The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf, Naga notebook six

caption: origins of rice; the origins of wealth and illness
medium: notes
ethnicgroup: Konyak
location: Wakching
date: 31.8.1936
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 28.8.1936-26.10.1936
refnum: School of Oriental and African Studies Library, London
text: There is no definite tradition how men got the rice. Some say they found it on a stone, others say a rubber tree brought forth the rice. On the other hand they say that when Ghawang made the earth and men, he also created rice at the same time. We don't know how Ghawang made men, but we say that we are his children. If we get rich or poor it is from Ghawang, if we get good (38) food it is from Ghawang, if we get fever it is from Ghawang.
text: The dead men don't go to Ghawang but into the earth. When a man dies they say "he is killed by Ghawang".