Da’u tatu. The Bean
Festival. December 24. Carols
On December 24, the custom of "da’u tatu"
is held, dedicated to da’u, the beans of the autumn harvest.
The events of the day are:
-Gathering of the girls of the settlement at
the temple of Jestak where they are divided into two choir groups
- Election and decoration of the top of each
choir
-"Galaghali", greeting songs, carols
of the girls on the doorsteps of the houses. In each house, addressed to the
kul’ani Jes’t’ak, they commemorate each member of the family separately,
chanting the corresponding wish. While chanting, they take handfuls of beans
and let them fall into a pot.
-Offering of nuts, beans and walnuts to the
choir members by the householders. Two boys who follow the girls' choirs take
on the task of collecting them in bags that they carry from house to house
especially for this purpose.
- Gathering of girls and boys at the temple of
Jestak. Preparation of fire for cooking
beans in a large metal cauldron.
- Competitive games of groups of girls and boys
throughout the night, until the beans are cooked on a low fire. In events like
these, the foundations of future love relationships and happy marriages are
laid
- Songs and dances accompanied by flutes and
metal drums
- saras ceremony by the boys and offering of
nuts and beans to the sacred fire of the temple in the morning
- Gathering of the villagers at the temple the
next morning. An elder will distribute the cooked beans and nuts to all those
present.
Many Kalash customs involve communal meals with
food provided by small contributions from all households. Although the value of
each donation is small, the custom contributes greatly to the socialization of
young members of their community and the bonds that develop between them.
The Bean Festival in
the Rukmu Valley
In this valley, the girls decorate their top
mes in the temple of Jestak with many necklaces and jewelry. They call her Jani
Murayak, meaning sister bride, a young girl ready for marriage.
Then they divide into two groups and begin to
visit different settlements, singing the songs of the day on the doorsteps of
the houses. At each stop, they rhythmically clap their hands so that their top
one can dance in the center of the circle they form.
‘Da’u’ tatu aaa
Sarala truala
Today we celebrate
We boil the beans
In September the harvest will nourish us for
good”
“Da’u’
da’u tatu
o sharala truala,
dau as wari de
o sharal’a truala”
After the dance, they go to the next house. Two
of the girls stay for the greeting carols. The housewife gives them a small
basket of beans and nuts. They approach the wooden front door, take a handful
of nuts, place them on the frame and let them fall back into the basket while
chanting.
“Oh Kulani Jestak, protector of the home
Give the members of this family health!
Give many animals to their herd!
Drive away diseases!
Give everyone good luck!
To Karim a strong wife!
To Talim a second son!
To Taigun a good shepherd!”
“O Khulani Jes’t’ak e,
Durai mocan
Thara sarang zhe pal’on ha
o kul’ani jest’ak ey….
Batyakik zhe ameyak gri truay
o kul’ani jes’t’ak ey.
Sarang zhe pal’on ha
o kul’ani
jest’t’ak eeee
Sawin umur zhe majar de
o kul’ani jes’t’ak eee
Tu karima o sura nil’a yakan ja de
o kulani jest’t’ak eee
Tu talim asta ek warek putr de
o kul’ani jes’t’ak eee”
In their invocations they refer to all the
members of the family in turn. The housewife offers the girls dried berries and
nuts. Then they must repeat the corresponding prayers to the kul’ani Jes’t’ak,
on the thresholds of all the houses in the settlement.
In case the two groups of girls meet, they
begin verbal arguments with satirical verses.
“You are like cows,
Like fat ladies!
With so much fatness from the faggots
How will she climb the slope?
Where will you find breath, songs to sing?»
The other group whose dignity has supposedly
been violated, responds accordingly
«And you filthy sheep,
All these months
You have been feeding on shit,
Because you are from a crazy generation»
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