The Origin of Peng or Hem Angtar: The Karbi Housegod

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The Karbis believe in Hemphu Arnam, the supreme God. In popular Karbi Religion he seems to be far and distant, quite unperturbed by the day to day business of humans. Anthropomorphically, he is like an old man. In fact, he seems so distant that other deities began to appear in the Karbi religious worldview. Peng is probably the most popular deity among them. Considered as the house-god, the protector and the one who keeps sentry, families offer sacrifices to him every year.

There are several versions ascribed to the origin of Peng, yet the substance remains the same. This article attempts to highlight two accounts of the origin of Peng worship among the Karbis.

The Origin of Peng
Peng is originally Ingnam Api, literally, “Forest Creature” commonly associated with spirits. D. S. Teron, in his paper, “Understanding Karbi Folk Religion,” says: “‘Peng’ was a forest entity or ‘ingnam api’ or an ‘evil spirit’ or ‘chekama’ who was looking for an opportunity to have a direct meeting with a certain Karbi man.”[1] The word “api” in Karbi means a “creature,” or a “living object.” Peng, was a forest entity, but he gradually became deitified in course of time.

There are probably more than two traditions attached to the origin and worship of Peng in Karbi households. However, these two traditions seem to be more popular.

Ingtat E-om (Betel Nut) Tradition[2]
There once was a man who set on a long journey. He grew tired, and when he found a banyan tree, sat down under the shade.

He had the habit of chewing betel nut, and he felt like having one now. He rummaged through his belongings and found that he had only one left. He said to himself: “If I eat it now, I won’t have anything for the night; if I keep it for the night, then I will have nothing now.”

Ingnam api, who was sitting on the tree above him, overheard the man saying: “If I eat it now, I won’t have anything for the night; if I keep it for the night, I will have nothing now.” He got scared! For, he thought the man was thinking of eating him up.

He quickly got down from the tree and begged for his life: “Please don’t eat me! Please don’t eat me! I’ll do whatever you ask me; only please spare my life!”

Totally taken by surprise, startled, the man cried: “I won’t eat! I won’t eat! I won’t eat!”

Ingnam api put his request again, “Friend, spare my life. I will stay with you and I will do whatever you tell me to do. Only please do not eat me.”

It suddenly dawned on the man that the “forest creature” was, in fact, afraid of him and was begging for his life. He realized that he could actually put him to use by taking him home. Then he said: “Alright then. Come with me; we don’t have many members in the family. You will be our caretaker, a sentry for our house.”

Then the forest creature went with the man and stayed with him. Year after year, he was in the house faithfully looking after the house. He kept vigil day and night.

During one winter, after the harvest was gathered the man said to the forest creature: “Since you have stayed with us and guarded our house for so many years, today let us celebrate! Let us kill a male goat, and invite all our relatives; let us have a feast together!”

Since then, it became the tradition of the family to kill a male goat and have a feast every year. This continued in the household even after the man was dead. When the harvest was over, Ingnam api would say, “Come, let us kill the goat!” Whenever the sons seemed reluctant, he would say: “Your father was very kind. After the harvest he always killed a goat for me, and we feasted together.”

As Ingnam api continued to stay with the family, year after year, when winter came he always demanded a goat. Gradually, he took it as his right and privilege to have a male goat killed in his honor. Till today this is practiced as Peng Karkli, meaning “sacrifice to Peng.” Ingnam api is later called as Peng. In popular Karbi religion Peng is also referred to as Hem Angtar which protects the household.

Ru Kevat (Fish Trap) Tradition[3]
Ru kevat literally means “to collect trapped fish”. Ru is made with bamboo and looks like a funnel, an instrument to trap fish from a stream or river. Ru is usually set in the evening and the fish collected early in the morning.

Out of the five Karbi clans who lived together there was a man who regularly trapped fish with his Ru. Morning after morning he would find the Ru empty. To his amazement and anger, he always found scales of the fishes littered all over place. It made him furious, and he did not know who came to steal his fish day after day.

He told his brother about it, and they both planned together to catch the culprit. As usual the man set his Ru again. But this time, he and his brother hid themselves under the growth close by the Ruand kept watch throughout the night.

Sure enough when at about dawn they saw Ingnam api in the form of a man collecting the fish from the Ru.

Suddenly, the brothers jumped on him and wrestled with him. The brothers won and Ingnam api was subdued. At first, the creature was so strong it was getting impossible to pin him down. During the scuffle, the brothers discovered that Ingnam api had something like a fruit hanging from his armpit. One of the brothers plucked it out and the creature suddenly lost his strength!

After having the fruit plucked from his armpit and defeated, Ingnam api pleaded with them. According to legend, the life of the creature was in that fruit; if destroyed that would be the end of his life. He begged for his life, and promised that he would come with them and do whatever they asked him to do.

The brothers then took him home, and asked him to guard over the house, like a sentry.

Later, as appreciation for his service in the household, Ingnam api received gifts like food, goat, and birds, once every year.

The annual gifts later became a ritual. This is later referred to as Peng Karkli, or Hem angtar kardom. It is believed that this ritual will ensure the protection of the household from sickness and other disasters.

Conclusion
Peng, also called Hem Angtar, is today worshiped and propitiated as a house-god. It is believed that he looks after the household as a sentry. He is the one that takes care of the safety as well as prosperity in the house.

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