Folk beliefs and folk reforms in Santal social life/ সাঁওতাল সমাজজীবনে লোক-বিশ্বাস ও লোক-সংস্কার

Abstract

At present, many people think that folk belief and folk reform is a deep-rooted concept which is mainly illiterate people, little learned and so Called of the rural society fellow which is a bad reform or misconception prevalent. Actually it is not. This belief or Samskar is held by almost everyone in the society. From the earliest times, the Santal people have experience various auspicious and inauspicious events and witnessed the cause of all events, it a cause-and-effect relationship or a coincidence. Because they believed that nothing happens without a reason. There is a specific reason behind all events. What we in modern times call cause-and-effect relationship, the Santal of the primitive age considered that cause-and-effect relationships as more coincidence. And that is the reason for the birth of faith and reform in the Santal society. In early times the Santal people used to hunt animals for food. Their senses are always alert to hunt for prey and to protect themselves. As a result, various forms of nature and various signs of animals and birds are experienced repeatedly and come to be regarded as special causes. For example birds charming or suddenly stop,  various kind of smell, direction of blowing wind etc, which is the bright prospect of food, which is the possibility of stormy weather and which is the re-emergence of the spring season, lightning the sky, meteor falls and earthquake etc. after witnessing the signal of Santals may have failed in the hunt or been attacked by enemies or a member of the group may have died, they considered it as casually link between them. Although there is no Casual link between them yet primitive Santals imagine a cause and effect relationship between them. Primitive Santals believed that human life was controlled by a spirit residing in the human body. And all things happen in this mundane world due to some gods or goddesses or some special forces of the world. Storms, floods, earthquake lightning sunrise sunset meteos lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, tides, volcanoes all have a special energy action. Hence the primitive Santals believe that all creations of nature are a reservoir of energy by doing rivers- channels, mountains, planets, star’s are all a reservoir of energy. So the Santals have been worshiping nature since the dawn of time. The source of reformation is also found in various religious precepts, disciplines and practices of Santal society. We don’t look for its source or ignore it as an unwanted phenomenon. But from the world’s oldest text, the Rikvedawe find the roots of many reforms. Which still exists in the society today. For example – brother and sister marriage is prohibited in the society, It is unlucky to call an owl, One should not call someone from behind, One has to spit on the chest before going outside at night, people die if Karaj (Male Fox) is called at night etc.