Kuttia Kond Masks such as this is used as substitutes for human
skulls at the annual or triennial sacrifice (Meriah) to Dharni
Pinnu, the Earth Mother. They are made of gourds, decorated with
red and white beads.
Detailed Description
The Kond masks form a link with the old days of Meriah
(human)
sacrifice. When this practice was stopped in the middle of
the
19th century, the Konds preserved many relics related to this
practice which
they believed had divine sanction behind it. Many kept the
old
knives, iron chains and bowls which were used in those
savage rites; some were able to preserve little bits of human
flesh in bamboo tubes; others, more lucky, cherished human
skulls. Some of these remain to this day, and the Konds say
that at every full moon they can hear spirits weeping for
human
blood. In those villages that were fortunate enough to
possess
a human skull, the priest kept it in regular use. In the
other villages, they
sacrificed a substitute which was the buffalo (which was
all
that Government permitted). They use to place the skulls in
front of the stone symbols of the Earth Mother. But in course
of time
the skulls got damaged or destroyed by fire and
the custom was abandoned. This was the time, the priest tried
to
kill
the buffalo, but the axe would not even break the skin. A
Kuttia
Kond priest then had a dream in which the Earth Mother
declared, 'the head is destroyed; make a new head in its
place. Sacrifice, dance, and then kill the buffalo. Then, and
only then, will I be pleased and accept your offering'.
Accordingly the Konds made a mask after the pattern shown in
the dream and next day the festival was
celebrated without a hitch. Ever since then masks have been
made and, at the time of the buffalo-sacrifice which the
Konds
still call Meriah, one of them is offered to Earth Mother, a
fowl is killed above it and the villagers dance, the children
waving branches in the air, and it is believed that the
Goddess is satisfied. (Elwin, The Tribal Art of Middle India,
138-139)
