Kalkame, Guardian of Human Life
Garo · deity · perpetual · Recorded classification
Kalkame is a protective deity of the Garo Songsarek pantheon, closely paired with the thunder-god Goera, whom the tradition calls his brother. Where Goera governs strength, storm and lightning, Kalkame is charged specifically with the safety and preservation of human life: he wards people against wild beasts, sickness and misfortune, and is invoked for recovery and continued well-being. His fraternal link to Goera situates him firmly within the household of active nature-deities that mediate between the remote supreme creator Tatara-Rabuga and everyday human affairs.
Domains
- protection of human life
- health and healing
Powers
- to guard human beings from wild animals and disease
Relations
- subordinate to: Creator GodCounted among the lesser deities (mite) who act within the order established by the supreme creator Tatara-Rabuga.Playfair, Major A. (1909). The Garos. London: David Nutt. (secondary)
Sources
- Kalkame is the Garo guardian deity, brother of the thunder-god Goera, who is responsible for the lives of human beings and protects them from wild animals, disease and every hazard.: Playfair, Major A. (1909). The Garos. London: David Nutt, chapter on Religion. (secondary); Sangma, Milton S. (1981). History and Culture of the Garos. New Delhi: Books Today. (secondary)