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Chapter one. The Beginning |
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The Nagas are divided into a number of different tribes and sub-tribes, Angamis, Rengmas, Tangkhuls, Lhotas, Semas, Aos, and many more too numerous to cite here. They live in hilltop villages which were, and often still are, defended by stone walls, dykes, thorn fences and spiked palisades, and before the Pax Britannica stopped them they were head-hunters to a man, celebrating the deed in elaborate rituals and recognizing its worth by the right to special insignia. (2) Beyond the frontier, in the considerable tract which still remains unadministered, head-hunting and its ancient rites persist unabated - aggravated, indeed, by the modern weapons the war left behind when it receded. |
