The tale of honourary deaths
*Trigger warning: $uiɔidE*
Trigger warning: This post explores ancient forms of martial and royal suicides
Disclaimer: This post does not advocate/endorse any particular view.
I have found it increasingly fascinating to explore the subject of suicides in ancient times, and found an incredible trend of honour suicides willfully followed by noble custodians of morality (whether ethical or not, that is your opinion) in ancient times. It is funny to see how values starkly contrast each other, where a side of the planet may believe in suicides as unfathomably sinful acts, and the other to view it as an act of atonement for wrongdoings. Howsoever, at the same time, we can observe parallels of interchangeable values across different countries.
Samurais of Japan and Mukkulathors/Maravars of India
Most of us are likely to have heard of the immense respect and adherence Japanese people have for their cultural values- So far, I have not seen kids outside of Japanese schools who take initiative to clean their school amenities. The Japanese tradition undeniably preaches values worthy of admiration and paves way for betterment in life.
Aside from all that, the practice of certain orthodox values in ancient times are both surprising and enthralling for 21st century humans. Such a practice that would widen our pupils is ancient martial suicides. When we delve deeper into this subject, we realise that this practice is not exclusive to Japan, but also prevalent in other (predominantly Asian) countries as well.
Seppuku and Junshi
Seppuku, also known as “hara-kiri” in the west, refers to a ritual suicide committed by the Samurai Warrior class in ancient Japan. It involves the act of stabbing oneself in the belly with a short sword, slicing open the gut and turning the blade upwards to ensure a fatal wound. Some would allow themselves to die slowly, but they usually enlisted the aid of a “kaishakunin”1 or a second, who would behead them with a katana2 .
Seppuku was accompanied by a ceremony, and the individual would drink sake and recite a death poem before taking up the blade. The practice of Seppuku was means of a Samurai to gain an honorary death. Later in the 1400s, it also functioned as a capital punishment for samurais who committed crimes.
“Junshi” means “following the lord in death,” and involved vassals3 committing the act of Seppuku.
Death before Dishonour: Parallels to ancient Tamil Nadu
If you were well-equipped with the knowledge of Tamil history/literature, you would have come across a strange term: வடக்கிருத்தல் (Vadakiruththal).
Vadakiruththal refers to a practice predominantly carried out by the ancient Tamil Royals who felt to have done wrong. It involves one to fast facing the north until their last breath. Vadakiruththal has been mentioned in numerous tales of Noble kings, who resort to it immediately after committing an unrighteous deed (even a slight act of injustice in court was deemed great dishonour, and noble kings committed suicide to redeem themselves).
Yet a more stark similarity to Seppuku are perhaps the following:
Avippali, Thannai Verttal, Vallan Pakkam, Pun Kilithu Mudiyum Maram and Marakkanchi. These are forms of martial suicide and sucidal battle of the warriors as the ultimate expression of their loyalty to their commander.
Pulla Vaazhkai Vallan Pakkam refers to the martial attitude of a warrior going forth into a suicidal battle (aka honour suicide), and is mentioned in the Tholkaappiyam4 . Other works refer to it as Thannai Verttal, which also refers to the suicide of a warrior upon hearing the death of his King or Commander. Punkilithu Mudiyum Maram is the martial act of a warrior committing suicide by tearing apart his battle wound. Avippali, or Navakandam, as Tamil inscriptions speak of it, refers to the act of a warrior who cuts his own neck to fulfil the oath made to Korravai—the Tamil Goddess of War—for his commander’s victory in the battle.
“The temple of kotrravai is decorated with lotus flowers which bloomed when the warriors sliced their own necks”(106); “they slice the base of their necks; the severed heads are given to the goddess”(111); “when the neck is sliced and the head is severed, the headless body jumps with joy for having fulfilled the vow”.
Kalingathu Parani: A work celebrating the victory of Kulotunga Chola and his general Thondaman in the battle of Kalinga.
The Great Epic of Silappadhigaaram (5: 79-86) and Manimeghalai (6: 50-51)5 also mention this practice. To ensure complete severing of the head, the warrior ties his hair to a bamboo bent taut before lopping his head off. Hero stones all over Tamil Nadu depict this practice, and are known to the locals as Saavan Kallu. The warriors were not only worshipped in hero stones but their lands were exempted from tax and given to their relatives.
Female suicides in ancient Japan and India:
Interestingly, seppuku had a female counterpart known as “Jigai,”which is a traditional method of female suicide and involved the slit of the jugular vein using a knife known as tantō . It could be carried out unassisted.
Jowhar, was a little different. It consisted of acts of self-immolation or execution by their husbands, brothers or fathers, to escape the the predicament of capture and enslavement during wars.
It has been cited as mass suicide committed in the 1300s CE in the Chhattisgarh fort of Rajastan, when opposed with the armies of Khalji Dynasty, as well as the Kampili Kingdom of northern Karnataka when it fell to the Delhi Sultanate armies.
Like my many other posts, this one faces an abrupt end to it as well. I find parallels between different cultures and histories to be extremely captivating. I leave it up to your ponder henceforth.
Hearty Thanks :D 💖
AUTHOR STRONGLY CONDEMN ACTS OF SUICIDE. PLEASE DO NOT SHY FROM REACHING OUT TO HELP: International Suicide Helpline
Footnotes:
G;, M. (n.d.). A peculiar case of suicide enacted through the ancient Japanese ritual Of Jigai. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24457577/
Andrews, E. (2016, January 11). What is seppuku? Retrieved May 28, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/what-is-seppuku
Martial races of UNDIVIDED INDIA. (n.d.). Retrieved May 28, 2021, from google ebooks
Glossary:
Kaishakunin: A person appointed to lop off the head of one practicing the seppuku.
Katana: A long single-edged Japanese sword.
Vassal: “a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty” - Merriam Webster dictionary.
Tholkaappiyam: Ancient Tamil grammar text
Silappadhigaaram and Manimeghalai: Two great epics that are a part of the Five Great Tamil Epics in Tamil Literature. (ஐம்பெருங்காப்பியங்கள்)