The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

book : Return to the Naked Nagas (1939;1976)

caption: Chapter Twenty-three. The Spring Festival
caption: men dressing for the dance
medium: books
ethnicgroup: Konyak
location: Longkhai
production:
person: Furer-Haimendorf
date: 6.1936-6.1937
text: You might well imagine that the youths of the village would be here, forming an enthusiastic audience round the dance platform, but there is as yet no sign of them. The boys are far too busy dressing up themselves. They are sitting in front of the men's house combing out each other's long hair and arranging the white hornbill feathers in the bushy crests of red goat's hair on their hats. This morning they searched the forest for the choicest of ear ornaments -- gold and mauve orchids -- only the most beautiful are fitting for the Spring Festival.