Karenni people have celebrated El Doepawmee, or Deeku, the same time
each year for many generations, wherever they live. And, many elders and
leaders in the community want to make sure ...
Karenni people have celebrated El Doepawmee, or Deeku, the same time
each year for many generations, wherever they live. And, many elders
and leaders in the community want to make sure the celebrations
continue, especially for young Karenni.
"Don't give up our
tradition. Please keep up our tradition; it is only held one time a
year", Karenni youth leader, Boe Reh urged passionately during a recent
interview with Kantarawaddy News.
Traditional
Deeku food is prepared every year during the Karenni festival
celebrating freedom from oppression. photo: contributed
He said he has been actively participating in Deeku celebrations every year.
He lives in Karenni refugee camp 1, Mae Hongsong district, northern Thailand.
Deeku is based on a legend which has been passed down throughout Karenni history.
It
says that once upon a time, there was a place called Kanarmaw
Deemawsoekay, or Dwe Mae Naw Ngwe Taung Pyay, in Karenni State. Karenni
people lived there. The legend says, Dwe Mae Naw angels ruled the Ngwe
Taung Pyay.
During that time, a child was born in Noekoe area.
His mother died after his birth. The child was named as "Shar Tu Phe".
He grew up to be honest and brave.
Therefore, the Kanarmaw angles gave him a special sword, called Dar Setkyar, to protect the Ngwe Taung Pyay.
At
that time, Yuan people came down from the north and started to
establish their nation there. Yuan people attacked the Ngwe Taung Pyay
many times, but, they failed to overrun it because of Shar Tu Phe's
strong defensive strategy.
However, the Yuan people didn't give up and managed to arrest a body guard of Shar Tu Phe.
Eventually, they found out from the body guard what kind of food Shar Tu Phe fed Dar Setkyar.
Yuan
people brought the body guard to Shar Tu Phe's home at night and they
fed Dar Setkyar a white chicken. Then, the Yuan people attacked Shar Tu
Phe, but, he was unable to draw his sword during the battle.
Shar
Tu Phe was very angry and hit the earth, with his sword still in its
sheath. The earth broke and became a small lake. The lake, known as Shar
Tu Phe Lake, still exists behind the Nam Mae Khong, in Karenni State.
Shar
Tu Phe jumped into the lake and transformed into a turtle. When Yuan
people realized it, they tried to find the turtle with nets. Finally,
when they got the turtle, they cooked it and ate it.
After they
ate it, they threw its bones and skulls on the earth. The turtle
transformed into a boar. The boar organized other boars and destroyed
rice and vegetables in the fields of Yuan people. Eventually, they
arrested the boar and cooked and ate it.
Then they threw bones of
boar on the earth. The bones of boar transformed into a bear. The bear
organized other bears and destroyed plantations belonging to the Yuan
people. Finally, the Yuan people captured the bear and cooked and ate
it.
But this time, the Yuan people did not throw the bear’s bones
on the earth. They tied the bones on a tree with ropes. The bear bones
transformed into a fragrant flower, called Tha Zin Pan. It is like the
orchid.
Therefore, Karenni people believe that Tha Zin Pan is the bones of Shar Tu Phe.
Even today, Karenni people continue to write songs proclaiming that Shar Tu Phe protected the Karenni nation for three lives.
Yuan
people occupied the Ngwe Taung Pyay and the Karenni peoples became
their slaves. But, they attempted to find the way to freedom.
Then, a Karenni youth, Yel Reh, made a "Pho Dee Karee", or deity sculpture.
Yel
Reh went to the King of Yuan people and said the Karenni people had a
king and could not give any tax and did not want to be slaves under the
Yuan king. The Yuan king was very angry and launched a military
offensive against the Karenni king. Yel Reh became a path finder and
showed his "Pho Dee Karee" deity sculpture to the Yuan king.
The
king was very angry when he saw the spirit sculpture. He kicked the
deity sculpture and destroyed it. After that, he and his soldiers
attempted to go back to his palace.
But, along the way the king, high ranking officers and many soldiers died.
Then, the Karenni people took spears and swords and started a revolution, which lasted many years.
During
the battle, the Yuan people pounded sticky rice and made
rounded-flatter rice, called Hkaw Puok. They carried Hkaw Puok as their
rations under their hats. When Hkaw Puok put near the fire, it became
soft and could eat it.
The Poe Dee Karee is also used to celebrate freedom for the Karenni people. photo: contributed.
Karenni people packed sticky rice with a leaf of the Deeku plant and boiled it. They called this food Deeku.
It would last a week without spoiling. If it became hard, it could be put near the fire and would soften and could be eaten.
Three Deeku are boiled together symbolizing unity among Karenni groups which joined together to fight with theYuan.
Finally, the Karenni defeated the Yuan people, who went back to the north.
After that, Karenni people held El Doepawmee or Deeku celebration in every village.
So,
Deeku is a celebration of freedom from domination by the Yuan people,
still held for three days in September and October in every Karenni
community.
In Karenni tradition, a ceremony called Kyet Yo Hto,
is used to choose the best days for celebrating Deeku, according to The
Bu Phe.
This has been the tradition since the Karenni people lived in "Dawdoemawku Htaysal Tama Laru" desert area.
Grandpa
Soe Reh said, "It's different talking among different people when they
are doing for Kyet Yo Hto. Some people ask for health of family members.
If Kyet Yo Hto is not succeeded, people have to ask about unhealthy
problem in the family. After people ask for negative things, finally,
they have to ask for good things or positive things."
Sticky rice packages are still boiled during Deekuu celebration.
Nga Mae told about how to take leaves and how to pack Deekuu.
"We
have to take leaves carefully. For instance, if a leaf is pulled down
with left hand, the leaf is brought with right hand. Now people don't
want to pay attention taking leaves. When we are packing Deeku, it has
edges at top, middle and bottom."
Chicken, pork and beef are also
cooked in a curry during Deeku celebration. Alcohol, Khaung yay (rice
fermentation liquid) and Deeku are fed to all visitors. Deeku dance
groups will entertain in every house during the three days of
celebration.
There are three main programs to be done during
Deeku celebration. The first thing is the "Thawluu" rice offering,
traditionally given in memory of the people who sacrificed their lives
in battle with the Yuan people.
Nowadays, the 'Thawluu' rice
offering is intended for their relatives who have passed away. Karenni
people believe that all souls can come back except the souls which have
arrived in hell and heaven. Therefore, the Thawluu rice offering is a
way of praying for dead relatives to go to heaven.
The second is
"Wai Day" to dispel witches and evil spirits. Karenni people believe
that witches and evil spirits can attach themselves to houses. During
Deeku period, "Pho Dee Karee", or a deity sculpture will drive them away
from homes.
The Deeku plant is packaged with, bamboo stems and
thorn stems. After the "Thawluu" rice offering service, people drive
evil spirits out at night. While they are kicking evil spirits out, they
have to wipe out every corner of the whole house with the package of
Deeku plant, bamboo stems and thorn stems. The evil spirits are also
taken away with Pho Dee Karee.
The final thing is to make a "Pho
Dee Karee" deity sculpture. Karenni people believed that they could
defeat Yuan because of "Pho Dee Karee" deity. Therefore Karenni people
make a "Pho Dee Karee" deity sculpture when they are holding Deeku
celebration.
Pho means Grandpa and Grandma and Dee Karee means
relative deity. The complete meaning of Pho Dee Karee is the relative
deity of Grandpa and Grandma.
Karenni peoples have two tribes,
called Eluphu and Kayphu. The Eluphu tribe doesn't make "Pho Dee Karee"
deity sculpture but Kayphu tribe does.
On the first day of Deeku,
two or three honest people from Kayphu tribe put old clothes on their
backpacks and go out of the village to make the "Pho Dee Karee" deity
sculpture. It's believed that if the deity sculpture is made by honest
people, they can get the right answer from the deity sculpture when
asking about the future.
When they arrive at the forest, they cut
a bamboo plant and make a hole in the trunk. Then they have to put a
fire-stone, piece of iron and a feather inside.
After that, they
have to make a hole in a bamboo backpack and put the bamboo trunk on the
hole. Then they tie the backpack and the trunk firmly together. They
have to cover the bamboo backpack and the trunk with clothes.
After
they finish it, the bamboo backpack seems to be like a person, sitting
without a head. After presenting a "Thawluu" rice offering, the
villagers have to bring Pho Dee Karee into the village.
The day
after the finish of Deeku, the people have to send Pho Dee Karee back to
the north, where the Yuan people left. It was believed the deity
sculpture would protect the Karenni from another invasion by the Yuan
people.
But, now there are no Yuan people. So, Karenni people send the deity sculpture to a place where danger might enter.
Karenni who resettled in third countries also held Deeku celebration last year.
"We
held Deeku celebration last year. I think we'll hold the Deeku
celebration this year. We Karenni should not forget this Deeku
celebration wherever we are. Nobody held the Deeku celebration here in
the past; however, we held the Deeku celebration together with them when
we got there," said a Karenni who resettled in Finland.
Karenni people in Finland could not hold the Deeku celebration before because there was no leader who knew enough about it.
“Deeku
is an effective way to preserve Karenni history, culture and
traditional celebrations”, said Sayargyi Khu Hte Bu Phe, chairman of the
KNPP and a researcher of Karenni traditions.
“Deeku is a
celebration of freedom. Therefore, every village has to hold Deeku
celebration. If Karenni people can not hold the Deeku celebration,
Karenni history will disappear slowly. Therefore, Karenni people have to
keep their customs and traditions always."
