|
Mussoll
Mussoll is a folk-play-cum-dance played by the Kshatriyas among the Christians
from the two hamlets of Chandor-Kott and Kouddi in Chandor village. Mussoll
in Konkani, is an instrument used by women folk for pounding rice. It
is a dance based on the legendry powers of the ancient Kshatriyas. This
play must have been exhibited at the sabha-mandapa (assembly- hall) of
the royal temple of Lord Chareshwar (moon god), with as many variations
as circumstances of the time permitted. It is also called 'Musllam-Fell'
or Khell. The dance is a war dance - a dance of a martial race or caste.
From the wording of the song, the Mussoll dance commemorates
the victory of King Harihara II, son of Bukka I of the Vijayanagar empire,
over the Cholas at the ancient fort of Chandrapur around 1310AD. King
Harihara is supposed to have claimed descent from the lunar race. Mussoll
dance has a constituent symbol, i.e. a bear which is the symbol of Cholas.
Originally the dance was held on the full moon night
in the month of Phalguna. Now it is held on the second night of the Christian
carnival. The preparation for the dance-cum-play commence on the first
day of the carnival (i.e. Sunday). One of the most senior Gaunkars (Kshatriya
or Chaddho) is eligible to become the captor of the bear. Dressed in ancient
native costumes consisting of a Dhoti, over which he wears a white shirt
like garment, a jacket and a turban and anklets on the left foot, he carries
a rope in his hand and a ghumatt (which is a local percussion instrument
in Goa consisting of goat-skin taut over the mouth of an earthen pot,
of which the other mouth is kept open) slung down his neck. Another Gaunkar
dressed in a ragged black blanket, his face covered with a mask of a bear,
a rope tied round his waist, the end of which is in the hands of the captor
and carrying a branch of a mango or 'rumbodd' tree is taken prisoner by
the captor, and exhibited to the Kshatriya households in the Kott area
of Chandor.
Next day at six o'clock in the morning, both the captor
and the captive bear proceed to the main gate of the Fort near San Tiagos
Chapel (St. James). They come from the gate, the captor beating the ghumatt
and the bear growling out, to the entrance of the chapel. There the captive
bear, deposits the branch of the tree to signify total surrender. From
there, they go along from house to house of the Gaunkars, care being taken
to arrive last at the house of the captor where he and the captive bear
change into their normal vestments and disband from there.
On the second day of the Carnival, at about 10 in the
night, all Gaunkars assemble at the Sabha-mandapa of the temple of Lord
Chandreshwar. A short Christian prayer is said and then the dance can
begin at the Mandd which is a place, marked for communal festive functions.
When they have finished dancing, the procession led by torch bearers and
attendants proceeds to the Chapel of San Tiago near the main gate of the
Fort, where they dance for a while. Then they go from house to house of
every Gaunkar and after the last house has been visited, they return to
the 'Mandd' and disband. At every dwelling, the lady of the house must
welcome the dancers by bringing out a lamp.
On the third day of the Carnival, at about ten in the
morning, one Gaunkar dressed in the native costume and carrying a ghumatt
and accompanied by a peasant woman who carries with her a basket of cow
dung, a pot of water and a broom, takes the same route of the previous
night, dance and sees that the barik rounnem (which is the central spot
where the Mussoll was beaten hard into the ground during the dance) is
levelled and cow dunged to signify the return of peace and to reassure
prosperity and well being of the city inhabitants. A token coin is given
to the sweeper-woman and another one to the
Gaunkar as the households contribution to the Mandd fund. This fund
serves to meet the incidental expenses of the dance performance and miscellaneous
activities.
The Mussoll or pounding pestle used in the dance is
made of solid bamboo of about 6-7 feet in length with inserted hawk's
bells and is carried only by those who will actually dance. The torches
are made of coconut, sliced mid-way longitudinally dried like copra and
treated with a mixture of mud and cow dung. These were held upright on
a spike at the end of a long bamboo stick. A wick was inserted, which
burns under the oil that oozes out of the dried Kernel of the coconut.
Besides these, torches of wax or of dried coconut-tree leaves will be
used.
The dance consist of a march and the beating of the barik
rounnem. The march has a martial beat and has three different steps. First
a combination of clockwise and anti-clockwise full turns. Second a serpentine
forward movement done in half turns, left and right and third as a straight
march on the ball of the feet. The starting step is always with the left
foot, except that in the first step whilst the left side dancers are completing
the full turn starting with the left foot. The right dancers do the same
starting with the right foot in order to keep the movement either clockwise
or anti-clockwise.
The dance has only two beats : single beat and a triple
time beat. The steps are basically a one-step and a three-step movement.
But a combination of one-step, two steFp and three step movements each
in clockwise and anti-clockwise turns is usually danced. The dance always
starts with the left foot forward and in an anti-clockwise circular direction.
The most enchanting is the twirl in which every alternate dancer leaves
the ring or the barik rounnem and they form together an outer ring dancing
in an opposite direction in three-step movements, while the dancers in
the inner circle barik-rounnem do the three-step movement in full turns.
Though the original song of the Mussoll dance is on an eastern melody,
it is weighed down by western music with the Portuguese impact on it.
|
