Nongthang Leima: Difference between revisions

'''Nongthang Leima''' ({{lang-mni|ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ}}) is the goddess of seduction, thunder and lightning in [[Meitei mythology]] and [[Meitei religion|religion]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.461915/page/n51/mode/2up?q=Nongthang+Leima|title=A Critical Study Of The Religious Philosophy|last=Singh|first=L. Bhagyachandra|date=1991|pages=51}}</ref><ref>Moirangthem Kirti (1993). Folk Culture of Manipur. Manas Publications. ISBN 978-81-7049-063-0.</ref><ref name="books.google.co.in">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=50BLAAAAYAAJ&q=Nongthang+Leima|title=Folk-lore|date=1991|publisher=Indian Publications|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uJUOAQAAMAAJ&q=nongthang+Leima|title=The Anthropologist: International Journal of Contemporary and Applied Studies of Man|date=2003|publisher=Kamla-Raj Enterprises|language=en}}</ref> She was created by [[Atingkok]] (or [[Salailen]]) to attract [[Pakhangba|Haraba (Pakhangba)]].<ref name="books.google.co.in"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ljZuAAAAMAAJ&q=nongthang+Leima|title=Proceedings of North East India History Association|last=Session|first=North East India History Association|date=1995|publisher=The Association|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Incarnations of Goddess Nongthang Leima By James Oinam|url=http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Folks.Folk_Tales.Incarnations_of_Goddess_Nongthang_Leima_By_James_Oinam|access-date=2022-03-15|website=www.e-pao.net}}</ref>

The female given name "Nongthang Leima" (ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ) is made up of two [[Meitei language]] words, "Nongthang" (ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ, /noŋ.tʰáŋ/) and "Leima" (ꯂꯩꯃ, /lə́i.ma/). In [[Meitei language]] ([[Manipuri language]]), "Nongthang" (ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ, /noŋ.tʰáŋ/) means [[lightning]]. The word "Nongthang" (ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ, /noŋ.tʰáŋ/)  

itself is also made up of two words, "Nong" (ꯅꯣꯡ, /noŋ/) and "Thāng" (ꯊꯥꯡ, /tʰáŋ/). "Nong" (ꯅꯣꯡ, /noŋ/) means [[rain]] and "Thāng" (ꯊꯥꯡ, /tʰáŋ/) means [[sword]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=H. Surmangol|date=2006|title=Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary.Nongthang|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/sharma_query.py?qs=nongthang&matchtype=default|access-date=2022-03-28|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref>

In [[Meitei language]] ([[Manipuri language]]), "Leima" (ꯂꯩꯃ, /lə́i.ma/) means [[queen]]. The word "Leima" (ꯂꯩꯃ, /lə́i.ma/) itself is made up of two words "Lei" (ꯂꯩ, /lə́i/) and "Ma" (ꯃ, /ma/). "Lei" (ꯂꯩ, /lə́i/) means [[land]] and "Ma" (ꯃ, /ma/) means [[mother]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=H. Surmangol|date=2006|title=Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary.Leima|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/sharma_query.py?qs=%EA%AF%82%EA%AF%A9%EA%AF%83%EA%AF%A5&searchhws=yes|access-date=2022-03-28|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref>

[[Sanamahi]] (Ashiba) was creating the earth. But he was frequently disturbed by his younger brother, [[Pakhangba]] (Haraba). Unable to do any work, Sanamahi complained about the matter to their father, [[Salailen]] (or [[Atingkok]] according to different versions of stories). Salailen produced a divine feminine being. He released her into the great [[Outer space|space]] ([[Outer space|void]]) of the [[universe]] ([[cosmos]]). In the vast emptiness of the great space (void), the divine feminine being became a beautiful and radiant goddess. She was named "Nongthang Leima", the Queen of [[Lightning]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XxovEAAAQBAJ&dq=nongthang+leima&pg=PT11|title=And That Is Why... Manipuri Myths Retold|last=Roy|first=L. Somi|date=2021-06-21|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-91149-65-9|pages=11|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkMwAQAAIAAJ&q=nongthang+leima|title=Politics, Society, and Cosmology in India's North East|last=Brara|first=N. Vijaylakshmi|date=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-564331-2|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Nongthang Leima, the Queen of [[Lightning]], filled the empty [[Outer space|space]] ([[Outer space|void]]) with an intensely shining light. Seeing her, [[Pakhangba]] (Haraba) fell in love with her. He forgot about disturbing his elder brother in the creation of the earth. Nongthang Leima attracted him. Haraba made his way towards her in the great space. During that time, [[Sanamahi]] (Ashiba) completed his creation of the [[earth]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XxovEAAAQBAJ&dq=nongthang+leima&pg=PT12|title=And That Is Why... Manipuri Myths Retold|last=Roy|first=L. Somi|date=2021-06-21|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-91149-65-9|pages=12|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name="books.google.co.in"/><ref name=":0" /><ref>Narayan, Shovana (2005). Indian Classical Dance. Shubhi Publications. p. 85. ISBN 978-81-8290-023-3.</ref>