Mizo animism

Sakhua (lit. "deity divine force"), also known as Mizo religion,^[3] Lushai animism^[3] or Khua worship, is a traditional polytheistic ethnic faith practiced by the Mizo people prior to the widespread adoption of Christianity during the British annexation of Mizoram.^[4] As of the 2001 census, 1,367 people in Mizoram continued to practice this indigenous faith.^[1][2]

Various arguments have been provided on the meaning of the syllables Sa and Khua. Lalbiakthanga provides a literal translation denoting Sa (transl. meat) and Khua (transl. village). Expanding upon meanings, other authors such as Liangkhaia argued that Sa refers to the origin of which a person individually belongs by birth via the clan, tribe or family they descend. Liangkhaia argues khua component represents Khuavang/Khuanu regarded as the watcher or keeper of the khua term representing village. In placing the interpretation of Sakhua within the context of Pathian, Sa is seen as the root and origin of men and their clans and khua as the representation of Pathian as sustainer, protector and benefactor of human destiny.^[5]

Khua is strongly identified with the concept of fate. Terms such as Khuarel (transl. destined by Khua) holds the equivalent usage of God's will in the Chrisitan context of Mizo society.^[6]

Vanlaltlani defines Sakhua as the worship of a benevolent unseen God, Pathian, who resides in heaven and acts as the creator, protector, and benefactor of all creation. She also considers that animism was just one element of the Sakhua belief system.^[7]

In contrast, Saiaithanga states that Sakhua does not involve the worship of Pathian or the Ramhuai (spirits dwelling in forests and lands). Instead, it focuses on Khuavang, regarded as the spirit that provides protection and blessings.^[8]

Rev. Liangkhaia explains Sakhua as rooted in spirit appeasement, involving sacrificial rituals led by a priest (Sadawt) to honor the Ramhuai. He further interprets "Sa" as signifying a clan and "Khua" as the village's protector.^[9] Zairema shares this view, considering Sakhua the guardian spirit representing a clan's identity.^[10]

Khuazingnu was considered as the benevolent deity who created the earth and everything on it. It was assumed that she also created the environment that surrounded all creation. This included the land that encompassed the entire earth. Finally, Khuazingnu solved the problem. She'd open the skylights. After that, she would fling water from these exact windows out of the sky and onto the barren dryness of the soil, all to keep the greenery that was slowly but surely dwindling. To this day, many Mizos shout that "the goddess of the heavens is dousing us with water."^[11]

Then, Khuazingnu placed a representative couple from each human tribe and animal species in a cave. And once everyone was inside, she blocked the cave with a massive boulder known as Chhinlung. After generations were born inside the cave, Khuazingnu lifted the Chhinlung rock, believing that enough people had been born to repopulate the earth. The many clans emerged from the cave in large numbers. When the Ralte clan, noted for being loud and boisterous, emerged from the cave, Khuazingnu decided to reposition the Chhinlung rock over the cave's mouth, believing that the Ralte clan's huge noise had drawn enough people out. Till today, the Ralte clan is known as "Ralte bengchheng," which translates to "noisy/rowdy Ralte."^[12]

Pathian is considered the supreme God who created the world and all that there is in it. The tribal Mizos worshipped Pathian as it was believed that Pathian was kind-hearted and would always help those who sought it. It is believed that Pathian bestows the righteous with blessings and good fortune and punishes the wicked with calamities and misfortunes.^[4][13][14]

Despite these forms of Pathian and aspects represented, the Mizos traditionally did not pray to or worship any of the other forms.^[15]

Pu Vana (transl. God in Heaven^[15]) is a benevolent spirit who was the Pathian family's grandfather and most likely the father of Pathian. He is worshipped as the god of nature. As he is endowed with the power of thunder and lightning, he can be compared and seen parallel to Indra of the Hindu religion.^[13]

Vanchungnula (transl. Heaven's maiden^[15]) was believed to be the damsel in the family of Pathian and is the goddess of rain and water. It is said that she is Pathian's daughter and would pour water whenever humans require it.^[4]

Vanhrika is the God of science and magic.^[15]

The Mizos revered the feminine deity Khuanu, meaning 'mother of nature'. She is the wife of Pathian and is a benevolent Goddess who blesses humans as a matriarchal figure.^[4][13] Khuanu is assumed to be a representation of Pathian's loving nature.^[15]

Khuavang are benevolent spirits who have never caused harm to people but rather help in their difficulties. They are thought to live in high places, such as mountains or hills. Khuavang are a symbol of kindness and abundance. It is believed that the Khuavang bestow many children and long married lives on humans.^[4]

Sakhua spirit: The word Sakhua is made up of two words: sa and khua. Sa is the creator and progenitor of a tribe, clan, or race, and khua is the protector who bestows well-being on humans. Sakhua is the god of the family or clan.^[4]

Khaltu is known as the guardian spirit. The "Khaltu" spirit is associated with people's lives and well-being. Every living creature is thought to have a "thla" (soul), and as long as the soul remained in the body, the person was considered to be alive. If a person had a terrifying experience, such as being mauled by wild animals or captured by an enemy, the soul was similarly terrified, and a sacrifice was required to restore proper and normal relations with the "khaltu." If the experience was further intensified, a goat was sacrificed; the tail was severed and tied around the neck with a string. Breaking this string was a serious offence for the Mizos, possibly as serious as breaking the sacred tread for Hindus.^[4]

Mizos believed in the existence of malevolent evil spirits who were believed to cause human misery, suffering, and misfortunes. Numerous spirits were mentioned in accordance with their abodes.

Ramhuai means "the malignant spirit of the forest or jungle," and they were found throughout the 'jhum' and forest. They are believed to frequently haunt people and take on various disguises.^[4]

Hmuithla is an evil spirit that was thought to afflict both humans and animals. This spirit roams the night, looking for humans and animals on the verge of death. This was similar to "Yamraj", in Hinduism.^[4]

Phung is a spirit that was dark in colour and colossal in size. It was believed to cause humans to suffer from insanity and epilepsy. Convulsions or spasms in children were also thought to be caused by the "phung's" displeasure.^[4]

Khawhring spirits would watch people's food and drink with evil eyes. As it was believed these spirits possessed food and drink, the Mizos would offer a portion of their food to the evil spirits before eating and drinking. If someone was thought to be possessed by "khawhring," it was almost legal to kill that person.^[4]

Sabiak (lit. 'to hold conversation with') refers to worship. Each Mizo clan had its exclusive Sakhua which was performed by a sadawt (transl. priest). Sabiak encouraged various stages of an individual to advance spiritually until becoming a Thangchhuah.^[15]

Sakung is a religious obligation for a newly married person in a separate house from their parents to perform.^[16] The first male pig known as vawkpa sutnghak were reared for this ritual. That particular pig was prepared for the purpose of Sakung. The sadawt would conduct the worship and declare the Sa as whom our forefather and foremother had worshipped. After three days, the Sabiak made a man independent of his father's Sakhua and attained his own family religion.^[15] A sadawt (priest) would perform it in the house in the evening. It would consist of sacred chants and the sacrificing of the pig with a bamboo rod.^[17] The sharp end of the bamboo rod would be pierced to the region opposite of the pig's heart. The bamboo weapon would then be hanged in the outmost post of the hast and tied with bamboo split with the pointed side downwards. The sadawt would tie the bamboo rod and the pig's head with some pieces of meat in the back corner of the house along with the weapon.^[18] This would be repeated and the remaining meat would be cooked and eaten. Sakung would be done for three days. The family were not allowed guests, to work, visit public places, eat sour fruit and attend funeral meetings. After three days the sadawt would chant religious rites known as thian which would conclude the ceremony and allow the family to live normally.^[17]

The next stage of Sabiak was to work towards Chawng/ Chawngfang. This ritual required a man to host a community feast with two male pigs, one female pig and forty ngans of Zu. The pigs were killed as a Sabiak by the sadawt.^[15] The ritual would be identical to Sakung. The priests assistant (tlahpawi) would be responsible for conducting divination for each individual member of the house. The tlahpawi ceremony would allow one to see their future. This was done with the priest using bamboo splits and breaking them by pulling on them with force. If the breaking was smoothly cut then it was considered a bad omen. An uneven breaking were preferred instead for good luck and prosperity.^[19] Upon completing the Chawng ceremony, the man would earn the title of Chawngpa and his wife would gain the title of Chawngnu.^[20]

The third stage was known as Dawi no chhui. This required multiple feasts to be performed. However, the ability to continuously hold the feasts depended on the wealth and capacity of the Chawngpa.^[20] These feasts were limited only to the family of the worshipper and required a sadawt to offer the animals required of the feasts. Each of the festivals required three days of preparation and restrained the family members from speaking to strangers or hosting strangers in the home, eating sour fruit, weaving or sympathising with those in mourning. This stage would be repeated on an regular basis.^[20] The festivals for the Dawi no chhui were Hnuiate, Hnuaipui, CHung, Vausen and Lasi.^[19]

In Hnuiate, the Lasi was the spirit worshipped, which was believed to stay around the house, and would give blessings. A female piglet would be offered with an incantation.^[19]

In Hnuaipui, a fully grown female pig was sacrificed to a spirit known as thuah hrat. The thruah hrat were believed to be spirits deep within the earth. The earth was believed to be twn layers and the tenth layer was known to be filled with spirits called thruah hrat.^[21]

Chung was a sacrificial ceremony for the spirit who had power over the sun and rain by offering of a piglet.^[22]

Vansen was a ceremony for the worship of a spirit who lives on the clouds and abundantly blessed humans. A cockerel would be offered. The cockerel would be cooked and eaten at a temporary hearth and water storage place. The sadawt kept a part of the meat (Saserh) on the ceiling of the water storage. The saserh typically was every outer part of the cockerel apart from its liver and kidney.^[23]

Lasi is known as the spirit of hunting and possessed controls over animals. The lasi was worshipped with a female piglet for the blessing of becoming a successful and skilled hunter.^[23]

The fourth stage is Sedawi/Sedawi chhun which was a practice of spearing a sial (transl. Gayal). Special timber posts (seluphan were erected to fix the skulls of the sial and pigs. The sadawt would with a hen in hand, chant as incantation as the tiber was being cut and formed. Upon making the post, it would be planted in the front yard of the worshipper. The sadawt would chant incantations and use the names of each family member to bless them. Members of extended families and other villages would be invited for drinking and feasting. The day before the feat, the animal to be speared would be held down and tortured for the whole day. The animal would be bound by the neck and tethered and pulled in many directions by people until it was close to fainting from exhaustion. The day of the feast began with a sakhua made in the jungle by the sadawt to invoke a blessing and long life for the family of the worshupper. The sadawt and assistant (tlahpawi) would splash zu from their mouths onto the animal three times while it was tied to the sacrificial post (seluphan).^[20] The worshipper then spears the sial in the armpit just to make a scratch, and then the veteran killers hack the animal to death and then cook and feast on its meat. However, this sabiak didn't address sakhua but directly invoked Pathian and the sacred names associated with him. A fattened pig would be directly sacrificed to Pathian. The celebration lasted for a week. The ritual would officially end three months later with the sacrifice of a young pig selulawh.

Hnam Sakhua is a modernized traditional Mizo religion that places a special emphasis on the Mizo culture and seeks to revive traditional Mizo values while opposing the influence of Christianity on the Mizo people.^[2]

• Sangkima (2004). Essays on the History of the Mizos. Guwahati: Spectrum Publications. ISBN 81-87502-77-0.
• Vanlalchhuanawma (2007). Christianity and Subaltern Cuture: Revival Movement as a Cultural Response to Westernisation in Mizoram. Delhi: Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. ISBN 81-7214-901-8.
• Zarzoa, Lal (2014). "Traditional Religion of the Lusei (Mizo) Tribe in the Premodern Age". The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society. 4 (1). Granada: Common Ground Research Networks: 1–10. doi:10.18848/2154-8633/CGP/v04i01/51079. Retrieved 13 January 2025.