A long time ago, people from Car Nicobar went to other nearby islands to collect coconuts. They also caught chickens and wild pigs during their expeditions.
One day, they visited the Kamorta Island and stayed there for a while, collecting nuts and other food items. After gathering enough food, they began their journey back to Car Nicobar.
Although the day had started on a pleasant note, it suddenly started to rain heavily. A powerful storm made their boat drift off course, steering it to a bizarre island.
To their shock, they couldn’t find anyone on the island. There was no water to drink and no nuts to eat. However, they had to stay on the island until the storm subsided. To quell their increasing hunger, they ate the nuts they had collected from Kamorta Island.
A few days later, they were all down with some strange illness. Three of them even died. To avoid further casualties, they sailed across the troubled waters and somehow made it back to Car Nicobar.
Leaders from all surrounding villages assembled in a common place and decided to summon the Tamiluanas, or the witch doctor. The shaman had the power to communicate with the spirits and appease them through some rituals.
The Tamiluanas wore a red cloth and black hat adorned with a white ribbon. He also wore strings of beads, shells, and coins around his neck. He had silver chains around his waist and beads of shells and coins on his arms. Likewise, he had applied a concoction of coconut oil and turmeric powder on his body and face. He also carried a sword to vanquish evil spirits.
On the seashore, the Tamiluanas conducted the rituals to drive away the evil spirits that the ill-fated boat had brought to the island. The Tamiluanas performed the ceremonies known as Gnunota and Kana Awn for the deceased. After seeing him chant some mantras and fan the coco palm leaves, people believed that the evil spirits had lost their powers.
They then chopped the boat into pieces to ward off the curse of the deceased spirits. After relishing a grand feast with delicious food made from coconuts, pandanus, bananas, papaya, and yam, they all danced and sang.
After completing the Gnunota, the sorcerer announced that the souls of the dead were satisfied. He further declared that the evil spirits had been chased away. After the rituals finally came to an end, all the islanders could afford to live in peace.
Kalai is passionate about reading and reinterpreting folk tales from all over the country. Write to her at kalai.muse@gmail.com to know more about her.
Folk tale adopted and abridged from Folk Tales of Nicobar by Rabin Roychowdhury.