Tribal myths of India hold quaint explanations on why floods and drought occur on the earth periodically. Hill Miri tribals of the north east region explain the phenomena of floods and drought as a domestic quarrel between the divine couple.
Dugum and his wife Dorak are a divine couple living in their abode in the sky. They have a great tank which is always kept filled with water. At times Dorak forgets to fill up the tank and very little water is left in the tank. But other times he over fills the tank and it starts overflowing, and water comes falling down on the earth below.When this water falls on earth, people on the earth think that gods have sent them rains and they rejoice. But when there is very little water left in the tank Dugum and his wife Dorak start quarreling.
Dugum starts complaining that she is always wasteful . “ You waste so much water that there is none left” Dugum shouts at his wife. Dorak too accuses her husband by saying “ It is not my fault, you use all the water to prepare your beer”. “ Dorak, you don’t accuse me! You too drink beer with me” rebuts Dugum. Dorak feels Dugum is always blaming her for no fault of hers and she gets upset. As Dorak lifts her cane belt her body starts to shine and dazzle. Dugum becomes furious as he feels Dorak is putting on an act. He immediately dons his armour and taking hold of a spear in his hand, adopts a war dance stance threatening to kill his wife. Dorak swiftly flies up and away fearing for her life, and her dazzling body flashes across the sky in the form of a lightening. Meanwhile Dugum beats his arm shield and dances making the loud noise of thunder.
As Dugum’s dance becomes vigorous, a river that flows across the earth quietly curves up into sky and fills Dugum’s tank with water. As the tank gets filled up Dugum quiets down and Dorak returns quietly back home, and everything settles down and becomes peaceful till the next quarrel breaks out.
Hill Miri tribals explain that lightning and thunder is caused by the divine couple in the sky who quarrel over water.
Story Collected by : Vidya Kamat
Text Source: Myths of the North East frontier of India by Verrier Elvin.
Location : North East, Manipur
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