The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf notebook twelve

caption:

a water spirit

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person:	Furer-Haimendorf
date:	24.3.1937-27.4.1937
note:	[konyak] means text omitted

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School of Oriental and African Studies Library, London

text:

Niem is a water spirit, the father of the fish. Chinyang saw him once on the bank of the Dikhu, lying half in the water, half on the bank. His body is black, he has a long head and a long tail (it may have been a crocodile). (125) When the Wakching men go fishing to the Dikhu, on the evening before they throw some eggs fastened to a basket and then throw stones on top of it and say: [konyak] "Niem stupified remain". This is done to stupify Niem, so that he can't protect the fish.

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