Mythologies of the Aimol Tribes

 


The Aimol people are an ethnic group living mainly in Manipur and in parts of Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Assam in India. They speak Aimol language which is a Kuki-Chin language. They identify themselves as 'Aimol' an independent tribe with no affiliates. Aimols have continued to live in harmony with neighboring communities before the independence and to this day. Aimols are closely related to Kom, Koireng, Chiru, Chothe, etc. They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture and are primarily Christian. Their language is classified as Old-kuki.


Aimol, also known as Aimual, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Aimol people of Manipur, India. It is considered endangered and has less than 9,000 speakers worldwide as per 2011 census. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue. Aimol is spoken primarily in the Tengnoupal district, Chandel district, Kangpokpi district, and Churachandpur districts of Manipur. Aimol is spoken in the following villages of Manipur state (Ethnologue). There are also small numbers of speakers in Assam,Mizoram,Tripura,Nagaland. The name of the language comes from the Aimol tribe of people who speak it. The word Aimol itself may come from the words Ai meaning "wild" and Mol meaning "hill".


The Aimols, one of the Scheduled tribes of the Indian Union inhabits three (3) districts in Manipur. According to the estimation of the Aimol Tribe Union in 1995, their population was about 3,300 but the 1981 census indicated their population as being1862. They are mainly concentrated in the Chandel district of the state and occupy foothill areas bordering the valley in the southeastern part. The villages wherein the Aimols are mostly distributed in the state of Manipur are Unapal, Satu, Kumiei, Chingnunghut, Aimol Tampak, Khodamphai, Ngarong Aimol, Chandonpokpi, Soibong (Khudengthabi) at the Chandel District and Kha-Aimol, Luichungbum village at the Churachandpur district. The distribution pattern will certainly show that the tribe does not occupy a well-defined territory and that they have shifted their settlement sites from place to place in the past. The ethnic affinity of the Aimol has been placed amidst moat of the neighboring tribes of Southern part of Manipur bordering Burma and the Lushai and had classified as one of Kuki-Chin-Mizo (Lushai) group by many writers. Linguistically too, they are classified amongst the old Kuki branch of Kuki section, Burmic Division of Sino-Tibetan Language. However the Aimols prefer to live independent of any affiliation and prefer to maintain a distinctive identity of their own. Embracing all their villages they formed in 1991, the Aimol Tribe union for promotion of Solidarity and safeguarding of it's identity.



The Aimol tribes are mainly concentrated in Chandel district. They are found in the foothill areas of Senapati-Chandel interstate bordering areas. The Aimol villages in Chandel district are (1) Unapal (2) Satu (3) Kumirei (4) Chingnunghut (5) Aimol Tampak (6) Khodomphai Ngairong Aimol (7) Chandonpokpi and (8) Soibong (Khudengthabi). In Churachandpur district, they are found in Kha-Aimol and Luichungbum, and in Senapati district they are found in Tuikhong village The Aimol tribe has been classified under the Kuki-Chin-Mizo (Lushai) group by many writers and linguistically they are also classified as one of the member of Old Kuki branch of Kuki section, Burmic Division of Sino-Tibetan language. However, the Aimols prefer to live independently of any affiliation and prefer to maintain a distinctive identity of their own. The Aimol Tribe Union was formed in 1991 to promote solidarity and safeguard their identity.


Aimol, a Scheduled Tribe community in Manipur with a small population, is on the warpath to preserve and promote its culture, tradition, costume and ethnic social traditions, which are dying slowly. Members of the community celebrated the first anniversary of the Aimol Custom and Culture Development Organization (ACACDO) at Aimol Ngairong village in Chandel district, about 60km from Imphal. A cultural dance programme involving members of various communities was organized on Friday. ACACDO president Athoi Bongte Aimol, “With the primary objective to preserve and promote our culture, we have set up the organization and are trying to develop it gradually,” Athoi said. The Aimol society exhibits a patriarchal and patronymic feature of society. Linguistically the Aimols are characterized by dual variation: Sutpong and Khurai. Furthermore, the tribe is divided into 5 main clans, which are further sub-divided into sub-clans. The clans are: 1. Chongom (with 3 sub- clans) 2. Laita (3 sub-clans) 3. Lanu (4 sub-clans) 4. Chaithu (no sub-clan) and 5. Shongthu (2 sub-clans). Though not restricted, Aimol villages are often clan-based. As such, Unapal, Satu, Kha-Aimol and Sibong-Khudengthabi are Chongom villages, Kumbirei, a Chaithu village, and Tampak, a Lanu village. The Aimol clans possess totems of their own, which are associated with their ancestry. Of the clans mentioned above – Chongom, Chaithu and Lanu belong to Sutpong dialect group.


Images


































Movies




















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Animal Mythology

Image
May 16, 2022 June 5, 2022 Animal Stories Animals in Mythology Since the beginning of human history, people have lived in close contact with animals—usually as hunters and farmers—and have developed myths and legends about them. All kinds of creatures, from fierce leopards to tiny spiders, play important roles in mythology. A myth can give special meaning or extraordinary qualities to common animals such as frogs and bears. However, other creatures found in myths—many-headed monsters, dragons, and unicorns—never existed in the real world. Animals may serve as stand-ins for humans or human characteristics, as in the African and Native American trickster tales or the fables of the Greek storyteller Aesop. In some legends, animals perform heroic deeds or act as mediators between heaven and earth. They may also be the source of the wisdom and power of a shaman. Animals often have a dualistic quality in mythology. They can be helpful to humans or harmful—som...
Read more

Most Mysterious Mythologies

Image
  Mythology always has an important role in society; myths provide explanations for things that cannot be explained and give people hope during difficult times. Even in modern times, we turn to our superheroes and science fiction epics, our own versions of mythology, for comfort. All use mythic themes. The world is home to a wide variety of cultures and beliefs. Whether you are looking for the stories of Native Americans, ancient Greek Mythology or Japanese folklore, we have compiled a list of some of the most popular mythologies from around the world! World Mythology is the global term for all of the myths found throughout history across the entire world. These stories take place across all cultures and time periods, and are usually deeply meaningful to the culture they come from. Myth:  A story with deep societal meaning, usually dealing with god(s) and explaining the origin of things. Legend:  A story with possible historical origins, though likely inflated over time. ...
Read more

Mythologies of the Luo Tribe

Image
The  Luo  (also spelled  Lwo ) are several  ethnically  and  linguistically  related  Nilotic ethnic groups  that inhabit an area ranging from  Egypt  and  Sudan  to  South Sudan  and  Ethiopia , through Northern  Uganda  and eastern  Congo (DRC) , into western  Kenya , and the  Mara Region  of  Tanzania . Their  Luo languages  belong to the  western branch  of the  Nilotic language family .  The Luo groups in South Sudan include the   Shilluk ,   Anuak ,   Pari ,   Acholi ,   Balanda Boor ,   Thuri   and   Luwo . Those in Uganda include the   Alur ,   Acholi , Jonam and   Padhola . The ones in Kenya and Tanzania are the   Joluo   (also called   Luo   in Kenyan English).  The   Joluo   and their language   Dholuo   are also known as the "Luo prop...
Read more