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: Yongyu drum houses
medium: notes
person: Ung clanYasongba khel
ethnicgroup: Chang
location: Younyu (Yongyu) Sangpurr
production:
person: Archer/ W.G.
date: 1946-1948
refnum: 16:37
text: Chang - Yongyu. Lower khel drum houses have 2 pairs of carved hornbills - a closed drum with long neck. Upper drum - long neck - open at both ends. Lower drum - the houses much decayed - one scrap of skull from Sangpurr. Ung clan - 2 lower khels - these can touch anything eg. apotia corpses - tigers - no gennas - had killed tigers - therefore carved tiger heads on 2 log-drums. The upper khel is the founder's clan - forbidden to touch tigers - log-drum has a man's head - in honour of the founder.
text: Yasongba Khel - drum house got burnt down - so brought a small drum - only 1 foot wide 10 feet long - open at both ends - at the house skulls of mithan, serow, dog and head of a huge mahseer (40 lb) from the nearby river.