My Tryst with the mushrooms-I

Tryst with the mushrooms-I
(Published in ‘Goa Today’ September 2008)
Nandkumar M. Kamat
Department of Botany, Goa University

I was standing on the rocky bank of the Kushavati river examining the rock art gallery (GT, June 1993). The shamanistic connection was immediately clear to me. The small carving-a petroglyph of what looked like the world’s most popular, trance inducing Psilocybe mushroom close to the labyrinth indicated that the people of Kushavati culture were not different than people elsewhere in the pre historic period. They shared the same spiritual plain although their material world could have been dictated by the local resources. I had already identified, classified and interpreted the Zooomorphs in the Panasaimol rock art gallery ( ‘animals in rock art, in the ‘biodiversity on the western ghats, IIRR & WWF, 1995), but this was the first find in India-a mushroom carved by the ancient shamans of Kushavati on the rocks. It was an unique mycomorph. I am describing a nomadic society in the Zuari river basin which had no concept of gods or religion. But they were hunters, food gatherers. They were experimenting with plants and fungi. Wild Psilocybe mushrooms come up from dung. There was no way a shaman could have identified them as edible or toxic. They always took a calculated risk. So when the shaman tasted the raw Psilocybe mushrooms he (or was it She??) began experiencing its’ strange psychedelic effect. This also explains the source of creative impulse behind the rock art gallery. The psychedelic mushrooms have mind altering substances called “entheogens’ which produce a profound, undescribable spiritual experience. The rock art gallery at Panasaimal expresses visions of both-the spiritual world ( labyrinth) and the material world (geometric figures, cupules, phytomorphs, zoomorphs, anthropomorphs) of shamans of Kushavati valley. Although we have lost the link from the shamans of Kushavati to tradition of nature worship, the foundation of Goa’s ecotheological traditions- as elaborated in my research paper ‘ecotheology of termite Hill’ (Govapuri, 1999) are rooted in the people’s fascination of wild mushrooms and especially those which they found useful- to cook, as medicines and for magic. My tryst with the world of mushrooms began in 1986 when I worked for my Ph.D. My aim was to catalogue only the diversity of wild edible mushroom species of Goa. For nearly seven years ( 1986-92) I continued my field work and it brought me in contact with thousands of people who were repositories of ethnomycological knowledge. While continuing my scientific field and laboratory research, I also collected local knowledge on edible , toxic and medicinal mushrooms. About 100 different species of edible mushrooms have been discovered in Goa. But only 45-50 are locally known as edible. All types of mushrooms in Goa are known as “alami’ or “olami’. The most common words for mushrooms in Maharashtra and Goa are Alambi (Marathi), Alami (Konkani) and in Karnataka 'Anabi'. On etymological basis I found that these names had their origin in the cult of santeri/ Ela-Yellamma, the termite-hill goddess.. “Bee’ or “beej” stands for seed. So, Elam-beej or the 'Seed of Elam' became corrupted as Elambij -Alambij -Alambi -Alami -Anabe (Kannada). I specialize in the termitophilic mushrooms which grow on termite hills. Locally these mounds or hills are known as “Roen’. Goans consider them as sacred and believe that it is abode of goddess Santeri or Bhumika. Termitophilic species are found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. At least 70 species have been recorded so far-the smallest one is just the size of a Rupee coin and the largest one almost a metre in diameter, weights upto two kilograms and is found in Zambia. During 22 years of my research I have catalogued alongwith my students about 30 different species of Termitomyces mushrooms in Goa. But unfortunately despite ban on their collection from the wild life sanctuaries these species are still overexploited and marketed. This has resulted in erosion of the diversity and has caused natural imbalance in ecosystems dominated by the termite hills. Post shamanism- the Goans continued their fascination of mushrooms by worshipping the termite hills. There is a scientific explanation of the fertility aspect of the termite hills which are built by worker termites over a period of 2-3 years. Termites are social insects having different classes and a system of division of labour. Only the termites of Macrotermitinae sub-family build massive overground mounds/hills. These have compartments where the termites store their food. This food is composed of finely divided and regurgitated dead plant matter. The termites grow a type of fungus called Termitomyces over this food-pile. The fungus grows on the pile and makes its digestion easier for the termites. After rains the fungus grows very fast. The walnut shaped mass ( which locals call “olamo’) inside each compartment shows growth of small white needles. The needles which soon assume shapes of matchsticks elongate and drill through the thick dome of the mound. Then comes a point when these mushrooms emerge in open. At this stage if anyone looks at their shape, size and colour, they look like small serpents, with bulbous hoods or depending on the species like erect phalluses or hooded snakes. If these are not consumed by animals or collected by humans the growth is complete in a few days. A beautiful umbrella like object with a cylindrical support and a ring is seen. It gives a fruity smell. This is the well known 'Termitomyces' mushroom. The prehistoric food gatherers must have discovered the food-value of these mushrooms. Simultaneously they were also fascinated by their magical appearance. The food- generating capacity of the termite-hill, after insemination by rains, was considered as fertility magic by the women-Shamans. Further, the food-piles, if a termite hill is excavated or destroyed, look like dissected animal-brains. For a hunting community, the association was not difficult. Termite-hill thus became a cult-symbol and the snake-like forms, white at the top and black underneath, the immature or pseudorhizal stage of Termitomyces mushrooms were transformed into Kshetrapala gods -the consorts of Santeri, Renuka andYellamma. The 'Nagakashtha' is one of the chief emblems of cult of Santeri, Renuka and Yellamma. It is carried by the Matangis in Karnataka and by the Guravas in Goa. The 'tarangas' are 'Nagakashtas' of Santeri and Ravalnatha, which are taken in a procession. The origin of 'Nagakashtha' could be traced to the snake-like objects emerging from the womb of the earth-goddess the Roen/Santeri. Later while working with Goa’s eminent cultural historian Dr. Pandurang Phaldessai I came across interesting designs of “Tarangas’ the sacred ceremonial insignia of goddess Santeri which matched the details of the morphology of a typical Termitomyces mushroom. The isomorphy was so fantastic that perhaps Goa is the only place on earth outside central America where such an importance has been accorded to worship of mushrooms. In this regard, it is pertinent to record the experience of the Bengalese tribes. They named the mushrooms growing on Termite-hills as ‘Durga-chhata’ or the Umbrella of Durga. This name signifies the importance of the termite hill as an iconic goddess Durga and the Termitomyces mushroom as her umbrella. Today I have no doubts that the first settlers of Goa-the Austric language speakers made the first connection between mushrooms and the goddess Santeri- the aniconic popular earth goddess. The Africans could not evolve a similar cult despite the abundance of mushrooms. Ethnomycology is the study of use of fungi by people. Goa has rich ethnomycological traditions. Even if we take the local names of various species of mushrooms it is sufficient to get some ethnomycological insight. With the first showers we get “fuge’ or “bhuifod’, these are the giant edible boleti. Some specimens weigh upto a kilogram. The mushrooms which sprout from the termite mounds are known by various names in different areas of Goa. A species with a beaklike protrusion (umbo) is known in Canacona as “chochyale or Toshale”. One which grows solitary is known as ‘Khutyale’. Edible Russulas are known in Cotigao sanctuary as “Pava alami or Shendari alami’. Then there are kuski alami, surya alami, dukra alami, tel alami. Almost at the end of monsoon till mid November we get ‘shiti or shitol’ alamis. This is a variety of termite hill mushroom species. I’ve collected ‘Shii’ alami’ from western ghats forest to coastal areas of Salcete. People gather these in basketful and cook immediately. It has to be noted that amateurs should never venture to collect any mushrooms from the wild for consumption because a large number of species are highly toxic. Those who collect mushrooms from the wild and sell these by roadside or in markets are expert mushroom collectors. They have the traditional knowledge of mushroom habitats, morphology and season. They can distinguish between the edible and toxic species. In forests they visit the same spots in search of a harvestable crop. Goans may love to purchase and cook the wild mushrooms. But the growing demand, higher prices have caused overexploitation of the wild species. I have done survey of marketed wild species from 1986. In that year mushrooms fetched a price of Rs. five per hundred. I found 10 to 14 species in market. By 1991-2 the price increased to Rs. 100. This year it has gone through the roof at rs. 400 for a packet of 60 or 80 mushrooms. The number of marketed species has come down to just five or six. The market trends show that the government and the consumers are not showing the same respect as they have for conservation and protection of marine turtles , marsh crocodiles, dolphins and bull frogs. I have clearly established that Goa has one of the best diversity of wild mushrooms in India. Besides we have rich ethnomycological and mycotheological traditions. My tryst with mushrooms continues but more about it in the next issue. ( to be continued) .