| caption: |
history of the Rhembas of Kongan |
| text: |
Today I found out what is the matter with the Rhembas of Kongan. Their only responsibility is as mentioned on page 67. The dangerous and apparently unpopular business of the first stroke when felling a tree for a morung post or a slit drum. (78) The one Rhemba, S., comes from Wakching. Apparently he was a poor man and did not have a very good life here. When Tanhai once again had taken heads from Kongan and Kongan could not take revenge, S. captured a Tanhai head and passed it on to a Kongan man whose son had been killed by Tanhai some time ago but who could not be revenged despite all efforts. Kongan was so happy about this that S. was offered fields and a house and he was asked to move to Kongan if he would take on the office of felling the trees for the building of morung and drum. This he then did. The other Rhemba who came from Chui and had to flee from there for some reason also was offered assylum in Kongan under the condition that he would function as Rhemba for the other morung group. |
