Halmasti
Ringkasan
Halmasti adalah anjing langit jahat sebesar kuda dalam mitologi Chitrali di Pakistan utara. Ia diyakini muncul di tempat kelahiran dan kematian, dan besi dipercaya dapat mengusirnya.
Halmasti is a malevolent, horse-sized sky hound of Chitrali mythology in northern Pakistan. It is believed to appear where births and deaths take place, and iron is said to keep it away.
Kisah dan tradisi
Halmasti, yang juga disebut Anjing Langit, adalah anjing jahat sebesar kuda dalam mitologi Chitrali di Pakistan utara. Namanya, yang berarti guntur dalam bahasa Khowar, menunjukkan hubungannya dengan langit. Ia digambarkan mirip serigala besar berbulu merah gelap, berkaki panjang, dan bermoncong lebar; beberapa cerita bahkan menyebutnya mampu menyemburkan api. Menurut kepercayaan setempat, Halmasti terutama datang ke tempat kelahiran bayi dan tempat jenazah dimandikan. Karena itu kedua tempat tersebut dijaga selama tujuh hari tujuh malam: bacaan Quran dilantunkan berkeliling di dekat jenazah, sementara bayi dinyanyikan lagu nina bobo. Melihat makhluk ini pun dianggap pertanda sial. Bayi dianggap paling rentan, sehingga tidak pernah ditinggal sendirian. Bila keadaan memaksa, sebilah senjata besi diselipkan di bawah bantal bayi, sebab Halmasti diyakini membenci besi dan besi menjadi kelemahannya. Penulis artikel kedua menelusuri asal-usulnya ke iblis perempuan Littu dari Sumer kuno, yang kemudian dikenal sebagai Lillith, dan ke penyihir Al atau Hal di kalangan suku Iran barat. Nama Halmasti diduga diwarisi dari roh perempuan Turkik Al-Basti, tetapi wujudnya sebagai anjing langit lebih menyerupai Tiangou dari mitologi Tiongkok kuno, yang memakan matahari dan bulan. Karena itu ia dipandang sebagai contoh perpaduan dunia Turkik, Iran, dan Sinitik di Chitral.
Halmasti, also called the Celestial Hound, is a malevolent horse-sized dog of Chitrali mythology in northern Pakistan. Its name, meaning thunder in Khowar, reflects its tie to the sky. It is pictured as a big wolf-like beast with dark red fur, long limbs and a wide muzzle, and some tales even credit it with breathing fire. In local belief, Halmasti mainly visits places where a baby has just been born or where a body is being washed. Both places were therefore watched for seven days and nights, with Quran recitation circling the dead and lullabies sung to the infant. Even catching sight of the creature was considered unlucky. Infants were thought to be most at risk, so they were never left alone. When there was no choice, an iron weapon was slipped beneath the baby's pillow, because Halmasti was believed to loathe iron, which was its weak point. The author of the second source traces it back to the Sumerian female demon Littu, later known as Lillith, and to the witch Al or Hal of western Iranic tribes. The name Halmasti is thought to come from the Turkic female spirit Al-Basti, but its form as a sky hound is closer to the Tiangou of ancient Chinese mythology, which devoured the sun and moon. It is therefore seen as an example of how Chitral blends Turkic, Iranic and Sinitic worlds.
Fakta utama
- Budaya / Culture
- Tradisi Pakistan
- Kawasan / Region
- Asia Selatan
- Negara / Country
- Pakistan
- Klasifikasi / Classification
- Monster
- Habitat
- Sky
- Kemampuan / Abilities
- Menyemburkan api
Nama lain / Alternate names
Celestial Hound
Tahukah kamu? / Did you know?
Penulis artikel kedua menilai gambaran Halmasti lebih mirip Tiangou, anjing langit Tiongkok kuno penyebab gerhana, daripada roh perempuan Al-Basti yang namanya diwarisi.
The second source finds Halmasti closer to the Tiangou, the eclipse-causing sky dog of ancient China, than to Al-Basti, the female spirit whose name it inherited.