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: Sangtam witches
medium: notes
production:
person: Archer/ W.G.
date: 1946-1948
refnum: 5:21
text: Witch - amunglara (woman), amungre (man) - can both be called in for men and women. More healers than hostile. If a man is ill or has a pain, called in to diagnose. 'Tsungrangre has attacked you'. If Tsungrangre has thrown a stone, hits the sick man and takes out a stone. If a dao cut, sucks a little blood. If beaten by stick, will suck out a bit of stick from the spot which feels pain.
text: If the man says he passed a spot struck by lightning. She grinds up an arum? smears it on the sick man and picks a stick out with her hand - from his body. If bitten by a snake, pinch it out or suck it out.