Traditional Beliefs about Weretigers among the Garos of Meghalaya (India)

eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics

Francesco Brighenti¹ 

[1] Independent Researcher, Venice, Italy;

关键词: garo ethnic group;    weretigers;    india;    legends;    tigermen;    magic;    shape-shifters;    anthropology;    dreams;    non-human;    animals;    cosubjectivity;    human-animals;    northern bangladesh;    lore;    werebeasts;    folktales;    epics;    tropical asia;   

DOI  :  10.25120/etropic.16.1.2017.3568

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The Garos, a tribal group who live in India (western highlands of Meghalaya and the southern foothills of Assam) and northern Bangladesh, are noted for their diverse beliefs on weretigers – that is, human beings with the ability of turning themselves, in various ways, into ferocious tigers and subsequently back to human form. The present paper provides a first attempt at classifying the different motifs in Garo weretiger-lore which include traditional beliefs of: (1) a legendary ‘race’ of monstrous tigermen ruled over by a Tiger Mother; (2) individuals endowed with a ‘dual’ vital principle inhabiting a human body during daytime and a tiger one at nighttime; and (3) shape-shifters who can physically metamorphose into tigers through magical arts. This classification highlights the rich variety of beliefs held by the Garos on thesequintessential liminal beings, and provides a critical analysis of the most frequently occurring class of werebeasts in the folktales, legends, and epics of tropical Asia.

【 授权许可】

Unknown