Seed Dialogue

By

Khasi People of Umsawwar 

Jingkren ia ki symbai (Seed Dialogue) – Umsawwar

It is believed that every household has a Guardian deity, known as "Blei iing" (God of the House), which protects the family from harm, safeguards the house's resources, and oversees all the seeds and crops belonging to the family. These seeds and planting materials are considered part of the family, possessing life, feelings, and emotions, and are believed to understand human words. From the moment of sowing until harvest, farmers must maintain communication with them. Upon sowing the seeds, farmers encourage their healthy growth by saying, “to nang ia heh, nang ia san, dang lait na ki khniang" (may you grow and flourish, and be free from pests). Throughout the growing period, owners regularly visit their fields to assure the seeds of continued care. At harvest time, when all the crops are gathered in baskets, millet may be covered with ferns and a Khasi apron. Before carrying the harvest home, farmers speak to the seeds, saying, "To wan sha iing phi u symbai ba la bam u sim u khnai ki mrad ki mreng wan pyndap biangbiang ka thiar ka khoh," summoning seeds that have been consumed by birds, rodents, or other animals to return home and fill the baskets once more. This belief serves as an assurance of sufficient food at home and an ample supply of seeds for future planting.

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Sharing and exchanging saved seeds is a common and vital practice to ensure the continuity and accessibility of planting materials. However, caution must be exercised during seed exchanges, especially between different clans, the recipient should offer something in return, such as another type of seed or even a small monetary contribution, as a token of appreciation for the value of the seeds and to prevent the seeds from feeling neglected by the households giving them away. Failure to engage in this exchange or payment, and the potential intermixing of seeds between different clans, is believed to upset the Blei ing and could lead to illness affecting the family members of the seed recipient. In the event of illness resulting from such a transgression, the family who shared the seeds would recognize the symptoms as manifestations of their Blei iing. A member knowledgeable in seed communication would typically take a small amount of millet, chanting and appeasing the seeds to help the ailment depart from the afflicted individual's body. The millet is believed to possess healing properties.