The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf, Naga notebook seven

caption: killing of buffaloes
medium: notes
ethnicgroup: Konyak
location: Kongan
date: 29.9.1936
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 23.9.1936-21.3.1937
refnum: School of Oriental and African Studies Library, London
text: Killing of buffaloes: In the old times first the sinews of the legs were cut, then after (55) much dancing and singing, an old man killed the buffalo by thrusting a spear into its breast (not behind the shoulder). All buffaloes are killed in front of the morung at a post erected for this purpose by the oldest men of the morung, not the clan eldest of the owner. They kill the buffaloes now by cutting their throats. The head is given to that old man who had led the party which went down to buy the buffaloes.
text: Pigs and cows are killed inside the owner's house near the big post.