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Inhabitants and customs of Shuwa; inter-village hostility |
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30/11/1926 Halted and visited Shuwa, about 1 hr. 30 mins. march away. Its real name is Kaingam-Yaknyu and it is situated in the strongest natural position I have seen in the Naga Hills - above, below and on all sides the ground is precipitous and to enter the village it is necessary to climb down below and then up into it by a ladder. |
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The village comes from the north and originally from Tanhai, and both in dress and language seems to have more in common with the Konyaks of the Wakching - Chui area than with the surrounding "Chagyik" variety, but like the latter the women shave their heads. The soul figures are not horned as by the Chagyiks, so presumably they do not put the skull on them. |
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The Okulis are here made ingeniously of two pieces, effecting a great economy in wood. A round pillar receives the hole in which rice is husked and a flat wooden "tray" is fitted to the top. The morung and elephants [sic]. |
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The village complained lugubriously of the raids of Totok, but Totok have some reason for their enmity as they were once badly cut up by Shuwa under circumstances of exceptional treachery. Chingchang-Noklang accused Shuwa of having induced us to come that way, and said they would have a head out of them for it, but as these two villages are already at war, a raid by Chingchang could hardly be held to be caused by our going there. It is likely to take place in any case, Totok recently tried to raid Shuwa. They climbed a tree which gave a view of the village and fired into a crowd sitting on a machan. Only one man was hit and they could not of course, get his head. A young man of Totok did get into the village to take a head, but lost his own there, as might be expected, also his gun, a good one. They showed me both. |
