Hopmachham: An Example of Endangered Kirati Culture1. IntroductionKiranti community has rich cultural rituals. Some are well preserved from the earliest time while some others are dying and some are already dead. The community stores a vast number of chham 'songs' i.e. Rungpuwachham (extinct), Hakparechham, Yari/hiyo/hiyarichham (extinct), Saima/sahimachham (extinct), Sakelachham, Dolokupmachham, Risiya/risiwa, Hopachham which are sung for different purposes on specific occasions. This paper focuses on a endangered melody known as Hopmachham which is extinct in several other Kiranti languages e.g. Bantawa, Chamling, Chintang. Hopmachham is a song which is sung by members of the Puma Rai community. This song narrates the origin and development of the earth and man. To prepare this paper, audio-video data of the Chintang Puma Documentation Project has been used. The data are from both the ritual texts as well as from everday conversation, and it should be noted that the language of a ritual text and that of an everyday conversation differ.Hopmachham is a great song based on Kiranti scriptural music. Etymologically, it is made up of two words hopma 'drink' and chham 'song': a drinking song or more accurately a song that makes you drunk with its charm. In other words, listening to this song one is drugged and enchanted with its magical properties. In order to sing this song, the knowledge of Kiranti oral tradition (mundum) is necessary. According to the Kiranti belief, not anybody can sing the song even if he knows it; only the person who has gained the knowledge to sing it in his dream and has not learned it, can sing it.a)asemʌŋ nawaiŋkʌŋ suntumiŋkʌŋ hopmacham yesterday ancestors -DOWN.ABLT ancestors -DOWN.ABLT ritual.songmʌmuatata nawaci suntumci3pS/A- do -PST - bring -PST ancestors -ns ancestors -3nsP [The (ritual song) Hopmacham been handed down by our elders since the early times of the ancestors.] (hopmacham_01.002)b)koina senmoŋi sencii tokma dotku rʌchʌCONN dream -DOWN.LOC dream -DOWN.LOC get–INF OBL-NMLZ MIR[But, this one has to receive in one's dreams.] (hopmacham_01.003)2. Starting of the HopmachhamIt is widely believed that hopmachham is a marvelous song. When sung appropriately it could bring rain, light fire, dry green trees, give life to dead trees, attract animals' attention and force them to gather, make one cry, dance or laugh, and make plants and trees obey. For example in the olden days a Hopmachham singer could make trees tie their tops together and again free them. But these days, such a singer who could use the song for such miraculous events has not been found yet. It is not that the song has lost its magical properties but there are no genuine singers. Hopmachham is a difficult song to sing in the sense that if the singer is out of tune, melody, wording and or timing, he will be instantly in trouble –he might even die. This might be the reason that now-a-says people do not opt for singing this song. When I asked one of the singers Man Bahadur Rai (70) to sing the song, he refused to sing it. Right at the beginning of the song, the singer begs for power with the goddesses and gods of that particular area or region. He/she introduced him whether s/he has learned the song or gained its knowledge in his dream. Then, describes the god and/or goddesses and their power, and requests, praises and flatters them not to give any trouble while the hopmachham is being sung.c)sapten hoŋmo metloŋ hoŋmo kabo kakhukchalamvillage goddess-VOC place goddess-VOC 2sPOSS 2sPOSS prayer-way(village goddess, great goddess, through your power,) (hopmacham_01.009)d)apturoŋ tuwaroŋ supsʌŋmi rahaŋmi kabo kakhukchalamspirit.of.shaman spirit.of.shaman priest healer 2sPOSS 2sPOSS prayer-way(and compassion, I am your priest, through your power) (hopmacham_01.009) e)sibilu phʌkleka ŋae rʌŋpumi ŋa champumi ŋa boktoŋmi ŋa selekmi ŋaa_protoclan plank 1s-EMPH sayer 1s singer 1s shaman 1s selfmade.shaman 1s(I am a gifted shaman (who can sing), I am an ordinary shaman,) (hopmacham_01.014)f)kabo kakhukchalam hopmacham muŋapaa2sPOSS 2sPOSS prayer - way a.cultural.great.song do - 1s -NMLZ –ERG(through worshiping you, I am doing the hopmachham) (hopmacham_01.016)g)kabo kanʌŋchinma menben2sPOSS 2sPOSS jealousy NEG- come.level(Please do not be jealous!) (hopmacham_01.020)3. The ways of singing the HopmachhamHopmachham can be sung in two ways ,viz. as monologue or duet. In a monologuous or “single” singing, the singer recounts the story of God Paruhang and the Goddess Sumnima. Therefore we can say that hopmachham is a kind of hymn sung by Kirantis. This kind of song addresses the history of creation as well as the deeds of Paruhang, the first man, and Sumnima, the first woman, which are today knows as Kiranti rituals. Singing hopmachham, the singer tells the history of origin from pre-historical age up to the present times. Naturally, it takes many days to complete it. General living styles can also be explained by these types of songs. People used to sing single hopmachham at work, on their way back from work and in the evening at home before sleeping time. But, these days, people rarely sing it, and if they do, they sing it only to explain the historical origin and as a prayer to Gods and Goddess.Hopmachham can be sung as duet. When it is sung as a duet, people make a bet, and the loser has to obey the winner e.g. the loser has to pay certain amount of money to the winner, or he has to work for the winner for certain days. Kiranti myths narrate the events when ancient Kiranti kings used to conduct the hopmachham competition in which the loser was to be sent into exile. A myth tells the story of a shaman and a witch who were on the hopmachham competition. The witch lost in that competition. Therefore, people still believe in the power of shamans to have treatment against witchcraft. As time passed, hopmachham as duet was limited only to the Phagu songs and Basawa (a wedding custom in which one person asks and the other answers on the wedding day at the bride's home). But these days, this custom does not follow the hopmachham language. Today Phagu songs and Basawa are mostly performed in everday Puma language and also in Nepali.4. Hopmachham and other culturesHopmachham can be sung on many occasions of Kiranti culture since it is believed to be the origin of all Kiranti rituals. A few existing rituals in Puma Rai community, which are related to hopmachham, are as follows:-a) Hopmachham and Phagu dance (Sakewa dance)In the past, Kiranti people used to sing hopmacham in Sakewa (Puma Rai call it Phagu) both in the form of single and duet. Some Puma singers are still found who sing single hopmachham in Phagu dance (CPDP 2006). The singer has sung it relating to the Phagu ritual. Especially, it also raises the head soul of all the singers, dancers and others.b) Hopmachham and Basawa in marriage ceromonyBasawa is a wedding ritual celebrated at the bride's place, where the bride-side raises many questions to the bridegroom-side. The conversation in the song form is related to the forthcoming days of the bride at her husband's home. In the past days, Kiranti people used to speak Basawa in hopmachham. But these days, they conduct the Basawa in general Kiranti language as well in Nepali. People even believe that Basawa is originated from duet hopmachham, as it carries the main theme of hompachham, though they may perform in ordinary language. The audio-video recordings of hopmachham_02 done (CPDP 2006) arre related to the short description of Basawa and hopmachham rituals. The hopmachham sung in Basawa is also known as yari/hiyari/hiyochham. c) Hopmachham and shamanic ritesThe shamanic language in Kiranti language is called Risiwa/risiya. The hopmachham language and shamanic language are known as ritual languages. The shamanic work is a specific work at a specific place and time. Some of the ritual texts are same in hopmachham and shamanic languages. For example, the prayer to the Gods and Goddesses of the ridge and the area before the beginning of both rituals, the ritual journey (through enumeration of place names, see Allen 1974, Gaenszle 1994, 1999) from the place of singer through the Khokwalung/ Manalung up to Bunglukhora, BechhuDada. Most of the words of these two rituals are same. To perform these two rituals, the singer must gain the knowledge in his dream which can happen only by the blessing of the God. According to Kiranti belief, hopmachham is more powerful than the general shamanic spells and magic. Therefore not all shamans can sing hopmachham equally well. Most Kiranti shamans of the new generation do not sing hopmachham at all.d) Hopmachham and MangenMangen is a ritual which is done in mundum song. People worship the goddesses of grain and wealth in this worshipping. In Mangen, the grain refers only to the different varieties of millet planted in Kiranti areas. Puma Rais do this work twice in a year, during ubhauli (the rising season) as planting period and udhauli (the falling season) as harvesting period. This is a ritual journey and head raising (sir uthaune in Nepali) prayer of mongchhama (the goddess of the grain and wealth). Hopmachham and mangen have some similarities in many ways, i.e. to do both of these, the doer or singer must gain the knowledge in his dreams, these both are mundum songs, both of these are endangered in Kiranti Rai community, both of these are verbal as well as ritual journeys. There are some differences between these two cultures as well. There are different pre-historical and pre-cultural backgrounds, i.e. a chicken must be sacrificed in Mangen but not in Hopmachham, the ritual journey of Mangen starts from the worshipping place to the Terai in the south and up to Salpa pond in the North through the existing human path but the existing river is the main path in Hopmachham and the singer walks from the place of singing to Khokwalung and Manalung in the south up to the Bechhudada and Bunglukhora in the North. There is a time restriction to do the Mangen but not so much in doing Hopmachham. Hopmachham can be sung in many ways not only as the head raising of soul but Mangen is sung as only the head raising of the Goddess of grains.e) Hopmachham and other Kiranti Rai songsThere are many ritual, cultural and folk songs in Kiranti Rai communities. Most of them are already dead, some of them are endangered and are moribund. Almost all of them are related to Hopmachham. Risiwa or Risiya is the shamanic song sung by shaman in many ritual works. The language of Risiwa and Hopmachham is same. Some of the description in these songs tend to similarity. Rungpuwachham is as a branch of hopmachham, in which the singer describes the historical and cultural events as well the description of the bravery of the forefathers. Rungpuwachham is almost extinct these days. Yari/hiyari/hiyochham is sung during the wedding ceremony as a form of Basawa which is described above. Saimachham is a song of birth, life and living and it is sung at work and at the waterpoint etc. speciially by women. But hopmachham singers used to sing this song also as hopmachham. Saimachham is also rarely found. Sakelachham (Phaguchham in Puma Rai) is a great existing song in Kiranti Rai community. Sakewachham is sung during the Sakewa dance in Ubhauli and Udhauli. The sakewa songs were used to sung as a form of Hopmachham. In these days, this song is sung in Nepali language as well as in other Kiranti Rai languages. Similarly, Hakparechham can also be taken as a folk song in Kirant Rai community. This song can be sung anywhere and by anybody and in anytime. These all kinds of Kirant Rai songs are related in many ways to Hopmachham as Hompachham is believed to be the origin of all kinds of songs.5. Some special Features of HopmachhamSpecial features of Hopamachham are given below in points.• It is learnt in dream• Only a few singers are left in Puma Rai community.• It is a verbal and ritual journey• Hopmachham and mundum are strongly related• It explains the origin or creation of the world• Queries and answers between two parties (duet)• It is sung both in pleasure and tragedy• It is sung at work and on cultural rites• It's the origin of many kinds of Kiranti songs• It's a historical oral document• It is related to the real life and living style• It represents endangered culture6. Summary and ConclusionHopmachham is one of the highly endangered rituals that belong to the Rai Kiranti community. It is still found in the Puma Rai community in southern Khotang district. Most singers are above 50 and they all are shamans. It is a great and ancient, rhythmic account of Kiranti culture still little studied. It is known as the great repository of language, history and culture. Only shamans can be singers who have gained the knowledge of singing the hopmachham. Other people are not allowed to sing this song in general. Vocabularies and the language of Hopmachham are similar to the Kiranti mundum which shows that Hopmachham is the most important branch of mundum philosophy and practice. There are many ways and occasions to sing hopmachham. It can be sung as the description of the origin, as the romantic songs, as cultural rites and many more. It can be sung either in single or duet form, but these days only single form is found.The study shows that hopmachham might die soon as the singers are over 50 and the new generation does not learn it. The changing modern lifestyle is replacing many old valuable cultures. Therefore, it is necessary to do something to preserve such cultures. CPDP a joint programme of University of Leipzig, Germany and Tribhuvan University of Nepal is doing an appreciable work documenting two endangered Kiranti languages and cultures, Puma and Chintang. The documentation is done through audio-video recordings to be put on to the archive, which will preserve the documented facts for a long. However, CPDP has been able to record only short clips of Hopmachham from seven different shamans found in Puma Rai community. There is a need to record Hopmachham completely which might take days. 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