The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

Furer-Haimendorf manuscript spiral bound notebook one

caption: megaliths , stone dragging and help to thevos
medium: notes
ethnicgroup: Angami
date: 7.7.1936
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 2.6.1936-17.12.1936
note: [konyak] means text omitted
acquirer:
person: School of Oriental and African Studies Library, London
text: Megaliths.
text: When a man decides that he is going to drag stones he makes a little madhu and calls for men. They must have lucky names.
Vetcho = lucky asker
Veletso = lucky giver
text: I have not become rich through my own efforts, (41) but because the spirits blessed me. Our forefathers dragged stones, and I am going to see if I can't drag stones too.
text: When the 4 men go, they say "You one or more who has given feasts, you belong to a clan which has given feasts, may you live long, may your food last long, may your food fall on you like rain [and] not be quickly finished". (42) This he does before harvest. If you do this before harvest you get an extra big harvest. Then when it is known that he is going to drag stones his fellow khel men and friends help him free to cut and carry up his harvest; and cut his firewood free, because he needs a lot for cooking. (43) These people get special shares of meat on the first days of the ceremony. After harvest: He makes his madhu for the genna which is not to be drunk for 6 days, during these 6 days he sends out people to look for stones and he goes alone and touches the stones and sees what dreams he is going to have. (44) He says to the stones "I want to drag you. You come with me and be friendly, you don't give me trouble, you give me nice dreams". He must have one essential dream. He must dream that two strangers, both alive, a man and woman, must come to his house and drink. If he doesn't dream, he can't drag these stones. If they are dead it is unlucky. (45) When he first dragged stones, Bor and his wife, D.C. came. That was very lucky. The second time Hekhatoo and Yunolo came. He does not [know] of which village these people were, but they told him their names in the dream and they brought some food with them. (46) The first day he makes his rice-beer, then he has 6 days before he drinks. On the 7th day he makes a wooden wall on the porch of his house. His helpers, who may be of any clan, bring one plank each.
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