The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf, Naga diary four

caption: girls eating soil
medium: diaries
ethnicgroup: Konyak
location: Hungphoi
date: 26.2.1937
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 12.2.1937-31.3.1937
note: translated from german by Dr Ruth Barnes
acquirer:
person: School of Oriental and African Studies Library, London
text: Near the Moha morung I watched several little girls dig up the ground near a slope and I asked them what they are doing. The answer is that they are looking for soil to eat and indeed soon after I notice that many girls have mouth and lips full of earth. Chingai says that especially pregnant women like to eat earth but their children already start doing so and that occasionally some men may also do it.
refnext: Next
refprev: Previous