The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf, Naga diary four

caption: head hunting rituals
caption: the Ou-yanba performs ceremony with a chicken
medium: diaries
ethnicgroup: Konyak
location: Punkhung
date: 6.3.1937
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: The Ou-yanba now takes a small chicken (142) kills it in the usual manner and with the blood he sprinkles the leaves on the spears and the heads. Then the stones are set up simultaneously after tiny fragments of the head have been placed into the holes. This is done by the clan eldest of the clan concerned while the boys "in whose name" the head has been brought himself sets up the stone in the ditch. This whole ceremony soon is finished, the groups form again and dancing they go to the Ang's house. Only the people of the Wang-dze continue dancing near the stones.