Great Mountain God

Santali maraṅ 'great' + buru 'mountain'. The alternate persona Lita is the rice-beer teacher.

Domains

• mountains
• rain and weather

Powers

• teaches the first pair to brew rice-beer
• requires the first libation of rice-beer at his invocation
• is invoked as the great mountain, cause of all causes

Epithets

• Marang Buru latin · Marang Buru · cultThe Great Mountain; the supreme deity of the Santal, giver of rain and rice-beerP. O. Bodding; W. G. Archer, on Santal religion (secondary)

Relations

• mentor: First ManAs Lita, Marang Buru taught the first pair to brew handi rice-beer, which led to their union.Skrefsrud, Horkoren Mare Hapramko reak' Katha (1887; trans. Bodding, Traditions and Institutions of the Santals, 1942) (primary)
• mentor: First WomanLita's rice-beer instruction was given to both of the first pair.Skrefsrud, Horkoren Mare Hapramko reak' Katha (1887; trans. Bodding, Traditions and Institutions of the Santals, 1942) (primary)

Sources

• Marang Buru ('Great Mountain') is a principal Santal deity, invoked with white fowl/goat and rice-beer, who (as Lita) teaches the first pair to brew rice-beer.: Bodding, P.O. (1942). Santal Folk Tales. Oslo. (scholarship); Troisi, J. (2000). Tribal Religion. Manohar. (scholarship); Archer, W.G. (1974). The Hill of Flutes. Univ. of Pittsburgh Press. (scholarship)