| caption: |
rituals on bringing in a head |
| text: |
Today the main head-taking genna is made. Words of a song sung while dancing: [konyak] "Our village is like the lair of tigers, like the kite's nest, the Kongan people are afraid of us". (165) When a head is brought in on the first day each of the two morungs erects a small stone in front of the Ang's house. The two Niengbas (the office is hereditary and at present a young boy is Niengba of the Yanhai morung) cut off an ear and the tongue or the head, ie. the Niengba of the morung which got the head in case only one morung took part in the raid. The ear and tongue are buried under the stone. Doing this the Niengba (166) says: [konyak]. Before the head is brought into the village a genna is made at the path. Eggs are broken over the head and madhu is given to it. Then the head is first fastened at the drum. There it stays for the night. The next day it is put at the tree, there it remains about ten days. Then the genna is made which they perform today, then the (167) head is put into the house of the great man of the clan. |
