phedangma. Relatives, neighbours, and visitors bring money as respect and put an offering on the top of the dead body. Sons of dead body shave head and eyebrows to respect the body of the dead. They will be known as the new hier in the family. They buried the dead body covered with white cloth in wooden box. The length of the mourning period varies depending on the gender of the deceased. Weddings, mourning, gift exchanges, and settlement of conflicts involve consumption of alcohol i.e. liquor, especially the Limbu traditional beer popularly known as thee which is also drunk in a container called Tongba. Dancing parties are arranged for visitors to the village. These affairs give the young Limbu girls and boys a chance to meet and enjoy dancing and drinking.

Attire and ornaments

The traditional dress of the Limbus are mekhli and taga.
While performing mangsewa , Yakthung people wear mekhli and taga in white colour as it symbolizes purity.
Dhaka is the traditional fabric of the Limbus which are made by weaving it in geometric patterns in a handloom. The art of making dhaka is taught by one generation to another. You will always see a Limbu man clad in dhaka topi and scarf, and a Limbu lady in dhaka saree, mekhli, blouse and shawl.
In the olden days, the Limbus were skilled in silk farming. The Kiratis were also known as silk traders. According to JB Subba and Iman Xin Chemjong, the Kirat is a corrupt form of kereta, silkworm.

Female dresses and ornament

Limbu women are famed for their use of gold jewellery and put by them on a daily basis with pride. Aside from samyang , they use yuppa, luung , ponche, and mudhin. Most Limbu ornaments are nature inspired. Nowadays, traditional Limbu ornaments are used by different ethnic groups and can be found in other parts of Nepal. This is due to the sold by different jewelry shops often referring Nepali. As many other global indigenous people, they are shamanistic and worship nature.
This form of clothing was worn until Nepal forced "one religion, one dress, one language" policy which is why many Limbus in Nepal wear the traditional Nepalese dress, chaubandi cholo and daura sural. The Yakthung of Sikkim still wear traditional Limbu clothing. Many efforts are being made by groups such as Yakthung Chumlung to raise awareness on the cultural dress and heritage.

Limbu (Limboo) traditional Architecture

The house of Limbus is a symbolic representation of a feminine character and Yuma — a goddess of the Limbu community. The details of the windows and doors are embroidered with wood carvings depicting different flowers which are used by the Limbus during rituals. Some decorative embroideries done in the wood carvings of the door and windows of the house are the direct representation of gold jewelry worn by Limbu women. In a traditional house of the Limboos, the skirting of the wall is generally painted manually with red mud paint. This is also a symbolic representation of the patuka or the belt worn by the Limboo women. There is numerous symbolism including number symbolism usually 3 and 9 in the house which is inspired by the beliefs of the tribal people. The major distinct element of the house in the muring-sitlam or the main pillar/column of the house which is in the centre of the house in the ground floor. This pillar is generally believed by the Limboo people as the shrine where Yuma goddess resides in the house. Thus to pay their gratitude they perform ritualistic prayers and offerings around the pillar, twice a year. These houses can be found at Eastern Nepal and western part of Sikkim, India. These houses are similar to other communities also due to acculturation between different communities living in the vicinity. The evolution of the form and spaces of the houses have been inspired by the everyday lifestyle and culture of the people which is similar in many communities. Therefore nowadays a Limboo house is difficult to identify through an exterior perspective. This has been intervened by the introduction of display of the symbol called Silam-sakma in the house elevation which is apparently a ritualistic element used by the phedangmas or tribal priests and has been a symbol/logo for identifying the Limboo community. This symbol is seemingly diamond in shape and has 9 concentric diamond shapes supported by two axes at the centre, one vertically and one horizontally. These days, this symbol is emerging to be visible more often in the entry gates, balcony railing of the house and the most conspicuous location is the woolen batch worn by the community people on their left chest during an occasion or event.
In the present scenario, these houses are now endangered and are hardly built due to the adaptation of modern architecture. Also the reason that the poor house owner are unable to bear expenses for wood carvings for the embroideries, thus resulting in the extinction of local craftsmen and hence the traditional design itself.

Flag

The Limbu people have their own flag. The blue represents the bodies of water and the sky, the white represents air and peace, and the red represents the earth and pure blood of the Limbu people. The sun in the centre represents various Limbu spiritual practices and everyday living. The use and recognition of the flag ended in the eighteenth century during the Gorkha invasion. Limbuwan organisations use the flag in Limbuwan laaje areas.

Lifestyle

The Limbus traditionally practiced subsistence farming. Rice and maize comprised their principal crops. Although there is an abundance of arable land, productivity is greatly limited by insufficient technology. Excess crops are often traded for food that cannot be grown in the region. Limbu Women weave Dhaka fabric cloth on their traditional small hand looms made from bamboo and wood.

Wedding practices

Limbus generally marry within their own community. A Limbu will not be allowed to marry their own clans for up to 7 generations back to ensure that they are not related. Cross-cousin marriage is not allowed in Limbu culture. Marriage between a man and the widow of his elder brother can take place if they mutually agree. Marriage between a man and a woman outside the clan is also possible either by arrangement or by mutual consent of the man and woman in question. It is conventionally said that the customs and traditions of Limbus were established in the distant past by Sawa Yethang . The marriages are mostly arranged by parents or they can also result when a man elopes with a woman. Asking for a woman's hand is an important ceremony. In that system, the woman can ask for anything, including an amount of gold, silver, etc. This confirms to the woman's family that the man is financially secure enough to keep their daughter happy. A few days after the wedding, the man's family members have to visit the woman's house with a piglet and some alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, depending upon the financial standard of his house. The most important ceremonies of a Limbu wedding take place in the groom's house rather than the bride's because the bride has to stay with her husband. There are two special dances in this ceremony, one is called "yalakma" or dhan nach in Nepali and "Kelangma" or Chyabrung in Nepali. The Yalakma is characterized by men and women dancing in a slow circle, whereas the Kelangma consists of complex footwork synchronized with the beat of the drums. Anyone can join the dance, which can last for many hours. The Yalakma can also be a celebration of the harvest season or other social occasions.

Religion and festivals

The Limbus follow the social rules and regulation of Mundhum oral 'scripture' and a religious book. The high god of the Limbu is called Tagera Ningwaphumang, which may be translated simply as "Supreme Body of Knowledge". Their God Tagera Ningwaphuma is described as a forceful power the creator of life on earth. In earthly form, Tagera Ningwaphuma is worship as the goddess Yuma Sammang and her male counterpart Theba Sammang. The deity Yuma known as "Yuma Samyo" or "Niwaphuma" is the most important and popular among some Limbus and is worshiped in all occasions. Yuma is the mother of all the Limbus, therefore one regards his or her mother as a goddess. They also have many different classes of ritual specialists, of which "Phedangma ", "Yema/Yeba" , and "Shamba" are some. Their religion is enshrined in the evergreen Cynodondactylon grass. Traditionally, the Limbu bury their dead, but due to the influence from other Hindus, cremation is becoming more popular. Limbu people also have their own clergy, such as Phedangma, Samba, Yeba Yeba-Yema .But now most of the Limbu people follow Kirat religion also. As of the changing time, some of the Limbu people are Christian and Hindu also but it is believed that their main religion is Mundhum. A very different reformist tradition was established by the Limbu guru Phalgunanda, who established the 'Satyahang' religion.

Traditional music and singing styles

Limbus residing in Sikkim, Darjeeling, Assam, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma have their own identity because of a strong belief in "Yumawad". Yumawad is a type of religious scripture which has been kept alive by their religious leaders and handed down verbally from generation to generation. Some of the retellings of Yumawad are also included in Limbu traditional music with social stories, dreams, and everyday life. There has been a rich tradition of Limbus singing their folk songs. Their folk songs can be divided into the following groups:
  1. Khyali - a conversational song in which young lash and lads sing in very poetic expressions and in a very sweet tone.
  2. Traditional Love Songs -
  3. # Sakpa Palam Samlo - This song is sung during the Kusakpa Yaalang dance in a fast beat.
  4. # Kemba Palam Samlo - This song is sung during the Kemba Yeaaˀlang dance in a slow beat.
  5. # Domke Akma Palam Samlo - It is sung when doing the normal chores and also during the Domke Akma dance.
  6. Hakpare Samlo - this song is sung by middle-aged men and women who have interest in Mundhum and who are well versed in it. One can find spiritual and worldly specialties in this song.
  7. Nisammang Sewa Samlo - This song is sung during religious functions. It is a devotional song. Dancing is an important aspect of life among Limbus. Based on acting style, the following types of dances are performed:
  8. # Dance performed after origin of life: This type of dance is known as Ke Lang or Chyabrung dance. The dance imitates the actions of animals, insects and any form of living beings.
  9. # Agricultural dance: Under this type of dance there are -
  10. ## Yea Kakma- This dance is performed in the evening after the crops are reaped.
  11. ## Damke Akme- This dance is performed while sowing crops.
  12. # War dance: This form of dance is known as 'Nahangma '. It is performed during "Nahangma "- their religious function. Before Nahangma dance, Manggena traditional ritual is performed at home and all the blood relatives, cousins are present. During Manggena, stone refer as god with red tika offered is put on banana leaf. A large adult black homegrown pig is killed and present to phedangba. A Junglefowl is given to each person according to match with person's age and gender same as of their Junglefowl. Person who cannot be present due to problems will be done by their closest family member on their behalf. Phedangba say vision of each person when they present their own Junglefowl and later Phedangma beheaded the Junglefowl and sprinkle the blood. They eat their own charcoal burned Junglefowl liver with salt eaten with rice. The rest of meat are prepared for meal Bhutuwa or mixed yangben with rice for dinner. After the Manggena, Nahangma is performed that his spirit has become strong and reached at the top of Chuklung and returned from Chuklung. Chuklung means top of Himalayas. However, this can be done by only those who have no father. In this dance, only adult males and "Shamani" priests can take part. During the dance,they carry a Phedza in their right hand and a domesticated young adult male Junglefowl in their left hand or sword in their right hand and a shield in their left hand, or an arrow in their right hand and a bow in their left hand.
The traditional ritual are done according to the tribes and clans. Some tribes won't eat chicken or pork or mutton while some tribes have different way in celebrating war dance ritual.
  1. # Historical dance: In this dance form, the historical war of ten Limbus fought in Aambepojoma Kamketlungma is depicted.
  2. # Mysterious and ancient dance performed by Shamani priests: this type of dance is known as Yagrangsing, Phungsok Lang, Tongsing Lang. The dance is performed only by the Shamani priests.

    Traditional food

Alcohol is significantly and religiously important to the Limbu culture. Limbus usually made their traditional dish from homegrown domesticated livestock meats like beef, lamb, mutton, poultry, pork, fish and yak over factory farming. They are also domesticated for religious purpose. In general, they consume dhal bhat tarkari with pickle. Dhal, bhat, tarkari with meat and different kinds of achar. Limbu people always use Phedza to prepare meats. Famous Limbu cuisines are
There are some taboos while eating the foods. They use a variety of plants and herbs for medicine. Limbus always welcome their guests with foods, Tongba, Rakshi, Lassi, water and homemade fruit juices.

Folk musical instruments

Limbu musical instruments include the following:
Drum, Yuksom, West Sikkim.

Traditional sports

For the Limbu people, Archery has always been considered as the main traditional sport. Archery often involves religious demonstrations and rituals. Historically, Limbu cavalry archers were important when resisting invasions before the pre-Nepal era. The word Limbu itself came from the word Lim-pfungh which in translation means "Shooting-Arrows" or "Act of archery".
There are legends about the beginning of the Limbuwan Gorkha war. In these legends, a Gorkha Military General met a Yakthung hunter in a forest. When the General asked the hunter about his presence and what he was doing, the Yakthung hunter replied "Lim-pfungh". The Gorkha army later experienced the fierceness from the Yakthung -Tribes' horseback archers for years during the Gorkha-Limbu war. Thus, the name "Limbu" was recorded on the papers of the Gorkhas to describe the Yakthung people. However, after the success of Gorkha invasion, horse breeding and keeping declined swiftly in Limbu territories.
Bare-hand Wrestling has also been practised among the Limbu men during festivals. This was also used to settle personal matters after a festive drinking in which the losing wrestler would have to pay the winner by buying him a drink or inviting him to his house for a drink of traditional tongba. na:nchiŋma is the term for wrestling in Yakthung-pan.

Notable Limbu people