The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf notebook two

caption: building a house
medium: notes
ethnicgroup: Konyak
location: Wakching
date: 27.7.1936
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 23.6.1936-6.1937
acquirer:
person: School of Oriental and African Studies Library, London
text: (87) When a man builds a new house, his whole morung helps him one day - the next day his clansmen help.
text: First his own clansmen make a platform, then the morung people work one day.
text: 1 pig and 3 chickens. The oldest man of the clan (jat) kills the pig, with a panji.
text: (88) When the pig is killed they measure the distance between the feet, - the front legs are for men, the hind legs for Ghawang, - if the distance between the front legs is shorter Ghawang will kill them.
text: The blood of the pig is smeared on one of the posts.
text: Then the old man cuts out of the pig the spleen and mixes it with salt, rice and ginger and throws it inside the house into different directions for Ghawang, then he eats himself.