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| Sunday, 8 May 2005 |
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The yam that killed the sister Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra "There is a poisonous yam which is also a good aphrodisiac, said the local physician who was well- versed in traditional medicine. There is an interesting legend, about this yam. It is named naga maru ala It is named so because it brought about the death of a sister. There is more than one version to this story, but I will narrate the version that I know." "In the distant past, there was a prince and his sister, who lived together, after the death of their parents. The prince had to take care of his sister, so he had to take her wherever he went." "Tomorrow I have to go to a distant place and you should join me," said the prince and they prepared to go on the journey. Then the two of them commenced the journey by horse cart. The sister prepared the food to be taken and they set off. "I am tired and I must rest awhile," said the prince releasing the horse and lying on the ground. "Let's eat something first, and then rest awhile" said the sister serving the brother with the food she brought and then she started eating. The prince who now wanted a rest, decided to keep the sword he had on his waist safely, so he stuck it on the ground, with the sharp point facing downwards. After a meal, it was the custom at that time to have a chew of betel. This included a piece of arecanut, chunnam and several other herbs. However, this chew was not taken in large amounts. If taken in large quantities, the effect would be intoxicating. Having finished the meal, the prince rested for sometime. His sister opened the pouch of betel and took a leaf out, as she wanted to have a chew. She then pulled the sword from the ground as she wanted to have some chunnam as well with the betel. So with the pointed end of the sword she began applying a little chunnam on the leaf. However, she did not realise that something else too had happened to the tip of the sword with which she applied the chunnam. When she began having her chew of betel, she found herself drawn into a fantasy world. She also felt sexually excited. Without her realising, she saw her brother as a young man, a stranger in place of the prince. In this mood, she got closer to him and began tempting him in a lecherous manner. When the prince awoke from his recess, he found his sister behaving in a strange manner. "What's wrong with you my sister?" he asked her. "There is nothing wrong with me, but I want to make love to you, you are my lover" she said in an amorous tone, trying to arouse his feelings. "I am not your lover, I am your brother, can't you see, and you are my sister," the prince insisted. "How can that be? You are not my brother. I don't see my brother here. You are my lover, come and caress me. I want you," she said. This is going too far, thought the brother and wanted to get rid of her. He tried to tell her several times that he was her brother, the prince who came with her, the one who looked after her for such a long time, but to no avail. "I protected you for such a long time as I am your brother," he said in a sad mood. "It does not matter! you are my lover" she said. The temptation on her part was too strong and he could not forgive her for her uncouth behaviour. He could not resist taking the sword into his hand. He threatened her at first, but she persisted. Then he could not stand it anymore. He drew the sword and beheaded her, as she was about to embrace him. Thus was the tragic end the sister met with. But the prince grieved over the unfortunate event and wanted to know how such a thing could have happened. There is another version to this story as well, which says that the young prince committed suicide after the death of his amorous sister. When the event was made known to the villagers, they got some of the herbal specialists to look into the matter. They declared that the cream of a type of yam that grew beneath the ground in that area had touched the tip of the sword. With the mixing of the chunnam with the yam, which when consumed with betel, it aroused the person sexually. So this yam, grown in that particular area came to be known as the 'yam that killed the sister' or naga maru ala. This yam can be put to good use for medicinal purposes, was the opinion of the herbal specialists. |
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