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Chapter One. The Material Background |
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rain cloaks, rain shield and hats, Thendu |
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During the rainy months Thendu women working in the fields protected themselves with cloaks which were made on a palm-leaf lattice frame and padded with shredded palm leaves. When it was not actually raining, the women often tied this type of cloak round the hips as an additional skirt. Apart from these rain cloaks Konyak women of all villages wore rain shields and hats of various types. In Wakching women made rain hats by stiffening a palmyra palm leaf with a crisscross of split bamboo. However, they also had more elaborate oblong shields which consisted of pandanus leaves on a cane frame; these were turned in at both ends and protected neck and back. Men and boys never wore rain shields, but in heavy downpours they sometimes tried to protect themselves with a single palm leaf. |
