The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript notes made by W.G. Archer between 1946 & 1948, and miscellaneous papers and letters

caption: head-taking tactics
medium: notes
production:
person: Archer/ W.G.
date: 1946-1948
refnum: 5:6
text: Tactics
text: 1. If a village goes on a raid - and on the way another village joins in of its own free will, & if in the fight the actual killing and striking is done by the first village - the second village is none the less given the back of the head - if the second village does all the striking, the first village gets the back.
text: 2. If a village has been defeated & to get its revenge, it invites 2 or 3 other villages to help it - all the heads taken go to the allies - none to the village itself & the first striker of the original village must also give the aiding villages a cow and a pig each.
text: To give the back of the head signifies that the recipient was in the rear - came late - was a follower - was not in the front.