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Chapter One. The Material Background |
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In the older literature the Konyaks were sometimes referred to as "naked Nagas," and in 1936 this description was still justified. Men and half-grown boys seldom wore more than a tight belt and a small apron, but at that time the custom of covering the private parts was probably of comparatively recent introduction. Although the young men of Wakching seldom took off their aprons in public, many middle-aged men worked naked in house and field, and on occasions such as funerals, particular functionaries were in the habit of performing their ritual duties naked. And as late as 1962, even young Wanchu men were to be seen without aprons, gossiping in the village or digging in the fields. |
