Page 197 - Communication Processes Volume 3 Communication Culture and Confrontation

172 Badri Narayan

Table 5.3
Myths in the Construction of Primordial Histories

Myth Worshipper Genealogical
relation
Chuharmal Dusadh, Chamar, Dhobi Dusadh
Sahales Dom, Dusadh, etc. Dusadh
Gaurayya Dusadh Dusadh
Gandak Maghaiyya, Dom Dom
Rahu Dusadh, Dom,Bhungi Dom
Duryodhan Schedule Tribes of Harkidoon Valley
Shani Teli in Baghelkhand, Mallah in Gaya district (Bihar)
Bhiyarane Kachi (Bundelkhand) Kachi

with the latter. Thus, on the one hand, ‘evil power’ like the Shani planet,
assumed to be of lower rank in classical tradition, is accepted and
worshipped in the lower-caste communities; on the other hand, the
religious identity of the lower and subordinate castes is constructed as
a ‘narrative identity’. In addition, this should also be viewed as ‘dissent’
with regard to classical tradition. In classical astrological literature, till
the time of Varahmihir, the belief was that only seven planets existed.
Evil planets like Rahu and Ketu were not included in the astrological
system. Varahmihir had included Shani in the seven planet system,
but he did mention the god Shani as an evil planet.
The image of Chuharmal as a warrior and a lover is analogous to
folk heroes of many other myths popular in Bhojpur and other cultural
regions of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, as well as other
states. Lorik of the Yadavs, Kunwar Vijaymal of the middle castes
and the Vaishya caste hero, Shobh Nayak Banjara, all of them pertain
to myths of a similar nature. Thus, the narrative identities of sub-
altern castes interact with the myths of protest and resistance, as
shown in Table 5.4.
Different castes may link themselves with these myths, still in a
true sense these are folk heroes. The myth of Chuharmal differs from
these myths in that even after being popular it is facing resistance by the
hegemonic classes of society. In a real sense, this establishes the myth
as a class myth. In fact, it is a representative symbol of counter-culture.
At its root, it contains a consciousness of protest even today. One may
construe it as a symbol of the protest consciousness that refuses to