Historia

sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo is colloquially known as Nag-mo, ‘The Black Female’. sGra-bla could be an earlier spelling than the now more familiar dgra-lha.206 dGra-lha are the deities who are capable of protecting their worshipers against enemies and helping them to achieve a higher rank and social status.207 According to Samten G. Karmay many scholars consider the word sgra-bla to be a misspelling. He however maintain that the word sgra-bla does not pose a problem, but rather that in ancient Tibetan belief the soul was a kind of god.208 My informant bsTan-pa dar-rgyas says that people cannot make any sound if they do not have a soul, so sGra-bla’ rgyal-mo is the deity of the soul. Here, I would like to describe the sgra-bla according to The Nine Ways of Bon209,

199

Zhi literally means ‘peace’. Here it refers to the peace that results from the destruction of demons and evil spirits. 200

rGyas literally means ‘to prosper’. Here it refers to long life, merit and wealth. 201

dBang literally means ‘to control’. Here it refers to control over human and non-human beings. 202

Drag literally means wrathful. Here it refers to wrathfully cutting the enemy into pieces. 203

Interview with A-lags Nam-mkha’ bstan-’dzin and bsTan-pa dar-rgyas in Bon-brgya monastery, October 2011. 204

Interview with Nyi-ma A-rgya-sting village, October 2011. 205

Interview with A-lags Nam-mkha’ bstan-’dzin and bsTan-pa dar-rgyas in Bon-brgya monastery, October 2011. 206 Snellgrove 1967: 258.

207 Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 318. 208 Snellgrove 1967: 158.

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edited and translated by David L. Snellgrove. He translated sgra-bla as ‘genies’. There are two main genies according to Snellgrove. One group is the ye-mkhyen genies, and the clairvoyance of these divinities is the basis of one the four kinds of sortilege (mo), i.e one of four subjects of the ‘Way of the gShen of Prediction’ (phywa-gshen theg-pa). Another one is the wer-ma genies, which is one part of the ‘Portal of Exorcism’ (chab-nag chu-bo sel-gyi sgo), which is one of the four categories in the ‘gShen of the Visual World’ (snang-gshen theg-pa). There are four kinds of

wer-ma genies: the genie-furies (gnyan), the wer-ma lords, the cang-seng furies and shug-mgon

leaders. One must make offerings to the wer-ma genies when living beings are tormented and troubled by the afflictions of suffering, impediments, jealousies, when the spread of the doctrine diminishes and enemies rise up, when well-being and influence are in decline and battle comes.210 In addition, according to the text dBal-gsas rngam-pa’i las-rim gyi mngon-rtogs gsal-

byed nyi-ma’i dkyil-’khor211, sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo sTag-ri-rong has three heads: the middle one is

the head of a hawk (skyung-ka), the right one is the head of a bear and the left one the head of a rhinoceros (bse-ru)212.

sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo’s cult is extremely popular in Reb-gong; most Bonpos in this area know her ‘expiation’ (bskang-ba) and recite it daily. A popular story relates the origin of dance. A long time ago, an excellent bon-gshen from rGyal-bo ngo-mo village had a dream in which sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo sTag-ri-rong revealed her dance to him. The next morning, the bon-gshen remembered the performance perfectly and could dance every step. The Bon adherents of this village have maintained this tradition of performance down to the present day. There is also an oral account of the deity’s origin. She is said to have been a layperson who married a man who later died. She then married another eight men, each of whom died in succession. She was thus widowed nine times, which caused her a lot of suffering and pain. Everyone in her village looked down on her. Eventually she also died, and it is believed that she then became a demon who always brought misfortune to sentient beings. Later, sTon-pa gshen-rab subdued her and ordered her to become a protector of Bon.213

simply as gZi-brjed. It is a long version of gShen-rab mi-bo che’s biography in twelve volumes (Snellgrove 1967: 3).

210 Snellgrove 1967: 56-66.

211 Very important chanting text for Chos-thog chen-mo, most Bon-gshen in Reb-gong have this text. 212

Interview with bKra-shis in Khyung-po village October 2011. 213

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sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo’s mask is black and resembles an angry man’s face (picture 52). It has three large eyes, the third of which is vertical and located in the center of the forehead. The nostrils, rims of the eyes, and lips are red. sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo’s nostrils are flared and her mouth is wide open. Her mouth is crowded with flat teeth and four prominent fangs. Her chin is covered with a short, golden beard, and golden eyebrows flare above the two bulging eyes. She wears a headdress with five small skulls and her hair hangs wild and disheveled over her face. She holds a sword in her right hand and wears a long black robe, on which many white skulls and bone ornaments are painted.

sGra-bla’i rgyal-mo’s dance is the most furious of all the deities’ dances. While dancing, she constantly brandishes her sword. Her movements are typically rapid and erratic, compared to the slow, fluid movements of other deities. She runs to and fro, and then collapses onto the ground, her back arched, sweeping her sword in an arc above her head. The music that accompanies her dance is more intense than during the rest of performance.