The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

manuscript - Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf notebook on his return to Nagaland, 1970

caption: wedding
medium: notes
ethnicgroup: Zemi
location: Laisong
date: 18.8.1970
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 8.8.1970-8.9.1970
acquirer:
person: private collection
text: Wedding:
text: The wedding lasts one day. In the bride's house a pig is sacrificed and food prepared. This is sent to the groom's house, where the feast is held. He has laid in some stores beforehand. The bride stays for five days in her new husband's house. Then she returns to her parents' house but is visited at night by her husband. He also may help his father-in-law with the work only if required. After one year the wife joins her husband. If the husband has a younger brother to look after aged parents, the latter stays in the parents' house and the elder son builds a house. If the husband is the youngest son he stays with his parents and the younger wife does so too. If the husband has no parents, his wife may move into his house soon after the wedding.