Taboo is a prohibited activity, something that is not allowed, something that opposes social approval and is not allowed by the rules of conduct. They are complete restrictions or prohibitions to say or do something. It deals with the social and cultural aspects of life. Manipur society is rich in taboos, which makes the people very civilized since time immemorial. It is also for the preservation of culture and traditions.
All social and religious activities in our society are not only based on supernatural beliefs and universal principles. They always follow some ethical code of conduct. They are also regulated by a certain social restraint that supposes a kind of socio-religious sanctity. There is no control over the human mind and the actions that stem from it. Therefore, socio-religious restrictions must be given a religious coating. We are forced to believe that the supernatural force above us is always watching over us and those who break the rules are punished by the supernatural beings. This system operates in society in the form of “Taboo”.
There are two aspects to the taboos in Manipur: the cultural taboo (don’t do) and the linguistic taboo (don’t tell). The Meetei aim at the best form of society in which minor flaws are removed as much as possible by introducing or substituting words that have almost slang-like pronunciation in their composition. Taboos are not a curse but a blessing for Meetei society. Without such restrictions and prohibitions, society could be a place of cannibalism, barbarism and insecurity. Social order, peace and harmony between people are directly or indirectly related to social taboos. It also shares the foundation of morality, ethics, and character building, which are essential to human civilization.
The Meeteis have been told by their ancestors what to do and what not to do. Gradually these become taboos. There are also cases where taboos arose out of fear. For example, intermarriage between the same Yek (clan) is not allowed and is considered taboo. This may have been the dominant or powerful king’s fear that the marriage alliance might become a threat to his power. There were instances where the Meetei kings also instituted various taboos for their own benefit.
During the reign of Maharaj Chura Chand Singh, no woman was allowed to untie her hair in front of him. Nor were they allowed to enjoy the shade of an umbrella in front of him.
The Meeteis consider the menstrual period of women to be inauspicious. During this period, the woman is considered untouchable. Physical intimacy or male-female contact is strictly prohibited. On the fifth day of the period, the woman needs a clean bath with washing of the head, and thereafter, she begins her normal life. Women are also prohibited from eating certain foods, particularly those with a bitter and sour taste. Social contact with a lady during childbirth is a cultural taboo. She is kept in seclusion, on the fringes of society for 12 days; the period is observed by the entire clan as Yum Mangba, which is considered an inauspicious day during which family members cannot perform pujah (worships) of gods. and Sagei (clan), except the sixth day after birth.
The husband, during the period of pregnancy of his wife, may not engage in hunting or any act of violence. He, too, should not share a bed with his wife in the advanced stage of pregnancy. It is believed that she should not see Hindu Gods and Goddesses like Lord Jagathnath or Goddess Kali during pregnancy, because if she feels fear, she might give birth to a deformed child. He must also give up all kinds of twin fruits or vegetables. If he eats these foods, it is believed that he will have a twin baby.
Sharing the same plate for any type of meal between husband and wife is also a cultural taboo. Touching or wearing Phanek of his wife or women other than his mother is also taboo. If he does, he is considered a domineering husband and an unlucky face for society. He will bring bad omens to society.
People cannot eat food according to their clans. The Angom clan must stop eating Mairen Angouba (white pumpkin), the Mangang clan must get rid of Ngaril (eel). If these are taken, it would cause allergy, immunity or tooth loss etc.
Yuhar haba (earthquake) is believed to be the mark of God’s punishment for indignation towards mankind. During the shaking of the earth, men or women, old or young, will utter the word “chak-nga” (rice-fish), which means that everything except food (rice and fish) can be destroyed, indicating the basic need of man as food.
Potsem Jadoo is one of the black arts practiced in Manipur. It is mainly based on common beliefs. The person who is willing to hurt an enemy makes a wax effigy, adds a few more ingredients and recites mantras (hymns). Someone can adopt a different system. The enemy falls under the spell of the black art and is easily controllable. This is done with the help of goblins, ghosts or spirits. Sometimes this system is also adopted by maiba (local doctor) to treat or cure physical or mental ailments. Hingchabi changba (in which a person is possessed by evil spirits) is also cured through a process of lai khurumba (a pujah), whereby the maiba tried to please the evil spirits.
The Meetei cannot completely abandon the ancient belief, which someone may even call superstition. Even today, by the process of Nong Kouba (rain invitation), heavy rain can be brought about. The Nong Kouba ceremony is to invite rain and is performed when there is a shortage of rain or drought. People will sing together out loud a particular hymn in rhythm.
In ancient times, if a man takes the oath by the name of a deity, he cannot go unfulfilled. Such broken oaths are considered washak namungba (oath-breaking). Meeteis are very afraid of the effects that may follow after breaking the oath.
After returning from a long journey, a person has to expose himself to fire, spreading rice in front of him. Freely throwing cut nails in the open air is prohibited. He must be kept underground, to prevent birds from carrying off the nail pieces. Meetei believed that a bird like an owl could bring these nails to Yumraj (Lord of Death) and the person could die.
People would show regret by touching their hands to their foreheads after touching the other person whom they accidentally touched with their feet. One must remove one’s shoes before entering another person’s home. While eating outside the house, some food should be offered on a permit, which is for the demigods around us.
Meeteis are restricted to cutting bamboo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Similarly, cutting hair and nails is also not allowed on the three days of the week mentioned above, as well as on the particular days of a person’s birth.
When leaving for a mission or job, the word “Ei Chatle” (I am going) is not used. Instead, “Ei Chatlukhige” is used. Ei Chatle means left for the heavenly abode (death). At that time, when a man leaves his house for a trip, the pronunciation of the word “Houdong” (cat) is prohibited and considered a bad omen. One should use Yumleima (mistress of the family) instead. Words like Kei (tiger) are taboo at night. By mistake, if people used it, they feared that a tiger would come out of the jungles. Therefore, they used “Ibudhou” (grandfather) to mean tiger during the night.
Thus, the horizon of human language widens day by day on the impact of taboo. In the process of searching for words or phrases to denote taboo words, many new words and phrases are invented. Unpleasant slang words are replaced with beautiful new words. Consequently, today there is a good contribution of new words or phrases to the rich literary wealth of our society.