DEM (Synrang U)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A stream of water issues from a rather low cave entrance (apparently less than 2 m wide and 0.5 m high), nowadays hidden behind a concrete dam, which gives access to a rather low cave passage, in the face of which especially unbending cave penetrators have to bend their head or body forward and downward only to peep inside. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi cave name -Synrang U Dem- or Home [of] Master Stoop seems to be quite fitting (note 1) and is the home of a deity. SITUATION: In the Iewduh area of Langkyrdem [note 2] Village (note 3).CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: Ka Langmer [note 4] and U Dem were living peacefully with each other in their own home which is known till today as “Synrang U Dem” in the Iewduh area of Langkyrdem Village. But as days and years went by, when the economic status started going up and the population of the Hima started growing in leaps and bounds, the state of affairs in the political and economic strata started become more murkier and murkier -- this started the cople, viz. U Dem and Ka Langmer, to be more anxious and worried about the future of their Kingdom. But the instance which most affected their lives was that no one paid any more obeisance to their authority due to the presence of U Kohlu [note 5]. This brought about the differences between husband and wife, the god and goddess, to such an extent that the wife, Ka Langmer, had to flee through a cave or Pubon, to the Shnong or locality called Lyndem [note 6]. The King U Dem was livid with anger knowing that his wife had left and fled and he in turn, went to search for his beloved till the valleys of Nongjri [note 7] (so says our folklores) and when she was nowhere to be found, he went back to a locality called Umniuh [note 8] frustrated. In his anger and rage, it is said that he had cut off in Nine (9) pieces [note 9] a big Rock (Mawlong) which was very high and imposing and this rock (in 9 Pieces) can still be viewed on the way to the village “Umniuh” till today (note 10).A stream of water issues from a rather low cave entrance (apparently less than 2 m wide and 0.5 m high), nowadays hidden behind a concrete dam, which gives access to a rather low cave passage, in the face of which especially unbending cave penetrators have to bend their head or body forward and downward only to peep inside. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi cave name -Synrang U Dem- or Home [of] Master Stoop seems to be quite fitting (note 1) and is the home of a deity. SITUATION: In the Iewduh area of Langkyrdem [note 2] Village (note 3).CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: Ka Langmer [note 4] and U Dem were living peacefully with each other in their own home which is known till today as “Synrang U Dem” in the Iewduh area of Langkyrdem Village. But as days and years went by, when the economic status started going up and the population of the Hima started growing in leaps and bounds, the state of affairs in the political and economic strata started become more murkier and murkier -- this started the coA stream of water issues from a rather low cave entrance (apparently less than 2 m wide and 0.5 m high), nowadays hidden behind a concrete dam, which gives access to a rather low cave passage, in the face of which especially unbending cave penetrators have to bend their head or body forward and downward only to peep inside. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi cave name -Synrang U Dem- or Home [of] Master Stoop seems to be quite fitting (note 1) and is the home of a deity. SITUATION: In the Iewduh area of Langkyrdem [note 2] Village (note 3).CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: Ka Langmer [note 4] and U Dem were living peacefully with each other in their own home which is known till today as “Synrang U Dem” in the Iewduh area of Langkyrdem Village. But as days and years went by, when the economic status started going up and the population of the Hima started growing in leaps and bounds, the state of affairs in the political and economic strata started become more murkier and murkier -- this started the cople, viz. U Dem and Ka Langmer, to be more anxious and worried about the future of their Kingdom. But the instance which most affected their lives was that no one paid any more obeisance to their authority due to the presence of U Kohlu [note 5]. This brought about the differences between husband and wife, the god and goddess, to such an extent that the wife, Ka Langmer, had to flee through a cave or Pubon, to the Shnong or locality called Lyndem [note 6]. The King U Dem was livid with anger knowing that his wife had left and fled and he in turn, went to search for his beloved till the valleys of Nongjri [note 7] (so says our folklores) and when she was nowhere to be found, he went back to a locality called Umniuh [note 8] frustrated. In his anger and rage, it is said that he had cut off in Nine (9) pieces [note 9] a big Rock (Mawlong) which was very high and imposing and this rock (in 9 Pieces) can still be viewed on the way to the village “Umniuh” till today (note 10).