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Notes on the Thadou kuki

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This book was written by William Shaw in the year 1929
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NOTEs

TmE

ffmffim@u

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3+

As a Crovernment official ofseveral years

stding Ufiilim Shawwas w_ell qualifiedto writ€ on The Thadou Kukies, since hewas posted in North-West Manipur. It wasalso his desire to record their customs andbelieft, md ufrat was still re,me,mbered bythe,m, for posterity, because missionary

influence was then at its peak.Also these notes of Shaw have addedautheirticity as his manuscript had thebe,nefit ofbeing dited and supplementedby Dr. J.H. Hutton himself.

An ealier Mizoram Government reprintbeing incompelete, this fascimile r€printof the 1929 edition is complete and alsoincludes the map and table.

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NOTES ON

THE THADOU KUKIS

BY

WILLIAM SHAW

(Assam Citil Service.)

EDITED

WITH INTRODUCTION, NOTES, APPENDICES,

ILLUSTRATIONS AND INDEX.

BY

J. H. HUTTON

SPECTRUM PUBLICATTONS

GUWAHATI : DELHI

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Spectrum Publications

Panbazar Main Road

Post Box No. 45

Guwahati 781001Assam.

2988, Tagore Park, Model Town-I

Delhi I l0 009.

First published in 1929 on behalf of the then Government ofAssam.

Reprinted around 1980 (without map) by the Government ofMizoram.

This complete facsimile reprint of the 1929 edition (with sketch

map at end) first reprinted 1997

@ Publishers

rsBN 8l-85319-69-3

Published by Krishan Kumar on behalf of Spcctrum Publications

and Printed in India at D.K. Fine Art press (p) Lrd., Dethi-1 10082

INTTT,ODUCTION.

Mr. Shaw, the author of these notes.on the Thado is'q'ua'li:

fied to rvrite of tt r* UV **"'-y"u'* residence as Subdivisional

6fr.;; of irr" uo*th-;i'J '*"* "t the Ivlaniour Sbate' whichis there inhabited uv--iitlt"i ;;"t;il oi rdoao Kukis living

;*;;"#;i-;;; i(achha Nagi eommuuities who rvere es'

lfuii.fi"a * ;h";; htlil'ilg 6Eto*" tl.rg Th,ado intruded there'

He rvas also in irrt",*iit""i-7ot'i"t' with Thado Krrkis tlurilg

e;"";;#;.;;il i. iil;'nil; Hiils distriot' or the rh,ado

qroups in bhese u,"ut-fttu-btiiiilho clan is the most import'aut

ilJ;irt*.;;;;;il; #i;'-J'"-"t the descendants of rhado'

tho ancestor of the .oo".- ifl"'" is an -appreciabledegree 9l

H;";;;;;;;"i*r",, auiuitt of custom in difierent a'reas &nd rn

;i+;:#;;;;,';;A ni'lsr'**'u account must' bo taken to refer

ilffirily"iliir"-srriuii"-pr*"tirr. In -orherrespects also his

a,ccount has perhaps"il*ffi;il'**1at iu" st'itruo poi't'of

;;:" Tii;; fi" a"drtiu"* t-uur'i'o* of Dongngel' whif;;fX:

i" orini" to that ofthe Shitlho, as ingarm or

iil,'ile";";;*ti.i""+l"ilf iu" Jul"u"dant of a slave' rhis,is the Shitlho view ,;ii;U;t;;d bv.them with some ompha'

sis, but it is so tot t,oi [i"g "i*tti*ttyaccepted' that Chong'

ili"";;h;;.;;a h""d ;f1i; DongngLl. clai' is accepted as

the lesitimate oe.curiia"i t't longigil !y collaterals of'un'

iffiJ;ilti" p"difi#;;"*'"ra ["-.lte t6 substantiate their

own claims to ,upru.""i"O""gtg't if Chengiapao's were relec'

ted.I suspect, moreover, that M^' S-haw's sstimate of the

Thado has been"oroi'*Jirv'[t'"

i""t th*t.t'" has had to deal

with a society io tit" JtoJ"tt'oi-t"to"ttruction on a now basie'

Betore the Kuki ,i-i[.J riisJs--i-9tg the administration in the

hill areas of the Manifi';-Shc; was not verv closo' and the

'fhado, ruled as tn"y 5i'" ;;;i"it ;;n well'iecoenizecl chiefs'

and treated, as they ;;i;i;iltt'e past at an!rate' by the

il;il;;-S;i,t" "* "iriJttr*oti ut -u6h as sublects' managed

ffi:ilfi" ;ft;ir*-i.-ir'"it o*" t"nv and bad recourse to tho

courts only in exoeptional cases'l

With the ,"pp,"itio""-if-iu" Kom rebollion the confisca-

tion of all guns""a

in"'I""itU*"{"1 .several

of the leading

ahiefs, an er& ot *,i"-u'J;;;;;t*inistration set in' and tho

trtf,il,}i,*tlil:+JrT'*']lil.'rmlH#.***.f .*}f;}them and considerabii "'ili"t"nove

been oonvorted to the now

faith. The result .t;ll;ilffi*t h1v9 Qeento loosen old ties

and to weaken ttib.ft;;ti*t ttin"t the Thado society is at

 

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1 Jawrrutl, ol tlte Aai,atia Soci,ety ol Bengal,- [N.S., XXIV,

present in the process of pdapting itself to greatly changedconditions, and social disturbance of this sort is inevitalll.y

lgund bo cauge a good deal of discomfort, litigation and generalfriction. Thie, I think, has cnused the Thado toappear to Mr.Shaw in an unduly unfavourable light. Ib has a1so, perhaps,afiected his report on thom in other ways for they 6no" 6rU

little ohanoe of recovering the condition of prosperity which theyhad in many oases attained before 1918. Thus at any rate thoH6lthang Thado and a good many of the Shitlho had built forthemeelves fine and permanent villages and were living in amuch higher condition of comfort than they &re now. HadMr. Shaw been atrle to ,eee such villages as Santing and Chong-

lang before they were destroyed during the rebellion hb wouldhardly have described bhe Thado dwelling as he dooe witboutqualification.

A word is needed on the question of transliteration. Mr.Shaw has followed the Manipur convontion of writing OU loyA, This has i0s advantages in getting rid of a diacritical mark,but to my ear tho sound represenbed is a simplo vorvel and nota dipthong and I havo.therefore generally thought it unneccss.ary myself to use more bhan a simplo O. Similarly, in one or

two other respects it will be observed that Mr. Sharv's spelliugand mine do not always agiee, but I have not thought fit toalter his nor necess&rv to change my own. J, Y and, Z havepresented some difficulty, bein"g int6rchangeable, and Y and Zhavo boon discarded iu favour of J as tho best to represent allthreo values, of which a hard Z is probably tho rarost and theX'renoh value of J bho cornmonest. Zh is prelorred by some,but thore is not really any percoptible eepirate. f maj, occ&s-sionally be found with a purely euphonia significanoe separa,-ting ri from another o following. The languago is at presentbeing written down and taught in Schools by the AmericanBaptist Mission, and it is to be hoped that their labours willresult in the formation of a scientific and logioal system 'of

transliteration, but the difficulties are manyThe Thado aro a scattered tribe inha,biting parts of the North

Oachar Hills, the Naga, Hills, the Manipur State and spreadingeast into Burma in tho Chin Hills and Somra Tract. Their totalnumberB probably amount to.about 50,000 souls, tho females ex-oeoding ths malos by about 6/o, and the great bulk of the tribeb,eing found in tho hills of Manipur. The northern origin of theKukl raoe in general will be found discussed in the first chaptor,but, it ig obvious that though no,doubt noarly relatod to.theKaohins by origin the raoo liag absorbod many-alion eloments,probably inoluding Bhan, Mon.Khmor and Negrito. The latteris often ouggostod hy tho epponl,&noo of man1, of bhe Thado,and by a tradition of war rviUh litblo, dnlli ond bittcr men.The history of Bururo is ouo horrid cotnloguc of tlre smashingof kiugdoms and tho m&ss&cre, disporsal aricl tlnrrsportation of

populations and it would be surprisi4g if a tribe {,}rat had rnigrq-ted down the Chindwin Valley and sojourned on tho wtdtbank of that rive,r had not absorbed Shan elements from thebreak up of tho kingdom of Pong and Mon elements front thoinhlrman destruction of the Talaing kingdom of Pegu by theBurmese. Indeed Peter lleylin's description of the people ofPegu (quoted below, p. 20 n.1) would well fit the thado, and some

cusioms, such as the ordeal by diving, seem definitely associa-

ted with trrLe Mon culture. Pinto speaks of " auburn " hair inPegu, and rusty lrrown is common among Thadg' tlooy-'l'hadocuJtoms are suggestive of the Khasis and of the Hos, both ofIndonesian affinity, and anyhow we may be sure that thore was

no laok of actual contact rvith the races of Burma as Pinto men'

tions Tipperas 1 as serving in the Burmese atmies, in which case

we may-be sure thero weie Kukis too, if " Tuperaas " may notactually be taken to include them. There are however manypoints

-ottcuUl culture which are vividly suggestive of the cul'

iure of the pagan Malays of the Indian Archipelago and thePhilippiues.

-For instance the Thado custom of burying the

dead-i-n what must be a troublesomo excaYation leading out of

a simple pit grave reappoa,rs in Sumatra and in tho- PhilippinoIslands, ivfrere'the Tinguian and the Mandaya lollow it, and

also share with the Lushei and probably Eome tribos of Borneothe practibe of eating part of the liver of a slain foe.z

-In parti'

culai all Kukis, and the Thado is no exception, &ro or havo been

slave-hunters, as well as brigands in genera,l, professions towhich the Malay Tribes of Indonesia were notoriously given.

Other points of contact will be found mentioned in tho notes or

,ppundi*. The migratory condition of the Thado is probablyt6 }e ascribed in part at any rate to their having been un'able to find vacant land on which to settle as propriotors.

Their migrations sinco they were driven north out of what is

now the Lushai Hills by the Lushei have been almost entir-efY

in country already fully populated, a fact which has probablyperpetuatid their-migratory inclinations beyond their natural

[errir. They are by no means nomads but they -lack the res-traint of proprietorship. Whore they havo succeeded in acquir'ing suitaLle

-land of t'heir ourn they seem ready and content toseltle down permanently, and some are even taking to wet cul'tivation. Change, however, is likely to be rapid, and ae the in'variable ofiect of Mission entorprise seems to bs'to cause con'vorts to forget all they can of the traditions of their fore-fathers,

it is woll that Mr. Shi,w has reoordod what he could beforo theopporiunity has Passod for ever'

te28.l INTIIODI'CT1ON.

I Voua|ae o! ?emantto Mend,ez Pinto, tr. H. qqSa!' 166fl, pp. 2091201.

v ThZ fuekthoedan of tr'lorida, like the Lushei, Iiclis from his speer-blado

bho blerorl of trhe first foe he kills (Codrington, Tke Melaneaiane, 306, Lcwln,Wlltl Raoao oJ S, fr. Indda,2B9l,

 

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6 Journal ol th,e Asi,atic Bociety ol llengal. [N.S., XXIV,lU2u ]

I have to acknowledge here the kindness of Col. J. Shakes.pear.and

-of -Messrs. Macmillan & Co. in permitting the repio.{uc!io.n-gf- !h-9-

map published by_t_hem

'inCot. St ut

"up"Tr,.!,ushei-Kulci Clu.ns, also the help oi Mr. S. J. Duncan of Timen-Io.ng.i1 rnaking drawin^gs of a-number of obJect,l specimens ofwhich I was unable to find in this district, Uut a teiry ;f ;ht.hexist in the Manipur State.

CONTIINTS.

lN.r'R()D rtcrroN

Paqe

s

Kourlr,r,I

Ju\E,1928. IJ. H. H.

Fo*rirwoRn

(-\BAprnn, l.--Goneral Description(1) General Habits(2) Appearance ancl(3) Affinities

IIIItl2l6

(4) Dross(5) Tattooing(6) Mentality

t82t2t24

24

35363738

40

5l

6l;)J

57626365

666667o,7070

7t7l7l7t72

737374'lb

7676

78788l8l83

8S

87

88

00

C'il^l-'l'nR II.-Origins and Clenealogies

(l) Oligin(2) Genealogical Tree of th€ Shitlhotl cl&n

ig) Gonealogical Treo of Chongloi(4) the l{angshing clan(5) Phohhil(6) tho Shingshon ..

L'nAPrtri III.-Historical Tradi

(iIrAr'rnR .[V.--Customs

Olrertsn V"-Rites and Boliofs

(I) Rites and Beliofs. Pathen

(l) Thadou Customs. Childbirth(2) Deatb ritos(3) Marriage(4) Divorce(5) Villeinage(6) Migration Due(z) Mothod of trial by chiefs(8) Thadou law of inheritance(9) Adoption i .

(10) Oaths(ll) Civic funds '(12) Young men's House

(2) World(3) Thunder and Lightning(4) Earthquakes

l5) Khichctng

(E\ Mithune(7) In Dot(8) Ohang A4(9\ Sha Ai,

(r0) Chon(ll) Village coremonios(I2) Field Pujahs(I3) Unv'antod children(14) Head'hunting(15) PottY Pujahs

'1lB) Shallwlcou

(ln^p'r:nR Vl.-Villago and Occupations

(l) Village(2) Cultivation .

(ll) Htrlting(4) Manufactures

 

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8 Journal ol the Aoiati,c Bociety ol Bengat. [N.S., -XIV, l92g.]

Cnemrn Vll.-Language(l) Language(2) Alphabots(3) Tone, (4) Euphony

(5) Noun(6) Adjecrive(T) pronouns(8) Verb

Pago

94

94959691

989899

l0l

t06137140

143145149163169163

r66167

Eorron'g ABpnlroross :-.- A. Seven Thadou X'olk-Tales

B. Tho Ifouse ofr. J.ho House of Donsneel

!]. llrado Tenns of R"elitionshipD. Thado WauferoE. Thado frnr""]r"mr". urrd W"uporr.'

FOREWORD.

These notes on the Thados &re not to be taken as exha'us'

tive, but include all important peculiarities and customs of a

verv imuortant tribo on tho eilstern trontier of Assam, among

whom I'have ha,:l tho fortune of working tor many yeer$' In

"""ti""i*.i have to thank Jamkithang, a Thado of the Shitlho

ilan, ."cottd olerk Tamenlong Sub-<livision, Malipur. State,

Koptrt, Dongpu end meny chiefs of-the-various olans-in helf-

lns'me to eit at customi and beliefs. I am indebt'ed to Dr'

Ililttonfor editing mY MS.

Before missi6rroiy influonce should make their customs

and Leliefs things of-the past it was- mv. dosire t'o-placo on

;;;"d what:was-still remefobered, and existod, for those rvho

might be interested to read.

W. Suew.

IIAtLlreNor,Augwst 1928-

F. Thado Mueioal InstrumentsG. Misoellaneous NotgsE. Aathropometrv.I. Bibliogiaphy IK. TypesL. Index

fr,r,usrRe,rrolts.

Artioles of Manufscturo

..and W_oapons . . fa6 (a), tAG (al, t46 (bl, M7 (a),Mu$cal InstrumeDtsIndoi, . .. r I ..T5rpes, plates I-VII

Tnsr,p or Rnnlrrouggrp

r47 (b),148 (a)160 (a), I5r (o)

153 (o)Appendix K

tr'acing p. 142

tr'olded at endep

 

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CIIAPTER I.

Gmxrnl,r, Dosonprrorv.

The Thadou Kukisr

livo in a large area of hilly countryGenerar Habitar. *!,oo"dg9.,PyJl'9 lrut*i Na[as-of thl

provinceo r B u pm o i, tnlolf 3r,tily.?iltii1l, ; :"ti l,fi"jl'tlhi

in tho south and the District of Cachar in the west. Mainlv. itmay be said, they oecupy the hills of the State of Manipui'on3]! si{es_ of the.Inlphal volley. The Shitlhous, whose chief itKhotinthang alias Kilkong living in the village of Jampi, reeideto the northwest of the valley. The Dongngels, chiei0henJa;p&o, firo in tho northoast. The Haokips] clief Lhokhumans,bordor the valley on all sides but are mostly on the northeaeT.The Kipgens are mainly to tho west. T[e Shingshons, chiofMangpu, are to tho southwest of the vallev. Th]e Chonqlois.Iflngshings, Phohils, etc. are all prorcisauouily mixed up ii tnevillages w_hogo

chiefs aro one oi the other of tne.clan^e givenabovo and have no recognised chiefs of their own. Theyiavebeoom-e

-abeorbed grodually for varioue reesons by thi morepoworful olans, Tho Eangshings, however, have rooentlyformed a village under Vumpu,-alias Kaplavum. who ie th;head of their branch, in the Tamenlone Subdiiision at Yonelanq :but he is unquestionably under the-thumb, politically. 6i t[,iShitlhous in whope midet he has started his vi-llage.

a Kuki. The origin of thie word is not known, but it first appeare inBengal, Rawlins writing of tho ..Cucis or Mountaineers of Tipia" inAedati,cla Reaearolu,s (II, xii.) in 1792. Rl,ongalwi ia the na,me-used inAraoen for the Lakher tribe (Shakespeat, Luihai K.ulci Ol,ana, p. 2lB) andeome of tbe Thado-HaokipJ, I thini-are said to uso e word Rhonoahai,for Kukis in goneral, which ieappeers in the Meithei Rhonjai a,nd prodablvin tho AngomiNaga Kotso-ma.' 'They

speak of themeolv6s as Th'edo, anlthough thig teun may bo takoa to cover only the descendents of-that€ponymoul

-anoes-tor,.it is generelly uEed to cover also depondont olano

n-ow intermingled with and closely aesociatod with thoso doscendants,tlrough not aotually-claiming Thado ae an anoegtor, such, in particular, aretho descondants of Lenthang and Lunkim (a. imlra pp.2a, i6 and 2g n.o.)Ior whom, if they arenotto be calledfhados, thoreli nootherdistinctiv6term. Thado, it' may bo noted, eeems to.be a Burmeae title, apparently{onoting colrrqgo or ability (ai,il,e Scotb ond Ilardiman, Gdzetteer- 61 TlryirBfurma o,nil, the Shan Statea I, ii, 147), and MaoRae, writine

-inligg

mentions a then exieting individual chief called' Thandori (Ali,atdaSoeoonalwe VU, 1.88). Soppitt, ueerly a century later (Slrorf acior,mt oJ,ha Kukd-htelwi, Irdboa) ddrivos Kuki thus t*Kulai .. Kukai .. L*hai,,-,noeaofiAL,eo VU, 1.88). Soppitt, ueerly a century later (Slrorf acoowtt olahe Kuki,-L..tclwi llribaal ddrivos Kuki thue t-Kulai .. Kukai .. Luhai,,-,Iruakdi (=Luohdd\, and tranglateg lruolwi ag the .. Lue Doonle I ol Ltnho rays "fn.some ascoult-s of Burr.r!,qrentioptspadeof

ITga peoplo " ol Lwpade of traces havin(aving I

bccn found of a people ruled over by tho Lua kinsg or kias in d;il ;;Eby." A littlo fanoifui, perhaps. -Anyhow I cinnot trioe thdge lDuaunlou tllcy ote Lawa, a

, Anyhow I cinnot traoe thdce lDuafot Wa (flarvoy, Bwrma, p. 861). Lrewlnnlorl thpy sto lJawa, a synonyrn f.ot Wa (Earvoy, Burma, p, 36d). LeWln

lilooroloce in thc Lwchai Dial,eat, tt.l) suggsstB a derivetion foi , Kdkl ' lromihr Dro (Lurhci) wotd,, llui-Kti&, ior the Tippero (Sakohip) Trlbc,*(nO.)

 

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1928.1 Notes on the Thadou Kuhis. 1:l

12 Journal ol the Asiatic Society ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

The total number of houses which could be classified asThadou would roughly be about 5.bU0; and placinr;;;;;;";;ot 5 persons per house this wourd give a total otnr,r00 sou'lsspread over an area of about l0,0001quare miles. fiii*-*nriJappear-a small proportion for the area envolved, but, it m"sC[eremembered that there aro Kacha

Nagas, Kabuis, T-"t[h;L-,K9ms, Chirus, Aimols, Marings, Manipulis.and others ;fi;;;inhabit the same area. I. tho area given is included thtM;;of Henima in the Naga llills District under palal M;;;;;w}-ere there &re some Thadou villages. rn addition

"-i"*.JJ

villages are t. be found in the -NorthCachar Hiiir;l;; ;h;

hills borderit-g tb" cachar valloy, in syrhet on the .o"ir,"." tiii.and in the hills in Burma on thL Manipur State frontier.

All the Thadous resemble each othler verv crosel'in apnear-

Appe arance and physi c ar ffitr*3,?f",ffi? f :"tl,X J*,"#t r:haraotorigtice'Haokips and Kipgens are fairer than the

oth-ers-and have a yellow-orivetomprexi'oi. The .u*u ,"r"-il"

eerd ot the Dongngels. The Stritlhous, Lhouvum, Shingsfron Ietc., are eertainly of a darker shade and some of a d"istinct

c-oppgr colour' Ttre chiefs are usually fairer and tn" ,"uuon ]o,this is not far to see- as they do not expose themserves -ioclimatic influences to the same extont as their oill*s"rr. ,Lt th""are not as fair as those.of tho Ilaokips and Kipgeis

";;r;[;iompared with the ordinary villaEers.

.Miscegenation with .uitiv". Ind neighbouring tribes exists

p.t thf present day among fhe_Tlradous, -There,.-u

"*ur"pi", "tkndurlg village in the Naga Hills and in many Thadou uilluqu,where Naga slaves have b"en absorbec. There aro

"a"ritt%Jnsf,ances_of Manipuris hecoming Thadous. But chiefs i";; ;h";position by srlgh marriages, and they occur mainly **orrgthe ordinary villagers.

Beards and whiskers aro uncommon but there is a distinct,likingfor.a few hairs at the corners of the mouth o" thr rppe,Iips. It is nob uncommon to see men pioking ,r. th" ;;[;;

I The fairest Thados. I ever saw wore Shingshuans and Mr. J. C.Higgine telle me his oxperience is the same, b"t ilrri"t it -ourd orotrahrvD6.oorreot to say that

-tho Thado living in the oorth_west of Uanipur a"hrn Dne edJ&oent aro-a, of the Naga Trius are darkor and shorter trrair trrose[vrng turther Bouth and west, and r fancy the roason ig to be found in a.g-r€ater admixture of non-Thado hlood] I'he ord Kuki i.ft"",-ei*.[Kom, An-al, Eete, Hrankol and otherg (""u Sfr"i"spoa r, Luehei Xi*[bl"i_'-pt. Ir, oh. III) were orobabty the acivanco glr;iJ;i tt"; il;-i;;;#1;its migration, the Thailo comiirg next, ancl t'ho'r"ll. rn" arrival the less thoneod or the,. opporrunir_y wgufd be' for miscelonrii;;-..i ;*' t;;iil:,;!9 gr,r" & stmrlar reason for tho fairer complexibns of tho Thado chiefs.Mr..slraw-'s rrpl-anation doog not satisfy moi as though trru .t i"] joe. -"oiw.ork in the ffelds in tho s^me *ay a, tii"

"iituger",I?onot tf,ir* iL*iir"differe,ce in the extent to whioh ir"

"*po"u.t-iilr"if i.

"".iigil;;;ffi;;-;ppreciablo differenco in the colour of hi. uf.i" _(pa.l

hairs on their upper lips with tweezers. The old men, horvover,appea,r to appreciate a few hairs on their chins and some havecultivated a distinct o'Imperial." The hair on the head, whena hoy, is regularly shaved off leaving a tuft at the back end ofthe head. When the boy grows up to the age of puberty he isthen allowed to grow'the rest. It is never cut again and, rvhou

long enough, is tied up in a knot at the back of the hoad. Itis

combed back from the forehead and greased rvith pig's fat atfrequent intervals. So it remains to the end of lris life. Unfor-tunately they ha,ve taken to cutting their hair short, perhaps

owing to Mission influence, and say it is cooler and less trouble-some to manage. The old folk naturally vierv this attitudewith grave displeasure and vow those who do so will never

reach Mttnr Knu (The village of the departed souls).

Tlre girls are also shaven 1 excepb for a small patcli atthe baek of the head which is allowed to grow unhampered.When they reach maturity-sometimes a little before-theirhair is allowed to grow. Here again plenty of pig's fat is used.

When lorrg enough it is divided dorvn the centre of the l.read andplaited into two strand,g on each side of the head. When thisgrows longer the strands are crossed and brought round tho head

and tied in front above tho forohoad. Tho plait ort the rightside is taken around the back of the head and over tho lott ear,

while the plait on the lefb goes round the back of the head

and over the right, ear. A piece of cotton or combings of hairare interplaited at the ends of these two strands so as tofacilitateihe tying of them at the front of the head. A husbandmay use his wife's hair oil (pig's tat) or vice versa, but it is

" taboo ". for anothel: person to do so other than of that house-

hold. The reason given being that it would cause bhe hairto fall out and some awful ailment would be the consequencesto tbe culprit.2 Now-a-days, cheap and smelly bazar hair oil is

1 This practice of shaving the heade of unmarried girls is prevalentthroughout tho hill aroa that divides Assam and Bengal from Burma andoccurs also in the Nicokrars (Hamilton, Aacount oJ the East Ind,ies Il, 7l ). In

some tribes tho shaving is continued oven after marriage and throughoutlife, and supplemented by actually plucking out the hair in places. Wester-marck, Hiatory of Human Maniage, p. 175-6, points out that short hairis often symbolical of chastity. The fact that tho hair is allov-ed to growjust before or after rnarriago seems to Bupport this, but probably in thisparticular area Bome weight must bo attached :to the consideration thatsha.ren heads are much the easiost to keep freo of vormin, a verrygood reason for forgoing the sexual attraction of long hair as long asposeible.-(Ed. )- z This tabu on alion hair-grease is to be aseociated no doubt with theworld-wido viow thab the hair is a particular soat of the soul or lifo-foroe(of. Shakospoar, Lushei-Kuki, Clans, pago 109). The story oI Samson ie afamiliar example, and the theory is common in the Indonesia.n areo. Thuttthe Karong of Burma appear to have the idea (Marshall, Karen paopl,e o,f

Bufino, page 287) in that the father of an oxpected child may not out hishair for f6ar of shortening the life of the child ; in Malaya a warrior on on

 

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L4 Journal ol the Aaiati.c Boaiety ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

bggomjng daily commoner and there does not oppear to bo anyobJection to sharing a bottle. As men and woddn ."*ct *,ipLage they pay less attentiorr to their ooiffuro and it becorri"a1 ynlid,v lumptied anyhow. A good ma,ny seem to losomortof their hair and the top of the h6ad becomes eaked with dirt.Curly hair or waved 1 is rare, but isolated

"u.",u.u ,u"o.

The hair generally is black with.a-aopper tint in ;r"t.- H;i.;as a secondarv male characteristic,-ii generally abslnt fromthe chesb and irmpits

The Shitlhous &re more squat than the Haokins andKipgens.

.The others may rafely be plaeed in the same-c'ai";;

as the Shitlhous. They have-dispioportionatel.y

f*rs" lilsl"r,and calves apcf !!e appearance of being heavy uria .to?, *hT;hthey. .undouttedly are. both ptrysical'iy and mentally. fn"Haokips and Kipgens difier as they areialler built ana'a*u

"oio heavy about the lower limbs. fhey are Aenerallv more asileand energetic both mentally and phyiically"than

"io"uoroii"t

bloods.2

The women aro mostly prolific but child mortality is hoavy

owins to their want of knorvlodge in matters medical concerntng

"uiii?""."i'iuui.

"puringing.

"Sometimes there aro two and

inil" ,iilril*ri.uelogf tru"It f"ed ar ages vurypc from infancy

io tht"u y"rt.. Th6y are ve-ry uncleauly and-hardly ever think

.t irroini a wash.-After

dyeing cloths and cotton with in-

Xir"fr"r."irfrinJ, ?ni"n i*Uolea'lu a pot and thri material or

;;il;;";;;;;e-'in it witu their fingeis, thev nover think or

takine ofi dhe stains or washing' They lust go 9I with tletg

aaity'*ort and eat ttreir food with their fingers as if nothing had

han"oenecl. The same applies, no matter what they have been

aJirio"n"rur;u" i; both^men and women' -

They -washthejr

dish;b u"od rrl*tl. afber mea'ls (even this not always) but usuatly

do not *atli thei* hands boforo taking thoir meals'' Ihere ls a'

f"ti ttotu that when they had to iross the Imphal river.by

wad.ins tU" n.t died atl the way down to the sea because ot the

dirt oi'ages on their bodies.

Thev are all sood walkers and do not walk on thgir toes

*n""-n"i""-roilif Thev plant the whole of their foot down

"ri.rirr7"o"*"iJr""itntttir-thighs and calves for the forward

fi;.*b;il""1n"

level the saile action is notiaeable and thoy

ao'"ot uttrighten out their le-gs. for t'he next- step but ossqp.e.-U"a of bont knoe action ofthoi. o*n. I have noticed thie

among most hillmon'A-bortionandinfanticidearenotuncommonwhenthe.preg-

nencv ie attended bv any circumstances cauelng lha-me !o Ene

;;;;":- s;i"tJ; hu$pe"t occasionally.and.is usually by poison'

T[;;;;J;t !""".itiy some incuraLle. illness- or poverty' .A

"arei* known ih"re u"*o-*, poisoued her husban<l so that she

;;ht;;rrt her paramour, b-ut this one. *iv :lit:-i:.?YP*'iioiut. Divorce ii easv and frequont owing to t'he ta'ct.that rn

many marriages the two porsons have not,ever

seen eecn otner

before, beoause -"*.irg6. are- a'rra'nged by, parent: C*11.11I

This, however, is dying out and- the sons &nd daughters a're ln-

sisting on having more say in the matter'

Notee ott the Thail,ou Kubis. l61928.1

expedition may not_ have his hair cut, nor mav his wife or ehild durins his.abse,-nc.e

(skoat, M.alay Magic), rn Nias a chief kept t i" iit" i"-, t-"i- .i'rriihoad that was as hard &s coppor wire (-tr razor, Oai,ei Coi[n-,-ff, it8lfii;in Amboyna and in Ceram strength.dep_gnd!_on

nof, fr"fl"g.ifrl frrii ""iibid. 158). This idea appoars again in'Fiii (Brewster. Hilr"Tribes of Fi.,;i.page.245), a-s apparently in MatlagascarlOsb oir., ruoaogoi*;,itu.,i"5" SgLi:,and in the llarquosas rslands, where the hair of the irictim of "'"i""i#ieast ie mado into armlets or neckrots of grear virtuo, suggosting that Jhiiis tho reason why the peoplo of -Borrreo, Iiko the Na[a','?ea, ilr"'fr"i" .Itheir dead enemies. rn America tho Jivaros of th'e Amazo- ho;;-th;same belief about the hair (Karsten, Blood, Reuenge, War,iii,,;;;;g-;i;Ji,ba,ro-Indians pp. 31,32,87),

'aswell as tho North A"meriean Indian;, ;h;

took th-e.scalps-of tt?eir enemioe. The same idea doubtless";J".ii"L tii"

view held in India abour tho hair (uide Moses, Sir",cl,ty iiiii ,ti-Siiiii"it,it, Ma.n.in Indja'Septembet,lg2T), asitcertainly "iloeein n"ropu. *fru..

the hair is tho seat of tho e"xtern_al_soul. (x'razer ir".-iil. i+1i{.i' -*"-_ . Mc0ulloch (Account ol the Vattey oJ trtunnipore, p. 68) rirentilns thatKukiq are vary particular as to who iI ontitted to'use *irose'co*f, ,rra ifrrisocial .proorxlenco- among rhe Thado may bo iosted hy trri".

-ririi."91:::??1irc

Ethnoto,sy.oJ.Bengat, p. 47), drawing on Stewait 1Nir""1i"W.uct'ch.4r) ru6ntions that tha.the.tnltz,-presents a ndwry married coupre with a

oomb each; that man and.wife onl-y may uso tho-same comb;ihat it'iemost.unluck_y_to-loso a comb, and thit rvh"en a rnan dios rri" co-Lis u""ioawith him, while his relations break ilroir combs and wear their hair dis-hevollod-as a sign of mourning.-(Ed.)

., t I faney e.urly ancl wavy-haii would bo a good cleal more noticeable[nan r]ney &ro, rt .t were not for tho use ofgrease and the practice of prait-ing the.hair. charaoteristics suggosting a negroid strai"

"i"i-i"iy r*{"."t

a-rnon-g'rhado v'9mgn' and I fancy thit sofiewhere in their #ande'rinqsthey h-ave absorbed some oI the Nlgrito stock, which s""*" t. rr""""il",iitho indi_g.onou_e elor,ent in the Naga' r{ills, and which, accordins totradi.tions.colleoted by Mr. J. I{, Cracel

"eomsi., frn"e surviveJ;;;;";;;

race in the North Cnchar Hills to as lato a.date *e tfr"ni-rf"" Ki;'g;;;;a Kachari King of whioh extornrinated trre survivors. ( su"tlrror,roii"ar]traturn_dn Aaaam, , Man in India, Decomber, lg27.)_(ErI.)

2 I dorrbt ths advisabiliry of laying do;;;;i, srioh 'rule other thanthat of locality and environmeirt, whieh lioes

"ot*iiuy" go Lv

"uri-"-tuJ.i

I tr shoulal havo said, as far as my own expcrience goes' that the prac'

tin" of Haehins ;1ru lr""al betore eating was, on tho_ whole, commoner then

i;; ffi#;:'firiJ*iia'Ct"a, is, howEve", cortainlv no groat advoca-te of

;';lffi;.*i

"u*.;mt,;;*"ii- ti,"'

"otpulsorvwashing o-I one. of mv'rhado

;;;t"";;.h;;d*itt"i wiihout shaml thaChis skin had not known-w-etor

f.;;;;;,;;;;,;;t u"""*LJto

be a healthv e.ngugh vourrs buck' rlodson

t Naoa ryri,bes ol Manipur,"i' Eft;;;;-ni;*i ttoiv ""t hJw t'he Thado'-tho

ii;'; #,i""t;; iffii;I,;i' f,ua-J ["-pi"g mateh icroeg a waterv vallev'

il;'8 Tffi,ir;;ii'"rv-ti""""J it', aria ulttris not at all, tho-Naga yely nearly

;iA; ;;J-;"$"" ii *oaurution, while the-lllanipuri fell in and hag been

;ilil; e*o"srirou cleurrlirrJ*-""o" .1r"". The Tliado tell what ia virturllyfi,fi#"1;;;;'ili;;ilth. Nog', to erplain whv the l\Ianipuri worhcr

himself after ovaouario" fi).""-r"V'iih;- Hi;;; of inrlia, whi6 thc Kukl'

iiil;;ii lvtirr-utro' iollowa the B-fi rmose oustom'-(Ecl' )

 

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16 ,lournal ol the Asia,tic Society ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

Comparativelv few Thadous c&n swim but a good manv arefairly exiert_wirh bamboo .rit*",Li"uJh;; ;f,];rT*i_il;rivers. The Chura Chandpur Subdivision t["d;;.;f M;"""#,?stato are more expert iri the **t"r *"J'olirrltr^t'u#'tti

obhers.

All Thadous are exoeedingly expert in making all kintls oftraps for animals, birdsand fis[." Hunting plays;r';*;;;;;;part in their lives and customs, as will be se6n further

""'-.r;;,;

are good trackers and are-never h-appier th;rh;;; ;il; ;riltTheir next Joy is the j_ular and, t#t; but not f"rrt,r^or.i"iover marriage price or the'like of some"relati";;;;iil'L;t*ti;";or more generations.

."#:#1?3:,'i:##l'31;:,1#:'ffi :,,:ii,#fJj;,x[,?;be absorbed in others Just because they have r,aa E"ougrr^"i'tu"place and the wandor-iust has got hoid oi trrr-.

The chiefs have great power among thom but this is beinqslaf.en by the ad va n de of ad mi nist r.;i;" :;;-rh;;ff ; # ;r:ilHcivilisation ? Persone who are .rot ,elrt"a t"

"ni"f, "r"t"'UIseen &s heads of village.s Just becauso they have ."*" *".fifbehind them aird rr",-,in'*n."q"""1",-;ili"1;

;J;;d;;#owers. Tho ehiefs naturally- d; .;;-;pp.eciate' _r;h;Jrr;;;setting up_as s_ueh, especially when tt uy uito*" next door neish_bours' Yet the chieis havl often the"ms;;;;;il;. ",Ii;become too exacting on their viIagl;s.--""'

The Koms, Aimols, Khotlhangs, Thadous, Lusheis. Chins.Affiniries. pois, Suktes, paites, Gangtes,

.etc.are

gu.age arone has many .T*?,Hl,[3,J"i1#:ffi:ai. f,tilSJl:T-il3:-,Ag"in there-are their austoms *ti"U hrrru & commonp.ncrple runninE through thgm all fne fUaaou;";d*;coming from the"soutn *fi"r" ,if tU"Iit", tribes mentioned arenow residing. Wars and want of tana- tor

"rlfi;;;;;;;;ortainly_the main causes for the oorth*ard _";;;;;;;,rnj';suggest that this movement, which had to rru

"Lpi"l"a'*J-ti"]uenbl.y,

mieht have been a "rur" oJ-inJ au""tffiLni "r i'n"wander-lust,.-

The traditions of the Jlhadous all point to the south andthey-admit having come northwards. i *fraff deal with this atlength- when giviig tne fristlrv' ,f

"in"ifruaoo* as qiven bvthem from ya-rious"sources which f nrv"-"orra"""r"il "af., tfrr"pedigre,es and genealogicat trees wnl.n *it"folow in later chap-ters will go to prove tle contentio". p,rt-lor;;;d';;;. ' iff#:ever I must difter with Lt.-Col. Sil;&;;r; (Luehei-Kuki Ctansp. 8) in hie contention that ttre frfiri._or more correctlvsongpus-are related to itrl,ihra;_-;lr;sh';l'" H:i",;iJEirst becauso of their ouetoms, u""orratv U""ruse of their modeof living and the rype of t;;r;;;-;;it[i.ary u"*r* uTrrJ"

1928.1 Notes on the Thailou Kukis' t7

language. The Songpus are unquestionahly.allied to the Kaoha

NaIas i'ho in turn iie connected with the Angamis.l"The village of Toushem, a Zenti 4u9h-1 Naga village on

the western birder of the Tamenlong Subdivision of Manipur

State, claim that they were originally Lenthang Kukis- and on

reacbing Maram village, which is o little more than half-wa5r

betweei Imphal and Kohima on the west of the cart road onthe top of a^hilt about 3 miles away-, on their forward or rathernorthiard movement were absorbed into the Naga communityand then spread south'westernly down to their present site'

The village- of Liyaugmai, which is north-east of- Tamenlong,-a

long day'Emarch, give me a slory of coTing up from.the south

untit ttr-ey reached'-Maram village and from there they came

southwaid to their present sito. They do-not say they wero

Lenthangs or any dther kind of Kukis. They are Li;zangmei

Kacha Nugu* and u,pparently u-ere- t'he last to leave Maram

village sinie they havi reniained the nearesb to it while the

1 The affinity of the Thado with the other branches of tho Kuki race

*""tio*i-Iy 1.i". Sfru* is unquestionable,. I think, -but there is no

6oubt whateier in mv mind thit there hag beon an inffltration, ofton a,

"""" "t"""n o"e. of the same stook, into most of the Naga tribes' Moiorgii"i toiin" Iikurno People of the Snniloumy Dietrict) Arakon, J'A'S'B',Nd. r'ot taz8; iott.iitoingly iraoos tho-Chin -migration to tho. upper

sources of tho'Chintlwin, in'whioh case the Kuki race h-ae firet migrat:dirom north to south down the valloy of tbat river, and thon, stopped byih. B"o of BenEal. turned north again up tho ranges forming the wator-

etrea to"the west'of it, (c/. Lewin, Wlld Races oJ South'Eaatern- In.dia', .pp'ije. ZS.f Thrown off ilirring the long course oi the southward migration,ofisiioots of the l(uki stock undoubtedly ponetrated the u'estern watershed

of th" Chindrin valley long beforo the Thado came up tho watershed f-rom

ihe southasain. ThusthJMaring tribeincludes avillage, Khoibu, whichwill not iniermarry with other villages, and whieh has a tradition of a

"o*-o,origin witir the Poi of Falari,-hav!18 -migrated

to the ManipurvJley from-the Kabaw Valley (nearthe Qhindwin)-apparently rv-ith. the,"rrlne Marins villases (" Mai in lndiq" YI, No' 4, Notes on the Marings,

Eu ffl". Gimsoln). f'he'Tangkhuls

have ono origin legend_associating

t'fiem with the Marings (HodJon, Noga llribes oJ M-anip-ut,-p' I0)' and thee"gu*i, still lurther-north west, have a legend of origin- Irom the, Tang-

khtil country.On the other hand there arC many traditions which show

ifrul tfru lasi imigrants into the Angami gouttfJ speak a- language classi-6...1 b" Grierson"(1.'inquistic Suraelt-of India IlI, ii) as Naga-Kuki' " Re'

lation'shipwitlttheK;kis,"saysllodson (op.cit.,p.l7)"isdirectlyclaimedby the t'eople of Yang," i.e.-, lhe Kochha

-Nagavillago of }--an-g-I(hulen

oi Ctr"t iuri". The A"o tribe, in t6e north of the Naga Hills distrrctshows entirely unoxpected traces of Kuki influences, ancl the sema tribein *t o* thd dominant element is derived from o migration from the

s;uth-west in tho Manipur State, has ite whole social and political Bystom

clearly modelled on a Kuki pattern.---it retu*tt to X'ryer, th; Chin tradition,quotedbyhimfroma.Chin

ballad, of the brick walled city of thoir forefathers, suggests that' tho

Kukis'may have once possesse-d a higher oulture than they,havo now'

If so, thir would perha-ps account for tho excoptional readinees wlt'h

which ho adopts the stiango culturo offered to him by. tle Amerioan

Misiionariea, i characteristio in which he differs from all Nagal that Iknow, exccpi the Ao, and posaibly the Somq.-(Ed.)

 

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18 Journal ol the Asiatic Society ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,Zemi Kacha Nagas and the Karruis or songpus are ail furthorsouth and southilest of them.

No better idea of the clear differences between Kukis andNlgas

9an be had than by reaaing r,1-CLi. Sfrar."rrl.r;.-5ii[referred to above with that on the-Angami, btM;T. H. II;;ton.l

, Thero is ono point that makes mo suppose that thev musbn&ve been nreviorrslv either ocean-shore, creek, river o"r, luku-bank dwellers. fney tuila rh"t;L;;;;;'oo pii*,"a"a"l'Jlive on tfie ground liko Naga,s, i";.;pil; tn" X;;1;..

Tho men wea,r a ldin-oloth s' wo"rn someivhat like aDress, ,, Dhoti', and have one or more clothes

shourder or both. rn*'j,.X?3_ lf:',11r'*[':l;;;1,";#l;a, yard or Just a litile l,onger. It is tied round th;-h;"d ;;hDne ends or one ond s0icking up in front. The women ,u*, nloin cloth which is wrapped"rorina ineir-waists a"d r;a;il;Iittle.over half.wav dow-ri their ttrign..

--.A,ttachodt6 tt"

"i"tn.ometlmes ggparately, is a string which is passed round the waiJ"Tg,r9

hotds it- up. In addition they-wear a breast cloth

:vnlch.rl wrapped tight round the torso, the outer corner beinsrucked rnat the-top at a spot between the left breast and thEEl-rmplt. , Sometimes an additional wrapper is used thrown clvorthe shoulders thus compreting their wiidrob".;

-eiiu",isntih"

1928:l Notes on the Thadou Ruki,s. t0

_. j.Te gifferencesare,us.efully eummarised by Mills in an arbicle ontn" #*l]:tut _of.A::l- i" tt

.eAu*m iiiJu,;";"M;"oh, I srt:6a. i ""

method of fastening seoms inadequate, strenuous action does

not seom to make thoir clothes work loose, or fall off.All these clothes are woven from ootton which is grown

on their lands and spun by the ivomen. Now-a-days quito a

numbor of Manchester goods are gaining sway among them

such as shirts, shorts, etc. owipg to Missionarv influence andadvanqement of civilisation afrdng them. Tlie villages notnear tho valloy of Imphal have not got as far yet and eeem tobe the happier for it. Both rnon and women have also a kindof lumper which is v.ery crudely made. It consists of twostrips of cloth about 4 ft. by 9 inches. These aro stitchedtogether leaving an unstitched gap in the middle about a footlong. Through this gap the head goes. The eides of thisehestand back protoctor are again stitched together leaving a gap inthb centro of eaoh for the arms,

There is another coat-shirt with short sloeves and a collarand a fow.butbons down the front, but thie is most eertainlynot of Thadou origin but is a copy from the fashions of thoforeigner.

frhu *.*pp"rs used by the mon and women may be whitoor dark indigo bluo. The whito ones usually havo one blackband at the extremities whilo the bluo onoe have somo embroi-dery work in plaoo of those bands. The indigo dyo is obtainoclfrom the plant Bfrobilanthes f,ocai,ili'toli,us grown by them. Thepattern of embroidery that may be worn ou & m&n's or wom&n'sblack oloth is varied aocording to his or her aehievements.The shade of blue is varied by steeping the olobh or oottoirbwice gr oftener in the dye. There are other dyes of variousshades all from plants of different kinds.

Forthe rainy season a sort of tray, oval shaped, rather likea tortoise'e sholl made out of palm or bamboo leavos on a

bamboo frame is used as a covering by both sexos. Thie islarge enough to cover tho whole body when stooping doryn

duiing field work. It has a plaited strap of cane or bambooinside, whioh goes over the shoulders and thus keeps it in posi-

tion, while arms are free. The loavee are dried and then smokedbelore they aro usod for the manufacture of these rainshields.

Both sexos have usually a small or larger haversack slungovor one.ehoulder in which odd,g and ends, tobaoco, etc. arekept.- Ygung men and the morriageable gills wear & piece otthread tied lust above the ankle. ft is supposed to make thefoet attraotive in thoir eyes. Similarly around tho wrist some.times a piece of wire is used, but thie by the men mostly.

The mon also have strings around their neoks. Some

of those have a tiger's tooth or a few fowl's feg,thers attaohed*

\pomGn dlroord their apronr aftor the birth of thoir flrct ohild (Wutrr.morok, lllirtory o! Ilutndntnarriaga, gtd, edit,, p. 107).-(Ed,)

2 Mauy Nosn rribes build rheir t """". "" tilTri'"rirT"irrJliiu uP:.::j*ry:"l1i:y:y yt !r"; "il;,fi; i" j*is';i"!-i-h; u"""'iylJir"l.c element rn the oooulation of Burma and Assim. t6 an immiarltiol .fthe Alpine race, it ii just possibl" tr"t ir," p"r"uilffiiilffiirH;iil'.,: i,JAssp,m,_ and the romai,s bf prehietoJc-l;f," ;ii"g", in Europo aro to bederi ved f rom a c o m mo' e or"du, th_ou gtr the acil;iT#ft ;.iilr:"";;",# ;;ave.boon dolichocephalic themsolveE, B;;;""" p. 84, n, Z, .u rt c&n only bo 'short time since tho Tirado' mare went naked.Men are still to be"seen naked in tho'Chin fiilf" .*rri.";ily, tii;;;h';#women wear clothes. cnd I havo hoard of OId Kukis f.i"g "r""."r?"a j"

l[i" _l*:: in cachar d""i;t rh;i;;i r"il"*.1""a-ril';;;;;;ilh;3T: ll:,1 tru"T,"" wore no. clorhos is etilt-frosh. Indeed Surge"on Ma;tt&e w,trng of the Kukis of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in l7gg describesune rnen as qorns naked (Aeialie- Researches, VII, Ig4), while Damant,yEtitre of. The North cachar nils"ia

iiiir-i"ni{*""ti'lciiirrnifiiri,ii',,uiIl,_ 11Il

.. The proper d"ess of a il;[i;I" ; higu"qoi."

street, wrriJhrs.iunrown toosely over tho ehoulders; this ia still the driss worn in-remotevul&ges, but most of the Kookieg in the plains have taken to. wearing adhutd aa well.',-(Ed.)

,^__n^ Thilg,woT.u"'are.c-areful- to cover the breaets until they haveDorne a- ohrld, eft6r which it dooe not matter exposing theml Theeame rule is obaerved bw the Lusheis, the Tountiha eind thl Tipperas oi!!9.ttitt Traota of ct ittigo"g tr,-";;; w;d-R"rZi' ot s.n. inat"iif;.Toi,!!Zl,-tlr,9,.Loe, the Sanrats"(B-odaing,-i"'.r.7.B.r.,ixVri iii, ot,'fi,f ii#oj,

IPgbhum,_ the Dusun of Borneo, the Negritoa of Zambales in tho

[t,i3#3 i"tiffii:i fr:"cffi!:]?":"fi i,i t1J*'tsl,"'i,##5]-*li;the chittagong

rriil Tracte , p. r70[ si-it*ty i" ;;oro tribes of Austraria rlre

 

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20 Jowrnal,6l tke Asiatia Society ol Benqal,. [N.S., XXIV,

Tiod round & man,s waist is the knife cailed ,, Chempong.,,

:fl_TI -T^1_":Il" :lr-gs are eometimes worar""

r""" tot"rrr, I rhiok3"";1l*"lg:":*,::*,L:l;:-Ig+-i j".,_i;;i#;,i";r"f ff ila.#L?reomethinggimilar. is hu

e'v Aeruer ul E wrrq ruusoouirt or +.^h;^^^ --; *^ ]?^g^T

aleceptacle into-which the partly chewEdg.X*:j'il*::,:*3"pr*:j*L""'."iffi i[H"h'i'il::lir,"#ff ;oason. Jron Drio k ors f o i ex trac ti n g _ih;-."",';idii; i,#'r=. ill lffi,r'Hitlepilation are-carried bv c

rhc naalt ,.,r Fi+^L,- -"^^lT--t:t :11,K*.ki men, generylly o"".;;i;t;;;

In his hand he has e spe&r called " Tengcha " or a'tnuzzle'load'

il*f;y,fmii',Nr"#"ii"$i,?i$i':i&;"'#J'iT:i.H*il,ut,iuflu"nces" wears his hoir cropped short, has a shirt antl ooat,

*"t* tii.ttt, stockings and b6ots' Often capping it all..with a

soft felt hat or even a 'o topee ", a'ntl tries to convorse with one

i" ,rr" Ga Enelish with JnAmerican t.rvang-'

-He

has not the

.u"if'rppu*tril"" of his iungly brotbers or their open counte-

;;;";. 'Ii" upp"rrc to bL c"airving- the whole w-oight of the

world on thos6 weary looking s[oulders of his and in that wor-

;i;J;il;;.io" ." r,i* iu""..

u does not appear to be any the '

hannior for the change."*"'i't"

tnadou chie"fs tlo not dress difierently !9.9!.ners,.except

tot ffroti"t[rng 1uti". Kilkong-), head of the Shitlhou branch'

,rtr" tr* investeil in a ,, Topeen' since his release from his exile

;;ildit; after the Kuki Pirnitive Measures of l9t8-19'

Those who have performed certain -ritesare allowed to

*"u. * blr"-black clotli with a special embroidery. b'ut this will

be <iealt with further on. Most of the chiefs having performed

lU*"-rilu.-"rturally wear those clothes on a.uspicious occasions

when thero are suro to be many peoplo gathered together' as a

mark of distinotion.- Thie is not practioed as a distinctivo mark or as a rito

rartooing. ?fff"- oll?,1o"tt?'i:i- ;llffi ,"t Jl,icircle or dot, lust for furi, bet"r"'een the ttr.upb and fi-rst finger in

*iaaf""f

t[e soft part, of the flesh which links the two' Itil;;"; *itt, *ny shdrp needle'like implemerit and any colouring

*"1t"" rvhich i"s handy, suoh as indigo iuice or soot' is used'

Except for this tattooing is ra,re r-among

thcm'---- tiru mradou is * tl"lo* but deep t'hinker for -the average

Mrin6ar*y. Iili,fl't, #; t":"ilJliittln ffilway the children are brought-up. Ooco the children c&n run

oUJotllr"y ,." i"ti ,r"ty tfio"tL'tg.themselves and no'form of

ai*"+fi"riy"du"aiiotl

is gioei---them'.,.,In fact -the- .p-aronlq

.uu*'to tfioroughly "irpr"fiotu the quolity in their children ifirr"y t"L tn"* fiooh""'ithuo or dupi thom' They aro left to

^1A circle is sometimes tattooed on the forearm usually in a-line

with the-baek

of the hand ancl a littlo above the wrist, but gometimes

it th""ot"""pondin!

place in a line with the palm. The qattern is made

by prioking'the ar"ni with thoms of the cane plant and-applYing the

oi-rorilar enfi of a small bamboo tubo which hsg b6on rubbed on the sooty

t"tto- of a cooking'pot. Carbon is the ugual tattoo pigmeni. from

o""itut India to the f[iilippines, but the Mundas are also re-p-o-rted to use

,-""i"itUt" aV" tnov, ThL Munitaa anil their Cowlttrg, p' 319) a1d aJsg

to m"ark their arms diih a circular mark, made in this caee with d heatgd

iron i,ube. Waddell (Tr'i,bee oJ the Brahmaputra-Vallry, J'A'S'B', pt' III,1000. o. 6l) savb that this tattooing with a circle on the forearm seemecl

,.i"l,r"l*t,iJi'h. ;; apparentlv wfitit'g of the rlrankol Kukis'-(Ed')

Notee on the Tkailow Kubis. 2lr928.1

occasionally a-pair of twoezers and a thorn-pick.r Tho tiser,stooth a,nd teathers aro to ward ofi the evil eie and keep tiemwell on a Journey, in addition to prevencing"tn"m-from'Jfi;;ing any miefortune.

- . Ihu women, if unmarried, wear a spiral braes fore-armlotwhich etarts ar the wrist and go"* op'*itt in + inlle;;';;of the elbow. The

-

spirals a.u"flat internally ;; ;h" diand are conyex outside-with a breadth of half ai inch .;;ai;.Just above the elbow an armter of Uettmetai l;-;;;-;f#h

is about t$ lbs in weight and- !$ inohes in diameter, th;r;;ti;;|elng circular- Ne_ck'iaces of biue o. ."J-bu"d* ;';;;;;;;;ho[ow rins about 2 inohos in diameter in the lobe of her ur".This. latter"is vgry ti ke a n apkir:;irC; ;; i^hr;';; ;r1 -;;r;A ;i;rn rronc about * inch wido. To make the ear capabre of carrv-rng these rings they pierco their lohes and extend'them bv oul_trng in rolled leaves of graduully incroasing dimensions."' 'ihe

:llgj:_"Mgh!, meral ir sirvei. rh" ite-a"r

r*"i"g tn1;srlver is to my mind of recent formation.

'Ihe men we&r &.cornelian bead in eaclr ear tied wibh apiece of cotton to the lobe of the ear *hi"h i;-pi;;""a Ir'rJiliilk Th? bead hangs abour an ir.h };;-lhe ind

"f

th"-[T;.

these beads are much treasured by them and often iorman item in prices paid for brides.Both sexes have almost always got a snrall bamboo tube

or gourd which contains.tobacco juicel tfrey tate a p;ll ;l;Lnd |oep the fluid in their mouths until its invisorativ;' ;;;;rtios have beon absorbed and rhen rhey .pii ii

";;;;;i;."^pip-e,

ore smoked by both. These are oither wo'oderr, Ur*b1o, er";[;;:ware, brass or motal. There is a distinci pipe for prodooio,

!t.l*.".they use as a drus. rr h;s ; j;;; il;i^;;;";:coptacle ot bamboo or wood for the juice. Thi'bowl is earthen-ware and slants towards the emokoi.z The tobacco iu *"ii"akt:llqP:ilg in tho.bowt and a red hot "i"d;i. pi;# ;ffi;&3d th,el the operation begins. Dried tobacco Idaves are aIsLonewed 9f n_oqr sexesand spat out when all the Juiee has boenertracted. The Juice is not swallowed either. . '

dopilation are-carried

by almost aliand tweezerg for that and for

l*"::,%"'*,Il':l}-{*t$:^;i.;tF+-"""4;",:rtiT..T;;il'}:#H:Hg*:_ j*f nuudtrh;il;;.;"il";-r';;:"";utilfii:"#:Xi:XffiTfi :i*1":XT,.k*'::"n:,::1,:[*^;r,;:,e{;iqffi Tii"h:ifi"liTl,ii_t:I*::i*:',fl'::::,:'^lryr-?rli;!ii""::'ir"vr:#.::61'i;,;;{;#;it;&,T:"r1,:escribeg tfe peopt_g of p6gu'; ; ;, ;;#';1 ;;;;;:;;#:#;;;::ffi ,H;;l*it*",?ll*iff ilH,,11nr;*x'Etl,1i]11.',;,'tr,Li-rr*ii;#.rg :ij:f:ir\ rhom, rorpu

See plate 4,'ffg. S."-(Ed.)

 

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22 Journal, ol tho Asi,atia Society ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

ipprove thoir minds,in the best way-they oan with no help. ,Ifthey ask quesbions they arotold to-shut"up_and this n.,t'eve;p-olitely-as.thore ar_e more idportant matiers tor .o"*iar.rlio,thau answering_childish queriJs. This may Uu to co"""-i;;;;:ance, because thore is nothing the Thadori dislikes ;;r" il;;being proved_ to be wrong and ridiculed. H; ir;; d-;;important

antl-air his knowiedge. - Drink generaily m"L"r-ui-boeome quarrelsome and rook o-ot for a scri,p. H,i" is trocolerrtand has a tremendous idea of his own impordance. r rrr"e ort*,seon Thadous and Nagas p_ass each othir on the prin. r"a-iii3garly every instance.thg fhadou has kept tt" pqih;Lril""th;Naga moves aside-to.let him pass. In Naga

"i[Jges*t

"rr.omJ.ancing..is-on and there happen to bo s6me Th"adorr-;;;;;they wrll almost arrvaye push aside the Naga lookere-on and Eetin front so as to have the best positio" fiitnoui ilr,

-.ii-rrt?.i

eompuno.tion. He has.the app-earance of boing tn"-a"rii"r"ipartner in his household, yei,-he is v-ery often'led Ly ht#i;;moro especially if she happons to bo well connected. brief doesnot afioct him much bu1 tho women have long ;r*;;;; ;;;will be often heard weeping aroud in a vilrage'onrilu.iti"-]because some one has tuined up who rooks lik? o" nn.1r.," ,l*"Jna,me as..a long departed child, relation or triend, ;; ;;;;oonvorsation has recalled some sad day in tuu-"rii".--wue"deserting a village rhe men will wark gail! ofi *itr,

"nii"ipatii"e-elrng' ot _now ventures while the women will stay benina ""

while to shed a tear over the graves of tfreir-LU"id;';;relatives, before catching up tho fien, be.arse thov mav neverseo them."gtiq. Life is oivery little v"lo" uio"e"*o-rde;-;;;compromised for ono or two mithuns (Bos frontalisi. b;; th;l,oqrder,gr

usually becomos the I,seryant,,_I p;;'f;""n;;

,"Ly;^1^ ^_:t_:"oTpowerful chief in return foi protection.

rvrurders a,ro not common among-the Thadou,i, as thef look on itas a groat-sin to, take life in cold blood. n-ourv slod-;";;;;

lfl litTil,l-t"Tl"Ji:[iJr"T,-i:#,,H"f I'lL,"*;ifi-ritchiof, but this is carried out by me&ns of a raid ,s*iosi-uo;Jvillage where a scoro has to bi wiped out. Th";'";a;-#;;ropreoent slaves in the next world f6r the chief, as th- ;*1" ;;lpirit' of the. decapitated work for rhe Chief ; ;; Liilhi Khu:;_r^:11-

r,"^I":lrl-"-,1 lor", moro so if it is vulgar, and are alwa5,s

roaoy tor a ta,ugh.

The older folk have generally very long faces since thevhavo to remember the loi-g line of pu[igr"u".

"rJ--"ii"h"?r"t

dr,ted back m&ny, many geierations fo rd'Jiti;" il.fi-;'hJ.il";.nage pricoe, otc. due and to be paid by their line, ptus uU tn" feoi*.Thsse pereons &I9 the. refererice bo;ts fo" irru yo";g;;;;-tions whenever ill foeling gives rise to quarrels or litftatfin.--*

-, ^ Tl"I-:pyially pridJ tihemsut o"* o,i!""""ugi"ril?"", *Li"uplay a pa,rb ot rmportance in some of their ritual-s and festivities

1928.1 Notes on the Thaitow Kulci,s. 28

Tho memories they possess for these matters aro rvondorful,-ar

oti"o tar distant perions u,know! to each obher go through tho

;;; i;;g list of names without in error'---ht" "pt"vailing trait of self-importance and solf-exaltation

,-o* th; Thado;s is understood when it is remerntrerecl that

f;-i;;g years they composed the levies ot the il'Ianipur State

"oa-*L?""nUowed io do*verv much asthey pleased with a'll

"*r"nwhom they took up their abode' At times their ambi-

iio"r i""" got the bettei of theT and they broke out r-n gpen

,uf"fUo" io" fsts-fS. Their tails aro not down and f have

i*ta-ii uria that they hope to beoome a " Rai' some day'---

The Thadous' developed, or perhaps natural. arrogance and

truculence t has not abated much since that rebellion':-Il; is vory litigious and his inclination to form small

villases anywhire aot uoe.y*here with no respect of others'

landE is a .oot"" of trouble administratively'

t When I first made the Thado's acquaintanco and{or years aftor, I

".rrrd.udhi* moroly as an administratirie nuisance. Hie habit of. split-

;#;-;;-hi. ;iilagos"ioto gcattored hamlets of two or three houses in the

i""?f"I*-in"i-i-hi" y"r"'. village is novor whoro.you expocted to-ff,n.d

it.""a

ni, irritating way of making a fues about the unpaid p'ice ot hrs

defunct socond cougin's great-grandfathor's sister's bones*aro not cel-;i;;a i" .tau"" him to-a dis--trict offioer. Tho operations-againet tho

,"r"ui.r, Thado of tho Manipur state in l9l8 and l0l9 lod to a vory

-"ch Uutt"" aoquaintanco wit-h him, and from then onwards 'tho more

f hi""-""""

of'the Thado, tho moro I have rospected- him and- tho

bebtor I hsvo liked him, x'or pluck, intelligence,, straight-forwardneseand-cheerfulness he stands higli among his neighbours' I cannot say

;;;;;ilT; tis industry or h1s sobriety. CIo is a bad cultivator, and

-""f, tufrirrA the gurrounding tribes in agriculturo, though as muoh

;;;d ;i;h"* in sueh domes:tic arts ag woiving or-wo-rking in metal'

when there is eny killing afoot, he is bloodthirsty. Little gamo survrvep

where the Thado eot les. A few small villages, locatod for a fow yeers rn

ii*-ii-ii. "rileyin tho east of tho Naga Hills. destroyed all th9.rfq9,

oerog. almost alitho wild mithun (Boe gaurus), all tho elephant which cud

not eioaoe back to Burma, and a very large proportion of the p-rovrously

i"L.ri""l'""*rnar (Rusi Aristotel,ii) trr6re' In war tho 'Ihado, when

iiJ g"ir-it" chance, b{ion carrieg out massacres on a fairly largo scale,

o""f,lv pe"hups bocauso he enjoys killiog, partly, at any ra-te, fr-om

he[birate " frichtfulnegs," adopting that method of cowing the otlqersido. Thus duiing the Thado rebollion roferred to, Thongngam, brother

;I th" t;;g"g"l cfiief Chenglapa-o' and agting probably under hie instruc-tions. ioinJd-*ith onu of tho Haokip chiefe from Somra to pullsh ttre

tansflrul villase of I(as5om for failing to supply tho robels with- rroe.

The"visitors hilleted themselves through the village from ]rouse t9 {rou?gend cot food and sheltor for the night. The next morning thorr hosts

"*.t?-i.O"a'ih"i, *utpots imporinded. Ttre mon wore aII tied uq

snd lsid out in rows, tho llhullakpa's wife being tied to the post' rn front

of his house. The men were then butchered by gun, sPesr or dao-a':Forct'

inq to tho fancv".f

the various exooutioners, tho Khullakpa"E wifo bolng

"r""*"ta witli her husband's hoad and her rolease, and the womon

i,,d childt"t , who had naturally run off to hide, were partially r-oundr'l uP

and added to the hoiocauet. Altogether about 40 wore kill6d' !'or'["nrte[v afiairs of this sort were not-very freaugnt but there ir no dorrbtbut the Thado is e brigand by dieposition.-(Ed.)

 

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Notes on lhe Thadou Kukis. 26

CHAPTER, II.

Onrorns eNo GnNreLoGlrES.

Before going into bhe details regarding the Thadou villageorigin. rrnd customs I hav-e th-ought it best io

reaso_n'f orcertain.o,rofl'J,u#:ffi-#1113;,1'f#"J:,:1fi

:,il:. I-t qrJ be notod that the number seven appears to be in.

vested with some particular significance, as it r-e-appears repea-tedly.

The story of their origin io that they used to live under theearth, or rather inside it. NoimanEpa was tho Chief of thissubterranean region. One Clrongbhu]a rolativo of Noimanqpa,wont_hunting poroupines in tho jungle with his dog and disio-vered a large hole, He peroeived tlrough this thit the upperearth was uninhabited and there was Jsreat darkness. tli.darkness, which lasted lor seven days and s-even nights 1 is called

"Thimzin

"by-

the Thadous. C[ongthu so rej'oiced at hisdiscovery that he ga,vo up his hunt an& rvent bac[ to his house.He conJured up idoas of forming a village of his own on the earth1nd -plannecl accordingly. Just abou-t then, Noimangpa, theChief of the under-world-was performing the Chon festiiaj whicheveryono ha4 to attend including ChongJa, elder brother ofChongthu. Noimangpa's son Choikim we1 aiso present. I)ur-ing this feast Chongbhu started rvaving his sharp sword aboutso. vigorotrsly that_he inJured some oi the folk preisent, at whichall

-becamea.nge{ed. T[is aotion of Chongthu ivas preineditatod

as he thought that by doing so he wouid be turned out fromtho under-world and thus have &n exouse for going out to theuppor-world and forming a village of his own] fhe news ofChongthu's behaviour bJcame kniwn to Noimangpa who said

" Chongthu had bebter live in Heaven " meaning thereb5r that hehad better be killed. Chongbhu.hearing of Noimangpa'r3 wrethat once prepared to migrate out of the hole in the earth whiohhe saw and which is spokon ot as Kltul, by the Thadous. SoChongJa and Chongthu killed many pigs, fowls, etc. and feasbedin proparation for their departure.

Somehow Chongta's party was delayed.but Chongthu's partv

moved off followed by Chcxgthu himself. On reaching theKhul tho leaders found that a great snako called Gullheipi wasin possession of ib and rvhen thoy rnade endeavours to pass itthe snake killed tliem with his toil. Chongthu, on reaching thespot, was not to be thwarted in his ambitions, so he tied hiscloth around him and placed a pho,ipi, a thick cotton cloth,over his head and so attacked the great snake lvhich was disput-ing the passage. Ho used the srvord called ,,Joudichem'r inthin attack, was victorious and killed the snake wlrich he cutinto seven pieces. At the same time a lhoh, a lion, alsoattempted to reta,rd Chongthu's egross but Chongthu got thebetter of the animal by saying "Are you not created -Uy

tfrePathen (the Thadou name for the Creator) as tho King of theanimals ? If so I have also boen created as'the King of

"menby

Pathen and thereforo we should bo friende insl,ead of enemios,t.39 saylgg, !!9 lir4 withdrow and Chongthu'o party moved up totho " Khul ". They found that it was covered wibh a stoneand.- one of Chongthu's part_y called Vangalpa lifted it up.lWhile he was able to do so only seven persons were oblo to ietout and, then the stone was dropped and all further attemptJtoraiso it were in vain. 'Ihe seven persons who thus emircedwere Chongbhu, Vangalpa, the stone-lifter, Khupngam, Ihekeeper of the dog, and four others. Tho names of t.he otherfour are not known but are said to iucltrde the proeenitors ofthe Manipuri, the Naga, the foreigner and the Burdese, how-evor they are not definite about the last trvo although they arequito emphatic about the number being seven.

. . ChongJa's party, following on, found the stone blocking

their palsage_out and after making many attempts gave up arrdreturned to Noimangpa reporting the result.Nemneh, wife of Chongja, cursed Chongthu and his party be-

fore-thoy left the " Khul " saying that they should suffef from allkinds of sicknesses, deaths, troubles, evil spirits and bad luck.Those oursings were heard by Chongthu's pirty and they madesacrifices in an endeavour to avoid the curse which the Thadoussay.s^till rests on themr. , So, in cases of serious illnesses, eic.,Bacriffoos aro always made in the name of Nemneh, *if" of

-1 Aocording to Mc0ulloch hewent back for Bomo Drevious belonpinos.

and- the bird that was holding up tho stone got tirod and leb ib &o;@1il;Mo9lrllooh, Account-ot the y;ttei o! Munnip6re. p. bd) Later on ttu'p'r"i"ot uhongthu were Fhown where io find water by a bird (ibid., p, 66)._lEd:)

1 3'or the Thimzin o.dde Shakespoar, Lwshei,-R.wki, Clans,'Chaptor V,g?d--r/. Mill:, The Ao Nagaa, page-814, TheLhota Nagao, pp. ffO, fSS:The Chang Nagas-havo the itoryliEowiso (Molola,, Man"in tt#ta,, ti, tOOl&nd versiong are found among thellos and Santale of Bengal, the Shang.and tho Ami of X'ormosa, wh'ilo similar stories pervade tn6friaia" ar"frilpolago generally (uditeBruzet, polk-lore in the olh feinrint,- i,i;.1.

--Th;Thado vereitrn that f am familiar with is that .the great. da1g6i.. -;preoede! by ffro and accompaniod by flood, a.ncl ii wie thie nooO wUicfrdrove- the

-ancoBtors of the Tliado propoi to tahe rofuge in the hilta, wherethey found Lenthang, whom they-for-bore to kill as h"e, ani his, knew thegods of the oountry ; acoordingly it was Lenthang who caused a white cockto denoe on E stono and thue lured the dotainer of the gun to oome a,ndlook, wheroby_the ggnesoapcd'and ceme out again restoring light to ih€dorkened world. The story is obviously suggjs+,rve of a sipaiate racialorigin for- the Thado profer and the bhe;Isen and allied ola.a, -hopresumably wore in.gooupation when the Thado arrived in tho hills.-(Ed.)

 

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26 Jowrnal ol the Asi,ati'a Boaie,ty ol Rengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

Chongja, in hopes of appeasing her wrath. When such saori-fioes are made the thernpu, 'i.e., the medicine m&n or sooth-sayer, always repeats the' narne of seven of the most importantviilagos of Noimangpa under the earth in one of which Nemnehis sure to ho at the time, so that sho may hear his solicitations.The names o[ those villages are:-1. Noimang, 2. Kholoiohal,3, Khopalva, 4. Khothip, 5. Khomang, 6. Khokanglai and

7. Khokisupi.On reaching tho uppe,r earth Chongthrr, in his wanderings,

found two persons called Lenthang and Lunkim rvho had sur-vived the Thimzin by making a fire of tbe skulls and bones ofall the game they had kifled as they were great hunters. Theso

two were captured by Chongthu aud used as guides during hiswanders on the earth. So to this day it rvill be found that thosoof the Lonthang and Lunkim tribe of Kukis are living in mo,gt

of the Thadou villages and havo no villages of their o1vn, nordo tley possess hereditary chiefs as tho Thadous.r

X'rom Chongthu to Thadou, in the genealogical tree thepersons are mythical and so when festivitios entailing repetitionof the genealogical tree of the Thadous take placo the tkempw

starts from Thadou and not from Chongthu.

X'rom Chongthu to Thadou there were no difiorent langu'agos; and animals B,nd spirits as well as the mythical ancestorsall lived together in peaoe.

.The holo in the earth called " Khul " is said to be at thesource of. the " Gun " river wbich I find to be definitely identi-fied with tho Imphal rivor in the Manipur State,z " Gun "being the Thadori for the " Imphal " riior In all the oldstoriEs and logondr of tho Thad6us the river "Gun" is fro'quontl.y mentionod and is of great fame.

l V, Supru, notg! on p. 2a'-(Ed.)r t oaniot'help euepe-ctirrg that this Gutt'-tzti was originally tho Chin'

or Khyeng-dwin liiver,- into which, of course, the Imphal fl,iver runs'Vidonotc on p. l7 eupra.-(Ed.l

re28..l

The

Noles oru the I'hoil,ou Kukie,

lineago from Chongbhu to 'Ihadou is as follows:-

Chongthu.

I

Sattong (a)

I

Thangpi.

Shin mengI

Ilangmeng

I

TitouI

TouthangI

(d,)

t7

c

I

(t.)

I

1'ouhin

I

I

Ninel

I

Lhoulhuh

.J,n"I

Ttiadou Chohgloi Hangshing'

(a) Sattong married Sheichin. a woma,n of Vanlai village,which means the village in the heavens. There werotwo other brothers of Sattong but thoir names havebeen forgotten as they went east and west and have

. not been heard of since.(6) Hangmeng is said to -be tho progenitor of the Kilongs,

Koms,-Waipheis, Chirus and other oldKukis. SomeKoms and others have admittod this to me.

(c) Titou is the progenitor of the Dongngels whose seniority

is not recognised by the Thadou of other clansnow &s the lineage has beoome oxtinot in the trueline and is now representod by l,he descendant, of aslave 1.

(d) Touthang is tho progenitor of the Lamhao Kukis.

r I find it quite impossibie to accept this view, which arigoe sololy, Ithink, from the arrogant vapourings of Khutinthang (Khilkung), who ashead of the Shitlho clan would be chief of all the'Ihado, if the Dongngelclan wore really oxtinot, No doubt tho fact that Thado himsolf, thougha mernbor of the cadot blanch, has given his name to tho whole tribe, haginfluonoed the Shitlho in making thia extravagant claim, but it is quitbuntenable. Even if the claim of the head of tho Dongngel clan to an un-blemished {escent be rejected" there aro plenty of cousins whose familytree ls unqubationed, not to mention the Thomlhun and Haolai (Jongbe)

I

(c)

 

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28 Jou,rnal ol the Asiatia Boaiety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

Tho mvthical ancesto-rg tvere known as Manmasinao whiletho Spiriis ivero oalled Thilha.T|e next point of interest is that thero are two schoolsrega.rding_-tho- direction from whicrr the Thadou" h;d";ili,

origin._ The first scnool support the conie,tion thai d;;;";;;pwards from the souur while rho seconJ ;;h;f;;;;.i,r"irrli

they came from the north.f have gorru i"to bhi, il;;;;fi;:toil-and give belorv rvhat information'f have gathered, whichleads me to supporb the latter.view.

This place, I am iolcl, is also knoivn to the Manipuris who

the chieftainship for themseives OAa" ^fppiiii"";;':d#""H;ifr:":Tongngel,')-(Di.)

clane both.senior- iu descont to the Shitlho dnd with unimpeachablo pedi-grees. It is unlikelv- howover, that there-is eiy Oono f;;;;;;;"il;;he logitimacy of cliengj apsJ"' a-".*"i'i".# foigrgur, as otherwise trro:::":f,^Il:.^fy"l.ir"d: Neingul's ."o" Ng"r"h;r' would have clairned

re28.l Notes on the Thcrd,ou Kuki,s. 29

speak of it as KhongJai Khunman whioh means the ,, Old siteof the Kukis. "

After the subsidence of the flood the Thadou found tho plainunsafo for their oocupation, since they had onlv jrrst started livingthere rvhen the flood took place. So they took to the hills ontho east of the Imphal river and rnigrated down to the Tuihat

river which I take to be ihe Chindwin. It, was here tlrat theyfirst rvere initiated into cultivabing rico. The story is that theyfound a grass growing on the right bank and a king of ratscalled Ju-thel used to colloct the seed in Uho nosts of his spociesand eat it.1 The Thadou tried it and found it of excillentqualit.y and so they became paddy grorvers. Chongbhu camoout of the earth with millet and Job's tears only to eat.z Themithun rvas found on the hill Sisep, the pig at Bonnol and thefowl at Molkoi.

On reaching the Tuihat river they followed ib down someway but found that bhey came to a large expanse of waterwhich could not possibly be crossed. So, as they were increas-ing in numbers rapidly they decided to ret,race their stops onthe left bank of the river and took up their abode at Lhanpel-

kot and ThiJonbung which I am told lios in the country whero

I This story of the rat as the originator oI the cultivation of rice,appoars again in slightly difforsnt forms among the Angamis (oiil,e TkaAnganii Nagos, pago 260), tho Iban of Borneo (Ilose and.McDougall,Pagan Tri,bes oJ Borneo, II, 145), and the 'Ioradjas of the Colobos (Frazer,Iol,k-lore in the Old llestament, I, 222).-(Ed.)

2 The eultivation of millet and sorghum seoms to havo precoded thatof rice in the Naga Ilills, and thore aro many villages across the frontiorwhich still cultivate millet ag their staplo crop and grow little or no rice,evon though tho elevation is not too high for it. In,most of them, hov,-ever, tho uso of dry rico is increasing. Millet cultivation is to be associat-ed with dry terraces and pollarded alders. Where tho aldor is carefullyprosorved and plantod on terracos, ie is possible to pollard tho troes, andplant rnillot (but not rice) with excellont rosults once overy four .yoars,and 6his mothod of cultivation is sUill followed exclusively by Yonghong,Angfang and probably other trangfrontier Konyak Naga villagos. It alsosurvivos at Khonoma of tho Angamis and probably in some of tho biggerNzemi (Kachha Naga) villages that adjoin it. ft was no doubt the pre-oxigtonce of dry rovetted millet torracing that. enabled tho wet ricetorracos so typical of tho Angami country to bo started in the 6rst place.fn most, if not all Naga Tribes tho millet crop has its own coremonialofficiants for planting and reaping, though they &ro now unimporbantoompared to those who preside over ribe. In Formosa, where the culturoof the hill tribes is nearly allied to that of the Naga Hills, millot precededrioo, whioh is still regardod as uncloan food (McGovero, Heailhwttera oJ

Eormoaa, p. 183).Anoiher Thado legond doscribes Lonthang (t:ide supra pp. 24r,, 28) aa

heving taught the Thado rice cultivation, which, read wiih tho legend ofChongthu's emergonco from below to find Lenthang and Lunkim already.inhabiting.the upper world, looks as if the millob eating Kuki found hir weyup from the plains into a hilly country already acquaintod with ths Brow.ing of rioe, or perhaps broughi up with him rice culUivators trorn thcploins who had been incorporated in tho courge of migration,-(Ed.)

The Gun river plays a most important part in all Tharlousongs

.and legends of the old dovs arrd this -i""r r. ia."lid*iwith.the hnphal river. At the time of the looa th, ii;;;;say they collecied at Kholkipktroljags *h"*" eo".y llving t-[inftook refuge' This has been-located"". uboo" t<ii*,"n,?onnriin Manipur on the right bank ot tr,u fmpriJ;i;";l''t;'##YJspokon of as Tuitobin Uy ttre Thadous]'

--'ihuopp", portion of

!!1. plt.: of refugo is know-u as Khotkip wf,"ru'iff tfi" rnl*oi*a,re s&lct to h&ve co,eregated, r,r,hile tho lower portion is spokeno,f .asl(holJang. I'ho"y #ere t1,",, *tifi-io iile conctition of the mv-ttrlc&r ancostors according to.their traditions. wt un p.rfo**irirsha,lhakou to the wircr ani-mars, trris place

caii"a xrrlir.ipi.n"ri".Emust be mentioned by_ the'thempu, o, nuuu, befori ;;;:':;;many- wild animals seeri by the ,Ihadous, ,or since. Th";;I,r;;they hope for its state of-plentv to recur some clay t" ili;;;th",t;lt_nl:lchable appetite.for.Lunring.

_. .1 This__mythical flood is sometimes, at any rate, associated with.thoThimzin !l', suqla p. 2! n.): The story is corir*Ji t. mony rribes in rhisarea, and tho Chanss locato tlro_mo""t"i"

"floiugu"t

Jpo.f-;i;.;;eight thousand odd fEet high-cg1i;q

1l_g;Giioil u"g.oa doat further norrh.Iatitude 26"t8', tongitude b r. *s' Ota1"- ui'i-ii i"",This'a;- Iis;il;;;;;1e disrin*ly .ugg"rti#tfr';,*'%*i:fr:i:

sakoe given to iho rnountoi" ui ""ffi uit?i""ilto*" of coram in theIndian archipelaeo. The Anals an['th;i;;h".t, have the same storvShakespear,' op." cit., pp. r,q, 176), rhe L;;;;i-'l""Joitffi,J i:il;i",J.with the Chane Nasa siory,-though'of";";;;;;;

i**". ur" different andhe p-gaks are-rocaietr i" .iiiru*."ipr;;;":*i;#i;;"ry rhe i<ronriffcarion orhe 'rhado peak of r,efuge with-a'il";i'-;;ili'is mool, Iaterrhan thoidely dietributed storv"" ,"r,i"r, il J"p""JJ, ,i}'rur. Shaw,s theory thathe Thados orisinarv tecupied the Minipui io'ituy

"oamigratecr downhe rmphal valiiy cannot ui ""u"t""ii"i"ii" rrr?J*.y. Eve*'if ir shouldheppen to be the caso- tho-evont:nrrst bo fa" more recent in the historvf the rece rhan the

'flooclco -r,l"ii-tr,J r"riiil",i ."itil,,

" 'st."rl"T;;"rir,"flood bearinri a qoneral ,nd.somer.im;.;;;;ffi;i;.'sirnilariry ro rho Krkind tho Nac-a vdrsions

"'" dirr"ili;i;;ir"#". .iiir,-easte.r Asia and thendian Archipolaco and ee-orn- to extend even-io'a"".,,in ancr America.( V ide E r azer,' I oti -t o r e t" tn" o ru iiiiiii, i'r", i r]i_ t ua.t

 

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30 Journal, ol the Asiatia Bociety ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

the Pois are now living.l These two village sites are famouefor tho faot that the Thadou still helieves that all the snirits oftho dead have to pass through there on their way to their finalresting placo at " Mithikho ". We hear that they next reachodthe lunotion of the Teo and Loh rivers. The names of theserivers come into the song called Langla which is sung only attho burial of persons whohave performed bhe Chon. io soiuov

sheet No. 84, T). Tiddim, I find the river T5zao rising in squarLB. 1 and flowing through squares B. l, 2,3,4 and A. 4.X'rom what will follorv I have no h'esitation in eaving that thismust be tho rlver Teo the.y speak of in their songs. . The Lohrivor is perhaps- the Tuipui rivcr shown on that mep as flowinginto the Tyao in squaro A. l. At this stage tlrey say therewere four great clans of Kukis and they name them as Lushei,Suhte, Poi and Thridou.

They claim that the Changsan, Lhangtrm, Lenthang, Lun-kim, Kom, Gangte, Waiphei, Kholhang, Chiru and t6oso ofinferior lineago wero all under tho wiug of the Thadous and sowere then inohrded urrder that term.

Ir'or tho elucidation of the list that follows of the names ofthe villages in yh_ich Iived the ancegtors of Khotinthang, tho

Pipa, or head of the clans descended from Thadou before theymoved up to Jampi, his present site, reference may be made tothe genealogical tree of the Shitlhous (infra, p. 33), which rvillgive the approximate dato, in terms of generations, for sitesassociated rvith particular chiefs. The total nurnbor of genera-tions is twentythree, aud taking the Thadou generation atthirty years

-(tbeydo not marry a,s young as Nagas), we get

tho oarly XIIIth Century A.D. as the approximate date-of

Thadou's birth.Tradition records the names of the former sites of whai; is

now Jampi villago as follows:-I Nanglengbung. In the time of Thadou. It .was on

this hill that Dongngel buried his GhonTul,, which isonly used tn kill mithun. when performing Chon.

There was only one of its kind which was kept bythe head of the Thadous who was of the Dongngelelan until it became " ingam " (estinct)z. Tliis issupposed to be on the Gun river.

2, Molphei. Ilere they lived rvith the Lionmen andwhore their Indoi (IJoaae God 3) was found. Thigw&s on the Tuihat river. Chief Munthom.

1 f ,e. , on tho right bank of the Chindwin.-(Ed,)2 Chengjepao, ehiet of the Donsnsel clari isititl tt" head of rhe

Thedo Kukig. Ths Shitlho Chief, wh--o -contestecl the headship reeently,used.himself to pay elnthing to Chengjapao till 1918, and on-taking hiecage into oourt in Manipur in 1028 had liis Llaim to prioritylatrghed out ofcourt.-(Ed.)

I ,, llouge Magic," rather.-(Ed )

re28.l

3.

4.

o.

Notes om the Tlwilou Kwkds. 8l

LhungJang. This was formed by Jelhao after thc-deaili o[ hi. two ekler brotherJ. This was on th9

Teo river.Jampi. This is said to be in the Lushei country and-

o"it"

Loh or Tuipui river. Tongkhuthang was ohief

of it.Lunglen. This shown on Survey map .No' 83' tI'

Iniohal squa,re B. 4id. The village taking its name

froil the hill marked 6,531 ft. This was in Thu'shons'e time anil it was rryhile here that the Shitlho{s

""aSninget ongs fought a great battle on Songchal

Hill (No.83. H. Sq: 8.4/middle).-_LailenLung. In Ndrth Cachar Hills. Used to be-;;;. ilIalibong (Assam Bengal Railway) Station in

the time ot-t'trb Cachari reign. This was in Thu'ahong's time'

Bo[asfn. Also in North Caehar Hills near Bala-

dhan. This was in tho time of Thushong'

S;;;;bu.- In 'Iamenlong Sub-division in the time of

Khotinmang (No. 83. G/SW. Sq-: 61EF.).

Insong. In Naga Hills (i{o. s3 G/SE. Sq: A/3' b) at

time of Khotinmanq.

mfoi. In Naga EiU; (No. 83 G/SE' Sq: Ai3' b) attime of Khotinmans.

tltucttungUurrg. In fraga Hills (No. 83..G{S[, Sq:

A/3. f') at"time of Thingchung, also called Thang-

chungmarrg.il;6;.;: In Tamenlong Sub'division' (No' 83

G/Bh. Sq : A'5. a) At tfme of Thangchu-ng and

iU" pr"*"it head oi the Thadous, his son, Khotin-thaug alias Kilkong.

J;pi:'-Sho*r,

as"Ch,ongiang- in-Squye-

Ri4 of

Suivev sheet (No' 83 GtSE') ivhere Khotint'hang was

*-ari" t"t" up his residence after being exiled to

Sadiya for threo years as the result of the Kukirebellion.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

lr.

12.

13.

From all this it a,ppears that the Thadous aame downthoGo";t I-;ittf-.itl" h"-i. Thence down tho Tuihat which Itake to be the Chindwin tilt they came to the sea' Et"{oSfur&hor progress barred thuy ,"t"ri"d their stops up the Tuihat

river tili its'confluenee with the Teo or Tyao river and thence

1 Thero s algo a Jampi in tho Naga IIiIls; the Thado takes his plaoc.

names with him wherever'ho goes and the older end more roeent.maPs rceg

tosethor witl show"o..u""iorr"'

oi-Jampis, Aishans, 4ith"", Kt'ltTq'-|T:..i"llv from south to north. It G thd same with meny NaBB Plaot

""-"J;tbe e ere lots of Shipi, Shitz, Longsa, Lungkh-ung' utgl 1111P

guccession seerns alwaysJo rui south and north rether ttlon eB!0 ln(l w"!r

-(Ed.)

 

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32 Jowrnal, ol the Asiatia Boci,ety of Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV, 192g.]

lftg-t-f?t where the.v.now are-after varying their position oneiuner srde of tU a,ccording to circumstances influended by warand its eoonomic effects. -

^,^^ T!_"_:!g*{:f ,h:* the Ilaokips havo become a disrincr grouparco suggests that they lived then on the Gun or Imphal iivor'.The story is that Thaihun, son of Thadou ,"r* torrOtiit hd';ii;ryho

-wassome'hat careless with her garments. Hear"ins some

qggpl". c-oming Thalhun told her to adjust nu. aru*s.

--il;;ord not do so at once ho.flew intoa,.rage and threw a pieco ofwood at her ryhich struck her in th6 u6d.orn"r,

""*uttirfinlerdeath. Being. o_voroome with grief and ,Lr-", sin.e U'u-iooed

her much, Thalhun, Ieaving lis son Elmun in his villasacrossed the river Gun and lived in pumtupa's t ou.u.

-Tlr"r"i,i

remained for soveral years and becoming fascinated b..;;;;fPrrmtupa's daughters married her. She fiave bilh ;" &;;;;r(.rpgen and Haokip. His second wife- also died and thenT{],ol,l"ot Kipg6n with him back ro Ui* udruge

""arii"i

agarn w-ith $lmun, his son Iy niu first wife. ttalt<ip was tooyoung

.for. the Journey and io ryas left with pum'tur* -r"n.Drought him up and so the Haoklps to this day are afmost. aseparate group g,f Thadous while the Kipgens foi the;;rtp;r;live among the Shitlhous.rAll this satisfies me that the Kuki originally oame fromthe .north and reaohing the sea and finding- furiher ;;r;;;;;islpossible retraced his iteps to where we

"o#n"a iri*.

r^"€i'""r

. -, B,}t there are rrr*O J".rUn rhe somra rracr, whore rhoy ard iri*"a .,p-s,itt, iifi;ip;_ifttl'uf6'u

GENEALOGICAL TREE OF THE SEITLIIOU CLAN.

llllw names wiai,ch hnoe become those oJ cl,ans anil, aub.clams a,re pri,ntad dn oaplrd,,,l

SohthaI

I

TI{ADOUI

ThalhunI

I

Elnrnn

(By lst wife)

cnolvJr,or uakcsnrsc

I

KIPGEN

(By 2nd

neo[rrwife)

I

l----lNing-ol Hing'el

Nirigsirong Shingshit

songrong pnolnrl sntNds-trowr- (lst wife)

Jal;ili

SHTTLHOU!

!---ttlKil'tonr KilPhung Tongnrang

, " (LHOUJ-EM dr,au1 (LHouvuM CLAN)

LhoushingI

Tonglu:r-

tl]Iunthorn MANGJEL

I

Thomhil

L-- rlKhumang Jelhao

,",f,,; *,J,,"

shihkil(ey end

1

Thonshongwife)

I

Luntong

tr{ant}ru Tupshu Kol-let

uuttorrg u"Jtur' ,lurrluui Hal'o" HaoLhop t<ih' Nei

I-i

'..;^J;:,;"'[* *J*--*L-- *1,",no, KiL.

khup(By lst wife) tong .-, - _rr L__ , ^I ( Ihese six sons are all by 2nd wife)I ( rJlese crx Eo

i-- _r.--:-rl_-rl

Torigkhuthang Jallunl___

l-1..Thlshung Mangriinthang Letkhulun

I

Iilutinmang

rhL,s"hrr',e Ju*th,thr"g(By lsi wifei' (BY 2nd rvife)

I

i----l 

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g4 lournal ol the Aaiatda Soaietg ol Berqal. [N.S., XXIV,

Therefore Khutinthang (also known as Kilkong) is thesonior llving descendant o{ the Shitlhou branch of the Thadouolan, Ee lives q! Jrypi villago in Tamenlong Sub-division ofMonipur State. Hiir brother Mangkhukai has enlisted as e sopoyin the Srd Assam B,ifles at Kohima, Naga Ilills.

Cloupi Kuki of Shongshang villago bf the Naga Hills is the

senior living descendaut of the Mangfel branch.Vumkholal is tho head of the Lhoutom branch and lives inAbong in North Cachar Eills.

Mangminlen of Aithu villago of Tamenlong Sub-divisionis the head of the Lhouvum branch.

Lhunfapao of Leikot villago of ChuraChandpur Sub.divisionof Manipur State is the liiing head of tho Kipgen branch.

Lhulihomong of Chasat village in Ukhrul Sub.division ofManiplr State is-the head ol the ilaokip branch.

Tonllhohen of Bombal village, of Sadar Area of ManipurBtabe, ot preeent at Chonglang village of the Naga llills Distriot,is the living head of the Phoh.hil brench.

tr4grgpo of Tolbung village in Chura ChandpurSub-divisionis theliving head of the Shingshon branch.

Of the above thoso branohes which have sub-clans as wellare given hereafter with a genealogical tree to trace theirpositions.

Notes on the Tlwdou Kwkis.

GENEALOGICAI, TREE OE CIIONGLOI.

CIIONGLOII

8r928.1

LhunpaoI

Kip-hol KipchalI

Sehvuog

cn"l.t"tt-----

v,-l;rti- ctuJgam

lorlnopro voolto,

Tbo senior living doscendant of the Chongkri clan is there'

fore Lunkhopao who- is living in Jangnoi village of Sa'dar Ale*

of .Manipur State.- '--Th;senior living descendant of the Lutso.ng }lqogl t'

Thangkot living in Tf,enlol village in tho-Nag-a llills Distriot' . '

Tihe senioi living desceudant of the Sandou branoh l'Ngrmppto living in fonlen Ilaohen village of Tamenlong Bub'n

division of the Manipur Stato.- -

Ct" .""1"-- ii"i"" descondant of the llaoohcn3 b'tmt!ie Sheitekhup of Shong"shang village in the Naga lllllr Dlrt$ot,

 

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g6 Journa,l, oi the Aai,ati,c Bociety ol Bengal, [N.S., XXIV,GENEALOGICAL TREE OT TTT'b IIANGSIIING CLAN.

HANGSIIINGI

TTEUCCTiUNG SHONGIIIANG

4;;"t,",

,_t__u'o**r,g

*o**[o*" ,o.tn* ,o*J*r*rhsh6ngit Nrrchnrp nrwbr,urv *ortnso*

I

|-------i-

ru,ltng.rru"on$rr*o *"olorro,I

KipnohI

Noh-henI

NohkapI

l-"1Nanglang Shonlhem

I

i---rKaplhun Shongireangl-

,_tAepjetong

VumjakhupI

Kapjavum

. Th_orefore the senior Iiving descondar

:'-t*fr ligJ,T:ii';;;dil;:rr;;:xi{[t";,:il".,"o1l'T,:'TfThe senior descondant living of Shongthang sub-clan

".'.ffnl1r?"ff tfl:H[*;**1,"';1;.r*ir,a,ip;rs;;:^'

,ird; #'iilt",,r'l'i[' s o ura

i oi sion or *,;;n ] "*0,,1?or

von gJ an g

Hil,H:ffi i?::#ri?Jf.'shempu or sinitir onag;i" the Naga

Of the Tonskim bra,nch Shehpu of Chunglal-Chief,s villagein North cachar" Hir ls; i ;h; ;;;I j#,;'t"u""nd,,,r.

*,I $.iitff:};3i,[Ji;^i:?ffi

,ili,:E".nffisffi ,}filllg:ur Stato.

Of the Ninclun branoh. there is no heir as it beoameextinot.

ch"-StilleTll,sd;il,J,lil,:if,"#ll,,,,,J*y,::il:t"TlTf; :,rr"."T jff gH*Hf, ,3r:iU,mt,:lf ?3;f.T,# ffi "

or

r928.1 Notes on the Thuilou Kulais. St

Of the Shonlhol branch Tongcha of Jangnoi village in SadorArea is the senior living representative.

GENEALOGICAL TR,EE OF PHOIIHIL.

PHOHIIIL

I

tmilhao GOUNGOH LHUI{AO DOUHoNG *A*,i,A.'"I

t-lTonghil Vum-el

I

HaohilI

IlaosongI

Songhao

I

Sonslheno-tKoplet

I

l--lLhengtong TonletI

r-----lI{aopimang Palon

(Extinct)|

ShongjakhupI

Tongkhohen

- _ Thoref<ire Tongkhohen is the sonior living descendantof Phohhil. He lives at ChongJang village in the Naga llillsDistrict.r

-Khatseh of- Songbem village of Sadar Area of Manipur

State is the head of tho Goungoh branch.Shonthang of Songdop village in Tamenlong Sub-division of

Manipur State is tho head of the Lhuhao brancL.Pakeng of Tolbung village in the Naga Hills Distriot is thehead of the Douhong branch.

Shemfadou of Toloulong village in Tamenlong Area ofManipur Stato is the head of the Ilangmang branch.

-

-r Sinco migrated,to Leijim, whieh he wilt probabl.y rename Bombil

aftor the ancient family site.-(Ed,)

 

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38 Journal, ol the Asia,ti,a Society ol Bengal,, [N.S., XXIV,

GENEALOGICAL TREE OF THE SHINGSHON.

Phohhil, Shingshon, Shihkil and Thonshong are all sons ofShingshit. Phohhil is by the first wife and all the otherc by thosooond.

ShingshitI

Ot the Thomshong branch the senior living desoendant lrnot known but is said to be in the Naga Hills.l

Of the Shithao branch Manglashei of Leikul village in theNorth Cachar Hills is the senior liviug head.

Thongkhumang of Tolbung village inChura Chandpur Sub.division in Manipur State is the senior liviug doscendant of the

Lhoutongs.-B)hkhothang of Nungthut village in Chura Chandpur Sub'division of Manfour State is the senior living descendant of thePhohchungs.

Of th; Doumang branch Tongkai of Tolbung village of theNaga Hills is the senior living descendant.

- Of the Tolshou branch NgulJamang of Vakot village iqNorth Cachar Hills is the senior living head.

Of the Shingvung branch Lunma,ng of Bolbung village,Naga Hille is the head.

r928.I Notes om the Thail,ou Kwlai,e. Ie

PIIO}IHIL SHINC}SHON SHIHKIL THOMSHOI{Gt

,"ffi-;;J;=;*evuNG| ----_ __,- (Bv Znd wife)

chJnrhtng .rirrlooog strooJrrrg tnnituoru .r"r,gtlorrg

shiuunl surrJ{eo

,lllvoueNot_ll

Neilun Tongvung

I

coJ"rrorg rr,ol-*rrg xtirrlr-

I

I,I{OUTONG PHOIICIIUNG

(These three by 2nd wife)

1 Ngulkim of Toijaug I think.-(Ed.)

et

L

.1,

tllrlBhdngmang Lerimang Joulen Shongkei Mangngul

I

Letrhong I

I LetngulIfeikhomang Il-r----------------.-----r--tt

lllMangjetonNgulkaPKhotinkei Mangpilun Lhuhen I '

^| . (Both these extinct) | I

__Ggopi. Manglihovum Paya(Ex0tno0)

lrKaikhotong Paokhomeng

l_____ll

Lunkhotinthang Mangpu(Ext'iuct)

I'rom this it will bo seon that Mangpu of Tolbung villageof Chura Ohandpur Sub-division is the senior living descendantof the Shingehons and pays skating to Khutinthang the headof the Shitlhous.

Bungkhothang of Khopuibung villago of Chura ChandpurSub-divisiori. in Manipur State is the head of the Shihkil branch.

I

Khobinlun

 

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CHAPTER III.

Ifrs.ronrclr,'In.n nrrroNs,

The Thadou tradition runs that Chongthu came on to thisea,rl,h with only millet and Job's tears. Wu ur" also totd nowho_ _ovontually discovered rice (u. supra p. 2g), also that theMithun was first caught at Sisep and domesticated. The fowlw&B found at Molkoi hill and the pig at Bonnol. We aro alsotold that Nomneh, wife of Chongja, cursed Chongbhu's Dartv asshe believed he purposely closed tho Khul after ias'sine tt.oontso that he might be King on the oarth. That tliat wa-s his r;,1interrtion theysay is proi'ed from what bhelhott, (lion) I was toldby Chongthu wlen the formor attempted to resist his eqress.

Next Chongthu begat a son who-married Sheichin 6f yen-

!ai.(th-e sky-) village_. This goddess used to go regularly to horfather's- villrge a.nd u,sed to bring flesh of pigs t-o giv6 b her

husband. But her first three abtempts weie fruitrated bvSanthuh Kaoshe z her father-in-law's slave, who ato up the meatshe brought. When she at last suoceeded she told hir husbanriof Santhuh Kaoshe's behaviou-r. Sattong becamo so onragedot thie that he went and cut off Santhuh Kaoshe,s hoad. Hiw_ever two chiT (blindworms) ate up a pieoe of his neok and there-by brought Santhuh Kaosho to life again but instead of beins amyttrical being _as before he was blausformed into a guTd,w(Hyl,obates hooloak) and so Thadous do not oat tho flesh oi thegibbon.s

The Thempu closely observed how the blindworms (cAr)brought Santhuh Kaoshe to lifo again, and by studying it Laved-gveloped the art of performing sacrifices iu cases of w"ounds ofall kinds where loss of blood results, and thereby save tbo lives

of many.Immediately after Sattong had out ofi the head of Santhuh

I(aoshe he bocame very ill with pains in his throat and nearlvdiod. At that time his faithful-dog having compassion o"[i,sufferings licked his mastor's hand.- At tfat Sa'ttonE b;";;;enraged with the dog and killed him instantly with h'is ,*;;4.The blood. of tho dog spurted out on Sattong's mouth ;;d t"beoamo miraoulously oured at once. so in calsos of serious ill-

., .1rtia.interesting to flnd a gonuino word for . lion ' ancl a tradition des.

cnbrng a.Iron aB like a tigor byt with"haggy

hair about tho neok and4rggl. A Crattional lion, is of 4o-urso, tlre oiinmon property of lvlanipu_ris, S^hans and Rurmeee, but not Negae, I think.-(Eh.)

zl.-e.,_Santhuh Vampire, udde Appendix G.-(bd.)'

.__

s Cl. Mills, ?Ire Ao Nagaa. pp.ib, ll4; Hose, NaturalMan, p,221(Kenyah).-(Ed.)

LN.S., XXIV, 1928.1 Notes on the Thudou Kukis. (l

ness a dog is sacrifioed to the Creator (Pathen) to relieve thcsick of their sufferings.r

At ttrat time the mythical &ncestors were known as Man.rnasinaoz and all spirits as Thilha They used to live togetherin peace until the follorving happened after which the Thilhaand Manmasinao have always been at enmity.

There rvas a Manmasinao called Changkliatpu to play with

u'horn a Thilha came one night. Changkhatpu lost, histemper and wounded the Thilha wittr a dao on thti hand. Ont'his the Thilha said that the Manmasinao should suffer for itand rvent ofi to his cave in the Jungle.

In revenge the Thilhas, during Changkhatpu's absenco,killed his younger sister. In consequence of this the'Manmasi-naos gathered and pursued 'the Thilha killing all except a, preg-nant female Thilha nho escaped. This Thilha went to Pathenin the skies. Pathen told her not to worry as bhe child in herwomb rvould be a male child and that she must marry it andso revive the Thilhas. At the .same time Pathen gave her acharm called Chollaivcrm3 instructing her to plaoe it in the watersupply of the Manmasinaos and thereby they rvould not be ableto see the Thilhas in future. So to this day the Thilhas cannot

be seon by human beings who aro the descondants of the Man.masinao. A male ohild was born to the pregnant Thilha and bymarrying him the Thilhas multiplied tb such large numbers thatthere were more lhilhas than Manmasinaos.

Later Japhal, the daughter of Kimchal the son of Hangsh.ing younger brother of Thadou, got lost one day and all suspec.ted the Thilhas of being responsible for this. ' Ifer paronts weptbitterly and prayed to Pathen that they might be given .back

bheir daughter or might know whero she had gone to. Ononight Pabhen appeared in a dream to Kimchal and directed himto take lhe thing.he (Pathen) had placed on the Shething treenear Kimchal's house and perform sacrifices to him (Pa;then) andthen Kimchal would be given many desceudants instead of thelost ono for whom he was crying. On waking upKimchal did as

he rvas told and so became the father of many children. This thingwhich the Pathen gave Kimchalis called Iniloi (The Ilouse God).Thadous in consequence always have an Inilai, hoping thorebythat they may have larga families, It is placed on tho frontveraodah of the house to the right or loft of the entranco door,up near the roof out of harm's way (for Iniloi,,u. i,nlra, ltpp.Q,).

Tho noxt, clear tradition is of the time.when thoy used to

1 O/. McCullooh, ogt. ci,t.,56; Shakospoa4 op. a'it., 76, 77, 102; Oarey& Tuck, Tke Chin Hil,le,l,2001' Tke Angami, Nagaa, 204.

X'or the general beliof in the efficacy of the dbg in heolinglotlr ln thllarea and elsewhere, see my note on p. 17 of llka Ao lVagoe.-(Ed')

2 That is "Mortals", o. Appondix A, vii;-(Ed.)B V. dnlra, App. a, Mam anil, spdrdt.-(Ed.)

 

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42 Jownal ol the Asi,ati'o Boaiety ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

livo at Lhanpelkot and ThiJonbung, which is placed by them inthe oountry at present occupied by the Pois, and through rvhiohplaco all the eouls or spirits of the dead Thadous have to pass

on thoir way to Mithikho (The village oI the dead). At thattime thore was a famous man called Selleh who possessed amagioal waud with which he could bring to life any corpse bytouohing it. He had done so many times. This wa,nd rvasgiven him by a Thilha wom&n friend of his. Selleh's son \1'as

that wonderful person Galngam.Selleh always lived in his Jhum house (Iou bafr,) and the

poople used frequentl-v to como to call him to bring people tolife. Finally he became much anuoyed at their importunity andrefused to go. The people thought that they could counterthis by saying that Solleh's son had died, but when he rvent andfound they wore lying he decided ho would never again complywith such roquosts, as his cultivation was much hampered l-,ytho frequency of thoso oalls. Again they came and said Gal-ngem woe dead but ho refusod to go. They came howevermany times in haste and kept repoating it so that finally hedooided to go, and on this oocasion he found his son Galngamreally dead, but owing to the delay Galngam's body hadbecome much decomposed and in spite of many attempts to

bring Galngam to life-again with his wand he failLct hopefessly.Not despairing he weng to Lhanpelkot and ThiJifirbung in anattempt to arrest his soul thero. IIe found Galngam's soul butit refused to return to the body as it had become decomposed.Galngam told his father that if he really loved his son thenhe (Galngam) would roturn to his mother's womb and thatanother male child would be born to him (Selleh). This childwas to be giveu the same name and would become mostfamous. Selleh retrrrned to his wile much saddened but did ashe was bid and a male child was born to him. The child wascallecl Galngam and is of much fame among the Thadotrs forall the super.natural things he is said to have done. Next comethe happenings at Molphai in the time of Munthom.

Here the lluman Beings lived ae neighbours of the Lhohmi

(Lion-men),r having a high fence between them. The lattergradually ate up the mithun, pigs, fowls, etc. of the Thadousand lasbly asked them to supply them with human flesh, addingthat if this request was not granted they (Lion.men) wouldattack tho Thodous and eat them up.

The Thadous then told the Lion-men to wait as theyrvould havo to have a diseussion ovcr the' matter among- themrogarding l,he granting of human flesh as food. When

-theiu

(rioe beer) wa,s prepa,red tho Thadous invitod the strong young

r All Naga tribes bolieve in a village of cannibals, a village of tiger-men and a village of Amazong gomowhero e little furthor East. It is in-tereating therofore to ffndHerodotus (IV,102-ll0) associating as adjoin-ing nations, head-huntere, eannibals, wore wolveg and Amazons.-(Ed.)

1928.1 Notes on the Thad,ou Kulcis, 48

men into their viilage to talk the matter ovor. This theLion-men did, and after much drinking and talking the Lion-monbecame drunk. The Thadous then rose up and [iled them all.lVhen the rest of the f,ion-men heard of t[is they became muohafraid and wanted to make peace. The Thadbus agreed tothis on condition that the remaining Lion-men took-oath bythrowing down gahoh (bean seedsJ and cutting m,outthiig(-a small plant) while srvearing fubure friendship. This wai

done_ and so peece was declared. In consequtnce of thisThadous never discuss serious matters without drinking mucltJu, since it led to their salvation on this occasion. Whei peaceis to be ma<ie between tribes and villages the above form ofo?ti. by

.thr.owing

-d,owngahoh and -cutting

of. moulthingwhile taking the oath is resorted to in all serfous matters oilife and death. The Lion-men then moved off and are sripposedto-have taken up their abode in Kol 1 (Burma). Songs-6a[eds^ala ara sung

-to commemorate thai occasion at time- of per-forming Sa-ai for killing game.

At that time there was a man called Chonsing who hacl anabnormally large mithun. The son of the ChioT of the Lion-men who had migrated to Burma visited Chonsing,s villageand sarv this mithun. Tho Chief of the Lion.men bid alroady

told his son not to vigit, the Human Beings and kill anythiu!as they had taken an oath to the contrary,-but bho son d"id noi9b9y-his father. This son came to Chonsing's houso with hiskol,pelteng

^(Burmese spear) and drove it -into the groundin front of Chonsing's house. 'Ihen he iumped on top"of thislarge mibhun whioh ho could not resist doing aud' suckedthe mithun's blood from its neck killing itl Seeing thisChonsing.shot at him rvith his bow and arrolw but only ?ounded him in the leg though bhis was sufficient to make him runaway into the jungle. Next morning when a woman of thevill.ege went to drarv water she saw aitrange man there at thespring with a wounded righb leg. She asfed what was thematter and was told that he had been cut by the lcenglcou (akind of thorny plant) while passing through the jungle frunting

deer and he gave her a ieg of the deer and told her not to tellanyone -and disappeared into the Jungle again. When shoreburned to the village she told Chonsine a6oub this and onsearehing the place they found a Lhohmi dead. So to this davwhen Thadous kill tigers the;r always blame tho hengboiplant for it and ask the animal ii it was"blind.z

Tho Thado word for the Burmeee and Assameso is almos0 the c6me,and suggosb-s

? period whon tho only plainsmen hnown to the tribes weremombers of the Munda (KoI) raiol Tho Tala,ings who belongecl toit oceupied Pegu untit the'Burmese conq"e"ed ihe*" it 1767, ancl i lineoldescondant of ths old Mon dyryg-ty of

-pegu still exiets in ihe Bohmongof the _C-hittagong Eill 1'"r"5".-18d.)

I t*"" 9,""!! attempting to 'evade the responsibili0y, for lear of thr€nmrty ot the tiger's ghotb, oiile The Angornd i,lagae,g.2OZ,_1Ua,1

 

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44 Journal, ol the Asid,iic Soc'iety ol Bengat. [N.S., XXfV,

Next rve have a story of the time lvhen the Thadous wereat the river Teo or Tyao where it meets the Loh river. Therewas & mau called Haophut who had cul0ivated at the junctionof tho rivers, One day a long log of wood with a soio (kindof squirrel 1) seated on it came floating down and beingcaught at the coufluence in a large eddy could make no furtherprogross dorvn stream. There it kept going round and round.

Haophut suspeeting this as some bad omen returned to hishous-e and forind hiJ son dead. He then made'a' song of whathe sarv and of what led him to go home to find his son dead.Thie song is called l,angla and is only sung at the burial ofthoso who have performed the Chon tesbival.

On the way to Mithikho there sits & wom&n called Kul-samnu 3 who snatches all those on thoir rvay to Mithilhorvho have not performed. Gal-ai,, Bha-ai ot Chang-ai and makesthem her slaves. So it is believed that only thoso who haveperformod these festival.g have {ree passage to the village of thedead, Once a brave man called Ngambom, was oapturetl byKulsamnu but he got away bv killing her by the aid given himb;z Khupting who loved him and had gone oh ahead to Mithi-kho. She esnt a wild cat to instrucb ldm how to reach her.

Kulsamnu only appeared dead but was not really so as she a,tonce came to life again imrnediately Ngambom reached Mithikho.It is belioved that KalsHmnu does not separate thoso who arereally in love.with each other and wishes bhem to live peace-fully in Mithikho together.

At the period during whioh tho Thadous lived in the pre-sen.t Chin and Lushoi eountry, thoro wae a small clarr oalledGalte who wero raidod by the Lusheis and took refuge with theThadous. They say the Goltes ouly had about 600 houses alto.gether thon. After being given refugo one day the Galtes triedto rnurder a'Ihadou Chief but failed. X'or bhis treachery they

r I think sajo is lho binturong, but it is a rare beast and I havonovor had a chance of idontifying it.-(Ed.)

2 Also called Kumsalni and dosoribod as sitting weaving as showaits by the Path of the Doath, and apparently a giaatess. Men andboys are not afraid of her, but she Dakes womon search her hair forlice-and eat them. Therefore women carrv a tobacoo-seed under theirflngor nailr to cheat her. [Cf. llhe Angami, N"agaa, p. 226.) In some p6rtsof the world thoro would be nothing outregeous in Kumsalnu's conaluct.So -near ag Borneo lioe aro apparently ofton 6oten by tho Dusun ofluiran [uddo Evans, Arnong Pi;rn;t;ai feoples dn Bornio, p. 123], whiteSouth Amerioan Indians of the Amazon regard a Iougo aJa tit bit, Bndso elao in Liberja, [uide Whiffen, llhaliorth-w-est Amazons, p. l3O].

Thia flend who bullies the soule of the dead, besides 6eing known toall Naga- and Euki tribee [uido, ?he Sema Nagae, p. 212,244I as well toClaros of A.alam, is known throughout, the-Indlan Ocean from theAnda,nans 0o Sormosa, aud frorn Malaya to Now Zoalend. Fc reforencessoe-my note on page 227 of, Milla' ?[e Ao Na.gab, and Moes, Lile atter Deathin Ocoanb, erc., Chapter X.--(Ed.)

woro raided and many killed. They ran away to the Lushoig

a,g&in who took thbm under their wing'

When the Haugshings were living at EIgYo"q, tle present

villace site of Haotinkhup Chief of tho Suhtes,'.!ley Jqeda'

stroris villase at Lhungtin on the Salli range of htlle' .rt weg

r v"r! big v"illage and harassed the Lusheis a sreat deat' 'rne

Lushei wished to mrk" pea'ce 80 they weirt to the oblef

;fih; ritudrot,-i"lhao; *ithono spear,.ond" shield and oge

ini,fiiniii-G"ti u""al and reques-t-ea qm to influenoe the

Haiigshin!. iot to toid thu*' 'JolhaoChief of the Thadous

ttdiUu ftansshings to stop and thore w&s pea'ce between the

Lusheis and Tfbado-us. About this time there wag a-greet Oeel

;iil;;t;lito"ut" emong the Thadous and inter-raiding among

il;.- Th" Shingshons in particulat Ye.rev3r.y anxiou:

1"o.11duce the power of the Shitlhous who claimed to be head ot rne

iila;;;.''At, this tim" some of the Lushei villages.had also

olaced themselves under the proteotion of the Shingsh^on-cl&n

ilril-trr"-"iiili-oi-toituang viilage who wa's the-Pipa2 "Ji],9

Shineshon. 'I'his oulminated in agreat battle on Songchal-rtut

il;E;; tilld; oi ,rotpi was't!en' In this the Shingshons

*"* A"t""t,ia Ui tf," Sniiit o"t. It is said the Thilhas holpod

il"-rJit". i" i["uawle. In rhe mind of tho shftlhoue the

iir-.hJirr-Sohi"r-una Fois are all inferior to them aooolding totnl".*rf n"^r"atoeioafaooooott, and ilis said that the Lueheis

#.;jil'.Xji-in"'iti"a"ui tuuong, rvhioh is said to moan pride

;i btilil. Th" Th"dou is naturally a' very self important person

and places a, very high value-on himself*and it' mayP:^.loi.o^::

"adUutn"t the-LuJheis, Suhtes and Pois would admrt tnelr

inferiority on the Shi.rlou claim.

1928.1

and Lhuntin. Still the Th

Notes on the Thailow Kuhis, 16

The Pois next harassed the Thadous and it is admitted

that the [UJ" f"tg" Thadou villages-were destroyed bJ, tl:1that iile [uJ" f"tg" Thadou villa-ges-were *stroved * tl:lodz :-Sailhem, Songbem, Songlhuh, -Lasan,'lluitha-ng' 9n"*1?:*nd T,hrrntin. StilI the Thadous refused to submit to the ro's

""a* -t".i"d tho general move northwards again' Three main

prrti"* ru*" agtuu"d on and they moved as follows:-

Shitlhous"wibh the Shingsons, Chan6lsan, lha-ugums.and.. *^--,r rrn intn tr'c Noith Cachar liills which was thenother.rmooea up i"to tt"

N"it't .C;1eh.ar 1fiUX,1t'i11 Y-ot^"tlfli;Ti; ffi;d;-"f "r;i"** ts""*p.ti Kachari' The village-of. jhen:-- ^i .L ^,ar.ilII^^,,- *^^t. -^ ihoi, o,hode at a site called Lailen'iltna';f t[;tsuiit}'""- t*t-11u:tuq1 abode at a site call:1]'lt':'ffi;;-;[;;tb"-;i trroshins chief, near what is now Mai'

b;;; iil;;; tL u;,pi,s.itio" of the Assam Bengal R'ail'

wey.Sangnao and Khaochangbung Chiefs of the Shitlhoue aprl

*l,f ffi1'*t:ff Tl,*i,i';#f'::"511;'fiL'"llTis;",#SJ."';',f;'#,llr-Jt*;) g"nealogical hoad of the olan.-(Ed.)

 

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46 Journal olthe Asi,atia Bociety of Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

their adherents moved up along the hills between the Barakriver and the valley of Manipur.

The Chahsat Chiof with his followers poved up along thehills on the east of the valley of Manipur and so came in due

time to thoir present villages.We next-havo the story of the Mutiny in Silchar. Many

Thadous had been enlieted into a kind of armed levy and

spread out "in the North Cachar Hills in villages in ar-r attemptt6 stop the Angamis from raiding those parts. The Indiantroops:in Sylhef and Silohar mutinied and aftor killing_theirofficers gath-ered together with the intention-of goilg to Mani'pur and settling tf,ere since they had heard_ !h3! it was mogt

iertile.l The T;hadou levies said they would Join them and

fight their enemies with thsm bo they even the Englishmen.So ttre Thadous v'ere allowed to entor the fort in great num-bers. Instead of helping the Indian Sepoys they killed themand capturing all their arme handed them over to the Sirkar.Manglahu Ku-i<i, the chief of Khodungsei village, was the head

of th-ii movement, and led the Thadou Sepoys. fn consequonco

more arms were supplied by the Sirkar to the Kukis and-theywere then used in gieater numbors to keep off the raids af the

Angami Nagas of

-theNaga Hills. This latter .period seems

to ielate to the institution of K'uki Militia mentioned on pags

148 of lhe History ol the Nortk East Front'i,er y AlexanderMackenzie, but I noticed that Thadou hietorians do not seem

to know of the rea,sons for the abandonment of this Militia,or should I say that they prefer not to remomber it.

, The Thadbus who moved up west of the Barak river were

utilised by the Sirkar against the AngamiS' Those who camo

up along iho trills between the Barak river and the valley- of

Manipui wero simila,rly used by th9 Rala of Manipur placingthem among the Kacha Nagas, while those on tho e&st \trere

used a,s a barrior against the Burmese.Whon Nehlarn Kuki Chief of the Chahsat group went to

pay hin rcspecte to .the RaJa he was lvell received. After the

ieception Nehlam Chief went to the then Political Agent anddid iikewise. The RaJa hearing of this became much enraged

and sent for Nehlam Ctriet. When he was produced he,,wae

murdered as tho Manipuris thought he would become a follow'sr of tho British and n-ot do what, the Manipuris wanted done.

Soya Kuki Chief of Songchal village,-a groat warrior.witha poworful following, established himseU at the present site of

I 'Ihese mutiu.^eem woro not, Indian tronps of Sylhot and Cachar, butthroe comr:anioe of the Slth N.I. from Chittagong, who had roachedSylhot anci Cachar through Hill Tippera, ui'de Clait, Hi,story of Assam,, ch.

XVII, who says that tho-mutineers hoading for Manipur wore ropeatedlyattacked by the regular troops ond by Kuki Scouts, and that ultimatelyonly threebr four dscaped death or capture'-(Ed.)

Lailone villase of Chura ChandpurSub-division of Manipur State'

Wh"n-thu

R"aJa heard of this he'sent for Soya who appgarg$

nresenting a gong to the Ra!a, but he was also puf' to doath

[""oor" o[nir iira,ib"ndence. Tungkhopao Chief of-Laikot-vlllage

hearing of this took all ttre Chahsat group with Soya's follow-

inE ooEr to the Rala of Alva (i.e. Ava-Burma) 4nd requested

th?t ."o"rrgu may'be taken ior such a deed-against the Rala

oi Manipui. Thi nala of Alva said be would do so in threev"u..' tiio" and pormitted Tungkhopao to take up his residence

in the hills on thlo west of Alval During this time Tungkhopao

killed some people of the Raja of Alva's hill tribes and was

sent for to^aniwer for the deect. Tungkhopao feigned illnese

and was persuaded by the Shitlhous- to submit to the pala- of

M;tp;; iluo noa. thl Brltish t-o- hglp them for safot-y's. sake-

["a"o

Tungkhopao and the Ch-ahsat group cerTe.back ,andwere allowed to ieside in the hills to the rve.qt of the Valley'

This was in Sana Koireng's time.The ro&son why thJManipuris ca-ll the'Ihadoul "Kb-gog-

lai " is. acoording io the Thadous, because the first village

irhi"h"uru

in aintact with the Sbate was Khongsai of-tho

Lhungum olan and now living in Cachar l)istriot' It was des'

tr"""E bv Chinthang and 'Ioijam, tvho wero great warriors,wh6 put irp the heads of those they killed on a troe with eeven

Ur""6U".." Eaoh branch had sevdn stemswith ahead on oa'oh'

ii"tn .t them dietl on that day also and were wearing ai'mi'tii'ng'2

So it is said that if anv one can repeat what those two did and

count the heads correctly then he will die a thil,ha or spirit'The plaee where Khongsai village cultivated is known as

" Saite L6ulen " &nd was algain taken up by Khongson village

of the Thanglhai sub-clan of the Lhouvum clan of the Thadous,

"iturf<no"[*ai village rvas driven out. Only the chili fields

were not' cultivated.-These two villages are famous among tho

Thadous.There was a girl by bhe name of Lenghoi or Nun-gmaiilerga'

who fell in love"with" a large snake which rosided near the

;ilt;- Sh" *rt of the Chotfte tribe of Old Kukis'8To othois

the fnake appeared as a snake hut to the girl it was a ye.rY

hanclsome yiirng man. Eventually she became pregnant by

47e28.l Notes on the Thailou Kukis

I Whon the Thado take heads otherwiso than for e doad man's grave

thev are usually stuck up on stakes or on tho branches of troes, a poiqt

L"iie""t

from"the wood-to go through a corrosponding hole in the ora'

nium oi the skult.-(Ed')*'nf.r.li"""e* of i mulgi" plant which make th'o wearer invisibte'-(Ed.)

3 This association of"th6 Manipuris with an Old Kuki origin is por'

haps siguificant, in view of their many similarities both to Nagas,--auoh elifr.i no'""d tho-Tingkhul, and to Klkis, as in thoir language. t'ho Old

I(ukie. generally spoaking, aro intormodiato bstwoen the Naga end thcthado.

-Tho snike- Pakhangba was tho ancostor of the Ningthoia olon oI

Nloitheis to which the Maharaio ot Manipur 'bolongu, v. Hoclron' fitM ai,thcds, p. 100. *(8c1. )

 

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48 Joarnal, ol the Asiati,c Soci,ety ol Bengat. [N.S., XXIV,

the snake and a male child lvas born to her. He grew upand all spoke of him as fatherless at which he useE to bLashamed. His mother told him not to mind that but togo and m-ake friends with his fabher the snalie. The boy wasnot afraid and met the snake whom he caucht llv the" neckand tho snake told him many wonderful t[ings"that wereto happen to the boy. The boyi then went and toicl his mother

of this and she gave eggs to perform the ,, Ahtuisan,, whensearching for a new site upon'which he was to make a newvillage. He tried Langthabal 6rst but the omen rvas notauspieious, so then he went" to the middle of the valley where,on performing the Ahtuisan, the result rvas excellent ; so' he

Tpdg a village there_and. thus the Manipuris were originated.At_that time they lived like Kukis and Nagas bilt latera Brahrnan came from the south who so impressed them withhis preaohiug.s tha! thev took on their prru"o? reHgion.

At the time of the Burmese Invasi-on 1 the Rafa bf Manipurfl9d for- proteotion to the house of Khongsat Kuki,s fatLerwhero he ate ga (beans) only for severil months. Whenthe Burmese__left the Yg,lle5, he ieturned home with Khongsat,sfather and Kaikholal Kuki. So the Manipuris have al"waye

treated the Kukis with respect since then..Wh9" Ngameingam or Chandra Kirti Singh RaJa was

on the throne 2 ho collected a great force to at-tack lfiolbemvillage (Kamhao Chief of the Suhte clan). 'Ihangkhohen. Chiefof .Sangnao -village, !""t hiq cousin pumjam, Chief ot Bif angvilla-ge, with somo 1000 Kukis to help Ngameingam. tt6reeult-rras sad, 11 Kamhao Chief won- the battle; inflictingg_reat_loss on the Manipuris and their Kuki leviee. PumjamlJamkhupao and Langhel were the lea,dors of the Kukis. Iicame about as follows :-Just before tho fight started theSuhtes shouted out that the Manipurie were-attacking thembecause the Suhtes had

-revenged thu death of Thi,ngpaoand Thanglam at the hands of kaiap village of Kom Kitis.Also at that time the present villafe of khongjang in tho

Chura-Chandpur Area was living with Kamhab.

-Thang-lam was PumJam Chiof's fatherl Consequently the Kukls

did not help and the force was defeated. T[e RaJa wasweeping on the banks of the Gun (Imphal) river at such disgracewhen_ ono Chongia Kuki taking pity on him fired of hisqun botore tho RoJa and said ,, The RaJa shall not die until I,Ohongta, am first killed by the RaJa's enemies." l'his cheeredup tho liala and the. followers of Chongla having made a

r Tho BurmeEe invaded Manipur in 1766, 1768, l?66, etc. repeatedlyuntil the end of Dirst Burmeso War in 1826.-(Ed.)

2 Chandra Kirti Singh guoceeded as u, *ino"'in 1834, but was takenby his mother in flight to Cachar. He re0urned after the death of NurSingh in 1850 aud died in 1886.-(Ed,)

1928.1 Notes on the Thail'ou Kukis.

aa,ilang (cane suspension bridge) got the RaJa safoly across endinto safety.

lVhen Chandra Kirti Singh was about to die he directedthat the custom of inheritanee &B among the Thadous was

to be observed in the future and so elected his oldest son

to be Rala after him in token of all the help the Kukis hadgiven him.r However, Sena Koireng deposed the nerv Rajaand sat himsell on the throne. The ex.RaJa fled' to the

British and appealed. In consequence of this the Chief Com-misioner of Assam came to Imphal, the Capital of ManipurState, but Sena Koireng murdered him rvith 4 other sahebs alsoand drove out the remaining British force. Mosb of -theThadoue fought for the Raja on thot occasion. This resulted.in the Manipur War of l89l but the Kukis did not help theManipuris then, as they knew that the latter had no chance.Sona Koireug fled to 'Ionglhu Chief of Clahsat and soughthis protection. Tonglhu said he was seriously thinking oftaking revenge for his father Nehlam'e murder but as the'Sirkar were in eeanoh of the B,afa he told him to go arva-v

as ho (Tonglhu) could not grant such protection. Howeverin revenge for Nehlam's murdof the Chahsat group attackedand dostroyed a Burmeso than& and implicated Manipuris

thereby. X'or Soya Chief's murder tho village of Chongiangin the Naga Hills attacked and destroyed a Manipuri Thanoat Maktri villago. This was aftor Henima outpost had beenestablished.2

At that time the Lusheis tried to enter the south-weBthills of Manipur but the Shingshons drove them out. The.ythen triecl to persuade Goupi, Chief of Tuithang (Shingshon),to forsake the Shltlhous'and come and live amongst them. Herefused becauso of the agreement between him and the JampiChief, head of the Shitlhous, and so the Shingshons said theywotrld take him by force even if the other Thadous helped him.On this the Shitlhous gathered all their folk anC seut a messagoto KhongJang Chief saying that if they wauted to fight arrdnot observo the previous agreement of peaee then they rvere

to come on. On this Khongfang Chief decided not to fight theThadous to the north and so peace was declared again betweenthem.

' The agreement spoken off eame about as follows: The,Shingshons and Shitlhous fought a great battle on SongchalHill in which the Shingshons were tradly beaten and so theShiugshons became eubmissive to the Shitlhous. JangvumChief of the Shingshons was killed and Thushong Chiof of

r Tho Msithei cugtom seemed formorly to have been for tho throneto paas from the elder to the youngest brother, and then to the clder0aon of the latter end so on, and not, aB ono woulcl ex1)€ct, baok to thceldest brother's ohildron.-(Ed. )! The Henima outpost was establiehed early in l8Sl.*(I;ld.)

 

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Jrturnal ol the Asiatdc Soaiety ol Bengal, [N.S , XXIV, 1928.]

the Shitlhous was much grievod and punished the murderer, aman of the LhouJem clan. It is not the cuetom to kill Chiefsin war 1 but only to oapturo them and keep them as hostages.

Since tho Shingshons were a branch of the Thadous this sinof revolt was realised when Khotinkai.Chief of the Shingshonscnuld get no male issue although he had rnany daughters. Inconsoquence he went to the Pipa of the Shitlhous who wes

Khotinmanq and asked for his blessing aud forgiveness ofthe sins of his ancestors in their rebellion against the Shitlhous.Khotinkai promised ho would never permit such a thing tohappen again so Khotinmang gave Khotinkai his blessing and ason w&s born called Goupi and thus the lineago did not becomoingamz (extinct).

The Thadous believe that they are destined to be rulers oftneir earth and not to be submissive to any one and so they aresometimes carried away by their ambitions and swayed by thisbelief in their destiny into illcongidered action, a process whichculminated in the Kuki Rebellion of 1918-19. Thoy do not con-siiler themselves beaten yet and still brood over the future aheadof ,thern which bo their sorrow, is not developing as fast as theywould like. In fact by the establishment of three riubdivisions

in the hills of Manipur State their prestige among other hilltr"ibes has been much shaken. Also many who went to n'rancein the Manipur Labour Corps are nolv convinoed that tho earthis not quite as small as they held it to be previciusly. Howevertheso are in tho minority and ancient thoughts and traditionsc&rry moro weight a,mong thoso still only sligbtly affocted bycontact with tho outer world. Meanwhilo convorsion toChristianity is spreading rapidlv among them ond ere long theseold,thoughts of thejr destiny are likely gradually to fade and tolead no doubt to a better understanding between the Thadou a,nd

other hill tribes among whom they reside. Yet they still thinkthey orvir the country they inhabit and regard the other tribesas their underlings, a point of view whioh they frequentlyevince to thoso engaged in their administration. Respect of

others'property,

moveable, and immoveable, theyhavo

practically none,8 but it is slowly darvning upon them thattimes are changing only too ropidly.

1 So too Shakespoar 1op, ci,t., p. 58) but La*in, (Wi,ld Races oJ S.E.Indda,p,26l) eays that a chief may bo killed in,the heaf of baftlo. Bothetate that in theory anyhow all chiefs are blood rolations, and thd:t this ig

the reagon for the prohibition.-(Ed.)2 Ingarn, cf. the Khesi iapiltrhwh,ic}r has the same significanco. Like

the Naga, the Kuki and the Khasi have horrot of the family line or stillmore tlie clan beooming extinct. Tho trait is natural in people liko theKhaei and Naga tribes which aro anoogtor worshippers at, hoart, andno doubt the Kuki has absorbed some of the sentiment with the bloodof hie noichboura, -(Ed,)3 Ac6ording to Lewin, in Kuki cugtom everything in a village belongsto tlro chief, who oan domond anything he requires (op. ci,t., p' 261). At

CT{APTER IV.

. Cnstottls'

Among the Thadous birth is giye.P b)' the womankneeling

Thadou Customs. "-o' to*u"tloths"while in frout of hpr

.childbirt'h' il;, hushand, sitting g" 'ttgoll-l1l3i

her round the chest' She in turn p-utting her arms -ar-oullcl

him. Somotimes * r"U[iott or frienil also- kneels behind the

;;;rJ;;A pia"irrg ui* ut*t uuovo the child gentlv helps iti.ir'lisu; ty'a slorv-light pressure d o rvnn ards'"'""

\i;7h-;"-[he chilrl iJu"ii , pi"ce of cotton is tied immediate'

l'"b;;;';;"i";il';;'.;'f*;'th"

chilcl's navel and bhen the

li*lfi#.;';'.; *t *lir'-ir'-" eage of a piece of split bamboo

or a' cleen kxite'rusually stands leaning against something or

*tiff i"'tttu-position deircribed above until the-placenta comes

;;;r.- iltei'whict .lre i* gio"" iz to drink and allorved tr: put

bhe thild to her brea,sts'The placenta aod-umhilical cord 6re- placed i1r q U.ou1d ana

nooffi # th"^;;p ;itnu o"t*ia" of ltre back wall of thq houee,

wher:e thev remaiu "ttjiift"t*"pt*fu decays and falls of itselt'*""T#"tifi':[;ki'i;;

;med i at o"' oi birth as soon as it

is knorvn whether it;;;;o or female The name to-be

gtt?;i.'"r#yJpt"oio"try

decided upon^and usuall5' contains

part of the compounJ-i"*" of -grandfatheror fabher' or

grandmother or mottreiui'it'?tr'ita'uccording to whether it bo

the sa,mo timo presents givon to the chief are'-he savs' common proporty

and may be taken bv *;';: icb-idi' p' iroi' 'tt'".claim of the Kuki chief

to take what he pteaseJ ;;;;;b"dti to be.associated with the Oceanic

custom known in Fiii, i# iffiff;' i iaiaie'a' under which a chiof

has a perfect right to

"o"nl"*i""iiofi;ect

lf the transaction be ostensibly

ffiiH;;;d ;i?lu "o--""ity, thi" right entailing' of courge'a compensa'

torv privileqo on the p;; ;i the owner of. -tlie confiseated propert'y

H""":;;l;%i.'"r,i"i #";;; il;J d'tg-with a request for a favour

(Doane, Eijiatt soci,etil,' il'iisi.-

Ttre' Thaao -disreipectof property

alluded to by Mr. Srra*hls t" l',.""""ia"""d

in th" liohi of the history of

the tribe, who have .p'*ii il";t;i;;;;Lil u lu*'u"'"oa in verv emall

bands dominating much iig"" ""**""iii*t1 31'."i race' as qualifiod by

some pre-existing cushm tf;i';-;;il" ol Kirikirb so that what ig mere

robberv from another plf"i "'i"i"*-may bo & verv correct end proper

aotion-from that of tfr""fi'"a",-"" "t'uitn compliment' to the Person

robbed'-(Ed.)I If a knifs is used at all it is a very recent chanse indeed; rnort

Tha.do regard the uee "tiio" iL* this purpose as taboo IIko mogt Nogal'

ag well as manv ott", i""ib"i'''f',-1!-i'Ioi of Annam' tho Ksyan ol

ffi;;; *naitt, "Tinguian of Luzon'-(Ed-')r Moat Thado fini f i"ri-tm""ldy. in eavina their own nlm''

Thoy oannot explain ,h;, ;'i;t ttt"il;;;li;o "ttEnoo' whv'--(Ed')

 

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52 Jowrnal ol the Asiatic Soci,ety ol Bengat. [N.S., XXIV,

a male or female.l Thus Kapiavum.is the son of Vurnjakhup,Sld.Iis grandfather'. ,rm"'ir", Kaptho, whose fathL, ,r.i..tt&pthun whose grandfather was Nohkan.

- !a,9d,opiu is the name of the 7z piepared for the occasionand is drunk by.ell participaiing in thi o-eremony.

Naodop az is the food-prepired for the afiair and eaten bvall presenti

- Tbu mother of the child is not supposed to go out of thehoyse

{o15 days in the case of a son ,id S a"y. i" ti"-""r"

"i datghter from the day of birth. Thi.s is called Naolaichan.

.. K.ilhplh2 is perforrired for rhe child usually ,n ;h; Juyatter birth, but there seems no ffxed dav, arrd" o string witirsome feathers is.p-ut around its neck implyi"gltf,; it i, i;;;trom any evil or illness. The Thempu (Midicin"e man or rrriest,)is called w,ho kills a {owl outside tfie house taking ttre itrita;srame and. oalling on the rnittis-rspirit.l

""tto molest the child

antr mey lt grow up strong and famous.There ie an inferestin! story attached to the naming of ihe

child.

_ Once upon a time there was & man who went out huntinsand as it_became_night took up a place urrder a tree for thE

night. About midnight he rvas awoken bi, all the thilhas call,rng to bhe thilha of that tree sayinq ,, LLU us so to the villaseof the-Hurnan Beings and cut the .ivel

"o.au?1tL [ilita'-i,TJ

is to be born this nlg!t,,, The Thilha of the tree replied,;Icannot

.g.owith you ai I hrvo a stranger in my house.,,''So'the

other Thilhas went and after & very jhort time returned. TLeThilha of the tree asked who cut,"the

"ora,r,a tL";b;;, t.il

hjm it had aheady been out by a riger. The Thilha of tfr" iru"then asked when thc tiger would kill the child and the others ren-lied saying " When thJchild-grows up he will marry ir* ,"i""'-.Theae rvives a{ter a time will*quarrel^over a paddy"mo*ar. Sothe husband, in order +o make ireaee betrve"r, iheoi*ilt go to trr"fungle and make another mo-rtar so that the two *i?"* *r"have one each. Ir is then that bhe tiger wii filini*.; C[',,

hunter in the morning went back to [is"village ancl found thathrB wifp had_ given birth to & son, so he was determined .toromember what he had heard the Thilhas say. When the songrew up ho married two rryives and they .ioorruf"a o;;-;mortar and so the son went to make anothir in the iunsle.IIis fathor secretly followed him anrl while the ,o" *u. ,ir;ki;;the mortar a_tiger came but the father killed it with his bolrlond arrow. The son .was rnuch pleased aud going up to the!1g--e-r-got hold of its rvhiskers and said ,, If m! fat'h";i;d ;;;litte$ fo,u,I would.l*J.."

-Wben-drawir[ o#av his hand ihe

tiger'B whiskera out him and he died almost at once. So in

1 A boy is alwayo given a name from the eicle of his oatrilinealancestors, but thero is no flxed rule as to girls.__(Erl.)

le28.l Notes on the Thadou Kukis. 68

soite of the father's oare what the Thilhas said camo true'

b'o".eqo"ntt.y Thadous say when cutting the trmbilical cord " Iwill cui the iord and no one else."

After the child is strong enough to be carried distaucos, itis taken to the house of the father'in'law-' yho performs

Naonwi bv killine a pig or a fowl which is merely feasted on' no

.erui, or,ie* bein g"perioimed. So m eti mes th e_f ather-i n-l-an, giv-es

ihe ohil<l his blEs-sing by performing Kilhalho to ward ofi theevil eye and any future illnesses. '- ' -

d*o.rn the Thadous, since descent is reckoned in the male

line only. "ereat reioicing and heavy drinking is indulged-in

*h"n u"*i is born ; although now-a-days the birth of a girl is

becomins nearlv ae important owing to the comparative cer-

t"i"tv of settinc her rnarriage prico since they can depend on

ihe a".s*isti""e o-i th" courts, the help of rvhich they did not

have in the old dlaYs.

When a per*6n is dying all the relations ar<i summoned

Dearh rires. ['",t}ir|3"ffi;]t*Hl "r?t'i:J,iid;bv this moans persons almost dead are somotimes brought to

ii["

"nui":

*irr." ttt" eoul'e attontion ha's boen attracted baok

;1#h;.; from its vandorings by the calling of tbe namo''When the porson breathes his last the men ehout out

' Wt eru ii the fhilna who has taken you away ?-Let ^it

slow

iteef and we will ktll it " and words to that ofieot.8 th".yrrsrrallv snatoh urr a dao and hack near posts to ehow their

il;;", and determination of what they would do to the Thil'ha'

iU"i" i. then muoh weeping and show of sorrorv although

it does not last long among tbe men'-- --fn"-ootpse is"then wished and wrap-ped in a eloth antl

olacJin a lo^c of wood which has been hollowed out to make a

;;;gh"omt

.' It is oovored .wtth a rough plank at time of

burial.a

| 1.e., lhe mother's father.-(Ed.)

z Ci.'' tt*- S" a Naga,a, p. 2b9, ind Mills,- Tke Ao- Nagas, p'27-8'

The Khasie do the eu}no ldrrrdon, Tlw Khaeds, p-' l-32)' So' too-'-the

Maoris (Otrd New Zeal,anil, ch' XIV, and note)' end the tratrves ot vap

i;"";;"r: ;u;i t[ 1 iiit"utv. trr,' |66), in--Madagasca r (oabort, M a'da'

Nr:;:,;;A:,',i",ff*sx'*B:#"TdT"x;:i,f

fi1;f :li: jrtrfr i'1 -d.-;h; ArJ"-i(". The Ansamd No,gry, p. 2??, *4 B,ubler, trraoel*

an etim,-i.tfo,?"a sbme Koryik Negas-(ow-en, Naoo !1!be1i;;n 9:fy-'l:

nication with Aaoarn, p. 24), and so too tho Samoans (!'razer, BelncJ ur

I mmortolltg, II, 208).-(Ed. )-"-'iartrr""rroti tfrJ ffiai"'p"actise burial et present there ire indloa'

tio". t^f,ri, ifriE--"ifr.a .iaiip""i"e of the cortrise mey be comparatlvcly

reoent. "Apparently up to the last g€neretioD' at alY rate' c&6eg gurvlveo

of the gepifate disposal of the head, which, in the _cage ot rm'ortelD

o"*or w'as placed-in inacceseible holes or niches in tho rook on tht laol;i;ili[."T i';;;;;;-;iild;*to r,'pp"',ea to be with.mc on oomlni

aorom e requestered limegtono olifi i4 previourly unvilitaal oounlly

 

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54 Jowrnal ol tke Asi,ati,c Soaiety ol Bengal. [N.S.,.XXIV,

If tho death is in the morning or during the night the

remarking &t onco that it would- be a splendid place to put a deadohief'a -head., -The olplenation given_.for-such sdparate bririal is theprotoobion of the head from enemies. Shakospoar, writing in lgl2 speaks6f g, similor cugtom ae then dying out, and gives the sa;lo explenition,but describes "tho praetice as one of sopareto burial of the he-ad in anearthen pot (op.,cit.,, page 2OL). Soppitt (Acaount oJ the Kuloi,-Lu,ehaiTribae, pp.

!3, 14)doscribos the process,

and dofini[oly attributes thepractice to the Thado. The body is put on a platform near the houseand visited by -tho de_ceassd fomale relativea evory three days, who,! go fagten up the clobhs (as deoomposition sots in and is progressing)that none of the putrid mettor fallg to the ground." When a thi corps'6has throughly decomposed and nothing is left but the skeleton, -the

bonee and cloths are then carefully gathored and buried in front ofthe house, but the skull....is bleached in the sun, any Ioose teothbeing retastoned in with gum, and then, boing thoroughly cloaned, itis placed in a woven cane baekot. Anothor foast ie now held, at theconclusion of which this basket is carefully hidden away by the rolatives.,'In any case very diverso moChods aro followed by the diffeient branohos ofbhe Kuki race. The old Kuki tribes bury (Shakespeat, op. o?r.,164 sq).The Banjogis and the Shondug of the Chittagong IIiIL Tracts buiypergons of position in a sitting posture, the latter ueing a stoneJinoigrave (Lewin, op. ci,t.,246, 286). The Lushoi put tho corpse in a woodoncoffin, with a plank covor, elevated over a firo ivith a bamboo tubeleading frorn a holo _ig tho bo0tom to the ground as also arhong some

Kochins (Scott and lfardiman, op. cit., I, i, 410). When dry the skullis separatod and by somo presorvod in a basket in the houso, byothers buriod in a pot (Shakespoar, opt. ci,t.,84 sq; Lowin op. cit.,274j.One Lushei clan wraps its dead in pith and burieg thom aftor smoko-drying them on a ffre, and the ,, Ilowlong " clan hang tho ooffin contain-ing tho oorpso to tho houee beame for 7 dayo during which the widowmusb Bpin underneath-(Lowil, loa, ci,t.l, Rawlins, doscribing tho ,, Cucisof Tipra" in the XVIIIIh century degcribss them as smoking their deadon a platform and then burying, after which the firgt fruits of cropsare offorod on the gravo, c/. the Ao custom doscribod by Mills (The ZoNagas, p. 279), l}r.ab of tho Kacharis (Soppitt, Kaahari, Tribes dn l{orthCaah.ar Hil,l,e, p, 40), and of tho Mundas (S. C. Roy, ?he Mundas, p. 468).ln all those cases final disposal of the year's doad is associated withthe harvosf, Othors, he adds, put their-doad in tross while yet. otherswash the bonos and koep thom dry in a bowl, to bo consulted foi omene intimes of omorgency (Aaiati,olc Reoearohes, II, xii). McBao writing of tho'. Kookies or Lunctas " in 1790 (ibdd,, VII, vi), describos the colpse aakept on the platform till tho spring fostival whon the bodieg of allthe year's doad are burnt together. Probably lhis spring festivalooincidod with the sowing. Tho Nagas of Laruri koep the smokedoorpses of their dead until the following crop is_ sown, when all thepest year's dead are brought-out and finally disposed oftogother, pro-bably in order that-the soul reloased {rom the mortal husk may enteftherown se6d and fortilizo the springing crop with fresh sources of life.

In the Chin IIilIs again tho Siyin erpose tho corpse to tho woather andultimatolyburythe bonesin an earthen pot;tho-Eokte.dry tho corpsoond bury irr a family vault where the bonos can bo inspected. Buria!plaoes ere outside tho village, but the Haka and Taeh-on Chins buryineide the village (-Carey and Tuck, op. cit., pege le2 Bqq.). The Old Kuliitribes of the Sakohip (Tippera) and-tho Hianlgkol bodli burn thoir doad.(Waddell, loo, ciC,) aleo the Biete,

Cave or olifl burial, as formerly practiesd by the Thado, is practised byEevoral Naga triboa and by othor iaies aporedi6ally throughoui tho IndieirArchipolago frtm Borneo to tho Philippinos, in New Guinoa and Melan-

1e28.1 Notes on the Thq'itou Kuki;' 66

corDse is buried the following day in the evening'l -lt is-bu-rie{

il;5t,i,;h:J;;;:;--il"

'"iitl"'isdig the srav; and are helped

;;"H; .;,;;;-;"" ."d ili;;d'' .oi tt'"-grave & bamboo is

;i"";;l i"[i"iii';.t"il; ;;il; thl numbe-r or animals ho has

fiilH;" i,i;;; ii ; i;;"' If a woman some of her favourite

t[]"e. a,re hung uP nnd left'-At time of death of a rna'n or woman " Khunsum'l i:s

nerforme& iitfr"y nri" putiotmed Sft'a-ai or Chrung'a'i' in their

ffi;:"'ffi ;;";ilfu it Ljui'e- " *ithun and in the recital bv the

esia. in Eiii, the Marquesas, and in Polynesia' New Zealand and Easter

;:ffi;:-fr.:;;ll ;;i'th "-i";;ft;;t

lrdm.onehies' it' is associatod wit'h a

futuro life underground'(;t;;"F;;;;': Eiu'|-t" rmmottati'tv' Moss' zrile

iiii b *rA'dn o c eiani.a ani th e M al'av A r c-hi p elo g.o)' -( E d' I*""'r"rrir,"''r,r,u-"o.pru i;;";i;'il;;; it"'r'"fiti tlie fire in tho hou-so

is put out and.tho tur,"t""iu

""*Lved' "ndafterwards new ffre is made'

fihL ffi"fi.;"r,."ra

.i.iii; b;-;-a; with.flint ancl steol, but_though

;d*til;ly"td",

*ut"rr"""-ltu "o* "o*rnonlyusod for making this new

6re.-(Ed.)2 (lorcw qnrl Tuck stato (loc. cir.) thet the Thado buriee outside t'he

"il"nJ-',irrril'iln;;ii;-iri"

"n"u,jr

_.apodia, (had) deaths. othorwisc

iust-outside tho house is";;".l'- i t'ui'"' however' soen.Shingshuan

#i,i,"J-""iial'ir,"-"rrtg"

where doath was not 'apodia" and it ie

H;;tbl" fi;-t irru-pi"oti#i. *"."it"q"i"t -t*o".sThoilo on the Burma'

[ii;"'il.1|.; e"i,J* tia" rr"*u'L" tr'"'"t"al praotloe is tomake a equare

excavation just in front' ol"t--te -fio"te to- dho.north eide' From thie

;il;;;i;; ,i ot,,ri i" rrolo*"i""""ing north again' and into thie the.coffin

i;;i;;d i;;t nr*i'o

tr,ui ir,u iop "tEho headls just inside the vault and

;i;;;;,h;;;o,.,riio".'A i;;[; tube is plaoed closo to the head and

;ljfrffiffir:#i ,iri'''-i ,t',i","i-t'

i" eu"a in' -'Thereason givon-is b'o afford

3'ffi;J.f';;i; iJ" itu ,o"i,"r,a

it ;, to be nored rhat in.Madag-ascar

; ;#il-;;;-of e*it-is-pr"vidod, onlv-thgre the bainboo tube is

embedded in tho gravo *o i'f,ui-tf'u"louttr

is nush with tho surface (Sibree'

T;;;;;;;";' ;;i;,2- iii c."qii'i)- iost' According to rroso (N oturat M att'

o. 2I3) the similar"o*to*-6i

inuk*ya" of Bornleo is for communicotion

$ff?#H;J.'^t. L..ii,r,;i;; S; bavaks.who place tho bamboo just'

over the root of tfr""o"",Jnu'-place

whLre.the Arigami Na-ga Iocates his

iiiiti,'ii";;,ri th't i" *i'"ui"uh of as a diminutivo manikin (u' Hose

"--i'rr'i"il"rt"tl. oo. "lt',fi.fo, and The An'gami' Itragas' 9& t83)' Thu

;#";';;"J ;i;'i,'#L; ;"b.-rnentioned

.bv Shakespear. (ot'de preoeding

[;5i;".;.;d br,h" Lushei is not quite clear' but it occurg to-me

iir"i'ii might doncoivuurv tu a survival of a. bamboo tubo' used in

i"iLr,-""Ifi""d when uido"o"u t'u" boen substituded by an-immigrantJ"ii"rl''-r"tial seems to-fe trre older form-in some- parts 9t this

-area'

ffi rywl**li"t;:;:{,?:":?i}t;fl'"'fff t},'il',i"'i"'*""3i'?:r"X:1:o""o.. i, the noighbouring Ao tribe, ae it seems 0o llavo clone' pornaps rn

ihe Angami tribe."'* ;;3il;;iti"g i" l87l (Natiae Stau oJ Mani'pur' p''Ll'

states explicit'

rv,"ia-t "-i" "-"Lrfrur"

*oit'oritv, tt 't th; Thad; ('Il:lgill'l.l::ft^lTdu"a i" e sitting posturo, the body ttaytlS !9e1 straoned to a board ano

emokod in thot positioi'.-^i"

pffi.""-agdihis to a Ttedo exceptionally

*"fl"Jr"ua

in cietom and iriter-osted in _his own traditione, and he wer

i;;";;1; tickled at t-iie"o"ur

iauu of anvon'e at all burying.thclr

iffiT'":fii'"s:'" E:-"ffi;;e thut it *o" nover done bvr1l"'t?ryll :'itt:lty ;he cirpse lying at full length on its bac

ffif,iHeti:ii'ttf:";':fJl,:x*irlj*l's:ll*::i{y{.'i#r#Hlli?)

 

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56 Journal, ol the Aaiatia Soci,ety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

Thempu of all the good deeds of the person who has died, and inhis blessing the spirit on ibs journey 1o Mithikho (The villaee ofthe dead). Now-a-days any rich person has a mithun killed onsuch occasions, but this was not the former custom. A niE wasall that was killed if the sha-ai or chang-ai had not been pbrlorm-

94 by dsceased. This killing of a pig or mithun ii caltedkhosa.

.If porsons die aooidontlly of of oholera, yr*s, lup"osv,small-pox, or in battle or child-birth, the above ii not per:torm-ed and the body is buried outside the perimeter of the-villase.lIn these case's no Langmd,nz (.,corpio-price") is claimatle.Nor, i{ & woman should die withoul any male issue, is itclaimable for her.

1 Not in all these casoe, There is an intermediato death betwoena good dooth, when the anoestial Bongs aro sung, ancl a bad.death ttttisl,,j.whon the deoeaeed ig buried outeide tho villago, ag in the casc of a deetiiin battle. In oase oI the intormediate death, which is doath as tho resultof diseeses entailing corruption of the Iiving body, tho bod_y is huriodilside-tho village,-outside the house, but tho vault is mado- along oneeide of tho ercavation instead of leadingnorthwards from it, end no-soncgare Bung, In b,ll such c&ses no l,ongmdn is claimable, as in the case 6f

death in child-birth,whon

the deceased is usually buried bohind thehouse. In the oase of lwll tki,she, when the intorment is outsido tho village,no vault, is mado at all.-(Ed.)

2 .Irangntdn is a paymont mado to the nearost male kin of a docease{porson on the mother's side if deceasod is a male, on tho father,s side iftho docoased is a fomale. Thus in the following table :-

X (deoeased).

t___,__-__r__P = A? J,

On A's death l,omgman is paid by P to B: if either or both be doad, itis paid or reooivod by tho noarost patrilineal heir.

If R dio after bearing a legitimate aon, who sura,iaea har, h* husbandwill pay longn*an to P.

If Q die, l,ongntan is paid by P or by S to B, unleee it should happenthqt Q ehould have been marriod and die without having had-inychildren at all, surviving or otherwiso.

The prlnciple of paying for the children a woman beard as well as forthe women herself eppears in Guiana, where the Caribs recognize it(Brcbt, Inilian T'ribaa of Gudana, 364) and-doubtlegs elsewhere, lut thereal elgnilloanoe of longmarz ig indiceted by ita name. Ilai BahadurS,-C. Roy tells me that among tho IIo of.Chota Nagpur, a tribo of Monefflnltior, plrents marrying off their daughter always stlpulate that afterher death her bones shall be returned to her famlly; this oondition ieaooopted, but ir never carriod out in prantice, nor_ ie it roelly expeoted tobe. Now among the Thado E woman the lob6 of whoeb eai is eplitcannot join her relativoa in the next world, ia buried therefore as aniqtermediate (bod) denth, and no longtnan gan be claimed for her, Ob.vioqely the inferenoe it lhat longmam (=" bone.price ") is the price that ispaid for retaining the bones of the mother or ofher ohild as tf,e case may

1928.1 Notes on the Thadou Kulcis. 67

Before longman can be claimed the claimant has to kill apig-'

t-ol tho-person from whom he claims a mibhun as longmanand this is knorvn as longmen bepna, otherwise the claim is notadmissible acoording to custom.

There are four kinds of marriage among the Thadoue

Marriage. uiz:-chongmu, saha'p^sa't, iol.'lha' aodkijam mang. In the first twri a proper

ceremony is gone through while the latter trvo emouht toelopement.

In this torm of marriage the bridegroom's parents send go-

chongmu. betweens.to the parents of the bridelo

union. Ar rhe time thelllJ*'if ll3'rfl:"It'lf"1T,3tll"":able, kill a pig for the representatives of the bridegro-om's pJopleand they all eat it and mirch Ju is drunk.z This is called sintin-ska. At this timo a settlement is made as to the amountof marriage priee to be paid and how much of it should bebrought-on the_wedding da5r. If afterrvards the question ofreturn of lhe mdn (marriage price) should arise for some reasonleading to divorce then this sunxtansha expenditure is returnable.The date for taking a,way tho bride is fixed on a,t the time of this

feast- and the represontatives of the bridegroom's people returiland inform him and his parents of the resqlts. fhore mav besome heggling over the marriage price but the full amounl .tobo paid is finally settled before the bride is taken away. Wheneverything is fixed up the bridegroom will send strong young

bo in tho husband's or father's family. Presumably wero the .bonesreturned tho soul would in the life to como foregather with the mother'srela0ives, and it' seems likely that bone-price is a survival from a euetomlike that of the Khasis (o. Gurdon, The Khasi,s,. p, 140) at which thebones of the wholo tnatrilineal clan were from time to time collected ata religious ceremony of great importance. A change to the patrilinealsystem would obviously entail the abandonrnent of this pra-ctice andceromony, and the right to claim the bones would then becomo morelvformal, qs aith the Ho, or would be commutod for a money paymerit

as with the Thado, In this connection it is signiffcant that tlie H6 haoemuch in common with the Khasi (Dalton, Ethnography oJ Benqal. o.55. sq.; Gurdon, Ike Khasde, p. ll), and that Mr.-S.-.fI fjuncari. itiohas followed Mr. Shaw at. Taqlenlong, is himsolf of partly Khasiaoxtraction, and is femiliar with Khasi custom, tellg me tha:t he hnds vervgreat similiarity betwoen the religious cUstoms of the Thado Kuki and theKhasi- It 1nay be,further noted that the Lhota paymont called echki.rnam (i.o... death-prieo ") corresponding to the Thado longma,n or ilumilit-man, ia.accompained-as a rule by a -nominal

pqyment caTlsd ming-aehi,,='neme.buying,'-whi9! -entitlos ttlo lamily of the payer to use ihe doaclwoman's name for children born in subsoquent con-erations.-(Ed.tI In the preselcg of tho man from wliom h6 cbime.-(Ed.)

2 A marriago is broken off or postponed on account of'the'ooourroncOof e death in oither family during tho preliminaries. In cage of port.pouomont the parties are careful to note, during the time acroed Gpon.whether or not furthor calamities ocour, in whioh cage the -morrlqir liueuelly broken off.-(Ed.)

 

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58 Journal, ol tke Asiatia Baci,ety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

men with his reprosontatives to tako away the bride on tho dayfixed, sending that part of the marriage price agreed on to be paidat the time, but leaving the greater part as a balance to be paidlater. Theso representatives are feasted at the expense of tbebride',g people and both parties wrestle and mueh dung and filt'his throrvn at the bridegroom's party.l Drums and gongs areplayed and songs sung in the evening hy all tcigobher while

feasting. The next day the bridegroom's party departs trium-phant with the bride and the morriage is complete except forihe rvrench of paying up the balance of the price by degrees.z

In this form of marriage the wrestlirrg and other festivities

SahaPsat.

early the next morning.

are not indulged in ancl generally thebride is taken arvay the same day or

In this no arrangeuf,ent regarding marriago price is made.

Jol-tha,. It is a case of pregnancy resulting from

girr. rhe man takes hera;otllfi*il" Hll"Tl"l"{'x,il3ff}H$r:is known. No previous arrangement exists between the partiesand there are no marriage ceremonies. A md,n however is

settled upon as a rule.

This.is whena

young man and girlelope and

live togotherKijam Mang. rvithout or againsb the wishes of the

parents of either or both parties. Noeeremonies are performed and the mdn is settled on in due

course. In tho last trvo torms of marriago thero is no eq,mlanska

ri,nd so none can bo claimed hereafter in case of divorce. Inthese trvo forms of marriage a ceremony called in tral is usuallyporformed by the husband after a timo ; i't merely means going

io the parents of the woman and making his peace withthem. .It is usually at this time that the marriage price is

fixed on. In lut means " house-entering," tho eloping pair beingthus recognised as daughter and son-in.larv.

The question of the amount of marriage prioes among theThadous is not definite. Chief-q and wealthy persons usually

r This throwing of mud, dung and rotten oggs af the bridegtoom'soartv takos place at three occasions, first on its arrival aC the bride'girousl ; next ihon the pig is killed for tho feast on the following day, andfinally whon the bridogroom's party departs, wtrioh must be beforo dawnon the day aftor that. Tho wrestling likewise ta,kes on those threeoooneions, dnd Uhe young men who wrostle must be porfoct, none of themmuat look a limb or &n organ or even a little ffngor ioint. This cr:nditionalso applieg rigidly to th.e thernpu who officiates at tho wedding.-(Ed')

z Alter tho biidegroom has taken.his bride to his houso, marriage isnot oongummated till she hag rovisited her father's ltouge on a gubdo-

quent deto previoualy agtoed on, when a further instalmenb of. l"}l.o ntdnpi'(brido.prico) ie paid. Thie dats may be a few days, a month, or eventhree nronths later.

Soppitt (Short, Account o! th,e Kwloi-Lushai Tribea) gives an intorostingaccounlbf Chengsen marriagos, but the customs recordod by him cennotsafely be rogarded ae bona.fide Thado'-(Ed.)

i.{

olaim and pay the equivalent of l0 mithun, Rs. !-00 in cash, 2

Dapi (larye gotg), 2 Dapu (set of trio gongs), 2 Khichang (ear

beacls) ; 2 Khi,chong (necklaces). The ordinary porson oftenactually pa,ys a couple of mithun, khiclang 9nq a khichon_g

and Rs. 25 br so in caeh. In most caseg the mdn is commuted.X'or example a pig in some ca,ses may be taken as one mithun'rI have aclually come &cross cases where Rs. 40 has stood for

4 mithun and a tar ol iu fior a khiehang or khichong' Thusthe parent of the bride hardly ever receives the marriage price infull, but in the form of more or lesg fictitious substitutes. Theylove to name large amounts as the mdru not with any idea ofgetting it, but to be able to boast that their daughter was

married for so much; when questioned as to what preciselythey received, it will be found that actually a much smalleramount has been accepbed in full satisfaetion by a system of

fictitious values. Besides very few, if any, ever intend payinglhemd,n of their wives in full themselves, &s ibis a recognisedthing that their sons or next-of-kin male heirs should pay some

if not the greater part. Thus often claims aro admittod as out-stanrling for more than 6 generations for balance ol mdn stillunpaid. Consoquently tho present generation is inevitably bur-

denecl by debts due for great-great-grandmothers and aunts andbther relatives whose descondants they aro or renrosent. So

the Thadou tribo is full of litigation on this ecoro a,nd the Chris-tian movement may do good in this direction. But if so Ithink bhe Thadou will have to have an outlet for his litigiousand quarrelsome tenderlcies in sorne other form.z

'ihis is a mithun .iihicU may be claimed by the bride's

r928.1 Notee oru the Thad,ou Kuhis. 60

father's brother or by the best friend ofher father,. but in return he must give

the bride a dowry in the form of necklaces, ebc. To claim hismi6hun, however, he must at difierent times, kill bhree pigs ortheir theoretical equivalents, fclr the husband or for his malenext-of-kin if the husband be doad, but. it is oonsidered abreaqh of etiquette tor the claim to be made against any other

than the husband. Ifthe donor die before one pig is

killedno

claim lios against the bridegroom.' After a girl has 'been betrothed by the performance of

sumtansha, if she mauies some one else,sumkhao sat then one mithun has bo be paitt to the

Tan Man'bridegroom first elected for breach of pro-

r The 6rst and tho last of the nurnber of mithun arranged muet bepaid in genuine boasts-cow mithun, but for the rest of the mithun subs-titutes of any kirrd will sqrvo if tho parties aro in agreement,-(Ed.)

2 As etated in the introduction, I think that the litigioueness refgrredto by Mr. Shaw is the rosult of a passing phase of socialdieturbanoo. Inmy experionco the Thado is not particulaily litigioqe, though tho tlirputcrwhioh he hae aro apt to be of an unsatisfactory n&ture to the outhorltythat hag to doal with them.-(Ed.)

Mankang.

 

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60 Jowrnal, ol the Asiatic Soci,ety ol Bengal' [N'S', XXIV,

mise. The same applies.should the man.fail to carry out his

*ot*o[,"ntl

a mithrin is payable- to.the.girl's par-ents'1.-----dh;'fi;-tchild that dils in afamilv is known by this name

Chalam, and no longman is claimable for it inconsequence.2

This is a mithun paid in lieu of a seconcl mdn' t'o the pare-nt

rarkhuncrronman.'

:' ff:#lt Ti:ffi'f'il"";,*f il""T3"rl',"brother8 or direct relation of her first husband. It is custo.

marv for a brobher to take to wife a deceased brother's widow

;iil;";h he be alreadv married. I feel that some ages ago the

fUaaoi must have naa t'no system of wives being common

oronertv botween relations of the husband, as no shame seems

["-J*i*il*U* a brotber or his noar rolation is tound cohabiting

;ith ili, irife"n,f

nothing is said.a It does not seom to lead to

unnleasantness or ill feoling.' When & Dr&n dies leaving a wife who does not return to

Noituiehonman. her parents again but lives on in her

husband's house or in the village and

eome other person m&rries her then one mithun is paid 5 t'o the

1 But in this case it is ealled jouman, and I think tho penalty of a '

mithun is less straitly exacted.-(Ed')2 For tho pt}"poies ol cholan't, the unib taken is a fother, mother and

children. noJtnu'6rst of this group that dles no longmaa is p-ayable' As

soon a,s one of these children marries and has children he or sho iF regard'

;-;;-;r"t;; Ieft, the familv for the purpoaos ol chalam, end tho newly

,".rri.J *"ite and thoir chiltlren form a fiesh unit'-(E{')sThis iustom, as stated, cortainly, doeg not hold good,ot authe

Thado. Mnnv of them declaro emphatically bhab jalhkun akonrnan ta

not oevable *hen a widow is taken by her decoased huEbBnd's brooher'

;;; ;;il;iihi-t""" *t"

takog her is e cousin or Bome other more drstant

""frtl""".fih" a""eesud. The probability seemsto me that tho digcre-

oancv arisesfrom attompt.-ioltot" in deffnite tormswhat-is roally-e

";;;*;i;;;n""iuilitJ and adaptable to circumstances' Manv of the

irrrJ.-ri"" i" loi"i ru*itiu", !wo_'o1 rhree-b.rorhers in a house. In the

*t" .f " -o"'of such a family dying and his widow b9ing taken by a

L"oLn", Iivins already under the sameioof, I am doubtful _i! ialkhun chon'

;;;;;;iJ L'" priJ [y an]' Thado' onthe other hand if a widow were

til;; ;;-; [-ir,u, tivi"g ii a distant village it is possibte that a demand

for it w6uld be regardedas not unreason&ble'-(Ed')'-- -iO"-tfru othei hand in tho only such case-that,I can think of'.* great

deal wos said, and very bitter too. One poiot B6ems qorth- notrng-ancr

61,"i i, ifrritfr"r" i. ,ro"di.iinction appareritly between the elder and the

i,i"i,*i--tt"ther in this respect. Whereal in gome tribes' e'g'' the

il;;";; N;"fi'"--io""gu" biother has, or used to have access to his

lii"r"ti"ii.u?;..'.iiJ *itrrt"t a reciprocal righr on rhe. part, o_f the elder

i,il'heI:-d;hiiaao eoum ro have no'relic of iuch a eociel condition even

i;';ffiiil;;1;"nJir,""ia".

brother takes the widow of the vounger juat

ac ireelv as the vounger takes the elder'r'-(Ed')  "{}'oi*iil."trr" i**" bv which I know this payment'' I, am very

doubtfulabouttheoorrectneggofthestatement.thatundersuchcrrcums.;;;r; ;ir;;Ad-t Jsbr"a pav? lnan to hie wife's. pa"elryt

-.r1 -1I-^":;oerienoe if a man niarrieg a widow who has not returned to the nouse or

fi"i'iitfr-"r"."fri.

r.p-i..""i"ti"u nftor her husband'e deeth, the ffret hug-

Notu o'tt, the ThailPu Kukis' 0l1928.1

late husband's next'of'kin male bV lhg new. husband in addition

;"^;;'-;;; *[i.rt m;t G ugt""ud on betrveen him (norv hug'

band) and hor pareotJio-f'"-pt-ia b.the latter'- On socond

;;##;"ii;f" lt *o"'takei for a divorced' widowed 9.rrul'

r*-V riii". It must be at least one mithrrn loss according tp

oustom. This seconJ;;;-i;d prico is -spokenof as nungkit'

";;;T;*mrisiiinn"-

,nai i''t"'hthan's th6'tha' man' and not a"s

mdn or manPi. tThis is of the value of one mithun'l Should a married

Dumdi,ma,. rnr S;ru:lltll,'3;Tf,f""";,?i"rlfull satisfaction of all aoi" i6 her father or next'of'kin malo'

N; il;;;;- i. du" "iiuut'Dumcli'man is onlv .paid whon

no.ri, of"h"r ?n(Ln ot niigkltn',a't'has beetr paid up' If arry part

il;-"i;dy Uu", p*ia" of the nr'dn' ot 1t'unolcitman then the

death of the womau ;;"i; ti"""i- tu" uliu"tu' Dumdi'man'na

;;; b".l"i*etl if she hls dnlv giveu birbh to girls and no boys'

but now-a'rl*y* tu".Ji." ;';'"; ;"ht;I vhich"advocates that if

;it-;;; Uorrr"tt u^ th"-f,n'rzdt

should be paid since the girls

ilii, *'ttt;;;rl;;;d;v thu tro*ua"a or next'bf'kin male' r am

told that in such ""ti!*-o"" *ithun of the marriage price. of

;;;; ;ili i. p"ia to ;h; "u*t'ot'ttiomale of the mothor at the

ii"t" Bt iU" io*.rirg"'itr-"omp"n*atlon

for the loss of bho md'n

il;;";;th";'t-p"rpft- ."nl."a'. If a bov has been born thon

irff -a" [ut t,i U,i paia alttrougtr mrch o{ it is usually com-

;;;d;d torl u ,*uit"t sum uniu*s the parties happen to'be at

ffiT;, ;h;" tnlv dv to tr," court in h6pes of pulling a larger

tooth.rhis is en amount

XX.itTT:,::flT #i:t:iJ*'J::1,HlL1rnbo'man

"trt" ded by the male heir of the de'

ceased person and is fot"ie,"ti"g

the, house of the evil spirit

;hi"h f; entered it and thus cau'sed the death'2

band's heir male is still responsible for the full amount of the- origin'ai#;e;,;;;.J"!it". tr,e sll"'J';a-" ito^ the seccnd husband' ordi'

narilv, howevor (unloss ";;;;ti;;;broth-er or cousin of her decoasod

hueband) the widow ,eto,',,I;;;;;ittliJ" house aqd-the

unpaid.portion

ii"i'i.iliii;,'A;;'i";;il;; fi"st nusua"d lapses' a",d a nunstci'trnen is

arranged by her ta*r". ,iir''ii"*;;;;;A hus'bantl' Where the widow

ma"riEs the heir o, ,r"","*'"t"tiu"u ;iir9;l.te h*B3$;,tfrtffi fffi:alone stands, augmented or not &s the caso may

mar,.-(Ed.) -. urnd,i,tmam can be olel."-"i riat'o" dies unmarried before his mother' d

m"a # ir"ii Ii1i ;"I.il; iiiii'-"i"iat?-;

Ti3ffi;;'*r?#ffiiJ'1;i-rror"t"'.I tbbacco pouch," apparo:rllY a metonym

rr*i{**fflr.ti::t.fgif" ier of 1". hirit is atill accepted es adequato prt

no1 oonlegt tho olaim.-(Ed.)

 

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62 . Journal, of tke Aaialic Socipty.of Bengal, [N.S., XXIV,

. It Thi; is an amount of one mithun to be paid by the para., Jol-lei. mour of a preglqlt gitl !o her fither

uorry hor. rr he intentrs il-lX*"ffi';fiil ;Ir"." #.T"fi::tlen he has to pay yet another mithun for maintonance to thefather or next-of-kin at time of taking over the child. This isaalled Chaaoman. If he refuges to f,ake

the child when weon-able then it ie treated as a member of its mother,s familv.Howover, at tirne when the question of. Jol-l,ei is settled thep&ramour must then-say whether he intends taking the childor not and must adher-e to thab.l The child shoild strictlvspeaking be born in'the paramour's house thus according it aform!,I recognition of parentage.

Sukqd ie an amount of Rs-. 4 paid by the bridegroom to the

Sukai. Chief or the village_ to whioh the bride

rr is or interesb ," *h111T.Ii';l.}"r$t1*1.'fiJlf";,,.trn the time of the chief Munthom one of his villagers took

to wife one Kilnem and fled away to Khodai village.- Munthomw.ent to Khod-ai vill,tge to call t[em back but rval killed by, thevillagers- of

-

that village. MangJol, brother of Munthoml wastoo much of a corvard to avenge liis brother's death but whenThomhil, son of Munthom, grerv up he attacked Khodai villaseand killed many taking a war drum and mithun horn. I{e thjnsq,i{ he rvould take sulta,i fuom all who married girls of hisvillage hence forth ae the longman of Munthon andio tho cus-tom beaame established.q

Jachabnan is an amount of one mithun paid by the man who. Jachatma,. entices away gr makep-p_regnant another

ro,re husband r, .dfifl*; ffi,.i:T"'"3liH lHl*#fJall rndn or nunglcitman vet, paid. The woman-'s father or maleheir will then sue the adulteier for the balance still dne.

If a man drive away his wife without cause then he for-

IJlvorce.

feits all paid mdn or nungkitman and

in addition has to p&y one mithun as

1 Shcruld he ultimatoly refuee to take the child h&vins oriqinallveaid that .he would do ao, chatnman will,l think, etill bo ci'aimod froriilip bV the _woman-. The death of the child within three years, or thelallure of tho mother to mointiin it for that period nullifioi the tlajm toolfinsanwn, unlese, in the latter case, tho failure be due to the death ofthe mothor,

A aon bom in this way is amorrg the Haokip Thado qiven guch ore-cedenoc over legitimato ohildron ae the dete of 6is pirth iarrantg. Wlttthe Shitlho- olcn, however, he ranka aftor legitimato sons, or &t any r&teafter the eldut legitimote don.-(Ed.)

z Suhqd l=ounnd rdphtal ia a Shitlho oustom, but appareutly chiefsot oth6r olang o n acquiro the right to clairn, as if Shitlho, by performinga ceremony to this ond, involvinga pig encl a jar of ja, in Lh-e houee oIa Shitlho.*(Ed.)

r928.1 Notes on the Thail,ou Kuhia. 08

Daman. If the wout&n run sYa'y from her husband..for no

oror" tU", the paid rndm or nunglci'tman ls returnable to!1"1t-13:

band. It,is cristomary for the- man- to attempt to call bacE

niJiit" if rhe should'g" ;*", fro-m him' It h6 does not do s.o

in"":'ii-i.-ri"iooriy"""ure

ior darnan and forfeiture of such

;i;;; iungkdtmai as has b-een par-il' If-she refuses -t9 rctryn

i" ;nia" ;t ihe request to do so-, tle.n.mdryis returnable'Th.*

c&usee of divorce ur" oit*o very irivial and mostly the man.ie

to blame in some way or other. Thadous are extremely subtle

ara sty in the way t'[ey work divorces so as to avoid the custo'

mary fi nancial consequences.

Sumken is the dowry given to the bride by tbe brother or

["Et friend of the fathlr. The originalsumken' n&me w&s 't'hillcen whioh 'means " Pro'

perty gift " which has been modernised to'" Money gift"?' "l,itq"

is the gift of a hlack cloth (that called-pon'ilum)

to

Lutor4. tbe bride's mother b-y the husband for

having given birth to tho girl he har

chosen.

Luisui is the gift of a pugaree to the fother of tho bride by

Laisui.r th6 h"usbarrd for beirrg the begetter ofthe girl ho has selectod.

There are bwo kinds of sorvice among. Thad<lus aiz lhat

villeinage. of BDd and'that ol Chengcha'

In the first case a ehd is realty a Bervant of the perso-n.urrder

whose proteotiou he is and livos iir the same house with him'

tn ttre second case the chengcha lives elsewhere whetler in

the same village or in a distant one.2

In neither oase is it slavory in our sense of the word and

merelv ontails menial work. ln the seconcl case it does not even

amouiit to the position of a servant'

r llr. Sharv has got them tho \Prong way round, I t'hinlr' Luieui

*"rr".-r'r;;;;;"'; walist-band, wlnile hrtom is a man's loineloth' They

*Jil'if.tfr"-i"" thu b"id"'" psronts, now'a'dey-s usually commutedto a

monov Davment of Re' I and Rs. 2 respectively' A woman can clai[ri]al# i{-i,r*oo*rrethup" tho onlv claim {or-property that a Thado

*o*t, ean.rnal*e on her-own account'-(Ed')"-';1"rri;in"fi""a to think that the real test of the difference betwoon

sn,"ii'oniiiin"

i" tnui in rhe former cass his lord pays tho price .of hia

"ilt"io'"wife, ind in roturn receives t}lle ma\pl of his-daughters' wlloroax

in the case ol the chengcha the lord is entibled to such serl,ices aa hc o&n

trigtinction oorrosfgnds precisely. t_o that among ttto $91a N1S9:?,91I?:3

alontihhamd. wholdie prygiaea with wives by their ohief, and onuhcllllltlwho merelv cultivate;Hie.land and pay him eorvioe (insluding tnc Pltolrceouivalend of ahari,ndll{n return for hie protection, s'hioh ll vcry olllnrduitrt tr, obtain pay-rfbht ol a debt.-(Ed.)

 

1928.1 Notu on thc Thaitou Kubde, 00

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64 Journal, ol the Asiktic Bociety ol Bengol. [N.S., XXIV,

, A man becomes a:shd usually to obtain proteotion undersomo oircumstances or other in whioh bhe sh6 is uncertain of hislifo. There are alBo many sftri among Thadous who are thedescendants of captives taken in early iaids or obtained by pur.chase from others. Ono of the principal dealers in slari was Zhui-mang of Kandung villagel in the Naga Hills who used to get hissupply from 4honoma and neighbouring Naga villages. Kabuisand Kacha Nagas when in extreme poverty resoit to seUingtheir children to-Kukis as sh6. tr have ictualli, known more thaione example of this in my experience.

-Chengcho aro usually those who have had their debts paidtor them by some wealthy or influential person originally in re-turnfor service but who have driftod away.

For tho release oL a ah6 from his obligations one mithun isusually paid among Thadous. This cleals the eh6 and his en-tire family. Many trv to olaim one mithun per head for thelatter bu[ this is"not"admitted bv existinE c6urh. The sameapplies in the case ol a chengcho"*ho wish-es to clear himself ofthe_ tie.2 It often happens t[at the sh6 or ch,engoha gets marriedand- the person whose shd or ahengaha he is pays b}re mdn. Insuch cases if there aro children (females) of th-e shri ot chengchaqh.o ma_rr5z, thefu mdn is taken'by the master and not by tneskd or chengcha himg611. In conse{uence it often ar.ises tfiat aeh6 or chengcha wishes to clear hiirself of the bondage by pay-ing a, mithun b.efore he has had any daughters. Such ca-sei aienow.a-days decided on their meriti so t[at the maeter may notlose in the transaction in the seoond case and the sh6 or ih"og-clw in the first. But I need hardly add that bhe sh6 or cheng-cDo ustrally comes off worse in the f6rmer case but finds it beitnot to make a fuss about it so Iong as he can clear himself andhis enbire family of the obligations-inyolved.

Sometimes claims are made for one mithun per hoad peryear against bhe sh6 or chengcha but this ie not accordlng tocustom and is not allowed by the Thadou emong themselves-.

,

This is one ila,nor *easuie of paddy to the chi"ef of the viilafe.chansseo. Each household pays this to its chief for

the right of cultivation annually.E Amongthc Haokips only a lar ot jlt is paid ; it is called bel,,fieng.

I IIe wa,g really a Kachha Naga' (Nzemi) originally of Mpaimivillage.-(Ed.)

Ifnri obiigation ol aehowhogestatug isaoquired bywhat iscallodban_gmaieap (='homioide fence') ie.regard6d ae vory mucL more bindinea,nd saored than when the status is*otherwise aciruired. althouph it iEaggu-ire! by the paymcnt by the rlo himself of s eu'bstaniial sud to thechief whom he ohdoces ar L proteotor. For releaso from thie particularbond a vory he-a.vy panalty w-ould almogt oertainly be claimod,'but I donot remember hearing of one,g ever having arisen.-(Ed.)

..u TIg theoryis tfr'at the land cultivatdh by any ttado villegebelongs

to the chief. Changseo must be paid after the croi is reaped.-(-Ed.)

Khoika is the namo givon to tho {reg lq\ot Ppp.liodbJ *i

o.i"on from each household in the village,Khoths' iho must work one day for the chiet of

the village in hie fields in every yesr.l-This is o, *.oooi of Re". i per head par3 by the soller of

. mithun, buftalo or Cattle to tho chrot olthol Kotkai' his village. rt is by way of quittanco to

*""#fliT ff"'ffii*-iffiif,trlTilffiTihe.chier haa rhe right

migrarion Due. -h*f*"?L''if*"?Sffi#i1ilJ3fl,H,migrates without the chief,s [ermission ; if .the

chief has caruled

the man to move outl ttte"ni"t

tt*" no right to corrfisca'te his

property, although chiefs are uo-t beyond doing so in all cases'

iittingo'i,'get ovei the diffioulty by solling off their stock after

i;ffi;ttd-;d having no staldiirg crop-s when they aotuallv

migrate.--'-nop""I is paid by the purchasor for every.ng"9 3f

*'-tlll'

Lamkai. iruftalo or cattle to the chief of the village'

from which the purchaso is made, es a' sort

of oxport feo.-- -T;;;a'opinionthat this due and Shel' lcotkai is paid to

t"o*p"*"-thi cniet for the loss of animale.tt".*,Ii::itJlg-":

animais of which he would oertainly get a portion if killed there ;

"il;ltl"dar" spokon of es posa6sslng-sb.Pony l.rithuns,-eto^"

and by re"cluction if their number the ohiof's prestige,is ,"PPi:what reducod, sinco he takes the sredit for any wealth. ot tnls

kind in his village. In the o$ days it-was

a large IaT ot,rt' 81:

the chief's permlssion had to be taken before any animale wore

allowed to'bo purchased by outsiders'---'iniik.i6i-is

anlxp.irt fee of Ie.J/'"paid for-a s[gl"-I15

rhi, Korkei. ll'lT"uJH":iu't"tflbffil?,fdffil[iThe idea is asain that tli6 ohief's preslige is reduced, and in the

";;;i;;"iiltouoio"s that in tt'u' old days co-nsidorable

oersuasidn wouldhavoto be brought to bear on tho chiet betore

f,u *o"ta dream of allowing one to leavo his village'

The right hind leg of ill game killed by yh"t*Y?'.1:ll:shamar. - :t hTr',?l,ffi.lchief goes to the ohret

This is the flesh betyggn the up!'er side of the ribs and the;

sharing. niaeootau'i'niqltsrllfl;,13;:-hTi

kin. The head of any fainity pays in turn to the hea'il of the

I T]he tt,ewu and tho official blacksmith heve a si''!lar lrSF! t9 roo.t*rie-o""i-oi ft"u f"Uo"", ["t tU" a,mountg are v-aria-blo'-(Ed') - , -,'- i Tt" Semas have exactiy tho game custom' In the Eema oorc;

'taroo f iui"r. i" thot of th;-T#d;; ir," ,igt t does not stop ot ga'mc but

 

66 Journal ol lke Asiati,c Society ol Bengal,. XXIV,

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branoh from which his family is sprung and so forth until thehead or " Pipa " of the Thadoue is ieaohid where such paymentsend.

of an animal killed. It is paid by thekiller to the m*le next.of.kin of hismother.

.l[.B.-Any default in paying these customary claimswould mean o fine of a miUrun. The Thadous a$ ibrv strloton these dues.

- ptmii.-Theft price. In cases of thoft it is customaryfor the thief to return the artioles stolen and to pay one mithuir

Tolthe,' is a pig and a far of la duo to the chief from the

Iolrhe,, perggn who- sheds any humon blood ina villago affray.8

Both parties bring a tar of ju oach to the chiof'r houee

Morhod or *iar by ohiers. illffu'h;"fl1l,iil",},ijlt,,n*Jfifl;Prosent also and generally the influenoe ol the ,iu makes a eom'promiee by the ohief oasy as most aro woll .under the influenceof lt before leaving and aro eo genially inclined that they willagree to a great deal.

This goes by tho male line only and no female has any

Thadou law of right td claim as heir of a, person, .*rs.t ,inheritance. whether male or female. - "'i;x'or examPle:-

KATKHU (m)

HonI

Kaipao (m)I

EengnEffi Pahen (m)

LllKimpao (m) ll

I uj4Paolen (m)

This is the neck

Shangong,

(f)

SatJso (m)

,Jil*, *J"",n

extonds to a leg of all animelg killsd coremonially, e right of muchvaluc.-(Ed. )t The p6nal0y of a mithun i8, of course, theorqtioal, and would not

,xaotod excep0 in serious cases or where the thie{ proved indecentlyontloue. It hae been stetod or implied (Crawford. Itanilhook of Kubd

bo sraoted-except in eerioug cases or where the thie{ proved indecentlyooutcntloue. It hae been stetod or imptied (Crawford, Itanilbook ol Kt&i of Kubi,

of theftsrnaont, poge 22) thst a mibhun is tbe penalty for certain kindr ol theftsoaly that ara mono sorious tha,n others, na,mely, 0hcft ol a hornbill'e neet,ol an anlmol or bird in enother msn'g treD.- of r bees' nest or from ooaly thst ara mono sorious tha,n others, na,mely, 0hcft ol a hornbill'e neet,

9l q,n a4l4ql or bird in another mon's trap, of a bees' nest or from o. I think, howcvor,-thot a pithun is e penaltyby ourtom for qtrf tb0l0 hqt whioh hardly evqr ishs,f shish hardly dvgr

peyable for rape or othor gerious orime, and irs

ol ol*imr lodgcd by an injurod party. Shoultl addopondont, of ooumc,

1928.1 Nolea on the Thadou Kwkis. 67

Koikhu has tnlree sone and two daughters, end their ohildr.en

ur"-oiou""*

above. Males are shown-by (m) and females as (f)'---'ttr"vounqest daughtor, Veikim hiving married has a son

called Kiirpao-*ho baJin turn a son called Paole*. If Paolen

aiir iU"" fimpao is his heir. Kimpao's heir is his father and

itrr"io*u non6 of Kaikhu's family-can olaim for Kimpao- or

I;;;1"r. VeiLim has married out 6f the family and her marriage

""i"".

et".. due forher will go to Kaikhu, if alive lf l(aikhu is

i;ilLh;'G""lam is the heii. If Goulam dies then I'amjasat.s'hoio torn also eats any dues of his sister Hoinu'

-WhenLamJasat

ad th;" Paokai is next in order and eo KaiBao and ttren

ir,n"n. not Ilongning his sister. When their line becoures

;.tt;; ior want"of "a mate hoir (called in'gant' in -fhadou)

then Pas*t and his eou.Satpao inherit dnd so on' Henthing'

[uiro * i"*ale, has no say in rrny claims. ft the entire famill'

;i'ifailfi; b*o.rt " Ingim," then the male repdesentative of

it" "tae.t

of his ttrother:s inherits. A, younger branch cannot

do so until all the senior brancltes are ext'inct in the mnle

line.This is very eeldom resorted to and even when it does take

Adoption. fll:,i,,:,ff:1t{ ;,ilrffffit},:,""1 'l;illlt

deadl his noxt'ot'hin rnh,lo takes no further notice-qf the fact'- -'"'it-

"""r"'ntay .nltt tt "tffilh:?H"t;t:i;f,1{ #:J l}i:

oathe' oeths hetwee"n relatives &re usually

avoidefl if possiblo. A liAt of oaths in tlreir order of gravit5' 1

ie of interost.

(a) Attwi, tlon. Drinkinf. ofahe iuice ,of, bhe Ai pt'".t'u'-'' --'

It is propared bynthe Thempu (Mediciue man) wlto

man bs accide[tally killed, the killer has to provide khocct, i,e. a, mithun

ffi'uiir["r"itil""

it"

funoral' Tolthe:" ground cleaning'."-(Ed'1.* i'i-;;;;;if*f if ihis otdet would be- found to obtain t'hroughout

all the-Ciaclo. I have generally found that (d) is regarded sE,Preferable

to (b) ead I havo raroly had (a) or (c) asked1o1 J" -y couro'-(r'o'' .-- 'i

tti" oath appeais tobe

ivory'noer relativo of the Sema oatll on

tnu ori.ihu. wher^e^ the nams seemi to retain e traeo of the commonl"i.#irt.i",irr'lrt" pr""i.-"t"d are differont' A fo,rmor pr-actice of drink'i"o'tfr" iuici is pod"ibly to be lraced in the second part of th.o Sema worct'

foi' ehu!:<lrint<.' thourih the existing Sema custom is to bito e prece o' tne

olant. As in the easo-of the Thado plant tho posionoua property or .tneilant ie maeical not cbemical' The Thaclo eat their plant on cert'eln

[eremonial 5c,.,,:io's, and rvith the Semus the dostruc_tive prtncrple.,rg

eooarentlv gvmpitthotic, for the plent dies doivn end disappears rn too

:lt'r#;,T'.'l::i1*iis:?;li"'fl ?J;if""i,u;i;i1i"fi11f;:#iit:poiion is, of course, a didesproad cuBtom p-atti<rularlv in Africa (v' x'ra'lcrr

'i;i;:i,;; ii -tii- cith-r"#;';; lii;-"I" ?.i, uut tfii" rhado. dugt'om olil;ti;;; ;;icoi potion is oo

"tthuta diiterent footing, though, o' r

iiiiali ia-iitfi to rie, their practice no doubt efrordg Uhe illc*pr' nho lnol'

ffi[nft;;"fi;."i/fi;;;;"rh p--itv i. t i' id, an excellont opportunltv ol

 

Notes an the Thadou Kuld,s. 09

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Journal, ol thc Asiatic Soaiety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

utters all kinds of thinge to suit the gccasion, andthereieno definite formula since it is impromptu, whilo

Formula. extraeting tI9 luice. Tiren tLe person

contention in the iratter and then ariotr'clown theconcoction. This is {qlu i" the presence of both par.'ties and the ohief. This form o1 oath is aonsid6redthe-most grave since love charms and other magical

potions are said to be made from this plant.Those possessing the evil-eyo and having foagicpowe-rs of turning into anirnals at wish ancl kilillngpeople_are said to use this Juice. Such people ar6called Kaoshe by Thadous.l'

Eating the earth o{ a newly ,ruade grave 2 is noxt inimportance to rvhich the thempu may add otherodds and ends to suit the occasiou. This addition,however, varies in different villages and in thelrands of difierent thempus, and may be a little salt,ash-es,._a ferv grains of rice, a bit of ginger, or anysuch like matter. Here agaiu the pers"oniaking theoath must first repeat his iontentioln belore all"con-cemed and then eat the mixture.

Drinkiug rvater from the barrel of gun.3 The water ispoured into it and the swe&rer drains tho amounta,fter sbating his vorsion of the dispute. His owugun is used by preference; any other if he has notone.

Diving.a tn this bha thempu first kills a fowl at thepool rvhere the diving is to take place. He calls on

(D)

(c)

(d)

u:ixing .some ch-ernically dangerous ingredient into the potion, and.though this would be contrary to the principle of the oath it -ooid berash !o say it had nover been done.

-Both the ordeal bv real ooison

Jnr-obablv aconite) and by a magical poison (water with ;hich ,i, iaoilrq .beerr washed) wero usod by the Eindus (Asi,atick Reaearches,I,4O4),_(Ed.)

r See Appendix G-Vampires.-(Ed.)

f )9to_o- Semas (v._Tlra Sema Nagae, l,oc. cit.).-(Ed.l

r The Lhotas and Rengmas_sometimes bite tho iarrol of a gun, a daoon a spear in taking oath ; fhe biting of a tiger's tooth is the noimal for.rnot soma oath but as \rith the Thado it is of litile or no woicht. man-eatinptigers being-raro in the now thickly populated hills. By li;g;t;o*;-h;;is plucked from the head and bitieir itong with the tooth 6r gun-barrel,oto., a,a the cage may be,-(Ed.)

{ Unliko thg ordeal !V poison, thig ordeal by diving appoare to belimitod to goutli oast Aeia", irnd to t"""

"-airtrii,"tio"io"[f,fy-oo"t""-

mlnous with that of elomente of tho Mon race. Thus we 6"nd-the.sameqr4eal ae thet of the Thado among the Moi of Annam (Baudegson. fndo-Chi,na ard ita Pri,rniti,ue Pypte);Tn Siem, ;d;;;l"J;;;-6.i;;byTangkhul Nagaa (Le Loub6r6, Eoyauma di Siarn,I, g3t; Tumin, Eiatodieeu. de Bi,arn, oh. iv) ; in Burma (Scott and Hardiman, 6p. cit,, I; ii. 496),where thie form irf ordeal was epplied to womon'ai welf al 6 meii(Sangermano, Burmeee frnqtiro, pp.'iZ, igo f tsa6l,

-Symes,E^basr,y-i

r928.1

the spirit of the wa,ter to do Justice in-tho case a$

the biood of the fowl trickles into to it while its

throat is being cut' Then the trvo parties stand

breast deep inlhe pool and repeat- their respective

versions. They muit stand rvith the rvater touc.h'

ine the nipplei of their breasts otherwise when sit'tiis in the. ivater it would not cover them. On a

sivEn sienal thev dive, or rather sit down, under

ivater. thefir.fpetson ivho hreaks the surface with

env Dart of his person, be it his hair or clothes oror"rt-of his bodv, loses. Both are tben dragged

but bv their supporters. If a man, after standing

breasi high, caiiot get under at all he likervise

loses.

(e) Offioial Diving Oaths. In this no thempu"s pre,parations

are made.-

On the signal from the officer the parties

dive for it after standing breast high as before'

The conditione otherwise being the same'

{f) Bitins a sDear or a dao. The man taking the oath bites

tlie sp^ear'head or dao after giving his version of the

caso and thus wins.

(9) Biting a tiger's tooth' The samo ae (l) but a tiger's

tooth rePlaces the weePon.

In those days the last oath givon is practically valuoless a'e

Thadous themsLlves admit. It- is only resorted to in trivialmatters if a compromise is imposgible-bocause -of deep-ro.otod

enmitv botween ihe partios. After this form of oath a smile is

usuall"y.noticeable amlng tho crorvd of onloohers

Aaa, c}.. xviii); in Pogu (Voyage of ?Stpl Eitch, .7583-7591, Hakluyt;g.&tlii", irii*rt ol'the'n.iia*i, Ir, -58),

and in Assam, where-it is

o"""ti""a not onlv b'i the Thado bu+" by the Tangkhul Naga, by tho r\Iemi

iooarentlv (Eoda-on,--llagaTribee oJ Manipur, ll0), by the Khasis (Ho-oke_r'

iifrr*iii"'irurnali, li, ch' xxviii; Dalton, Ethnographv oJ Bengd!, 6!-;

c;;d;;:-it kha"ie,9i) ond in Manipur. Hodson (The Meitheis' 92'so,) seemg to implv that its use in Manipur was restricted to cases be-

ilZ"" i.-ifi-L", birt" Gurdon (loc. ci,t.) quotios Col. 1\Iaxwell as describing

euoh an oath betweeh owo Manipuris'wLo held on to stones atthebobtom;f ;"i;;.' e ,"tv similar form-of ordeal indoed but appliod to, a single

occused person is-described from Bengal by lVarren Hastings in h1s paqg.r. O. th" T"id by Ordeal among tho Eindus' Aedatick Reeearches, I' xxi'.d"

""""."apolrson in this ca-se has to remain under water holcling the

f*t;il" eiah of a Brahman during the time oeeupied by certain pree'

aribod ections. An ordeal by water used to obtain in P9"op9 in wJuch

tho acoused was thrown into the water with a rope round his warst. It ne

s-i k h. was innocent and was hauled out. If he gwam he-was

guilty'{Versteean. Restitution of Decayed lntelligence, 1655, p' 52)' Lr srrvrvoo

irltimatilv'as a test for witehes, and curiously enough precisoly tho samo

test for iit"h"i*ft was used in Burma (Sangermano. Bunruce limPtrt'irii.--i;;;i6e Thado of tho Naga nini thiie is a verient of chs form

a"r6"iU"a Uvfur. Shaw, in which th6 contestants have to piok up t1on'lfrom tho bottom.-(Ed.)

 

7A Journnl ol the Asiatia Society ol Bengal,. XXIV, l92g.J

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[N.S.,

There are no such things among Thadous. If any monoy

Civio trunclg. has to be raised it ie usually d..o-ne bythe chief himself unless the viltacer;

ofior to holp, which they very often do in ca.sos of adminisTra-tive finos imposed on the chief for &[y roaeon.

Among some of the Nlga 'Iribes there is a rocognised houeeyoung men,s r{ouse rff.;*l: Jn:1,"fl,#"ffJ#;!."::.il?}i

daos, shields andother we&pors of attack r,nd def"nEe.

'Afoons

the Thadous thig does not exist those days but they have a worfifor it, shom, w}r;ich. in my opinion, shoivs that it- used to be g,

reoggnis-ed est-abliehment.l Just after dark is spoken of as"-chorrt, l,eng pkat" which is an additional roason'to presumethat such an organisation did exist. It means ,, G'oins-to.the-Young-men's-houso-ti-."." . Aftor eating their evening "meal

they used to move ofi thore for tho nighi. I am toli thatjt was not very long ago- that there was a'young women'shouso z where the unmarried girls all slept but ai tniitea to toomuch trouble among them it was abofighed. This house wasalso known as " shoitl.'i

. r The Luehe-i still rotain thig institution under the name of Zawhuk,

but r am doubiful whether it cqlr be regarded os a genuine ruri insiiiul!io.o. It is, however, typically Naga, and in the Seria Naga tribe, wherert h&s dis&ppoared except for certain coremonial purpos€s ihen an imita.tion is built (ride, ltke Serna Nagao, p. BZ), I ain iirclined to rocard thigdisappsaraoce ae the reeult of an 6verley of Kuki oulture.--ilv owiview ie that it is en rndonegian or Ausiroa,sietic institution, "raihorthau a Tibeto-Burrnese one, and that the traoes of it perceiUlie-'inKuki trlbes are due to survivale from other elemonts abslrbed-t.,

-tttlinvoding {".ki.. See Note 2 on p. 7l ol Thc no Nagi,--TlneTmaihave. co-rtainly., howover, possc$eet_the institution for"a tiil.-;nd ;idspeak of, shooting stars a5 -9ap. .. going to their

"Uo.";_1Fld.)

z I heve never hoard of this, and guch Thedo as I have asked havedenied that they ever heard of it eithsr, but of course if. as r auccest. th6whole. institutio-n. is Noga rather thon Kuki in origin, it may weii-be ihatEr&or[ron ahould rn aomo.caao remember the previous exieterrce of glrls'' moruug!,' which some Naga trib$ p;e8;:-jil:i

u,,:liH'*,:,.Tho 'Ihadous beliove that life is given to everything bJ

Pathen who rirles tho univeree. IIoRitos and Beliefs. has the powor to subdue tho evil in-

Pathen' fluetrces olt tne Tniluas and it ie to Hinthat they do their sa,eriflcos !4 order to regain health or osc&pe

anv adve"rsitv thev may happen to have fallen into' . He is sup';ffi;i;;A;;i"-th"" heaiens and earth and f9 all-powerful'*"-i"ttfr"

CU.d"u the ruorld is the land t'hey live in and the

tvorld. surrounding country, tor the peoples ol

rvhich thef havo na,most an-{ -there

it ends. This may be an adclitionai reason for their,self-impor.

;;;;; t-he su" i,ncl tho moou I go rouq{ the oarbh and.they

"r"""tU"ii""" that the earth revol-v$a' Th" idea of its being-a

;fi;; i*-rrot"o"arrelensible

sinc-e, to their minds, Qe peoplo

;il'A;.ia".-."a-,i"derneath wodd sqrely fatl ot' Ilrey give

iro t;r;;; I.r q;avitv and merely state that as a- thing is.heavy

it must come f,o ear[h again. Only very light thtngs.whlch aro

carried away by tbe wind fly about for a,time a'nd tneBo muEE

eventuallv fall to uu"in too]nu tle wind doos not always blow

;rd';ffiit to*u ,tuight in alx obtect whatsoevor. it may.be.'i{o

"*pt*"rtionof raii exists biyorid atating that it rainr lust

when lhe Pathen pleases. The staro a'leo go-round th?.o?rul

brlt certain eiars are usually Beon in -onedirectiou whloh rB

owins to their great distance from the e&!th'z They have

r'ir"1itl".-"i",

Eooa which took place whon they were.at the

rrnner end of the Gun river but this wag betore they beca'me

"i.ii""tubeines and in tho time of their mythical anoestorg'-'--T["*;i-ifiov

explain &B &n exhibition of the powors qnl

Thunder end Lightnrn&,,n=om he .,is diepleased by striking

_ i,riii,,, .," ri*.t; 1 I :l . -r The mtrkingEon_l'd[rmoon'e fitio ate eoid to be a tree, !s_ by the

.q.ooami. *qrp'a,oa frprtsp&igTagas antl in Polyneaie (frllia' Pol'gnation

Reiearcicsn III, P. Ul.)-18fl'1'*T'ilili,;;rii t" rr,l"d o"r[.io a"ooitt- beliefs- about stars' whioh aro

r.*oi"]t"al as Bo often, wit'b" tno aead' In tho folk'tale of 'A'shijoul- the

ffiffi;fi,o;ag irrto [en""n as a stor, at leagt that ie what I infor from

il;;;-;--td fate, 1v' eppendil A):^agd 9i o"v roto the morning

lr.*J.ffi {":r;-***Fi;,'ru*nt'f; i.ud[:]u:"Tr.*HfuoHit';

t'*'#tr,x""H:%"ffi "JJri#Jtii"";ryif Y"B1{H;#'!:['itl:ie*l:il.""-"* fi"-tU"

"ight.-bri"n-o"

it"

ott""

hand, or rsth.; hi.- Bolt ond

ilJiial"i-" al"i"if"?""

tt. f,o6 of a speoies_of ret which- digp down vo.ty

ItIJ*Tfii,i Ji,ip-rinrit- dil Belr),'end then turns ofi cr right anglor

(the Ewordl.-(Eii.1

;;##ffi'i#."$:TfirxT^1iffxi$:,t?lJBtf,lP,'.tii'iht"o,rt

 

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them with lightning. Thundor is to remind them that Pathenig still vory- muoh alive as the Thadous admit they are verycaroless and forgetful.

There are two vorsions about thig. The first is that a

Earthquakes. large serpent encircles th-e earth (per'haps something to do with the serpent

whioh disputed the passage at the khul when Chongthu c-ameout upon the earth. Ee cut it into sevon pieces)- and goesround and round. This serpent overtakes his tail somotimes

and nips it which causes him pain and the earth shakes inconsequence.

The other version is that ChongJa shakes the earth from hieundorworld home Just to seo if Chongthu's party are still alive.Eor thie re&son the Thadous always shout out ,.We are here,we &ro alive " whilo an.earthquake is on.

I prefer.to aocept the latter as the version generally aocept-ed as oorrect.r I understand the former as loing the storygiven to children.

Thie is the red cornelian bead worn by the men in thoir

I(hicheng. e&rs' One in eachrear.han-gs horizon-tally on a pieoe of string fiom a holo

pierced in the lobe.The story of how they became known to the Thadous

is that ia the days of Galngam; whon thoy all lived at Lhan-pelkot end Thilongbung, the man Glalngam went into thetungle9ne {ay qnd met Hangshai of the Lionmen. They madetriends and the latter invited the former to his village. Galn-gap went and saw Tuch hsrd red fruit on trees which Eangehaitold him was the fruit oI the Lionmen and oftored as many

I One cannot, I think, justly distinguieh botwoen a,oorrect end aainoorrectversion, Both oxplaoations occur elgewhere in A,ssem (o. Pdk.trore, XXXVI, pp. 113 sqi1. I the socond versior, or something verr] similar,being held by the Kabui of tho Manipur State, with whom aer;rmany oftheThqdo-are in touch, py thg A!9s of the lowor Eimaleyan al6pes northof the Brahmaputra and by the Kachins. Traditions on. the e;me lin€sore. widespread outside Agsam, boing found a,mong the Karene of Butmo(Maleha]!, Karon _Pe,opl,e or Burma, pp. 230, 289) the poople of Bali,S!r!da, Timor and other

lslandsof ttts fndian n{iehipehgo, the Tami

of New Guinea, the Coniboe of Peru and even in Af'rica-(u&fe Frazer.Qolden Bough, V, viii g 6). The first version given by Mr. bhaw agreesolosely with that of the Abor, agein on the n6rth bait of the Brafma-putra, aud that of the Lustrei, while the Sha,ns combine the two versionsattributing great ea,rthquakeg to this sdrpont in words elmost identioslwith the Thado account au{ elig[t erarthquakee to the other cause (Milne,Sllcnc at Homa, 64), while the Fijians seem to oombino them iu th6 ga,miindividuel (Brewster, Hiil, Tribea ol Eiii,80, 81, 86, 266, 26Sl. This gtoryof the rerpent . ooiled round tha world bitinc his tail ie stronqlv rd-minieoent ot the midgade ormr, tlne sor?ent ihat euoircloe the ?orld,o_l the Edda-of

-Norremythology. Thia aelpont ia regarded as personifying

the .o-oeon(Etallybraas,_ Srimm's lleutoniC Mytholory, ll, Zg4) eod i6 i;

signifloant thetFrozer (loo, cit,l points out the natural association betweenearthquak6a and the eoa.-(Ed,)

r928.1 Notea on the Tkadou Kulais. 73

as Galnsam could take arvay with hirn' Galngam did so and

I["-" f,7 aistributed to th6 Thadous on his return to their

"lff""r..Thev could not eat them so they wore thern in their

"*ru'o*they"do to this day. There aro said to be very{erv

,i-it"

real "old ones and thLy are so rvell treasured that their

rlossessors are most, secretive about them. A good old bead

ilr"" ursitv be valued ab 5 to l0 mithuns even in these days, buttrairsfors Lt such prices a,re r&re as the possessors do not now-a'

davs narb with them'" Tie first mithun known to the llhadous w&s to their mythi'

Mithuns. cal ancestors, when they were in theunderworld. They used to have 4

horns. Chongthu when he came up to the earbh-b-rought a

two-horned oie with him and the keeper was called Lopokpa'

One dav this mithun was killed for a feasb and the skin was

plu..d in a heighbouring stream to soften' It disapPeared and

ihortlv afterwa"rds one l]ondou saw another mithun of the same

ruarkings as the previous one so they presumed the skin had

come to-life again. This all ocourred at Sisep and the mithun

was known as Noima??fr shel'.

Later Sat'song, t[e gon of Chongthu, folrnd-a'- mithun gro'zins in his millet -fields and caught 1t' This mithun is spoken

of is the Van shel (Sk5, Mithun)'This is ,n" Sorge-god. It is not, taken away by the- noxt'

, r. Doi.-

of -kin male on the death of the house-

in..o i. r t serves rn" *,l"lluii;r? Tlffi Y.t :lf ',*iffi :lllive in one house, but on separation now 'i,n'doi may be made.

There is no fixed time tor this and it is usually done when a

separate household feels that it is suffering from a lack of health

ofol wealth and that the want of the i,n-doi, may be the cauge.

In making & new in-iloi bha thempu plays an importantpart-

The following things are to be collected:-

A piece eaoh of bhe ah,el,hing and thinghi fieo. Small bitsof. gopi (a garden bamboo), uomgw'i, (a creeper), goat, pig, fot'land dgg. Also small porbions of a'gourd, lchaopi (a tree thebark of- which makes excellent rope), and kail,hi, (a partioularspecies of gouid) A sword a,nd speer end a woma,n's brass wrist-let called chao }rrave l,o bo produced.l

Then the thempu taking a very small bib of each of theabove wibh the spear, dao and wristlet in his hand says:-

" Pathen bless so a,nd so (The person whose da'dod is being

made.).

I The i,n*doi, (: " house mogic " or " houBo oharm " has- a-vcry olortoarallel in the edab aioh of tho Kenvahe in Borneo (Hoge and MoDoullllt?agan Tilboo oJ ,borneo, ri 121). So far as I kirow it ir typlod o-l.thoKu"tii oulture ae"digtinct'from thb Nago. Sco atro Appcndlr CL-(fd,)

 

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74 Journal ol lhe Asiatie Societg ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

Bless him as you blessed bhe Bhetoi,nampha, i.e., the bestol lhe ahething brces (to be the in.doi ol man).

Bless him a,s you bleseed the Thinghitoinampha (:the bostof tho lhinghi, trees).

Bless him as vou blessed lhe Gopichengnampha (the bam.boo), Vomguiptha (the oreeper), Vohpimaikem (the pig), .I{el-

chalkihe' (the goat), Peng,jompa (the round gourd), Hai,lhi,pha(the lcrng gourd), Chemkolpha (the old dao), Tengmunpha(the npear), Chaoueipha (the rvristlet). Khaopithosom ltho fieewhose bark lnakns rope), A'talngo (bhe white fowl; and theKalwil,wngtkeng f{u,tui lwmgeri (tho clean and clear egg).

The thempu then carries on the blessing praying that thehouseholder nroy have mauy sons and daughtors, riohes andpor{'er ancl a long life. After this tho genealogical tree of thehousehold from Chongthu has to bo repeated in frrll and thetkempru asl(s Pathen tJ oxempt the prrsdnt maker ol. s;n in-iloiIrom tho consoquonces of the sins of his forefathers. So sayiugthe bits of nrticles enumerated a,re put into a small gourd arrdhung up on the outside of the frout rvall of the house near thetop usually above ihe door out of the wa,v of children and

foils searching for sonrettring to play with or for food. So thoceremony ends and there is much 1'a drinking and eatiug. Thero&re no special animals to be killed ; that merely depends on thecircumsbances of the person performing the ceromony. Tha i,n-dod thus made is eartied with him bv the maker where-ever hegnes until his death, when his ron or sons havo to repeat theceremony if they intend having an ,r'z-d,otl a,lso. The house-godtherefore is apparently only for the protection of the personfor whom it is made, which is also evidenb from the ceremonygiven above.

This is n feast to the entire village and is tho only known

Chang Ai. ceremony in which a Thadou wom&nplays the leading part. In bhe old

days rvhen Thadou villages eonsisted of houses irr their hun-dreds it meant a, vory expensive alTair which could usnally onlybo done by the wives of ohiefs' or of very wealthy men. Intheae days as households in the majority of Kuki villages reaohdouble figures only, it is not such a groat affair. Ifhe womanporfr:rming it has to feed the whole vi[lago lor ono day and shepubs up a platform of earth about 6 inchos above ground levelwhioh is helil in ponition by a border of smoll stones placedupright. Within thie horiler small upright stones are placedand ropreuent the numbor oi bi,nga (woman's baskets) of paddyrvhich is being conaumed on tha,t da,y. In the contre are twostones aleo_ upright with one larger than the other known asBhong mol (spirit atones). Thei gq,y theeo do not representthe spirit of the woma,n &nd her. husband but.are tho signfor Pathen to know whero Chang-Ai lras been performed befdre

re28.l Noles on the Thadow Kukis, 76

he seleats a good place at " Mithikho " for that person.l Thisfeaet can only be dono three times. Much singing eating anddrinking goes on the rvhole day and night in the house of theporson performing it. The Bhel,told,el, Boncho and Lhol,hil, d,ances a,re porformed on the third occasiou, when the person issaid to havo assurod herself a safe errtrance and specially select-ed placb at

'rMibhikho."

Women who have performed this feast are permitted towear tho dark blue cloth with the embroidery at the two endsin ied and white sotton of a special design. the name of thecloth is thangnang,

Thie is porformed by men and implies a feast to the entire

sha Ai. illlffi l:'ol,"u?;,,"1ffi;,ktJffIIn tho old <lays only tbose who have killed all the differintkinds of dangerous animals were allowed to perform this cere-mony lrut now-a-days it is mostly a.question of wealth and allwant to make out that bhey have dono so. Ifowever oneanimal at least musb bo killed even theso daye to fustify the€eremony although trapping an animal ie riuffioie;t foi thispurpose.

On the day of the ooremony lhe th,empu eppoa,rs and rvithju in-his hand calls upon rhe Pathen to p6rmit [he ,,Y-shapedpost " to

-beerocted" The Pathen is supfosed to tell the the'fi,pu

that He han left the charge of the eaith to Noimangpa so 1nturn tho thempu asks the laiter where the post may be" ereeted.Noimangpa is supposed to give his authirrity bf saying bhatwherever bhe thempa tpills some of the 7u on the

-earth tLore it

is to be erected so the thempw does so and then digs a srnallpiece of the oarth out, and the actual erection ie done by theyoung men df the village. After this the mithun to bo slau[hter-ed is to be tied to this post which must be of the stithingtree and no other. It is then.killed by pioroing it with a speai

9I sh&rp bamboo. Gonerally tbo themfiidoes t1o killirrg afterblessing the man who is performing the Sha-Ai after thd gene-

t Nevertholess, I strongly Buspsct these two stonos of treinq a dese-nerato form of the two stones set'up by so many Nagas a.e rep-resentingtho husband and wife, and os phaiiio vohicles for the fortilizatinn of,th6Iand and its produ-ee, frcrm human to vegetablo h,/ tho soul matter ofthoso who have demonetrated by their proeperity that they are fft por.aons to do so (u. Caraeil Morooldthe, etc.,

-J.R:A.L,I.lill. the conieo-tion with the dead gtill obtains in tho aesooiation with tttUnthho, nnd thefact that the etones are e,rectod by a wornan rathor suggeste ihot thoooro-mony. dabos-to a'r,ratrilinoal period before tho intrusioh-ot thO patnJli.noal Kuki, which would perhaps, noi; inappropriatel.l,, associate tlio our.tom of erecbing stones wi6h the jUon.Khmei elemdnt whidh aosrnr onocto heve dorninated these hills and which gtill survives in tho stonc.rfaot.ing matrilineel Khasig and Syutonge. This foant ie oallod alro. I thlnk.Du!-gi (v., Shakospear, Luthci-Kiki Clana, pago20lt nq., llluilrahd 16p,907),-(Ed.)

 

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76 Journal ol the Asiatie Bociety ol Bengal. [N'S., XXIV,

alogical tree from Thadou has been repeated-d-on " .tq !bj. p"{'

sori Then there is th6 usual orgy during which Sai2f Khupsu',Bagol Pkeikhc,l and ilheiphit are'.danced.three times each, while

th6 feast is being propared bfi, ia is going round all t'he time.

Generally the eritiie village is unfit to be seen the next day.

Thii is considered thJmost highly prized feast of tho lot and

chon :HJ'1ilJ"*ffiT;iHi"3',:*";T,'uhi,,Til;everything has to be done seven times' Seven mithuns are toUo [iltea -and

everything else must be in multiples of seven.

This has not been dbne f6r a very long tirne and so the exact

ritbs are not olearly knorvn. It was originally dono by Thadou

himself and only tliroe or four persons are supposed to have ever

done it since, bub even then it rvas not done properly as the

Ohonlul, which was the only rveapon by which tho mithuns or

other animals could be killed on such occasions, rvas buried and

lost owing to a quarrel bebrveen the Dongngel-and T.ha{oq

families tf,, o"ry 6arly date. Even the songs-and genealogical

trees had to be rdpeated seven times. The rvhole- cerem,on,v-tak'

ing da.ys to cornpleto and the expense incurred being fabulous.

Eien after the death of suchpersons

thecorpse had. to be carri-

ed round seven times and eveiything pertaining to burial riteshad to be done seven times so that they resorted to smoking

the bodies of such persons to avoid desemposition before bhe

entire rites wero comPleted.The performance of theChon gave the soul of that person a

naramouit ,seat in Mithihho and ensurecl eternal happiness.'

These are performed by the thempw for the village when

vnage ceremonieg. 3',ir;,:x#rT&'.t""ili,[:iii,ltl:Hgh,::One is called Ai,leam. The most serious form is with a nguldw

(Iloolook ape), the ai, roob, a piece of. thingsaphul'i,p-and'- of t'he

ihi,ngtha tree.- The gibbon iJ cut in two and the blood mixed

rvit[ the other things. All the people of the villago then come

and anointthemselves with a little of the mixture and also taste

a little. The anointing is generally on the forehead. After this thethempu takes the remainder of the mixture and the trvo halves

of thi gibbon and placos thom on the frame work of the arch

rnade a-ehort way dut of the village on tho main path. Half of

the hoolook being on either side of the path. At ths time oI pre-

priring the mixture and killing the hoolook-blte.

lkernpu- calls on

Pathin to protect the village from the epidemic and the ontirevillageis " taboo " for 16 days' No one is allowed to enter or

r I 6nd in my notea that the Thado havo a series of threo " foasts of

merit.i to".J

Uti. Milla' apt term. For the flret a three-pronged post is

""iu6. fo, tho eeoond a loiked pogt surrounded by bamboo poles (cf' the

gemd'aohuza. llha Scma Nasai, p, 227), and for the third a stone' rhethree-pionged post is a familiar sight in Thado villagos'-(Ed')

to go out of the village, and on the day the ceremony i! p€rr'

foried no cocks mustlrow in the village, so they are all takepinto the iungle out of hearing for on-e day and kept there inbaskets. It ii said tbat one gibbon dies each nroon a,nd to theyare not heard rnakins a noi-se betrveen the old and the new

moon. The death is-the toll takeu by Pathen from them inorder that thev mav be quiet then. In bonsequence a gibbon is

thought the b6st animal io sacrifice in caee of approaching fatal

ling of a clog 0o keep  Another village ceromony entails the kilaway evil spirits,-as thitha iletesb dogs, as already meutionedapropos of the. killing by Chongthu of his favourite dog. In thisoase-the tabooisfor6 days orily butthe rites otherwise are thesAme.

The thircl is a village taboo accompanied by the otherceremonials, but without any sacrifice. This entails a 3 daytaboo.

A fourth is the one dav ta,boo for crops or feasts or thelike. In this tho ai, etc., piay no part unl-ess the particularreason for the taboo requires ii for some further cause'tha,n formerely closing the village to all strangers.

Afte. a nlela hae bden cut and birnt, Daiphu is performed.

Fielcl Pujahs. X'or-this.the themytw has to make emallearthon images of the following :-S ai,pi,ha ( Eleph ant's tooth ).So' long roopa (Slaves).Vengke (Partridge).Thoche (Squirrel).S[etr (Mithun)Khiahang (Ear beacl).

Langbel (Mica).

With theeo ho takes an egg and some ootton artd goes tothe field and asks Pathen iJ

"*eusethe cultivator of that

field for all the damage he has done by cutting and bunoing theland. AII the oblecti are then placed on tho bole-of a-t'ree and

lhe themTtu then'returns to tht village The day followi3gnothing is done bub the day after that the lhemptl goes to the

field ti see rvhether the oLjects rvhich he placed there are stillwhere he left them. If any of the images are missing,or broBrnit means thab someone of that housohold will either die or suffer

illness as Pathen has considoped the damagri dono exoeseivo.

Consequently ki,lhalho will be performed in t'he villago to-ward

ofi anf ill efiects-which may bi expected from the thernpds in'terprotation of the Daiphw.-

Thelhangttua,koufoilows the reaping and storing ol !U. p$$ycrop. It consists in the killing of a towl for tho npirits gf."m?pariay for their kinrlness in yiefting so muoh. The story lr thrtboo" opo., a timo a terribl6 tamirie wa,s ra,mp&nt all otct tho

 

78 Jeurnal ol tlte Asiatic Soaiety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV, l92E..l Notes gn thc Thadou Kukia. 70

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oarth. No one had anything to eat. Then a woma,n stasEerinswith rveaknens c&me to the village of the fhadou. ,ntl ;fild;3be maintai,ed, but no one *oui,l feed her at first h;.u;;;A;;had not even enouglr for themselves. Eo""tuailv sh;;;;;[;ili{, oy an old lonel5' rvidorr and in returrr for tle kindness thestra,nge wom&n gave the widow some paddv, which ehe (thestrange woman) stated would never die,

-s.thal she tttre *ialrri

would never rvant for rice. This came b.o* o"a it J *ia.*-L"j

q?fevely. r:ieh and paddy

seemed to come i" t,"" """" ii ,fr"did no cultivatio,.r so the Thadous do this to the spirits of thepaddy in return for the kindness once shown to one .ir tir"* *nrwab an old useless rvidow, and ever since the fn-a"r. fr"""thrived on rice.

These were either allowed to die after birth by not feeding

Unwanrecl Childron. them or.lr-anded over to thb old womei

or other rr is said tr,-r"l#fiJt'*:ff"Tf::H"tr;fftffH:fiilthe eoles of the feet of such childron before'bu-)rid;;;eo that their souln should not bo able to cnase trrlm-in-tireaftor-world ryhere they mav meet. 2

The Thadous coniider"themselves great head_hunters I andEead-hunting have not give-n up the pja-ctice a,s w&s

secn so recentlyas the Kuki Rebellion

,.{1 thqGolden_Age rhat precoded the ?kimzi,n, rice, ffrowood, and9vg1vlh,ingelso

that has to bo carrietl in this weany *orla ,'o*a"i'itl"iio t.ne desrred plac.o. \sheq ordered, [ut es a woma,u who was with child

died-on ev_ery day that this powor was used the practice of caltins irr-th;paddy and the firewood waJabandoned. The do tit

"*is"-telie;L'i" t-hilGolden age .(M-ill1, The A9-Nagas, I08), *trite the

-ine;.i'i".tt..iilretur.. Thb boliefs of the Kareri of Burma in ATtu t "qii ii;;;-K;;;;

of Borneo in.Apu Lessanand. that of rhe Fijianin riiiiti,*iii";i-;';iiconnected (_ride my note on Mill1, lol:. c?r.). The Angami iillli Ciliaii-riike lcetaonhu.e,. , topsy-turvy oI the Universe.'-1Ed.i

2 Infanticide of bastards is also followed by'priciing with thorns thesoles of the child's feet emong Angamis,

"turry"ralte in tho Khizami srouo.and the reason siven is viitually tho sam6, to pr""o"i ttr;;;;;;"5i

tho ghost.-(Ed.) -I ft would be an error to regqqd tho Thado as a typical or even &

bona

fidchead.hunte_r. True. hea'tl-hunting

in Assam, at any rate. andprobably over a much wider area Q:ide ,Head.-hunting, in ttrinew (teZg;edition oLthe Encaclopd,edia B-rtia;nica1,.ie a con.siiou"s attompt to cirrrr"jthe goul of the individual beheaded"into the rr"oo. * possossron as &aourco of life and ferriliiv, llg.h:ua being rllardea r. ti" iJ""li"r-e",caocllonce of tho eoul. The Kuki is reaily i era"ve-huntor, who oiso taf,esheada. having probably acquired the piactice by contaot, with Eenuinel?19;lo^t9lr,.and heving fused it with his slave-hunoing propensit'ies andb.lrof.' Eo that ho now takes heads in order that the sofl, coirceive.l cri eJa person and _qyito different from the true head-hunter'e conceotion oirt as a Bort of lifo essenoo (o/. Marshall, llhe Rarcn people of Burmh. o. 2iisq.)' may eerve hir do,ad in'llithikho. The praotioe oi tr,6 ku"ni,iri,"rro1ge1,,merelf to.produoe thc heod as evid'enco of p"o*u*-iSil; ;;;ttr.rcliman, op. cit., l, i, 430),. ir probably onother instince of the effecC oithe eontact with a heacl-huntin g irlbo of iron-heoa-hunters;hr-h;;;;6;.;

inlgl8.lg.Theyplacegreatvalueonaheadbecausgeaohil;d";;- ,o-oaa'itionai slave for tho soul at Mithikho; aleo

il;;;il; u **t take a head' he is not keeping up tho tradi'

iio". of his ancestors who wero all famous head-htrnters'---"B;;;;

a party leaves on araid thetketnp.u makes * *,Y:ture from the io plLnt and t'hen annointing each warrior on the

io.ufr*J.oys " Iftay your enemies become stupified so"tla! Vlllmav kill them easilv- and may Pathen bring you saletry back

;i;1h J;"y heads to"your couttt':' This is calledGal'hint''

'"-ih; Tildoo pll."t most value on a child's head' male

c,r. female, as it mians that to obtain it !e lnust practically

."t"rttt

u u"emies' village. Next in va'lue ls that of a' woman

sinse this would mean loit g very near to the village' . AIt91

i-rrJ"o-*"* ihe tead of"a kilorvn"warrior of the enemy.tittg,i!rvould require much'prowess t'okill him and then last o[ alt the

ordinary'matt or Youth.l

tho practieo without sltarinc the boliefs from which it arose' It may

be noted that the et.t* t.iBut"orth

of the Brahmaoutra are not hoad'

huntors. The 1l'hado ptt"tii Lu**Jo t"'" a close-p'arallel irr that of the

ffi;;:: K;;;il;;Jiiiema"tans of Born-eo' tl.ro Iban oerhape' corres-

poncling to tho Naga, i" tnl'ffiIi si""i"* f'""a'n"nter' 'l'he-f(ayan like

Si"{i*";:HIj}":'"::ffi ffi :'I"xi*:',,t t,#, ",iJ.:".f rff"-J3:*1

i, ::; :

;;i.:;Ts;tiI; Il;)' -o; ttre ottrer hand the sebo-p Klomantans have e storvof tho oriein of head-hunii-n[-*fr1"iii. entirely liTa_ge in soirit (ibid.. II. 138

il j:*;i;%;;I;'il;'iililf iii"i'-r''"-u""i''"6;u"t

tt the same head'

hunting culturo as Assanr attd to tho same intrusion of a subsequent slave''i;;;ilE;;1;;;;, ;hi"h r ;;;;t" i' Assam with the Kuki and r(achin

races and. which I "*tuttip"i"'J't" associate rvith. the Kavarrs in Borneo'

Col. Shakospear (op. cir', p1;0");"";i;t;h;i ttte Lustrei das evor-a I'read'

iiirrJ",-#['"i*'l;;; h;';";;"u"tin""a

slaves.at the sreves of chiefe'

but tho ovidence ot wooat"rrl".p;li;i;; Eipedition' ppf tst' 282' 293) is

;;;"i*;;;;;;net him i"-ii,"l[tt!"'""pect'

incl both ihe Thado-(soppitt'

op, cit.,p.l4) arid tho Chi";"h"d ;i; sat;e custo-m (Carev and Tuck' op' ci't''

;:i6"0;'''th;h;-NG;" b"ii";;;;;; fit""ls.of

erain roes serve the takor

of the head in the noxt *L"tii,-*f'-itf' t aeoli^b^g to. tho intrusion of Kuki

i"t. Nro,""rture

(Mills, ii; 'A; Nagas, p.' 200)'-(Ed')"'"" i'fi?;;;.#;;;#;ift;ii-i';' 'li"lii"ns

as sisoect'' rt is too rogical

and suggests the attemptsiili;;;;;;;;;;made to ^rationalize the prefer-

Irri" rliirv -ost Nagas f;;;-i;;;i" ho-atl.ov6r a male one' uide Johnstone'

E*oeriencec in Mantpur ini tii iiisi Hiila'p' 30' and rlodson' Naga Ttibc1

;ftn;hp"r';, ii;:""'r,; til;; casesihe-state'ment mav' as shakespearin-tris

[:1##;.'*';lrrs**g;r;3:, :1,:1,?rfiLl3'3.s]ii"'"n"li3l'xlto the contra,r y, uide, r;;";;;;i"Nlsii.p- l6"3.go' : the r€ason given bv

rrutcrrinson (account 4';;;'a;;;i;;*g Hiu tractsi p. 146) i'9!,r-iP-Tl{

;"-;;i;IrsiJilr."lof tii" xukis who recounttt'rglH;X,: ;llfi:lt,;ift*t'lttu '"tfoo of female heads is highcr t'han

on account of a higher r"iiiritvlJi"-g'(r1'iry sema_Na,las, p 178.).w!*

i;ilil;;;y;ih-at to ktli;"b"bv i-n Lrm.s i9 a qlSeter feat to an Ansamr

then to kill a man, ho is drawiilg on his imaginatior-r entirely' end hc

ehould havo made it"r"#t["i'it'ts"

a"i-t-i"i'tess

it hae cut ite teeth an

infent'e head does not",ffiffi

lir, iii"iitt.i t'eliewe the Kukig hevo bocn

known to take the i"rt"'iitlilti? rr'o-tt'?"'" w-omh and decaoiteto it' rntl

iliil Hil"i6;lr i.ti;;a ilv iiil iirTdiii-,, rw i un t a i n e e r a oi I' i prd,, afit.

 

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After returuing from a raid with heads the villese turns outin full strength with druds and horns and the -raiaer*-*iiithe_n eing the song called, Hanla in whioh the number of heads isto be sung. They then enter the villase in pro"es*i;;. - F;;three daya they are fed on food separatel.y cooked and eaten offlranana loaves. This food is called Aal q,n.t fmmediatelvon their arrival Minlo is dono which is rne."io tf,"ll"i;tr"

"ihe genealogical tree of those who have tr[u" "t

"ra..

-tfi""Ari

an ie supposed to be the onemies, food and ,ro on" "il-;;;

tic Researches,' Ir, 188), This latter practico is also reported of theKago-ro of tv. Africa (Tiemearne, ?aite& Heai-hi"tiii ii"iiiii"iledi.-(Ed.) Ttre first food eaterr by.a warrior who has taken lifo must be eatenwith the unwashed hand wiich ta. u""" a"ru""atetv imrrueri .itil-trr.victim's blood. This cuetom is.obviously intimately JonnoctJ';;il;h;plaetic€ obaerved.by

-th_eLush oi

_of lickin g f rom the-spear.hea<I

tne ilooaof the first man kiiled (Lewin, Witd. Racei of Sotdh nhiltiiii,;;;;9;'ne

cuafom rs obviously & .foII of that in which the enemy.i 6'lood isdrunk, prob-ably in ordei to irubibe his Boui;;i; vitar prineipre. which isa very widely- spreed custom, to bo traced no doubt i" ; fi;;f J;.;;;;;form in the Sema custom, pointed out to mo Uy Ur. Miils,-.i

",Jil*fii"?very.warrior- w-ho has shed blood, or assistei thereat, ;.-trk#;;;;:monial meal beforo entering the village. This .meaii'i";;;;i;;.;;is,,d eonsiets of.a more mouth.ful of cooEed rice, but tfi" fr"t-tfr"Jih;;;:rior must take it beforo entering his vilage suggests very stronerv that thereal point is that.he eats ir ;irh btooly ha"fids. Th; S;;;'il't.;;;;rs now o,' tho €eting' b,t the Thado ingistence is on ths blood on-thehands, affording a colnecting link betweeu the modern S"-" or.iom-oi imero cersmonial meal before entoring the village and the

"rigi;;i ";;;;f quaffing an enomy's blood.. The Melaneeiane of

. Florida .and the Ibo of Nigoria do just what0he Lushei does, liak the dead man's blood from'the blide trrrt iiir"a rrli"(Codrington, Tlu Mel,anes.ianf,.p.

-896; Leonard, ini"iiirii'Niil;;:;r:,';:!-80). Actual drinking oI the blood ie reported of the Ka6rs ot iIr"'p^#i5"(Leitner, D*d,istan, 58, 61, ;,. of .the Maoris 1t a"g,

-Fotyiiin;ii;;";;;.

where a parallel.from Nubla is cited) aud of ttro SEvttriJne iff"""aii"i.'fvl64). A deBree-rurtheris the r-asting of the tiver, rrlarior-uiai;ilil'd;,;dgleml. Tho livor is tasted by tG Lushei (Lewin, toc. cil.|,;il;H;slgrligll,_sgg.ebo end Mandayin of rhe mitippines'1dorl: di;i;;irt ;;374, Wild friley ot-Daaao, S+, ZOl1, and the'heart'or brain o" ;6;h i;oaten or tasted bv the same threo tribes of the philippines as *"f l"-r.,the rtalon?c {sawyer, Inhabitniti

"iin"piiiiee;"ee, p. 26st. as probetrlv

pv rymg-ot the B6rnean tribes; als6 by tho Kl'firs iL&iiiiJ'tii.:;;:ffi;Abythe^ilIao-ri (Donne, The Maori, pag. zsr;, who refer to tlui""-i"iirri.I  the- firet 6sh, " and is reported alsJoi *re'Cfrinese (Sawver . to".-iii.-t -

_ -_ -Althglgh tho. generel inrention is probabry ttre eisorplioi.-oi't-rr"'iitrr

orse-nce ot tho srain, ourer possible reasonB muBt not be 6verlooked, suchas th€ dfsire to a-cqu-ire the ,qualities of the deceasea, orttre aeei""i"'i""irtand to decrede the deoeaeed; the rbo expleins the preotice as i"te"aea ioslake thd deeire for tloods6ed and ttr,i" piJr""i the elaver,s runnino3119k

among hie. own tribe; and thet, the^ idea it-p-""""iiiig"d;;i;1;

rrom..ovenging- his doath on the elayer by establiehinc a ph;Bicat c";-puplly .wrth him may give rise to the praotice, ie-sueiejted bv therac, rhat o&.os h.vo been reported in Europc of murderers-dating pa-rts oftheifviotime flesh with this'idea,

"t"rea.i* Uv Jhe natives ;F6;;;-land (Tromear no, T adled H ead-hwntcre, t gS

I

-tiia J

re28.l Notes ott, lhe Thail,ou Kulei,s. El

partake of it. The village is taboo for those three days-and-the

.om". folk must muke ihu'p for each of the successful raidors

from eotton which is worn in the knot of hair behind a,s I Bign

of their great deed.l After tho three days the villago re'onters

its normil routine.z

In the old davs when a chief died it necessitated a raid as

the more slaves [he'ohief hacl'for his soul at Mithik]rq'tfio

better.These aro many and luostly fol curing different kinds of

illness or for u'ardins off the same. OrPetty Pujehs iu"y may be for sorY,e reason Buch as

poverty ol loss of property.

I merelv give the na,mes of some since they are all reallyhousehold pulait. arqd'do noi concern the village. Thev are:-

(Jilhing, Neot)ei, Doiuei, A'l,hem, Veish'e,' Koldoi, ehmlakithoi,, lI ui,galdou, T ombil, I a.hapban,, B o' thent, Loulam, T uilam,Thingue,i,, A'themkold,o'i,, J apchan, elc.

Some of theso are for the waterspring, pafh, tree or stone

which thev think has caused tho trouble, bo it illnese or a

wound or"a sore. All these merely entail killir:g a fowl by the

themnw or bv the sick man himself. -'fulir is"a pujah performed for a persou who returns suo'

Shslhakou. cessful after a hunt'

First the wife of the hunter puts some iz into the rnouth ofthe killed qame and then the thimpu does likewiso saying " Allyou beasts of the world and flying game taste this ia, it is much

Letter than any irc you all will'eier'have, so come here -forit when vou are thirslv. " By this it is meant that they will be

enticed io come to tfat villace and the hunter will kill themall.s Tho lhcmpw will call on l(nolkipt<holJang site, where the

1 Seo Plate 3 ffg. 3.-(Ed.)2 The Thrido 6kes the head only as a rule, not other limbs aleo,

as a Naga ilooe so often, though among- the Lushei Wo-odth,orpe records an

arm on-Volonel's grave (Luahei E*peilition, page 282). lVhen a Thadotakes the head he takes the whole head unlbss he hae felt particularlybitter against the dead merr, in which case ho takes the head above theiaw. lealvins tho lest. This is doile rrhbn the lifo taken is an act' ofieoenge, ana apprises tho victim's relativeg of the stat€ of mind ofthe slivor. Wlien not afffixed to a gravo the head is impaled outsido thevillese-on a oointed branch or on a stake the top of whioh hae been cutawaito leav6 a vertical point proiecting upwardi from the centro of thoctokL which ie cut off levil rouird lhe base of the point. This point appa'rently transffxes tbe skull projeeting through a hole in the eranium,thouih tho only spoeimetrs: a6tually seen by me ionsiete{ of crodieonly isome with the hair stilt attached), the skulls having been reportcdto hdve been divided between Chengjapao and the Eaokip ohlclTonskhupao. What is probably the ldat epecimen of e Thado'r humrntropf,y ig'now in the Oxfbrd University Muioum. I eollected it in l0tl,

-rha'.r '8 Ot. Thc Angami Nogae, pp. 239, 24o.-(Ed.)

 

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8q Journal, ol tke Asi,ati,cBociety ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV, 1928.J

Ihadous saw gathered all the animals of the world, beforehe pours lhe 'ju into the mouth of the killed game.

There is always much drinking and singing, when any gameis killed and brought into the village, at the expense of thehuuter.

TVhon a Thadou dies a bamboo is erected over his gra,i'ervhioh givos in niches on it the tally of the game which h6 has

killed in his Iifetime.

rl

i

CHAPTER, VI.

Vrr,r,eon AND OccuPATIoNs'

The Thadou usualty selectsthe dense tungle"for his "ill"q.:vi,,age. ";i,T*1iljl,#r:l;,-1""i,:.1iJi?:dii-i

orientation of the Lrouses that aie promiscuously scattered-aboub

ihe place. Being migratory he attaches little sentimental value

i" .l."ta

sitr" wliich Eae been occupied for an.v length of time.

WU"" t[" mood takes him he leaves his house- and goes else'

*n".". -U"has no village perimeter like the- Nagas and takes

no oride in the village lither. The chief's house is generalll'

lfrliu.n.rt *hile the ilaJority havo houses about 20ft. b1' 14ft.

oit u." average. Refoie the Chief's houee, and those ot

.o*" of tho ivealthier villagers, is usually found a platform

;;; ;f wood antl bamboos irpon whieh men congr.egate of.atr

;;;;i"t or at any time to diicuss an;' village politics ot {i::'nutes. Those that are ahlon either from wealtlt or the llumher5ii"*rt"i *rx" o palisading around the house-forminq an

"rr.lf.orutL keep out the mith-uns and probably qTgtugt a small

tit"t"r,

qarden. This palisado is made of logs fPlit- into plarks

roushlv ind then tied together with cane or bamboo brndurg

;;-f;i ;h;*1" positioniwith po-sts at intervals to hold them

uprishi. and crosi strands'of *ood or barnboos to keep them in

li;;: ii is all a vory crude and apparently carelessly'put'to'

gother construction. A ferv banana trees are some tlmes tound,

8iU"r*i*a, {ruit trees are conspicuous by t}reir absence Pigs,

i;;i;, dfit ;nd children play aLout anywh€re they.please and

i" tft" ,ri"* all the grounh ii a qu-agmirg yith a few logs thr^qrvn

an*" t"r* and therle to avoid sinking shin-deep into the._filth.

ifrl *r"itu"y installation is tle pig f9r t'he growllps while the

a"n i. ,o".i*llv kept to assist tho-mbther of a child who has n-otL*ail f"t io"ao ior itself. Very little .care is taken of the

*"t"r tirppty where people ma,y. be seen drawirig wster.,while

others"r^" "ith",

battiing themselves or washing their.clothes or

hair. However, as the bathing propensities of the Thadou' aro

oractieallv zero the contamination is slight,' To fo"rm a new villaqe omens are consulted and also dreams,

the interpretations of w:hich are strictly followed' 'fhere aro

two kind^s of omens consulted. One is with an egg' A small

'6it ot the shell is removed at one end and the 9gg is-then

piu""a on three sticks under whioh-a emall fire is.ligh.t-ed' lf-tho

ece bursts or overflows then it is bad, but if the liq[id comol

out iid oongoals on top lihe a cap antl none ()f it trioltlcr.j;;;;; the

-stioksfrorairis up the egf or to the grountl t'lren lt

 

81 Jourrunl ol th.e Asiatic society ol Bengal,. XXIV, re28.l Notes on the Thadou, Kulcis. 86

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[N.S.,

rather than mid dtroam.z. I do not 6orr.ia"",tiru lii" id". j,a,

r Tho reason civon for.putting pert of the house on the grouncl levelis the weight of {he woodi" ;;'"fi;i;;h[tHaa. is h,;rka,r *i-r,r

is.a. good omen and a village is estabrished. The other omen iswith water. A smalr hore-about the size of a dinner-rrrir'r"Jaborrt 6 inohes deep is dug. Thie ie ti""a *ii-t

"i;;'d;i^;;Iea'es a*d rhen *ote, pJur"a i" qrru-[ry

'ir"tii'iut"rl"rl]Afte.r" the pouring. if .the'water go". ioond"

"ro"r.*i-*"-iit. ;;;Dur rt counter-clockwise it is good. These omens are consultedon. the p,oposed site by tni.iniip" *-oitt"g" soothsayer of thevillage to be.

- . Houses a*e made of rvood posts with woocren rafters. That.ching Brass is used_for the rooi which is h;t,i';;'iiJ"" 'U,J:i,fii

Da,mDoos and barnboo or eaue lashi,gs. The rvalis are bamio.,yatting. The rvhole structure is rais'ed ril;t i; 6il.;d,fi;back according to the nature of the er,;o",1-.rrii";;;il ;il;tront reBts ol !h-u ground.l The housJcontains o"" L"n" -o_nd a, verenOpl, iq the front. In the

'orandahtt e moitar i".pouncting paddy.is. placod, on one side. About ttre miaate or

the room a hearbh is mado whoro all the oooking i* ,Ir;;..-$;;times this is on one si{9 of the room.'-it i. made of mud about6 to.g.inche.g deep_ which is placed

""tt. .pfit f#nT; ;ffii'are tard flat on the truEses which suppor'floor.. It isusuallv

&DouD J. tt. -squ&re. ln the centro are three stones of eonioal

:Tp:.fti:".d^:.li1rins.inrvards so as ro hotd the-ui;rrri"il;

eooking dnd the fire is placed between the stones. Over this:::5iF !l

*:. there. are tivo or. more_platiorm; ;;;;i,rs;; ;i ;roor-upon which things a1e.{1ied. The sreeping ne'h i's eitheioiplapks or splft bamboos laid flat at the UJdU."?a J ir,i'ii",iJ.Sometimes it is.to. be foun<l on one -ia". -S["rrI;;;#.";;hook's are on a, sides mado of bamboo or wood ii"a u"a n"iJi" pi,?"". hy bamboo or cane lashings. e f".Iit ";iilffi#i:u,syplry tound praoed aoross one eorner of the riom upon rvhich:t:r,l-"it are hung., A. few c-oo!i1g pots, some gooiar-

""a

-Ioa,6Ker, or two make the- total of the property. ', Sq-*p eieces of flesh either aryifig 5, aried ancl a feu, bam-boo tubeb {or drarying water will"al;" t"-};;rrdt"fr;i"iriiir"room. .Before building a house ,o .ugoln;

""".rflrti""""i=o_T"1._

i:indulged in but a few rather titE-[."ngtl;ffi^i ;;

rnrerpreted on the eve of the orection, probabiy by ,av oicui.iosity rather than of custom. ------' rTho facb that the Thadou does not erect his houge entireh,

or, ?." mnchan_" or-platform, but with the froni;i;;.;;t";:ll^tL: 919:"d leads. me to.believe_ that they *-o.'i"t,u* ori?$-tf,ally.,0een ocean-shore, river, Iake or creek-bank .lwellers

.e vrrs w'rtsuu u. !r€ wooqon morter in whioh naddy is hueked. Fieldhougee where no mortar ir kopt, are reised ;-;i;fir-"pp"p1o4".aiy "-i"iali.-reu.l

- from the ground and

- 2 r think Mr. shaw hai overrooked the faot that the habit of buildinca houee partly on pitea ie juel"riir."iy

tJ'"riii;"ffil.il;;J ;i:H#i

ie4nant of building in troes or the like to be gafe from wildanimals, because th6n'they would haye no portion of the houeeres0ing on tho ground which is ihe general practice and whichthe veiy old men do not remember to be in any'other form.

Th; average size of a Thadou house is about 20 ft. long bv14 ft. broa<I.

-th" chief and the wealthy villagers indulg"e iiinruch larger onos. Theso larger ones onlv consist of one largeroom, as-the smaller ones, but iuside cubicles are some timesfouud for thc slaves or servanCs to sleep in. I wonder if thecubicle a,rra,ngement is a remnant of some form of captivitywhich the slaves were subJected to in the old days ? No onebas been abld [o enlighten mo on this among the Thadous.l

fhe paddy is left in the fields and carried up in suchquantities as is required from time to time. Gongs .are con.cealed in the junglei mgstly, although some place t[em insidetlne lel,, a conical shaped basket, with other treasures suoh asnew clothes, beads, etc.

On the whole the'Ihadou house is a miserable constructionand the a,yorago man takes very little interest in his houseexcept to keep the rain out. Very likely the migratory feelingdissuades him from wasting his energios on a houso he mayvacate at any time that tho whim takee hinr. Whon asking

the reason w[v I havo often been told " Wo a,re like tirds anaiarelazy," which describes the Thadou very accugatoly.

Domesticated animals are mithuns, buffalos, pigs, goats,dogs and fowls.-" Th" mithun are left to roam aboutthe jungles on their own

and are really only half tame. The same applies to the buffa-loes. Sometimes ihev u,r" persuaded to collect near the villagefor sali. but itris is oniy <lorie to keep them from wandering t6ofar and'thus calling for the osu of tr6n

"ndousaqqount of enligy

rvhen the time comes to kill them.

slope as a village site, as in the use of a river or lake-shore, If the princi-pai purpose of-'lakd dwellings may be taken to have bodrn defenAive, andas this purposo would not be se-rved by houses half on land, porhape the

former

-altornativo

is tho more likely.-(Ed,)I 'ft imay perlraps bo taken thdt the original house wae similar to theBornean " long house " and accommodated the wholo community, whichflom l-ruilding cubicles inside came to building semi-dotached and finallydetached apartmonts outside, t:iilePeal, Eastern Nagas oJ the llirap andNamtsilt,, J.A.S.B., i, of 1896; On the ilIorung, etc., 1.R,.A.I., XXII, iii,The prelerred plan of a Thado village is still a doublo io* 6f houees fac:ing each other across e street oriontated eccording to the slope of thoground i houses must not, faco down the elope, but across it. A houreIhat looked up or down tho streef wciuld bdliable to cateh all the spititsgoing about " as a besket fish-trap in e weii collects the fish moving irp oriiown gtroam." Prosumably spirits about in t'he street are legd dangerourthan in the house. That, at least, is Korean view for " Koroan dcvllrare....;ir.,farmorepowerfulindoorsthan out, and eo tho Korceni trlat spooiffi$eins to oiclude their dovilships from. , . . . .. . int€riorr " (Mlln,Quaint l{aiw p. 236).-(Ed.)

 

Notes on the Thail,ou Kwbis. 8?l

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86 Journal, ol tke Asi,ati,a Bociety ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

Pigs aro fed regularly and come to the call of " Lu,i" fromtheir owners while ".Chi" is the word used for dogs. Tho yoicois the only distinction recognised by the pigs and dogs as towhether their master is calling one or the other. Pigs play a veryimportant part in the sanitation of a village which does not debarthom from being a delicacy on the brea.kfast table. Male pigs arecostrated after they are 3 to 6 months old and ore nover allow-

od to grow up to full size naturally. This does not seem to re-duoo tho reproductive properbies of the stock, but the standardin sizo ie low.l

Dogs are kept for two purposes mainly. One is for theohase.2 The other has already been referred to earlier in thisohapter. No spocial breed of dog is kept. The dog is not al-ways fod and henco the poor oondition in which they are oftenseon. Nagas Fro very fontl of dog's flesh8 and so a good tradeexists in this line between the Kukis and Nagas. Thadous are

not averse to dog flesh but do not place it in the'front rank.Male dogs aro not oastrated.

Goats arekeptfortrade and food, and are not fed but allow-od to graze in the Jungle. Sometimes miniature houses arebuilt for the goats to sleep in at nights. The same for the fowls.

Eowls aro also scavengers of the village and are not fed.I hfve very seldom"omu

,"ro*i cats in Thadou villages.Apparently they have very little use for them otherwise theywould not be omitted from their stock of domesticated animals.a

r This method ol dealing with pig is univorsal in theso hills, and itappeare again in the Philippines, whoielhe Tinguian castr&tes them, as doall ,Naga$, at two to three months old. Jn the case of the Tinguian thestock is apparently prop*gatod by broeding with ihe wild species (CoIe,The Ti,ngwian, p, 412\t, but that ig not the case in the Naga lfills, whero Ihave only onco heard of the domestic pig broeding with tho wild one. Inthat cas6 the young were brindlod like the wild young as in the .Philip-pines, but thig ie not tho caee with tho ordinary litter. Probably thispractice of castrating all the maleswhen still vorJa young obtains widelyin south eest Asia, but I cannot 6nd that is roported except by lletholdwho in his Ind,ian Obseroatdonc reports the "strange increase of tho Swino

of that Country (Siam) amongst which there are {ound no Boares, yothave thoy Pigs according to the custome of othor Swino " (Purchae, IlioP il,gtimage, 1626, P' 1007).

-(Ed. )2 AE by Nagas, hunting-dogs aro troatod by tho Thado with duo res-

poot, When hunting-dogs dio they ere buriod with four corner-postsloahoc\ bo their grave, Other dogs aro oeten beforo they reach old age

or elgc gold.-(Ed')s Thoy rogard it as having medioinal propertios v, llhe Ao Nagas,

p, 17 n2. With tho Thado, howevor, its curative properties eeom rathermacioal then material; an acoount of how Choncthu diecovered them iggivin by Mooullooh (Vall'cy o! Munni,pore, p. 66).:-(Ed.)- a Catg &ro r&r. in moat parts of the hills, and I think tho rarity isprimarily due to the loot th&t the cate flnd life in the jungle easier thanin the village and otray eway and turn wilil, where they readily mate withthe spall loopard-oat, or so it appcsrs. In most Naga tribesicats arethe subjeot of many rupdratitions. llhe Angami,'Na0tu, pp. 82, 242,34O , ffu Sema Nagaq pp, 66, 69). The Lhotas (Mitle, The Lhota Nagas,

'One hardly ever sees the Thadou on affectionate terms withhis dos or a.tv"othet animal. One often doubte whether Buoh &

iiiirrg'r.-"t"dtion is inclurled in- h-is composition at.any tl*3'tHe ,Exhibits ail the traits of a bully, very clearly, in his dailyiitu. He kicks his dog, beats his- wife, speaks roughly

-with

everyone Just because hi is annoyed over something which is not

coon"ected with his dog or wife, otc.' He -qufiers permanently

from an enlarged liver,-which, afterall, is to-be expeoted from

th'e capaoity ior " 'iw"-tha,t, he possesses at all and .lny timo-oft[e da"v and night taken in coniu-nction with t'he climate' He

is also"very torid of eating rats of all kinds and this may be a

re&son whv he does not, lile keeping cats whieh would reduce

his suoplv"of this delicacy. Practically all a*imals and birds are

"ui""'tiy"ttte Thadou and fish are a, particularly appreciated

diet'-- tU" Thadou's staple diet is rice but the Lhouvum aud

uu*rvax,ron.'

f'ho-uigry -aresaid't'o be particularly

fonaotOat (taro) and rely on it a good

deal.2There are ma,ny kinds of rice but all are grown on the hill'

sides and a,re not iriigatod. They have to dqpeqd on the so&Bon

entirely. Othercropi are beens, millot, Job'e Tears' sosamum,

maize,'chillies, pus6&rd leaf, oottott, gingor, turmerio, onionB'Dumkins. cucumbers a,nd gourds.' Th.'Thadou does no=t sow his seed broad'cast like somo

Nagas 8 but with a, small hoe called tucka digs a small hole and

Duts in a few seeds and then coYers.themup, The Nagas who

iiou o*oog the Kukis sow broadcast andthen lightly h9".9o9'with somo" oarth by merely scratching the ground

-w.iththeir

small hoes. This may be one of the cauges that the Kuki general-

ly gets a better yield than the Naga. Tree. Jungle is best liked

tiy-tU" Thadou;i and they hardly ever cultivate more than two

p.63) are roputed never to keep cats, though thoy soriretime.s pur'

[irr# it"- iror food, ancl Mills-remarks ihal the Aos do not care

#;i ";;;; thuy-""i"run witd and supple.ment thoir meals with tho

;;;;d"-f"rl (iioe eo Nagae, p. 135). Th; hill man hero is alwavs in t'he;tffi;; tui*i,"t t""aing"his'cat, when, he ryrYs, i0 will not t'rouble to

il;il;fu;;itnot,feedifigit,when it goes ofi-to the wild on its own

account.-(Ed.)----i*i orl by t o means subscribe to this estimate of the Thado ; on t-ho

contrerv his iamilv"f""iio"t "t"

strong enough to meko it frequont for

sevoral-brothorg with thoir families to share a co,tmon house, whrcn to

ii"r", *L"ia Ue uttorly unworkable, and his domostic behaviour.-is ius-t ar

noo'd *s othor people'i. He is about Uho only tribo in theso hlllB wnron

;;;;t"k;;h;i"o,iuru to rear and tame wild inimale as pets'-(Ed;)2 It is said that it is onlv of comparatively recent years th&t rioo nar

gupplanted taro as the stapie crop oi tho Thado, and tero (aolocdoial l)gtiif larcelv cultivated.-(Ed. )---- 8-ili;iltly the Sema NJrga dibble in the sood, wheroee thc A0 iosit broadcast.-(Ed.)

4 The Thado's ideal of roolly satisfaotory oultlvntion h t'o hll vlf$t

 

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[N.S,, XXIV,

ye&rs on one field. They show a tendency norv-a-days td takeup irrigated rice cultivation, and the heavy initial-outley ofbnergy required in the preparation of this iype of field rira_v

eventually load to'the Thadous' dropping their migratoryinclinations when this form of cultivation gets a greater hold oirthsm. '

lt,ihuming, which is the name given in Assam to the dry

oultivation, tho lungle is cub in January or Februar5r annually.It is then ollowed to dry thoroughly and ie burut. After that tieffeld in oleared-ot debris and the sowing begins. fhree to fourtiules ie the ueual numbor of weedings rvhen the crops are grow-ing. In the one field nearly all the arops mentioneil areoften seon planted promiscuouoly. The crops are cut with asiokle which hns a sowlike edge. The heads are collected on thefield and tlroro t\rashed and winnowed, and the p*ddy is storedin the field houso called,l,ow btt'. It is carried ub to the villagear required ahd pounded into rioe fot' daily consumption. Tf,eharvost starts in Octobor and ends about the early port ofI)ecomber according to whether tho crop is of the early or lateriponing type. The Thadou, however, prefors the late ripeningkind of rice rthich he says has a better flavour and is more sus--

taining' hunting the Thadou is particularly expert. Nothing

raunrrns. pleases \ip :g much as to be out aftergame with his muzzle.loading gun or

arranging and setting u[ trup. to, snare wild anirnals. "fre is a

good tracfer and has an unc&nny knack of knorving where thegame is likely to be. f,'or large garne such as elephant he putse spea,r into his gun and rvounds his victim in such a plaeethafthe beast finds it very painful to move, then he kills it while itis thus anchored. An6th"" form is to dig large pits with sharppointed bamboos placed firmly upright li tUIm, so that rvheitho animal falls it is literally pinned. This form of pitfall is alsoused whon driving any kind of game. Next we have the pel,a large falling trap made of logs of wood which fall on and crushtho animal, used for tigers, bears and the

liko.A smelly piece

of deoomposing fleeh is placed inside to attract the animal.Whon the heast touches it, it releases a trigger and thus c&trsesthe hoavy platform of logs to fall and crush it. For smallergame thore isbhe pel,lcop which is a smaller fall trap of a difierentpattern. Logs of wood areplaced upright in tho ground parallelto eaoh othor thus making a, p&ssage. Ovor the space betweenthese walls a large log weighted with stonos is hung so thab whenthe animel pegses through tho passage it is orushed. Another

forert and grow a ringle orop of rioe among the fallen logs and then repeaton fregh forost for the next year. This method gives the highest possiblerotur:r for the loweet exponiiituro of labour, but'is go extravlganf,in lendthot it oan rarely if evor- be indulged in now.a.dayn,-(Ed,) -

trap tor squirrels and such small animals isr made ivith a siickplanted in the ground and pulled dorvn with a piece.of string,at the end of which is a noose, When bhe geme pesses over thlnoose it releases the spring and the animal is"held itrangled in theair by the noose, wlrich is whipped up by the stiing on thepeg 'which kept it down.r t'his is called thangte. Small deerand wild pigs are sometirnee caught in it. In addition spring-guntraps are also mado. The height at rvhich this is to be is ascer-

tain'ed by doubling the circumleronce of the animal's footprintThere are innumerable other forms of traps for birds and gameall based on 6he spring-releaso system.

X'or fish they make a hamboo rveir aerosg a river and then poi-son the stream rvith various kinds of seed, leaf, root and bark poi-sons rvhich aro to be found in these hills. The woir holds upthe stupefied fish which are then collected.z Another form isto make a weir with a platform run at one end, and the fish,in their frantic efiorts to go down Btream, tump into this runwhich is high and dry and there die or &re caught. Thismethod is used about October, Just, at the end of the rains,'asthe Thadou says the fish then begin going down stream. I haveseen some very large catehes mado in this way. Yet an-other form is to make a weir as above but with an atbached

platform on the downstream side at the top upon rvhich thefish lump and are caught. Eor the smaller fish bottle-shapedtraps are affixed to the base of these weirs in which small apertures are made and the fish swarm through them to be held inthe bamboo braps uhtil rem<.rved.8 In thi smaller streams Justa weir. aeross below a pool is mado early at the end of therains and then rvhen this pool is soen to be full of fish rvhichhave come down owing to the want of rvater higher up theThadou Jumps in and puddles it. This chokes the fish and the.vare easily caught as they como up to the surfaoe. In addibionto all these traps a and poisons there are the ordinary night

' I Y, Tha Sema Nagae, p. 79.-(Ed.)2 Thie method seems to be in usethroughoutthe Indian archipelago;

at ony reto it is practisod in Borneo, in tho Philippine Islands and inthe Torres Straits. It is also used widely in South Amorica.-(Ed.)3 Tho baskot fish-trap, to bo effeetive, should be set with the open.ing faeing down etream in the spring and up-stream in tho autumn.The mahseer come up (? to spawn) in tho rains aud go down again forthe cold weathor.-(Ed.)

4 Ono form of Thado fish trap which Mr. Shaw has not menbionedis interesting on account of ite dietribution. It consigts of a piece of bam-,boo split, into half a dozen slatsjoined by the node and kept splayed ou r2

by e bamboo ring at the ond and a smaller one in the middle, making-a skoleton cone, the longditudinal ribs of which are linerl with rachidegof the cane plant so tied that the points of their formidable hookcdthorne are diroctod towarcls tho nodo of bamboo. From this node aspike projeots inside the cone on which s white bean is impaled to act ala bait. Tho fleh entors the cone withouf, difficulty, but the thorny hookrrrrrke it impossiblo for it to back out. Tho trap is openetl at lhb nodr,

 

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lines which are fastened to a rod. consisting of a leagth of bam-boo woll planted in the ground end bent over. ProJectinghorizontally on the water and tust above it is a smaller piecoof bamboo with a " V " sh&ped cut at its oxtremity. Throughthis the line from the bent bamboo is brought with a eross pieoeof stick tied to the line and placed under the V-shaped cut thusholding the rod bent. An ordinary bazaar hook is used witha .small crab, frog, snail. fowls' entrails or a minnow attached.

This is hanging in the water about a foot or so below theBurfa,co. When the fish takes it tho croes-pieco of stiak is pulledout boyond the ond of the V, and tho bamboo straightons, re-taining the 'fish rvith its head well out of. the water suspendedon a stout line.l

Mauy,kinds of tree-gum are usod also for birdlims whentrapping tho nmaller sorts of birds.

The Thadou has no oompunotion in killing a male or femaleof any kind of game. They aro all edible flesh to him which isthe only thing that really mattera to his mind.

Game laws havo been brought in by the State and eomeatternpt is being made to restrict his unsatiable desire for game.The Thadou interpretation of this law is that tho Sahebs rvantto shikar game and catch fish and eo this presorvation has been

brought in to avoid having too marry blank days while eodoing.It is said that the following things rvero oiiginally made at

Manuraerutes f;1il',ll;t1#11J'hanPelkotbv ono

Da'pi Lorge Kuki gongs.Da'thibu ,. . ,A set of of throe gongs.Twidolz .. 'Large basin.

which is divided in holf to facilitate tho oxtraction ol he fiah by the nodeend when the nodo ig untied. A stone ie tiod to ths node ag a sinker andanchor when the trrp is eet, Ba.lfour lThorm.l,Cnail' Trq,pE, ola., ' 4an ' 1925,

2l ) shows tha,t the use of such traps oxtonds from the Naga .Elills to theSolomon Islands and Santa Cruz. The Chine use them, as do the Lhotaa,nd Konyak Nagas, but though the Thado rrees them, the Kachha Nagaa

(Nzemi), arnong wlrom the Thado live, apparontly do not. The trap is.a cruol ono, ffsti takon in it.boing literally covered with gashos inflictod bytho hookod thorns in the attompts of tho victim to escape, but it is eimpleto oonstrtrct and eiceedingly effective..-(Ed. )

1 I hove eeen this spring flshing rod among tho Thado, but novoramong Nogaa, A virtually identical method of taking fistr, minutely des-oribcd, ie icported by "Fine" in County.Lile (October 27th, 1923), as

used by the-Arawak-Indians of South Amerioa. Cole, (The T'inguiam,p. 886)'rnentiono baited lines on gtioks stuok into tho. ground,.but does n-ot

irtatc ihet thcy are arranged liko tha Thado and Ara,wak lines to etrikethe flsh autornetioolly whon tho bait is takcn.-(Ed.)

I The Tuidol (Pise l{0 (a).rlg. l)is par0ioularly associated with thekillinr of elsphenta. -It hor clephents oact in roliel round its frieze an{ie flU€-d withi'ra, and the killcr ol'e wild.elephant must quaff the whole-a sort of eoorloe, iu faot. Mr. I)unoan io my informant.-(Ed.)

LumdalChal,il,ep

Chinlcing

Chemlcol

Ponlhe'Del

Pkoi

Ponpho'

lr,;

Penae

. . Brass plates piaced on shield',s.

. . Brass dao-shaped plate worn upright onhead in full dress.

.. An irnn raek r with flat serpent-shapedends to tho arms proJecting from acentral stem.

.. An old type of genuine Thadou knife.

Now a-days none of these things are made and the art has

been lost,z Burmese or other foreign made gongs and utensilsand knives having now taken their place.

Cloths are made in the same way as the Nagas frorucotton grown by them but the pattern is different: TheyaTe :-

'Thangnangpon .. Yery-dark blue cloth with embroideredends in red, white *nd yellow cotton.

Saipikhup . . Same as Thangnang ponbut with difier-ent pattern for the border.s

Ponilunt, .. Plain dbrk blue with no border.Ponmonguom, .. White cloth with one black stripo at

eaoh border... A plain white cloth with no bordorings., A white oloth used oithor as a " pugri ".

or & " dhuti.".. A thiok whito ootton oloth mado withcoarse throad. In between the warpand woot wads of cotton with thosoed extrected are worked in at thotime of weaving and fastened at themiddle of each wad, The ends staird'out and thus mako a pile surface on

r ono side of the cloth.. . This is the samo as Pltoi but rvithou.t

tho wads of cotton worked in... A pettiooat rvorn by women. It is ot

red and black alternate stripes... A plain back oloth worn round bhe

torso by women. There ie a pli,inwhite one also by the.same name.

r It is a sort of collection of hooks branching from a contral stem o1tho lines of a candelabrum. Wu lory compare] perhaps, tho decoratedbrrss hooks of Borneo /Hoso and McDougall] op cii., tt,Zb,O). 4"" i;t;146 (tr), fig. 2.-(Ed.)

2 Beautiful brass and bronzo tobacco pipes, dao-hanclles, flint andstoel boxes, Ta syphons, vasos, and gauntlets for women used to be madebyj.ha ci,re perdue process. .This art, though rarely Bractised now, is notexiinot, uide Appondix C.-(Ed.)

I 'fhe cloth takos its namo from the resomblance of the pattorn to thrlog of an olophant looipr:).-(Ed.)

 

S2 Journal of the Asiatic Boci,ety ol Bengal,. [N S., XXIV,1928.1 Notes on the Thadaw Kulcis, 08

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Tho firet tlo, T'hangnungpon arrd Saipi,khtrp, wore onlyworn by chiefs and those who had done the Chang'ad andSha-ai futahs and by no one else. It was necessary to perform a

pulah called " Ril,henthou " 1 by killing a pig on the completionof those oloths as the borders were supposed to represent theimages ol "'l'hilha."-Norv this is not observed and anyone able to havo themmade may wear them, whilo the patterns of the bordor are

va,ried accordins to taste.The ordinaiy hancl loom is used in making all these clothes

and one or rnore lease-rods are used when weaving in patterns

acoording to the complications of the desigrr, witli one or Inore

heddlee.t 'Ihe worlt from the reaping of the cotton to theweaving is all dono by the women. To extract ttro eeed fromthe cotlon a maohins eonsisting of two wooden rollers closely

fitting is used through whioh-the cotton wads are passed,a

This ls called 'patlhe. Then it ls ginued with a bow which is

oalled iaatond. Next it is rolled inUo lengths of raw cotton, likeelongaded w&ds, on a stiok wlrich is withdrawn when its wads

are completed. Theee wads are then spun into. cotton on a

machine called mui whioh is a revolving piece of thin ironrvorked by hand on.a frame.

Theii cups are iengths of bambooplaned with a dao while

their plates are made out of lvood. The cooking utensils are

moetly earthenware bought from Manipur but many &re nowgoing in for iron and aluminium.- their daos and spearheads are made by the lhishu' of thevillage out of scrap,: of iron got, trom bazoars or stolen. The

bello-wg used consiJt of two adlacent largo sized bamboo tubeswith a piston to each padded with fo.wls' feathers and worked

I Kitkenlhow is performed by tho rnalcer of 6he cloth, a woriran,-of

course, who killg a chicken and puts one of the feathers in her hair and a

siring round her neck.-(Ed')z-Tho loom is a simpie tension loom exactly like that usod by Nag-as

(e.q, The Sema Nagas''p.50) and elso\Phero in the fndonesian a,rea, Thehtiado, however, ii, iriaiti6n to the single laze'rod used by

- I{og?*'

omploys i largo numbor of pattorn leze'rods such as those used by thelbaln and Dus;n oi Borneo ori their precisely eimilar looms.. The Thadois ahead of the Naga, too, as also ofthe Iban, in the ghuttle

Lg employs'for whereas the Naga and the Iban uee a eimple spool, tho Th-ado putshie goool into ri bamboo ehuttlo with a smooth noge and a holo at theeide'through whioh the weft is reloased. The appa-rent diffioulty ofthreodinq t-ire weft, throuch the amill hole in the side of the bomboo shuttlefrom the- ingide is ingeiiously got over by blowing into tho shuttle,whioh lmmodiatoly oauses Che looee encl of the weft to protrude throughthe eoerture.-(Ed,)

tfThcge roilero'have rough spiral cogs in reverse directions cut atthe end ol oooh roller so as'-to dlrow the ootton through ae a mangletakes elothes to bc wrung. Both this ginning machine and the spinningwheel are of the pattern ueod in the Minipur valley and in the plains ofBurma.-(Ed.)

1 The familiar Indonesian type used from Aseam to the Philippinesend from Siam to l\fadagascar.-(Ed.)

s If mud is not uged tho surface of the sbeel has a cracked appeeronaeandthe weapolr is brittlo. Salt is edded to the tehpering mixture.-(Ed,)

..a Vaiiu is readily distinguished from other varieties of rice wine, as

tho hueks of the paddy are also used in making it and give it a dietinctiveflavour; An identical liquor is brewed in the distant Konyak Nagavillage of Ukha, far to the north-east'.-(Ed.)

I lvhen guegts ar6 entertained groet caro is token to see tlrat eachmrrn gets the sanle moasure of liquor, and if a man cannot finish this heusualiy gets a friend to do it fof him, for.when they have ell finiehodanother round is measured oui. - trVhen drinking through siphone. fromjare the measure is indicated by a length of cane or eticLstanding in thcleos at the bottom. lVhen the top of tho stick appc:rrs tho drinkor ltoprand the jor is fflled up agairr to make a fresh infusion.--(Ed.)

alternately.l 'Ihey are connected with the fire by smallerbamboo tubes well below the fire Ievel with earth forming theactual oonnection. To temper tho iron a hole in the ground iemade and water placed in it rvith rvhich somo cla,y is stirredup.z A lard stone or pieco of hard wood is used for an anvil.Now evon this art is slowly fading a,w&y &s thoy are buyingready-made daos and spearbeads from Manipuris and fromCaohar markets In faot the same may be said of qlothes as

there seems to be a. preference for foreigu made stuft wlrichappeals greatly to the Thadou generally with his exces.sivelylazy and c&reless disposition. He nevqr iqtends doing morethan he can possillly help he would do loss than that if he couldconceivably menage it-so gradually, toreign goodo are gettinga hold on him and the habit is not a little promoted by theadveut of miseionary work in Thadou villages.

Tho Thadou is natura,lly hondy with his chem (dao) andrheicha (axe) and takes great interegt in all constructionalwork. Perhaps thero ie to be found here the makings of firstcla-"s cdrpenters and blackqmiths with training-and.perhaps intime oxcellent oontraotore. But this all meane work-a verydetestable thing to the Thadou.

He is a gioat drinkor of rico beer called ia. Thero aro

tlrree kinds namoly iubha, udiius and anthom,. The lirst isdistilled whilp the last two a,r€ mado by fermontation caused

by adding yeast. IIe prides himself on the amount he canconsumo and competitions take plece to ,qee how much e mencan drink in one breath without discomfort to himself and theparby.r

The bulk of the work falls on the women-folk rvho in addi.tion have to bring up their children without the help of ay6hsand nurses no ma,tter how things go. This accounts to a greatextent for the faot tbat tho women ago very rapidly' while themen aeem to keep remarkably youthful till much lator in life.

 

[N.S., XXIV, 1928.] Nates on the iHhailaar, E*kis- 96

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CHAPIER VII.

Lexou.lou.

The Thaclou language is spoken b-v all the descendants ofLanguage. Thadou

-a1db)i the Ncu-Thadou clans

absorbed b.l' them. Most of the OldKo,krl e-an speak Thadou fluently although they have languagesand dialects of their own such asI(om, Khotlllang, Waiph6i, e-tc.The fapt that the Old Kukisl use Thaclou aB a [ingua]ranca ispossibly'an indication of the m&uner ln wlrich the earlier Kukiimmigrants \r'ero overrulr by the lator.

Sir Goorge Grierson classifies Thadou in the Northorn Chinsub-group of the Kuki Chin group of the Tibeto-Burman Farnily(Lingudstda Buraeg, III, iii), and an account of the language hasbeen given by Mr. T. C. Hodson in his Thado Clrammar.

,

The language has undoubted affinities with Metei (Mani-puri), Kachin, Garo Lushei and the various dialects spoken

by the Old Kukie. I agree with Mr. Ilotlson when he con-tradicts Lieut. Stewarb who affirmed that most of the Thadousknew Manipuri. Lieut. Stewarb w&s correct if he meant onlyto speak of those on the ranges of hills bordering the valley ofManipur, but, further in, rvhere the Thadou is reallv to befound in his true state, the knorvledge of Manipuri is conspicu-ous by its absence.

It is not a rvritten language and so this perhaps accountsfor tho varia,tions of pron-uniiation and phraseoiogy whichdi-ff-er, although ver;z slightly in some cases, from village tovillage. There is a story among the Thadous that very- longago Pathen (the Creator) gave the Thadou, Naga and Mani-puri a separate language cach, writton on skin. The Thadouowing to his admitted habitual laziness and casualness lost his

script whioh was probably eaten by rats, dogs or pigs.z TheNaga, because of his almost insatiible hung6r ato [is. TheManipuri, who is not a flesh eater, and who is also providontand- bhrifby, oarofully kept his and cventually studied it. Soneither tho Thaclou nor the Naga has a writteh language while

I The Thsdo are eomotimeg spoken of ae New Kukis in contra-dig.tinotion to the Old Kukis, oonsietiirg of the Hrangkol, Chiru, Biete andother tribes who preoeded the Thado migration-from the south (uidcShakerpeor, Luehe[ Kuki clane.-(Ed.)

2 The Angami Nagar, thc Semi Nagae, tho Padam Abors (D. $.pyn!_ar, Abore .and, Gdlonga, p. 61, M./.S.8.,v), the Kachins (IlansonTlw Kaahine , p. ll7) and the Kareng (MoMahon, Karens oJ the dolilbn Cher-

fmglef:148; Maraholl,- Karen People o! Burma, p. 280) all have this etoryin slightly varying vorsione.-(Ed.i

the Manipuri hes. This applies to the old Manipmri-mripit t irt ir'now-a-days obeofele owing to the u$e of Bougoli

characters throughout ManiPur"- -ifr" fluidity"of the lanluage makes -it

far from dmple-to

form grammatical rules as ftr. -Eodson also foond, but f9r -th9

o".oo-*" of this book it is not proposed to go into details though'* *"'oi.io., and expaneion oI Mr Hodson's';Thado Graumar" ig

needed by ofrceris who have to work among Kukis and whodesire to learn the language--- itt* purpose of t"his-chapter is m-erely to -give I Csng.ral

outline of' tlie language and to eupplemsnt the information

give" t'y Mr. Hodion] ft i* to- be--hoped that sonle ole will

flublish'an exhaustive work o-n tle langoage before it ehanges,

it i[ .""*u likely to do, under the influenee of semi-educated

Thadous, whose tondenrcy is to twist it tq whqt they suppose to

bo English torms and thereby to outrage both languages at onee'

Alpha,bet.

A..A

AEEr ..r ..

oUu ..

All tie above have a glottal stop shortening-them incertain words \Yhich some contend represent's a silent con'

sonant which is either " k " or (' h-"1

Consonants.

B ,. .. as in English.C .. used onlv in combination with.,h.'l

.. dental.

.. Not used.

.. as in English.

.. as in " hen " and also aspiratetthe consonant which it is oom'bined with. Thereare two sohoolt

of thought &s to whether thc

"II" aJ an espirate'should bc

Yotnels.

.. as"a,"in"father.". . as " &rv ". in t' &wer" or the " a," it]L

" ball."

..&g tt &" in tt comp&ny."

., ag'3o"inttm&y."

. . as t( e " in tt then."

. . as tt ee " in tt keen."

.. ag"i"in"in.".

.. &s"o"inttbong.'. . &s tt o " in t'dot."

. . as " oo " in tt fool."

., as t'u" in "pull."

DFGH ..

1 The silont conaonant if not ' K,' must be 'T.'*(Dd )

 

9B Journal ol the Asiatic Bocicty ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

r928.1 Notee on the Thailow Kwbie. 0?

changes in form of the word for whioh

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J,YandZ

placed after or before the coneo-nant it is combined with. Ibelong to the 6ret school and soplaco it after the consonant it isto aspirate in all Thadou worde.r

These are all intorehangeableand tho only poseible method is to

use one of them which should bethe " J " for preforonce since it ismost generally in use.

..1I" ) All as in English."t..,

.. ag "ng" in "bfinging" and notas in " finger."

.. ae in English.

.. Not used.

.. &s " r" in tt r&nk."

.. aB"s"in"this."

.. as in English.

.. nob used.

K ..L:.M ..N' .. ',

Ngt..

PaR ...S

2T&V

w&xIt is a tr:nal language and so can only be properly learnt

Tone. from among the people themselyes. Igrve one example .'-

Kol .. Preoipice or olifi.Kol .. Burma'or Burmose.Kol .. 'X'oreigner.

Whioh meaning ie intended can only be ascortained fromthe tert and intonation, whebher high, niedium or low.8

r fn my opinion the aapirete should eometimes precede and eometimeefollow the oonsonan-t quofified. ft seemg reasone'ble enough to write iIbefore

R,.e.g. Hrangkol, ; on the other hand to write it befor6 K as ie donein_Burm.o-. ie merely perverse, No one Gan pronounce Khamti as

" Eksmti." rn the casoof'L & H there is in Thailo a dietinct variationof uso,

Thuslhun=to reach, arrivehl&n or hlon-to accomuanv. - (Ed.l

2 T_is gonorally at any rte <ientit nJt paletal.-1Ed.)-8J}_rurg is a olear toaal distinction beiween Kdr=cfitr (high regieter)

and llff:Burman (low regiater), bpt l(dtr:foreigner (mid' r"-gi"t.iy t asalso,-a short€r vowel in the d, ot least that ie how I hear it. f suspebtthatin Thado, as in Sema and probably other Naga languagee, the ioneia dolibcrately uged as a meth6d of dirtinguislrinf diffe-renf, words, oddeJ.R.4.p., Ja,n. 1027, Bor and Eutton, Uaa oj Tonee-in Sema Naga,

. Grierron, On thc Beprtaentatiott oj Tonai in Oriental, Longufiea, dialin.gulrhu- nine tones whibh he repreienta by a mark beforj dio iyllebleln whloh tho tono ooouia, thug:j

To be afraid,becomes

To frighten.To catch,

becomee :

To cause to bo caught,and

In order to catch.To weed,,

beoomes(the " aw " sound) rweoded'

To be big,I ecomes

To mako big,and

There are

Euphony. llr? ,l"hj';;.#L l,tl;J ::ff:,llHbetter that way." f,'or examPles:-

l. Kicha

Klchatsha2. Man

Matsha

MatdirE3. Lho

Lha4. Len

Letsha

Letdin€

: Levol Riaing Folling

Hich Recieter -ka /ka ' -ka

Mia Bogi"ster *ka zka 'LaG- n ?i"t", -ka ,k, -kafireee indioation markg oan bb cdmbinod when neoeoeorSl 1f, eignify

compound tone's. Eg.^

A J-the-trk fot th"e level mid regieter will norrnally be omitt€d' as i(

used it is liable to be mistakon for a-tryphen, but as the tono it indicstest"1h;-;;dil;;';;fi; ;Gi;; u"iii""'to' $an1eg. trt ie inol-vervlikely that all- theae toneiare found in Thado, but Mr' Bor qnd I have

identified four or five, e.g'

= -ttwtt opposite : ki -dong

= ,lhou tender = a-iNong

But orobablv for oractical purposeB the uge of four tonel marks would[.

"riorght6" the'Thado liagriage, t]rot is, omitting the mid register

-ka,-ka,

-ka, and 'ka'--iA;; U"r"i "-i"t

eimilar words differontiated.tv'm1$1 q t|9rmightie in a dictionary. I do-not.think it will en-t_irely eliminate t5e

difficultv of identioal epellings, but it should help' In texts I imagiue

the diffitultiee rvill have to be borno.The following may-be tokon as exaElples:-'lire mei drink 'il'ontail mai tube --d,oncloud Jned nritwe 'nau'd'on' i

[The sign 'is used to indio*tp a glot'tal otop]

beginning of house.building C9! rain Ciplan' think gil Poreon Cu

tbin oscl bone '4ilkind of tree -.til,l bamboo -W, -go (whioh l). hail gtel kindleflre gotl

I think the first bwo gal'a snd tho first tso 9?, e{e the aomc., .lnwhich case I defoatod by tf,em, but thoy ato no worso thon Dot and 0ol

in Englirh.*(Ed.)

ffre = -med 'iitclouds: gpd rise

 

r98 Journal, ol tke Asiati,a Society of Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

5 Dongr928.1 Notes aru ihe Thail'ow Kwkds. 00

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" J3#hDo'ding In order to ask.

Yet it cannot be stated as a general rulo that words endingin ar-n, o and ng all follow these peculiarities, because many d6not obange their root form.

An agglutinative languago such as Thadou can hardly be

Noun. gaid tg pospse gnf trug case e_ndings,

an _aotion rakes prace, 1:l, t}; ,f9"l,llj3;r':P"T"1"J}Herb and is indicated by the sufflx iro oi zo, but the sufiix is

dropped sometimos when it is not required and the sense isehown from the context. 'The Ablative and Dative c&sos &roformed by adcling Komn,.ar Hengn.

The Poseessivo Case is indicated by placing tho possosoingbefore the posseesef word lhua Chmt-king-,;gao' ihondle;,whero the possessed word is omitUed, a ii suffixed to form apoaeessivo-o.g., hi&e Lengianq a hil,o Douion a ahi:lhis isD-outon's not LongJong'e. The fnstrumentai Caee is formed byadding in or n.

This follows the noun it qualifies. .ud is prefixod to the

Adjecrivo.root word and th9

ljsatlvg.iorm-isroor. rhus chem onu*f*XrY;:5t-.".'X ;rH',2'; TrJ'";dao." The word for word translation *ould be liD;.["re:not, one ig."

Oonpa,risons aro efiected in three wa,ys :-l. By use of ,'S&ngin":-

Hiche sangin hlchekhu aleneThis than that larger.

2. By usd of adversati'ie sentences :-Hiche aneo, hichekhu alene.This emall, tihat large.

3. By using "Sangin, . ..io.":-Hiche sangin hichekhu aphajoe.This thau that is better.

4. By use of "Sangin . . . . pen ";-Hlche sangin hichekhu alenpene.This than that is biggor.

Superlative degreos are formed as follows :-l. By use of ,,la-a. . . . . c pen ',:-

Hlchc la.a hlchekhu alenpene.This among those is the biggest.

2. By using "pen'.' only:-Hiche alenpene.This is the biggest.

3. B;, adding "penpen" or"chacha" when speaking otone out of many bigor small things respectively:-

Hiche alenpenpen.This biggest.Hichekhu aneochacha.

That smallest.Pronouns.

Demonstrative pronouns are formed as follows:-(1) Hiche pasal hi(2) Hiche numei khu(3) Hiche(4) Khuche(51 Hikoma(6) Khukoma

.(a). " I " or t' fpl t'

(b),Ida(c)' Itile(d) Itina(e) Ijat(l) Ichan

(s) Ijatve(h) Hoia(d) Hotkoma(fi Hoilanga(&) Koi

Interrogative pfonouns are :--

This man (here).That woman (there).This (near).That (At a diStance).Ilere (close).

There (Some d.istanceawav).

What ?

whv ?

When ?

IIow ?

Eow many ? (Articles).IIow much ? (Length, size,

etc.)How many times ?

Where ?

Where to or from ?

Whore ? Which direction tWho ?

Personal pronouna &ro :-

(1) Kei(2) Keho(3). Nang(4) Nangho, Naho(5) Ama(6) Amaho(7) Eini

(8) Keini

(9) Nangni

.r.. We (all of us).

. Thou.

. You

. IIe, she or it.

. They.

. We two (Speakor andspoken to).

. We two (Speakor and an-other).

. You two ($poken to ondanother).

 

f00 Journal ol.the Asiatic Bociety ol Beytgal. [N.S., XXIV,

(10) Nang

1028.1 Netes on the Thadou Rukis. l0l

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le nanA1Il) Ama Ie kii -(12) Ama Ie nang to

(o) Ka(by Na(c) A(d) Keho(e) Naho(/) Amaho

You and you (pointed out).He aud I.He and you.

Possessive pronouas are:_.. My

Thine.Ifis, her or its.

Our.rYour.Their.

'Io express ,. own,' the Thadou uses.mon$mong but theordi,arv possessive pronoun conveys ttu same"idu; y?t i.tIimphatically, thus:ll. Ka.in mongmonE . Dfy own house.,2. Keho bon6 mongmonE ,Oil, o*"-"Jii".,

, R3latlve p-ron_oult.. Whero this is used in Engliah with asubordi.ote verb, the Thadou uru, , qr"filyi.g"djB;.ii-v;t;;:osed of a noun or verb root with ct u'rrm""a.

L The nran who came yeeterdav-Janha ahungpa-;hu.

2. The cbild who d=ied,Naoshen athi-chu.

3. The horse which I sold,

. Shakol karot-chu.'

. Reciprocal pronounE are formed as in the following ins-tances:-(a) We beat each other,

Keini akidentoutoulhone, z

(b) They two steal e-?ch othor,s property,

I broke it myself,

Hiche keima mongin kachu' shet ahi.I ate it myself;

-Kei mong kane , ahi.

Cardinal Numerals-are shown clearly in [{1. Hodson,s

', Th&do Grammar,, .9I shall not aeai*itn"th"m 1"i".-

iior"lever there are some pointe worth ul"oiaaffi.

Roflexive pronouns are for.med as in the cases given be.low:-L

2.

I There is also a dual posseirsivo i. =. belonging to the two of ug.,_

toaverb,oid,i-noie'.ii-t"iJ#;I3r'ffi1tiffIi;,f;:r:ifi i=ff lf *

following:-FirstSeoond

Third

There are no ordinal numbers as in Engliqh but only thc

., Amasa.Khat bana (This means the one after' the first).Ni bana (One afber the second and so

on for the resr)

Last Anu nungpen.

Ordinal Adverbs are {ormed by adding " VE " thus ;-Once Khatve..Ton times Shomve.

Multiplicatives thus :-Singly Khat khat nin (By one and one)'

ByTours Li li-n.By Z0,O00s Taima taima'n or Taima rl8'tl.l

Fractions:-One haif A ke.One quarter Ake ke.Two-hfths Chan nga'a chan ni

(Share five-in nhare two) and so orr.

It ie doubtflrl whother a vorb in an agglutinative language

verb :iif#x;ilJ"T ffil",? lU f",,,$;:lil,Jirjf;IT:

eontences to convey a goneral idea of the verb and

I nabol em ? \that art thou doing ? -

I nabol urn ? Vtlhat are you doing ? (Plural)I nabol ta Yem ? l{hat didst thou do ?

i natot ta Yum ? Whab ditl You do ? (Plu:)

I nabql din$ ham ? What wilt thou do ?

I nabol dtu-ham ? What will you do ? (Plu:)

Itl nabol lo vem I Why dost thou not do ?

Iti nabol lo vurm ? Wh, do you not do ?-(Ptu:)

I nabol hi ' am ? . Whit didst thou not do ?

i nabol hu' um ? What did you not do I (P)

I nabol lo dtnglVhat.wilt thou not do ?

ham? -I nabol lo diu Whab will You not doi?

ham ?

Bolin Do.(Q)Bolun ' Do' 1P)Bolhi 'ln Don't do. (S)

'| Ta&notl em told, meaoe 10,000 not-20,000' .f['owever, iu is onty a

onrelv theoritioel term, aod.never ueed in practice,.ald qs the.looroI";;;di;I;;-calculation in somo Naga i,ribes,-it is poseible ths-t

'd-dmorl

urod by gome Thado lor a score of thougerrds (ahan'g) init€od o[ tor Ideoadelof them.-(Ed,)

(Ed.)

*"'"I*;?.,u,.;H;:'fff::lrfl },,lllTlTfIft ,?;:r:ifi i=ff I j

 

102 Jourraal, ol ihe Asi,atla Bociety ol Bengal^ [N.S., XXIV, re28.l Note* on, th,e Thailow Kubie- 100

Ka she nom e I wieh to saY'

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Bol hu' unBoldinginBoldluvinBollodin8 ahiBollodiu ahiKa bol e ..Na bol e ..AboleKa bol lo or Ka bol

lo ve..Na bol loKa bol taiA bol taiKa bol nanEeNa bol inteA bol inteKeho bolunS,eNaho bolunteAthaho bolunteKel chepon$eNang che PonteChe taiteChe tauteChe taihenChe tauhenChe po hi' teChe po hu'teBolinlan$Bolunlans,BoldanlangBoldavi4lan$Bol-na-din$Bol-lo-din$Bol-intinBol-hi'-intinHiche na bolleHtche na bol Jo le

Na bol phat-aNa bol tengleAmaho bol

ten$uleAma bol Jon$le ..Nang hol hl'

tonlleKa bol fo leNa bol lo loKa bol cho po voKa bol llnf e ..Ka bol nang €

do.Will have to do. (S)Will have to do. (P)Will not be done. (S)Will not be dono. (P)I do.Thou dost.He, ahe or it does.I do not do.

Thou dost not do.r did.He, ehe or it did.I will do.Thou wilt do.He will do.We will doYou will do.They will do.I will not go.You will not go.Let us go (Two persons).Lot us go (More than two).

Let them go (Two persons).Let them go (More than two).Let us not go (Two persons).Let us not go (More tlran two).Ilaving done. (S)

Having done. (P)Not having done. (S)

Not having done. (P)In order to do.In order not to do.If (it) had been done.If (it) had not been dono.If you do this.If you do not do this.

While you do.When you do. (S)

\ilhen they do. (P)

Evon if ho.does.Even if yo.u {o not do.

When I finish doing.When or if you do not finish.I have not done all.I om doing.I will do (Not definite when).

Na bol io lo iong Even iI you do not finish doing:

le.

Thoso illustrative sentencee will suffice to give some t{* ol

the reculiarities of the Thadou language with rts nlc€tre; ol

phraieology and meanings.

 

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t.ii.

ln.iv.v.vi.vii.

APPENDIX A.

Snvsn Tnloo Folx-Tnr,ns

Man and SpiritThe Change of SkinThe Dao-Sharpening ..The Elephant-apple CarryingKhutshibiThe Yine-cuttersThe Magic Ficldle

Pecr107

107

108lt0II2l19l29

Tsaoo X'or,x-lonn.

'Ihe sevon folh-tales which follow have beon reoordod by mofrom the same narrator-Lenjang of Taning, in the originalThado and then trnn$ated. Where tho Thado iteolf is givon

tho literal translation will be found undornoath each word, anda freer translation of the rvhole at the end. Where the Thadois not given, as iu No. vii, I have boon vory caroful to keopas close to the meaning of the Thado as linguistically possiblo(any interpolabions required by the English being shown inbrackets) except in the matter of participles, which I have froe-ly translated as finite verbs in order to obtain sentences thatend, instead of carrying orr intorminably from participle toparticiple as in the original story. Indeed tho same liberty has

been tiken to a lesser extent in recording the original Thado ofthe first six stories, as I found it othelwiso oxtremely diffi-cult to keep the thread of the original. Tho referpnoes at theend of the English versions of etories iv. and v. are to 6he noteson the Thado which irnmediately precede them. The titlesare given

bytho narrator in responso to a request-for a tjtle.

I ga[hered [hat they were not themselves traditional.The tales given here are scanty specimens of a very volu-

minous folk-lori, but fairly typical. Many themes familior inEnglish folk-lore are found. Thus in ono tale a girl is carriedoff [y a demon. IIer six'elder brothers perish iu t[e attempt torescue her, but the seventh and youngest succeeds in reaohing

her. By simulated affection she coaxes from hor demon loverthe whe'reabouts of his exteinal soul. The hero suooeeds inasoending to the house of God (Pathen) in lhe sky a:rd obtain.ing poss6ssion of the pigeon in which it is kept. _The girl-flccrwi-tblhim, thoy are puisued and raise obstaoles behinil-thcm,a olifi, a sw*mp, etc., in the pursuer'a path by meanr o! uql.

 

106 Jounw,l, ol the Asiati,a Society ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV, r928.1 Notes on, the Thadou Kukis. 107

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cal. obJects purloiued -from the demon himself.l In the finalstrugglL bebween the demon and the hero, tlre former is rt!s-

abled by the latter's breaking tho pigeon's leg. Again in theetory oI Ashijoul we find the spiteful bully wearing a full blownflowor in his hair, contrasted lvith the modesb and kindly ladwho prefers to wear a bud only. The two go out to woo Ashi'

Joul, and the former maltreats those he meots by the way, the

other is kind to them.The former is sent about his business

with contumely while the latber finds favour with the lady and

with the help of the animals he has befriended performs the

impossihlo tasks required by her parents of a suitor for theirdaughter's hand. On their way home a wer-lioness treacher-ously dovours the bride and takes her place, but a fruit-treesprings from the bride's blood, the brirle-groom plucks and putsty ttie fine fruit from tho treo top, from whioh emerges thetruo bride uho cleans up tho house whilo the couple are in theffelds. She is one day cauglrt by her husband, who kills thewor-lionoss, from whoso corpse springs a plantain tree, and whose

severed head becomes h, stono. In spite of. warnings Ashiioultries to pick a plantain leaf from the tree, which devours her,and her husband rescues her by cuttins down the tree and find.ing her reduced to miniature inside thErtree (cf. the somewhat

similar epigode in story vii, The Magic Biddle). She recovers,and again disobeys him by spreading a cloth to dry on thestone that had been her rival's head and is devoured by bhe

head. The husband fails to break it and ttre story onds by hispulling down the whole village fence and burning it upon thestone which splits with a loud report and discharges its contentsto heaven. The fact bhat Ashi, means a star may be connec'ted with this but I can find no meaning to attach to ioul. Onerather curious episode is the somowhat fanciful inclusion of a

cloud among the " animals " scornfully troated by the villainand helped by the hero. It amazingly rewards him by bringingthe ot'her clouds to carry for him up to the house of his pros-pectivo father-in law au enormous stone which he has been toldio fotch. The clouds carry the stone and the horo walks in the

midet of them singing " Iifo, ho " as if he were doing the workhimself. Most of these stories are extremely discursive and

coutain mauy repetitions of approvod formulae. They containmuah in oommon with Naga folk-lore (e.g. oomparo tho story of

Ashiioul with that of Muchupile or llunchibili, The Sema Nagasp. 357, Tke Angarni Nagas, p. 280, and Mille, The Lkota Nagas,p. 188), but much that is distinotivoly Kuki and in contrast[o Naga "['olk-lore in genoral, in partidular tho introduetion of

1 So too in the Blory of lCungori (Lewin, flcaraises i,nihe Lushod Dia-Lect,, p. 84) not only do wo find thoso magical objects, in this case the" seede" of fire, thorn and water, but two opiaodee from Jack and thoBennstalk, bha Fee fi, to luzr episode, and the Boanstalk itself.-(Ed.)

i

magical paraphernalia in a material form. The heroine ofHunchibili no less than Ashijoul is able to re'incarnate herself

in the fruit of a tree, but the Naga stories seem to lack entirelysuch Aladdin-recalling treasures as Khutshibi and the Magio

Fidclle, or the lohald,ang, which is no less than our old friend

" Stick-out-of-bag " sca,rcely disguised at all, The stories'ofKhutshi,bi and of the Magic X'iddle contain a number of inci-dents closely paralleled in the folk-lore of the Lepchas (o'dde

Lepcha I ollc-lore," J.A. S.8., xxi. )-(8d.1

i. Mau AND SPrRra.

Masang,in mi le thilha takhat ahin; min thilha athat-Formeily man and spirit alike being man spirit- kept

thatnin ahile thilha achen Pathenpa-koma " Min ei-that-beating and so spirib going to God (said) Man- rne keep

thatn6 ei-thatgamdilrg atrittrai." Pathenpan thilha-komabeating me to kill outright is. C-q4 to sp]rit-

" Ch;l-lai-vum na--bolinlang tuikhu-a na-koile-Yeadt-centro-black you having made in water hole -Youchun, amit-lai vum-intin, chuthein$ mutheitapon-place his-eyo-contre black'will-bo and thenco will bo unablo

itin." Hichir-kal min thilha amutheilo ahithai.to see. Since then man spirit unable to see has been.

Free translation of ,0";In the beginning man and the sp-irit wore alike, but, man

kept beating tle spiiit, so it went to God and said " Man keeps

Ueiting m""th" wiy he will be killing me entirely." God said

to the"spirit "If you make some yeast cakes with blaek centres

arrd puf them inio his well, the centres of his eyes will become

blaci and then he will be unable to see you." From that timeman has beon unable to see sPirits.

ii. Txn Csaxen or SKrN.

Masanp,in garihing mion$ akilipmin, - - ahitileFnrmeiiy animals mankind changing-(their skins) e!"faphapui atiin, uphoh le tang- akihousain, ashei-

,rot gooa saying toad and lizard causillg to contest the one

rnaia-su dtraigf,in. Tan$in "Gul kilip' tang- kilip "tosatfirst will get. Lizard Sn1k9 c!a-1ge--lizard change

atile", uphoh-iri" Mi kilip, pho!-kilip " atile, lnu'

rrvi"s toad Man change load chauge saying-hav'

" nitgtan hiche-je-in-pul le tang- akllipmln-'.ins bee;behind for this cause snake and li;ard ohanging (rLin )

,f;i akilip-theipul. Mi kiliple teshl aumthslpulrman ohange could-not. Mon if changing oltl oould not bl

 

108 Jowrna.l ol the Asia,tic Bociety ol Bengu,l. [N.S., XXIV

F_

le28.l Notes ott, the Thail,ou Kukis' f00

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atething akiliPle $ullhan$ ahikitne.

why Elephant'e ear-in you fly into ? Mr. wild boarka-chenna shalehophung aehulhue." "Ngalchangpa

my living plaoe wild banona tree overturned. Mr. wild boar,

r Pa euffixed to the names of animals or pereons is a sort of honoriffc:Mr. or tho " Brer " of Brer R,nbbit, etc., in Unclo Remus.

when agod ohenging (skin) young man would have become again.

Once upon a time aninrals and mer{ used to chauge theirskins. As it was not regarded as foir r a coutract rvas arlangedbetrvoen the toad and tho lizard, the first of which to sav the

word was to have the privilege of changing skins. The lizardsaid " Snake change, Iizard change " &nd meanwhile the toadsaid " Man change, toad change " but he was slower. For thisro&son snakes and lizarde change their skin, but man cannot.If he could he would nevor beoome old, for when ageing he

would ohange his skin and booome young again.

I That is to the roptiles, who did not change their skius then. Thetoad ie rpparently not olegsod with tho reptiles, so porhaps the Thadohaa not obssrved that he also changos hie skin. Legonds of this sort aboutdeath are, of course, widesproad (oid'e Frazer, Folk-lore in, the Old, Iesta-ment,, Yol. I, ch. ii), but the Kenharingen version (Evans, Among Prim.i,-tive Peoples i,n Bomeo,176) may be comparod \rith this one,

ili. Tnn Deo-SnaRPENrNG.

, Chim-that'the.

Chimthatpanl chim athatle kaikongin atdh ahdlle.Dao-sharpener dao sharpening craw-fish fundamentproddingChimthatpan gova ii aban. Gova iiDao-sharponor bamboo tip-end sliced. Bamboo tip-end

apa ngei akhoe Apa akithailer chenai

lungle fowl's 'choek priokod Jungle fowl scuttling red antathaidoh-in chenai avdle ngtrlchdngpar

having scratched up red ant runniug along rvild Boar'stil apetle ngalchangpa akitdmle ba chen-na

testicle biting wild Boar rushing about ba.t's abiding placeshaishophung ashulhun;. ba alengle saipipa kul-a

wild banana treo overturned bat flying Elephant'e oar in

alenglutne saipipaz akitomle meithainu in ashulhueflying into Elephant rushing off widow house knooked down.Melthainun " Saipipa, ida ka-in na-shulhu.

widow Mr. elephant wh5r my house hove you knockedham ?" Saipipan " Ba ka-kul-a alenglutnln." "B2,down ? Slephant Bat my ear in having flown into. Bat,ldo ealplpa kul-a na-lenglutham ?" Ngalchangpan

t

ida ba chenna shaishophun$ na-shuhlhuharn ?"

*Io ttt'. Iiving placo wild banana tree^. you o-verturn ?

c'i'"#i;-"ffi-iii apetnin.'' " chenai' ida lBal:- -"R;Jffi- my iesticle hav'ing bitten' .Red ant' why. Mr" rvild

"h;&;;tii na-petharfi ?" "Apan ei-thaidoh-e.''

--ilo#r. testicle y'ou bite ? Jungle fowl me scratched up.

T;;.-

ida clienai na-thaido:hham ?" " Gova ii-

.forqlt;io*f , *t v."a ,"t yo" scratch up ? Bamboo tiE-

"#'"i;a;i"^it-0".'t ""Gova ji, i.dt lpa- .. 1g*1;ft ;;

"it?rlp.ittecl. Bamboo tip,

-u'hy iunglelorvl's cheek

"r-tii6n"*l"' " Chimthatpan ii-ban-e"r tt Qfui,thatpa'--1o,

,.ick ? I)ao'sharpener me slioed' Dao-sharpeuer'

ial"." tt*-ii "a-Uantram?"" Kaikongin ka-t6h

*t v' fri*U",i'tip you slice ? Craw-fish my fundament

"tr6t"." " Kaiton€,, ida Chimthatpa toh rr2-

i""Jala. Craw-fisf,, why Dao sharpener's fundament' yog

"ntj[iri l',"friforbi" u5n"iOirg

'ahetapui. Kaikongin

nrod ? Craw'fish to say did uot know' Urawnsn

.. ffi;i; nei-goiuchun moltheipthumintin' lilai-a nei-

i;;t; me if toasting will be fruitless in de-ep pool me

koilechun sanpilfitin chapanE deidei-

ii"f".l.n,vill become ve':v red boy - will be delighted

;"ffii^iP ;iti;;-1"il'ri-; " alelutle " " Ka-chenna lil-to watch said d;i i, iumping it .

*y abiding place pool

ihuiinien " atiin- lilai-a achen$thai '-"".y

a""P said Pool in remained'

Th" D*o Sharpener was sharpe'ningaris dao when tho Craw-'

n.n ir*" r"a ptoia"a- frit' trot'' Nfu '"Dao'shatP:t",' :l'::1 :$tfr" ti" of a bafrboo end. The tip of bamboo prir:ked the cheer

"Iir,ioJ":r.ri.

-irr" jungle'fowi, scuttling o{, scratebed out a

red intiwhich ran and bit Mr' Wild Boar in t'he testrcles' 'rne

Wt'td BL; dashing about kicked down the wild plantain tree

*fti"f, *r. the batrs ho*". The bat flew out and fluttered into

Uf.. Of"pt rrt's ear. The elgBh1nt dashed,ofi and knockod over

ihe wiclow's house' " Mr. Elephant " said she, " wh-y have you

;;;;L;d ;;;;y hoo." ?" s-aia tue trllephant " The bat flew

into mv ear." "n"ri]-*ny aiJ Vto fly'into Mr' Elephant's

""r"g'f'"1r1"Wild ioat threw down the wild plantain tree.I

l--iiu'irr." " Mr. Boar, why ditl you do that ? " The red ent brt

*u,tu.ti"t"r." " Rud *tit, wny aia you bite the Boar's testi'

;;"s ?;"";;ih" 5ongiulo*l scratcied me-u-p'"."Jungle {'}ll',*-!I

did vou scrat"h ip the ant?" "'Ihe bamboo tip prlcked my

;il&:;-;;sr;u.'. ;^ip,;t; did vou prick the-jingle'rowl'r

;i;;;:" " Mr. Dao'shlrpen& shceii me-off'" " lVIr' Dao'ghor'

i;;;; why clid yoo .li.*' ofi the bamboo tio ?" " Ths Cltw'ffsh prodded .y po.i".inr'l'- '; Crawfish, wny aia you prod thl

 

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Dao-sh-arpeger ?" The Cra.wfish did not know what to answer.Ife gaid, r,You can do-uothing by toasting me at a fir;.-iI;;;

putmo in a deep pogl I shall turn ver.v"red,r *na;h;il fiibe eharmed to see it." He,jumped.into the'p"Li

-;;tfr;' j""iI live in is very deop,,, sai,l lie, and in the pooi h" .tuyuJ. '""'

I ono cannot, hern"suspectiug

conderrsation hero and the loss of somos.cl incident as that'of B;.-r;;;;;-#;ffi;t;il;# b;;;#ii:"

iu.- Tnu Er,nrnANT-appLE Clnnyrrvo.

Ailhanglhum ,puthe.

-_-.- Nupani qql,l apu-y-in gamta ha lai_y-aWife-husband-pair child

"orryirg-i.iju"glu yo_. i" ,iie-achele, mun khat-na. aittr"anfitum_'the"i,1 " ,_ioirr'.

coing . plcce ot oLe . "r"pl;J,:alppr"'i."it r,"riii'iiit'""aanehlfinle chuin athei atishie'rirhtlnin u6*frif"i"eati-ng then .-fruit having made r_rp loud* -;r;;;;;;-. apujouhriintha-hih-in, ajipail,,Athei keikhat

-d'aiir'a-

Itl.qg be-on u,abte to_c-a.rry hustand f;i;;- l.oJ-'-i;;;

hite" atile, ajinun ,,Ahip;i, ttrei triUang' thdi_tui auifru--. . saying wife no fruit ver.v- fruib-.*""t *iU ,.t

uihite. Icha z 1tr{-joJ-a--s. fengna atha p;ng:Ieave our crrird womb-thrlsholtl-in biriirplace new will benanre, icha dalhahiting thei puhiteri atiin. Ach"-;;-

born our child for leaving- fruit will larry said"hild ,;;hu-shunga akoi-v-tn.",athei ,;;;" ahunghlin-

h-ole-rvittrin havingplacecl fruit having-ca.rita .;;;;_thai.a Chuin ac"ni. c-rru- nistrif,f"" ui.Xptepii",

-rritiuigether. Then chitd il*g{ ail da;, Lri"g;;i",i ;;;;hlominu amuthai.,.,Vahleningihing nenange,, atiin,ru'er-lioness found having broulnt ufr wilr

"r"trroinnlr"ia

. .apuyin avahle a-lenpiratnir -""rigi:ii-iihaving brought htrving reared *fru" drr*" Uig t*" s-irlu riihakil6min,_ Io-a a"kunleu-'struoli'-- "i;na,vrng accompanietl to field in field going in the day n"iaahloule

anumeitenin ""t uipit r,:ii"^t ,,nanu le*":q11C the two girlg. having explained your mother andnapan naneolaiyin ha chovin napuihlUnin

'"" k'ff"ffLm "Tidgllflifi t'i-d&u hffiil;il;yqg- ploce one.at , elephanf, apple fruit f,oring-.i["n"aIt lha n p I hu rn . a pu I honi ri n a n g' iia-_ a a itra trtu"i

"rr?oni-inun

etep'Ilr-rt_r]pple ho,ving takeu you having left you wer-lionessna-puyln..ka_vahletthlng

-nen?ngg, atiin,having takon.you_ when I havo rearEd big will eat saidnavah aht. Tunfong vai nalhunjir?teing kitomin_

is rearing you. Even noi *h", ,;;;;;i'rr.t r,om" havins

become terrific into house you not entering will no! he well.Hlominu kot-sa kot-lhanga 6 apangin

Wer-lioness on one sido and the other of the door waitingnathatdinp nague." Chuin amajon$ inshun$to kill you rvishes you Then he too into the house

alutdingteing akitomin alutle hlominu akichanwhen entering Lrecoming terrific entering rvei-lioness being

athat-ngamthapui. Chujovin amipan hlominufrightened kill was not brave. Then the man wer-lion'

athatthai. Chuin amaionE, anu le apa.koma achein-ess killed. Then he boo mother and father-near went

'oThushim sheljinge" atiin, masan$a akhanchanu asheile,Storv will tell szrid first beginning having

anu le apa' akdpthai. Chuin anu acheinsaid mother antl father wept. Then motherhavinggoneathei agasatkein anipanit-khumin sampdnfruit having cut in half blew her noseT hair-combingsahinkoiyin 'Nangjea kacha kahiti-bol" atiin

having placed on account of you my child thus did saidahungin achapa-to mun-khat achen$tave. Hiche-

having come son together wibh dwelt. Thence'

kalchu4 ailhanglhum thei-shungaapon-khu samp8nforward elephant apple fruit within filaments hair'combingsahiin amugil aum-khu anap ahiin.&re kernel that is phlegm of the uose is.

A rnarried couple carrying thoir child went, into the jungleto dig {or yams. At one place they found some ripe elephant-applesr and ate the fruit and mado up loads of rvhat remainedbrrt found thom too heavy to oarry. The husband said i'Leave

somo of .tho truit," but the wife said " No, the fruit is verysweet, we.rron't leave it. More children will beborn to us tromthe womb that bore this. Let us leave the child and take the

fruit." So they put the child in a yam-hole and carried.thefruit home. The child cried all day long, and one day a wer-liorress fouud it and said " I will bring this up, and eat it." Soshe took it and reared it. When the child had grown big he wentto the 6elds with two girls and while weeding the 6eld duringtho day the girls told him how his parents had talien him a-yam-digging when an infant and had left him behind to take ripoelophant-apples, an<l how the wer-lioness had found him and wasrearing him to eat him. " Even now," said they, " when yorrget back homo you had better go into the house loohing voryferoeious, tor the wer-lioness is rvaiting insido tho door ou tlrlrreide or on thab rvishful to kill.you." So when he went irrbo tlrrhouse he wrrts very ferocious, and the wer-lionosg was erronod unrldared not a,ttacli hirrr. Then ho lrimself killcd t,ho wor lionerr,

 

ll2 Jou,rnal, ol the Asi,ati,c Boci,ety o! Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

r-1e28.1 Notes on lhe Thailou Kuhis. lt8

achele " Gulpa, nanp, umhihlechun ke Milonflhongoing Friend you if not remaining Te -{rg"q

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and-ho-wsnt to his parents, and he said ,, I will tell you a tale.,,And whon he told them the beginniog of it, thov went. Thenhig mothor teft thom and cut

"inhalf

"" ,it"[n!"i ippr"-i"jP_!*.I". "gs" llq.p1rr rhe phlogm n"a-ft"

"roiri"g.oftu; h"i,

rnto rt, and said .,For your sake, my child, I do-this.,, Audshe came back and they all dwelt-h$ether, and trom tuat iimeforward tho hair.combings a,re to bo-found'as the fibres otl theelephant-appte ana tne r[eum ot rne "ose i, its i."*Ii]" "' ""1

^-_-l-llth3"qhuTig the tree Diilenia ind,i,ca, the.. o-thenEa ,, ot tho

f,iilif,ffiljlvinga big heavy groon fruit, with a ver;r ffbrouslesh and a

il.cha-i.is thc dual form of the possessive pronoun of the ffretporson.

I Thal is all the abdomen berow_the naval; iol ie ueually a horizontarstiok laid on"two uprights as in the doorway *Liu fo"

"u""-6"i"i ""*."""g0Erd_o a vrllago, but it may be aleo ueed for a horizontol stick ;imilerlyplaoed on the ground.

I Hltrn hsie ie the root implying accompaniment, and in this as inseveral preoeding vorbs gives a iftial s-eme.

5 Kun ie tho root which implies leaving the house, to so to work or tohuut, trade, otc., tho departure'from the fio"." tui"! il"';;;;i;i;;conveyed,

.u{9tu. kotlhap$a, i,o., on each side of the door inside the house,

not outside and inside the. door. Kotss is the right hand side oi trre aoorw.hpn Iacing !t -ft"p the inside and Kotlhan{! is=the leiih&nd;t,i;:- Th;.orortunu ra, I think, imagined as moving restlessly backwards arrd for-wards inside tho door of the houee ( ? Iashing her to"il1-

-'-

._ _1.A"Fp=myg.oy? from rhe"o"ir, ""iilr'tt"'""t.it blowing one,g nose

lX wli:gtngit with tho finger and thumb and snorting, fhuiris tho actoi putting inside a rocoptacle.

v. Knursrrrsr.

Meitai khat achah pashal khat aumthal. Avaichanwidow one chitd 'mate o* ;;il;A: il"t;il;;;achahqan acha khat

-apuun, aju-a achele vadung aHt""ohild fowl one .brought tb sell going river-";;("t)Mll,onS,hon

.gulpj khat- ngoi-a ' a"putave. Grilpi

|\agasr -.big-s-nake one in fish-trap had brought. Snafe,_"lro, Milonghon- akihomtave.' Chuin " pashalparncleed - Nagas had (agreed to) divide. Then -

bovcnu achen, ., Thathiu,n! Ke acha lavin, gutpi

wont do not kill my? fowl take ;;"k"Ihatavln !" ashei. Chuln ama'tron attraiave, ;;;h;,roleoso said. Then they released

'hi f;ialatavo. Achutn M-uonghon achethai. i-t;aH;ip;book. Then-Nagfr _ - _

wen$; n" -Uoy-'-

alungdongln vadung"a- achclele Chuln vadung-a "mi

- - gnoving, river.ia going elong then river.in m&nlrhat-to aklshutoln. Mln_an

-r,11of,gir, r , atie. Anung-aonb. met. Man Copp said after f,im Il

Grandmother and father I man poor me7

eittrltaing ahit-an. Nan$-in nihin sitthai.s Hun$lnme-about to kill were you my life saved. Como

Ka-in-a cheite." Achehlunle lampa agulpan asheilnmy-house-in will go. Going together on path friend le!d_" Gulpa, ka-nu le ka-pan thilkeo aphaphlFriend my mother and my father property ver5, good

pejonglechun kilahih-in. Ka-nu mecha khutjem-if giving do not take my mother little finger ringa

'eipen' tithang" atie. Chuin achelhunle a-in-komgive me qey said. Then going together hishousenearaphalhunin amipa alut n$dmtapui Chuin agulpan

having reached the man enter wo* not brave. Then friend" Ven, gulpa, chun$-a vakol lengpikhu " atile chuinlook friend above storkE fly hig thore said then

agulpan avetle avetka-in aken$nin amanin lilaiafriend looking while looking legs bottr seizing in pool

alutpithai. Chuin alutle anoi ahule chuin a$ulpanmadi enter. thon entering below being dry then friendakhlnna anu-apa -koma asheile, anu-apanexperiences mother-fathor with spoaking_ mother'fatheratile ('Ka-nao, na-gulpao nahinsat. Tun ka-in-asaving my son, your friend life-savod. Now my houso in

thilkeo nadeidei klputhang" Chuin amanpropertry .you wish-wieh take away 0 Then he' - tg Hepi-hepu, ke ,mi vaicha ka-l-to

kilommopunthe nakhut mecha nakipu khutjem chucannot but befit8 your hand little fiuger wear ring thatei-pethang ! " atile ; anomtapui. Chuin a$ulpan

me-give said (she) was not willing. Then lriendHenu, naPelole chekinin$thin$

Mother, you not giving having gone back' ka6hna-a ohkithangi kei-shangamy-be-trapped-place-in will be trapped again me-above

nakhutjem na-ittohle." Chuln anu " Ahile, Ichayour ring you choosing. Then his mot'her it being so my child

iitjohhidam " atiin, akhutjem apethai. Chuin _mipanwill rather choose said riug ga,ve thon the man

ahinpuin ahungthal.having taken ca,me.

Ahunglhunphatnin anukoma " Henu, FQ"Sat the timJof arriving back bis mother-with Mother, dieh

hinldn " atile anun " Ima-beh-in korlgbring saying liis mother " There being nothing dish

kaldln ipidin$ ham ? " Chuin anu kon$I ha,ving brought what for eh ? Then mother dinh

 

r lI4 Jowrnal ol the Asiatic Boaiety of Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

, ..1",r, apeJe, akdng-gei chu akhutieminhavtog_ brought giving dish-rim rini-bval(ivln, bu le me akong-a ahungd"irnin

le28.l Notes on the l16

chdn !,, hiti. echantrtuni{iJ yucha khatwait so said. Having lain in wait'togebher rat ono" 'nang

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-having struck rice and curr.r, in .tis:h havins appearedanghlunthai. Chujuvin " ajiding"Arfghff"tir;hey two ato. Thereafter for wifi thev Two aekedAnurnelthen shflmtam shieltam " dil;--

Relatione-in-law many rupees many mithun UigT*gdqbu kichdng - kichung " angeole- A;;-'

lj!!_19;rongs0. - single bJad string of bEads o&ing -otn".lung . adongin,lo -

,.

Hijat thilkeo ,edi(hdt.kaeheart.

h-av-r-ng searclred This rnuch property , within one nislrtnanlnkolte k[chd kipuithang." Ama-riuIfu depositing m;, daughter take-in-e*"hrog". ffi, *oin""alung ?dong akdpthai. ,. f -in-a iiu_bel bonheart Search wept. fn m.r, houso rice-plate ;;

u.mloa, qEn ifail huiya'kil5deham ? " atiinis.-not -prioe eo muoh whence am to bring having saidachethal. Alhunphatnln achapan ani adonlthaiwent. At time of arriving boy mother askZa

"Nape nailm ? " ati: ., Efenai " ahivangin shum-lepjd.you give said .-to give though f,e .;p;;;r"d

s.liet tampi alEleove-,.,' Itib, achaflan ,.Iiipiharnmithun much demanded saying boy 'hiwsheithang." asheithai.

Cfiuiri utt itSe*ir,

-akovin

- _ iay said. Then ring (by) . calledjankhat-kdin ange ejadjad akoithai. criuiri anu'meinuon9-nigfr!.within ask as much as placed tben girt

--

, akipuithai. Chuin ashu-akol- tampi ahithai. -Ch,riobrought,back then retinue *r"i wai therrhaosha 1r ahtthai.

chief wf,s.

Nikhat ashuhon loulhoh vetdinga achele, akhutjem-One day servantg field-clean to look? going ,ing"

. io-r kongvo-shunga akoiin atrailtrai] Ahuni'kainin ho-use bag insidolz - having plaoed lost Before-camomikhat akhutjem aguthai.

-Ahunglhunphatnin

lpan _ Irg stole. At time of coming and arriving

Khutshibia aholmothai Chuin alung adonginKhutshibi searched in vain then heart- nuoi"g-rEr;"U"aawlcha le,amengcha angoe, .. Naholdohlole- nangnioog &nd cat put to You not search find if vou twoka_thatdlnE." Chuin awicha-le amenAcha atrolin

I will kill Thon dog and cat searchingachehlunthat. Wlchan .{ Kalao mengcha]wont-togothor. Dog (b.y) My younger [rother cit, tttd.tnghltam ? " Mengchan - .ilH€u, pal-komhow ie thie going to be ? Cat (by) Eldor brother fince-near

amanthai. Mengchin " HEu, alulanSeauoht Cai (bv) Elrler broth6t you head side

chdnfin kei atiroling chdn$din$ netahite-"takius I fundament side rvill take we (two) will eat

atile, - yuchan " Ei-nehlunhih-in na-titisaying iab (by) Me-you two don't'eat if

-):-oyrwhatever

hol".pe-in'; " atile, "" Kapu Khutshibi min

will seaich give saying My grand'father Khutshibi man {by)

agurr, hi-ciu galani' Yirclan le tioira ku ashinrtil" this - bring rat earth under hole burrowinga-in noia ac-iredoh-in alel atuvangin

house under having emerged " Jappe "lB havin$ pierced

aholle ; amupui-; cfiuin imipa-chung aholle;searched did no"i find then 'man'over searched

akhutna akibun; ahinlan ; menpcha-le wicha apethai'on lrantl remd,ining having taken eat aoq- dog

-glvgChuin rnengchari " Keri ka-mei-a pun$, "' atile. WichanTben cat-(r;'; I m}r-tail-on will car-ry-said dog (by)

" Ken ka-kani-a iniim-n-ang"ra atile. Wichan arndminI. mf-Jarvs-irr will holf lPying dog (by) having held

ahunghlrinie vadun$ khhtna lilat-a nga amu; ahlplegoinglogelther rivei one pool'in $.h s&w !qt!.i"gi<truisrrlti ahlalutnln : nEa-meibong khatnln avillthal'Khutshibi fell in hrokeln-tailed'fiehfs one (by) ewallowed

Chuin wichan " Kanao, i-itidin$-hitam ? " atile.then dog (bv) My y*. brother what'about it - saying

Mengchan''' ii Heti,

" vadung chan " hiti.cat [by1 Elder brother river Lie in u'ait thus-Achanhlunle satuilu te-nupa

Having lain in wait together other malo and female

amaihluthai. Merigchan " Hdu, nan$,in achaltheji twri caught cat lby) Elder brother you (by) male

flenlanp, ken anu nen$e"r atlle. Satuilu tenupaif eat*' I (by) female wiil1at, saying ottsr -. pli*

" Ei netriuntrih-in natlti- t'bolpiinge " atile.

me do r:ot having eaten you whatever will carry o-ut sayt:tq

" Hea ngamJibong

-khun kapu Khutshibitherebrokei-tailed-fish- thatrny grand'father Khutshibi

avdlle, g,alan ! " Satuilunin- agamatrin athitnin

ewallowing - bring otter (by) having oaught'. ha-vilg-killedaEil - asf,ouvin akhutiem aladohthai.

etomach having disembowelled ting brought-outShoung-chungri aphoule mu-vanlai-in ahunghlohthat.

stJno-on - ilrying kite (by) eame'sn&tchod'Chuln wlchan " Kalao-, itidin$ hitam ? atiin' men$'T[en dog My younger what about it ? said Cat

brother

 

l16 Journal of the Asiq,tic Society ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

chan " Hdu ! Lhang$u"g _changhiti,,, atile. Achang-Elder brother--. iritt -Let

us-go up said. O-rE---'-

Notes on the Tlmilaw Ruki,s. It?le28.l

ascertain. It is the name given to the ring or to the gehlur oltho ring.

5 Vakol-a6ird not certainly idontified; said to be seen flying

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lhunle _ khuili tenupa"*rr,lhunthai.o-hrng tlre top luarten male and female succeoded in catchins.

Chuin mengchan-- -,,,H6u ! nangin achai

---;;G;?Then oat Elder brother__ yo-" male ;t"r -ken . anu nenge ", atlle. Khuili tenupa ,, Ei nehlfin_I female will eat said. Marten p"ir Us cto-not

hi.irt ! natiti bolpidin€,, 'atile. fn"r=-*"-

oatwhatever.you

say will do-

said. There kitevanlai khun -(epo "khutshibi ahlohin, Cal""i,, "Ai;hat father Khutshibi has seized, -catchsaid

Chuin khuiti anchfilpa irri"-gu-------rl}i" """u""ili

Then marten male on a tre6 having climbed femaletoula mu li9 at6pan, A6i.y-in abolhlunin

on ground kite shadow sat on with magic having Coneamanlhunthai. Amu athltnin a[huqem" ala.T:.::d:d in catching. Kire having kiled ring toofdohthai. Chuin mengcha apeihai. Mennc"ha leout. Then cat, gur". Cat andwichan ahinpun ahunghlunie l6mpa mengchan

dog carrying u.hile comine on puih G,t 'wicha-hienga

_''Ilhunthing -ipun .lVleh tuwi

-to the dog When wo have arrived grrrrdfuth",

viands niceb3 tywi hung nehlunin, tiintii, itivekuyonglence nlce come you two eat rvill say although calling very

tanepu-hi-tl " atiln. Achelhunledon't go eat up said.' When they arrivod

persistentlvalhunlhunin&B 800n &s

arrivedapul bu nedinga akule. Iiti akuvangin menf,chamaster rice to eat called. Thus on calliig o-ut

-anompui: wicha achein aganethai. _Chuind_id-not obey, qr.g. . having gone -rt" up. Thenwicha ahungdohle kimpuma -

mengcha-tbd9g when eoming out in thl porch with-the catakidilthai. Hichekalchung wicha le mengcha atitomottrai

fought. Thenceforrvard dog and cai have notagreed.

,rr.:l€_t:ll:.1-T.o":

particularly fo1 Kabuis anrt Kachha Nagas,but rs-atso used generally for eny Naga ns distinct from a K"ukior a ]Ianiouri

Ke-an altoriative form lor Ka, probably uged hero to avoid the

"ldI,:xi."faf:,$;fflg::';::jkinP;;;,i;i;".

Nahlnsatthai:yoi havo saved (his) lifc,Kahinsatthai=I havo saved (vour) iife.

KhutJern:litorally .,, hand.orriimerit "-Khut =. hand,, Jem:'gem.' The exactmeaning of Khutshlbl I have heen rl,libte to

-ovc-r ioad in line and wedge iormatione at a very great height-indeed.,

to be long-logged and-of large size, though not like the Mulaopl(?-the roc) whioh can carry ofi men.

o Thii'ti-alwryu"orrr"y"

ri rocilrodal sense and here impliet " in

exchange for what You have done "z Ka-ito-th6 i gives a sorb of dopreoatory emphaeis and the. sonse

conveyed horo is " as it is only me. I ver-v humble rndrvrdual"'E l(ite6--rbecoming' (precisely).

mO:notPunttre=cannot be.

The ldea'convoyed is that the meanost ornament will fitly- become so

t om[i" t"-i"ai";a,i"t. Thado \ilomon commonly wear on their fingers'

braes wire ringa of no volue at all.s Oabu"is a sot of three small gongs which should be in tuae at

a semitooe aPart.10 Aa;;g ttltehf:'aek;' onlv with alung ('heart') does it

mean 'bo troubled.'ll Hao:'rich'sha= [rf iiri"t', tzl ' snimals '. Prob-ably t'ho first meaning is the

ono in this iompound which impliee a man of substance--- il -*;ft;6:;;;tt flet'bo-g'like basket of woven cane used' in

oerticuler..bv women when sowing grarn'18 Al[[:il;iai""o"etea basket used-ior carrying aad-storing pro'

irorty. It is mado of oane and bdmboo in two thioknessec wrth

irtrr"boo leavesln-bet*ebn to kosp it weter'proof' For illusbre'

iii" o;aa Shakespear Zt ahei, Kuhi Olaw, page l0'14

Mdrn:to carryin the mouth without biting i plt=to c&rry rn

the closed teeth'16 Apparently a particularindividual, not e speciee'

There was a widow with an only son. As they were in need,

the bov took a fowl to sell, and ciming to a rivor found some

Nagas"who had got a big snako in a tra[, and hadagreed-!.g-ql-vid"e it. So theloy *"it up to them ind eaial l'Don't kill it,take my fowl and le[ ttre snafe go," so they let it go and acceptd'the fowl, end went away. WLite the boy was walking sgrroY:

fully along the bed of tde river, & m&n mel him- " Come", s&id

the-man, ind, as the boy followed him, " my friend, only for you

the Nagas would have killed rne. You have slved my life'

Come ! iet us go to my house." As they wont along togetherthe stranger *rid to hii companiot , " Frield: whatever-valuablesmy paren-ts ofier you, don't1ake them. Ask for th9 ring'on my

motLer's little firiger." But, rvhon they got near the stranger's

house the boy waJafraid to enter, so the companion said " Iloo-k,

friend, at, that great stork I flying up thore,"-and as he w&s look-

ing he caught f,oth legs ana puflea him into th-e- pool. Poy."beTow it *a-* d*v and ihen thi stranger had told his parents hie

1 See abovo note 6.

 

ll8 Janrna,l, ol the Asiatia Booi,ety ol Benqal,. [N.S., XXIV,

adventure lhey said " My Eon, you saved your friend's life. Inroturn teke aiiything in thie house that you fancy." So ho rop-

re28.l Notes on the Thuila% Kuki,s. 11,0

his clothes-basket,l bdt diil not find the ring, so then ho eearohed

ffi;#h;;;i"n t"""a that he was wJarilq,the-il"9lif I?took it n.rd gr,o" it to the cat and the dog and the cat 6arcl " r

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lied l'Grand-paronts, I am a man; the ring on your littlefinger is fitting onough for guch as I.1 Give that to me " eaidhe,- but she was relucbant to conlply. Then his friend said

" Mother, if vou don't give it I will go back and get caughtagain in tho trap as before, for you will .be voluing your ringabove me." On that his mother.said " Yery well, rny child, Iwould rather hav-e you," end gave the boy the ring, and hotook it and went home.

Ag soon as he got home he said to his mother " Mother,bring a dish," she answered " and when t have brought it, whatuse i--and we with nothing to put in it." But when his motherhad brought the dish he tapped with'the ring on'tho brim of thedish, and rice and curry appeared in the dish and the two ofthem ate it. By and brv the two o[ them asked for a girl as a

wife for the boy, but as the girl's relatives asked much cash and

many mithun, big gongs, little gongs in sets,2 single beads, and

bead necklaces the heart of the mother was troubled. " Thisproperty you must hand over to us by to-morrow mor-ning "iaic[ they 'o if you want our daughter in exchange." So theboy's mother's heart was troubled, and she wept. " And me

wilhout one rice-dish in my house " said she " whore will I getso great a prico ? " and with that she went home. When she

arrived the boy asked his mother, " Did you give the price'? "Said he, " Even if I would be giving it " said she " they asked

very ma,ny rupees and mithun." " Tell mo how much," said

the-boy, and with tho help of the ring he produced all thot was

asked ivithin ono night, so tho bride was brought back, and thoboy became a chief with meny retainors.

One day when going to see his servants weoding his field he

missod hie ring, whiah he had put in a bag 3 in his house. ilmnn stole the ring during his absence. As eoon as he got home

he searched for Khutshibi, but in vain. Tben in hi.s trouble he

put it to his dog and his cat " If you two do not search for and

frnd (Khutshibit, I wilt kill 5,su " said he, so tho dog and the catwent a-soarching togother. Said the dog " Young cat, my lad,what aboub it ? " " Sir," said the cat, " Iet us hide by the fenco,"

so they lay in wait together and caught a rat. " Sir", said thocat, " let you start at the head and I will start at the tail,- and

between us we will oat him up." Said the rat " Please don'teat me, you two, and I will find and give you whatever youw&nt." " A man has stolen grand-father Khutshibi ", was the&uswor, " fetch it ! " The rat burrowed underground and came

up inside the man's house, and gnawed a hole into and searched

1

t,

See above noto 8.

tt ,t ,, 0',, t2.

khat

*iir-#."itT"'-_v tail,, but the dog said ,,r rvill carr.v it in.my

;;#';;';;d ;;-h'";;; carry,ing.it tEqy.'"'y a fish in a pool in a

i"* -#arr" [**"a *t it *t"a riu"t*t ibi fe-ll into the riv91 a.nd, a

L*o[""-ioii"d fish 2 swallowed it' Then the dog- said " $y].oy'*trat uboot it ? " " Ilide by the river, Sir ", said.the c.at' 'lhey

dicl so and caught a pair of otters'- " ff you rvill eat the dog

;;;;. .it:i *i["eat triJuii"r, " said the aai' " Pn'l! ea't uE"'

;;iil#^;tt";.,'':*"a-*" will do whatevpr you tell u-q"' " Bring

"rittti there Lroken-tailed fish that has sw-allcw.9$ 9:t qTand'

t"tnl, rn"tshibi.,, The otters caught the fish, killed it, dlsem-

to*"Uua itandgotout the ring' A-s-.it was dryi4g o"u:P1",3kito swoopetl down and toolc it' " Whatabortt itl,{9iig

*^:}:-:oiaifru,iog.. "Lot us climh that hill, sir" said t'he cat' and ou

;;ffi;=;6'" top ttrey maqaged to catoh a pair of mart'ens'

ffie th; cat " L'et y.i"et

tU;iack, sir, antl I will eat the jill"'[riti"-*rttens saia " Do!'t eat us, 3ad ye will do whatever

ooo *irn.;' 'i That kite there has seized X'ather Khutshibi ; c-atch

tii;..ih tuey. rrr"n the male marben climbed a tree and the

f"^ot" sat on ihe shadow of the kite on the ground, and by,.tfF-

ins maEic thev succeodod botween them in oatching the Erso.

so'tnuv"mt"dihe tito and oxtracted tbo rirrg tnd q?uu,1t-t-oll:

eat. iryhil" tn" cat and tho dog wore cartyinS it "t9"q ll:ho-"*".a path, the cat said to the dog " When,,*" q:| y:,"our master witt caU us both to come and have a roally go9t. me*l;

However muchhe keeps on calling don't 5ro-u go and eat rt' up"'

Th" *o-"rrt they got-in their master called them to come and

;; ;d tlthoogi f,u otU"a tlu* thus the oat did nob obey' but

the. dos went aid ato it up. Then as the dog was eoming out

he foufiht with the cat, in th-e porch' Since that time the oog

and th-e cat'have not agreed together'---if.B.-A-n elabora"te verion of this theme

-appears .i:r

g" i"u; li{itoii i7 m" santal Parganas, xx[- 'Sita and his

A;i-"G', as woll *i"o

i-pouerished ope in XXXIII, ' Ramai

and tho Animals'.

vi' Tnr Vrnn-curruns'

Len$,banthe.

Pasal khat acha Paeal sagi ahi' NiM;6 one ehildren male sov.en were'

-Daylo-- avatnule alo laia lengpe 1 alen

OaIa when cutting fielil in midst vine gredt

onekhatono

1

?,

Bos above note 13.

tt tr ,, 16'

 

f20 Journa,L ol tlte Asiutic Society ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

aurne. Apavin " Chathe, hiche lengpe ki.bdnthetnu-1vas. father children this yine let us cut for

2t 928.1 Noles on, the'l'lur,ilou Kukis. 121

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hite ! Abdn-than-lolo Hlo-kotna kithunghinte."a weger ! The ope rvho does lion's door way shall sit.

not cut right throughNi khat anu chimpong nolin apangin

Day one mother dao to sharpen set toachathe-a heimthetnin anolin apava akalelangin 3

children's oxtremely rn*t,_.OX?;l:*uU

father's wrong side

anolin achevin akibanthethule achathen abanthaninhaviug having outiing for a childreu having cut

sharponed gone wagor throughapavin abanthanjoupul. Chuin achathen " llepa,fethor did not out through, Then children Fatherchedathan." Apan " Ithlsha tda iou kiehei-do not go. Fathor My spokon pledge why false saydam ? " atlln. Acheln Hlokotna akithungthai.again eaid. Going Lion'sr doorway sat in.Sanga a ahungin " Koi nahim ka-kotna kithung ?

Wild oat coming Who you ? my doorway sitnengkhate " atiin, aman " Ei-nethanS, ! Ka-puladin$

chun$,a dshiiadabove stars how many

will eat said He Eat me Will come tofetch rne

noia telnajad ka-chimthatnabelow leaves how my dao sharpener

manyAichi-shoung,5 ka-thal shuirla vd-buh 6 tei "

Aichi stone my arrow shavings boar's lair so manYatile, sangain akichan aJamthai. Humpi ahungkithai.

saying wild cat afraid r&n. Tiger came along'' Koi nahim ka-kotna kithung ? nengkhate" atiin,rvho you my doorway sit will eat having

saidaman " Ei-nethang ! Ka-pulading chun$aho Eat me lVill come to fetch me aboveasht-ja{ noia telna-Jad, ka-chlmthatna

stars horq many below .lea,ves how many my dao sharpener

Aichlrehoun8,, ka-thal shuina vo-buh tei "Aiohi-stone rry arrow shaviugs boar's lair Bo manvatlle, humpin akichan ajamthai. Chujovin hlo

*nying tiger afraid r&n. After that lion-ahiingln," Koi na-him ka-kotna kithung, ?

having oomo who you my doorway sit'nenEkhatc " atlln, aman " Ei-nethan$ ! Ka-puladin$

will oot having said he oat me. WiIl como tofetch me

chunga Sghl-rad nola telna-iad, kaabove sbars how mony below leaves how many ml-

chim thatna Aichi-shoung, ka-thal shuina vo-buhdao sharpener aichi-stone my arrorv shavings boar's.

tel " atile, hlo ahungin anethai. Ct r;olflllso meny. said lion having come ate. After thatachathe pasal sagi apula achele, lampachildren male seven to fe[ch going path

ani-koma ageipan. anin bufather's sister rvith spent the night father's sister ricele sa ju . ashimpein akipuin achele"

and flesh liquor having prepared haviug takeu goingahlo in alhunlin janin hlopanlien house having arrivecl in the night lionnaichim-hinga " Pachin. phel 7 gil " atiin.

bo mollse Mr. mouso bow cut savingnaichim achein guphel agilin. ayingin pasal sagi

mouse going borv cutting in morning male sevenpdl-l6a apanglin hlopa-koma " KX-pa na-newall-on waiting lion-to My f'lther you eatenhungthohtefrnin " atilo, hlopn ahung-dohle

shew horv saying lion ooming out

aguphel-a akdple,-

aguphet abongglmthaiwith their bow shot (at) their bow broke utterly.Chujovin hlopan athatgamthai. Chujovin anuAfter that lion killed entirelv. Then mother

alungdonpmanin in-chunga 8

having grieved at heart on the top of her the housealumin ak5le, Pathenpan guphel-a ape'le

lying down woeping God with bow shootingagayin, chujovln ashophatnin acha pasal

impregnated then at the time of birth child maleahin thi-kang e le thi-guphel-to ashosthai.

getting iron bean and iron bow-with was born.kang-ahunglenphatnin agulhofi-to

At time of becoming big with companions with beanakikaple

agulhon kangakapkein

making reciprocal shots companions' bean having struckagulhon " Hiti hatnan na-pa le na-ute

companions thus strong. if your father and your elderbrethren

phu-latang ! " Amayong anu-koma achein o'Henu,retaliate-bring So he to his mother going Mother,

Ka-pa le ka-ute iptn athatham ? "my father and my older brothers what killed ?

ashelyln Anun " Gapl6ng. chan na-phatnlnhaving eaid his mother paddy drying platform liko whon you

a,re

akite' loilollollequiokly.moanurlng

sheinanSe " atlln, achaparvill say gaid her ohiltl

 

122 Journal ol the Asi,atic Society of Bengal. lN.s., xxrv,r 928.1 Notes on the. Thadou Kuhi,s, t23

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gapleng-chan aphatthai. "Henu tfinnle-d_rying platform Iike attained. Mother to-da;rsheithang, gapleng-chan kaphatthai atile.

say ric_e-drying platform like I have attained sayinganun * Na.gullhanting sheinange." Chujovin

-

mother, When you are adult will say. ThenaBullhanphatnin anun ,,Na-pa le

at the time of becoming adult mother Your father andna-ute thatna hlo ahi "

yorrr elder brothers killer lion is" Aphulanching " atiin, athi-guphelWill revonge bim sa;,ing iron-borvachele, Iampa-a ani-koma

fhigamthai. Na-changin thatjoupdnithe atiin,

going pal,h-on rvith father's sisber having speut nightanin ,'Ka-nao, hoiya na-chedeham ?" atile,

fathor's sister My child rvhither are you going sayingaman " Ka-pa le ka-ute phulading kahi,"

he My father and my brothers to revenge I amanin " Ka-nao, Che-hih-in ! Na-ute hijad.bonaunt I!{y child, do not go Your brothers as many as all

atile,saying

akipu'inhaving taken

ag,eipan

.are dead entirely. You alone rvili not be able to kiil having

aman "Ahivan$in, chetheiyinpe." Chuint"'arrrn

he nevertheless shall be able to go. Then aunt" Na-ute le na-pa phu na-lajoudingle

your elder brothers and your father revenge if vou rvill take inshoung thiltle-inlang ahunghla-ka -in

full stone throrving up before it has fnllen backJu-leng1o khat chiep lhanlan!, chule ka-vocha thu

liquor mark one suck completing then my pig fistshorn 11 maninlang in-dung in-l'ai

ten seizing house length house breadthship-khup-minlang hiching chu na-boljoule,

pitching over this indeed if you do completely

ira-ute Ie na-pa phu-Idnit6." Aman aniyour brother and your father revenge shall bring. He 'aunt

shei-shei aboljouvin, chuin anin a-vochai&v-s&y.- having done completely then &unt her piqathatpiin aposhain, ju alhohpiin satao-

hrlving killed nrade to carry liquor having siphoned anirnal's frrtum khat ashiempi ,, Hlopa -in

na-lhunteinglego-urd one prepared lion's house when you reach

Ju p6n6tin lhoung ong-ka-2 rz bulhanlung; nangliquor will gjv_o machon hole-bet,rveen pour completely youi

ju donlnlang. Sa penatin lhoung - on!-ka-aliquor drink. I'lesh rvill give plotfonn hole betrveen

paimanpinlang,. nang sa nen Ju na-pehaving thrown arva'v Sroui flesh eat liqu,rr lou given

na-ute thi ahin, sa na-pe na-ute sa ahi.rtyour brothers'blood is flesh you given. your flesh isChuin ama achele hlopa in alhunphatdin hlopan iuthgn l're going lion'shouse when roaching lion li[uor

apein, aju abulhan ama jugiving- his liquor having poured away his li[uor

adonin; sa ape'Ie, apaiman$in arria

having drunken leqh rvhgn gave having throrvn arvay his ownsa ane. Jahnin hlopan ., pachin, phel gii,, atile,flesh..ate. At-light lion 1\fr. mouse

-bown-otch saying

_pachinin _., I{"po, ha bei-in.', Janin hlopa actri

I\[r. mouse Grand father tooth are not. At night tion fowlahungkhunle ,,Ki-ki-i-i, Chongpu Ii-ni, jinpa

crowed out Cock-a-doodle.do Chongpu death-dav sirangerhAt-ni " atile, hlopan aacha -iol ame-e. Chriin

strength-day saying lion his fowl gullet squeezed. .Ihen

acha akhunkitle ., Ki-ki-i-i, - Chonlpu hat-ni,fgwl crowing again Cock-a-doodle-do Chong-i;u strength-dayjinpa

-ti-ni," atile, hlopan a-acha bu

*ape-d.

strangerdeatlr-day saying, Iion his fowl cooked rice gaveAyingin amipan thing khat ahoh akho-iir

Nextmorning the man treo a bark having strippedakathouma satao-um athtrtke-in, ama"apari[tn,

fork animal's fat gourd having broken 18 he waitingahlopa-koma ,. Ka-pa le ka-ufe na-bol-- to the lion- My-father lld my elder brothers ryhot you didhungthohteimin ! " Chuin ahlopa ahungdbh-income show how. Then the lion having como out

" Thohtaleng." Amei apongsdngin achopG amipaWill show. His tail having lifted jumping man

aman-diichet. Chun amipan aguphelin-

ak-am-homtust failed to seize. Then man rvith bow marv-apertureakaple alumthan, amipa akuniding

shooting having lain (as though asleep) man to come dovrnakichan khuiva ahunlengin amipan .. pa-khui khuiva,afraid bee coming flying man Mr. I{one;, Ree,

- kd-ge_-!rep gavetteimin ! Athiha ahinghamthe animal I have killed please examine. Dead or alive$avetteimin " Khuiva,achein atoh vuvuatin, alu vuvuatin,

ploase see Bee going anus buzzing head buzzingashunga aluin athin hal-khat apon achethai. Chuin

iqside entering liver a picce carryinq rvent. Thenkhuingal ahungkitnin amipan .. Pa-khui Khuingal,

hornot coming along m&n Mr. Ilornet Beoka-sa-kap gavetteirnin ! Athiha ahingham ?"

the animal I have killed please look at Dead or alivoKhutngal achein atoh vuvu alu vuvu atlln ashun*rtHornet going &nus buzz head lruzz sa.ying inrklo

 

124 Journal ol tlrc Asiatic Bociety ol Bengctl. [N.S., XXIV,

aluin athin halkhat apon

r928.,] Notes on l,he Tttuitou K.ukisi. lhtt

l)a,ttem ltoth have a plano-eonvex eclgo rvhich must bo shrrr.pened on the convex side. Sharpening ou tho othor sido will

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Chuin amipaentering liver a piece carrv rrent. Then -r.,ahungkumin ahlopa lu-to a-ute.. lu legetting dou,n lion head elder brothers'head heatl and,

apa lu-to ahinpun ahungle ama khulche-ke-infather's heatl bringing coming he during his peregrinationsanu min anagemjiin anun kot anakdnin

rnotler man visiting-b5r-tiight mother door having fastenecla-ln ahunglhunphatnin ,, Henu, kot nei-honin !"the house when arriving at l\[other, door open meAnun, " Kacha na-hipui. Honpun$e." ,, Henu, na-charnother p[,so1 .t'_ou are not rvill not open Mother yoursonka.hlnai. Nel-ta'silnlole tdpkung-a p{rj[ng janinlang

I om me if not, believe at hearth thread having stretch-ka-k6p-th[nle na-cha hitngting, ka-kap-lhanlole

ed I rhoot dividing your son shnll be if I do not thoot andna-cha hipunge." Anun ajanin akaple

divide your child will not be Mothor stretchins shoo[ineakapthanin, ahivangin anu atha sarig-tritr-in]shoot.dividing- nevertheless mother true not believing

-a-honpui. Amanjong anu-koma ,, Henu, yingkatinS-did

-not open. - _Heto his mother

Motber in the morningshum-shung la venlang, 5gi1 rr venlang chul6on the paddy mortar look hen-roost look - thenkolmung veithan!" Y_ingka anu athouvin shum-shunghorizon look at Morning mother rising on the paddri

avetle hlopa lu a-umin, agit avetlimortar Iookirrg lion head being chicken-roost lookineachate le aji lu a-umin, kolmung avetle "sons and husband head being horizon- looking at

achapa chimpongle aval amun, alungdonmanin. hlSpason dao-shake flesh saw having grieved lion

mufimul ajoutnin akile, akhutchal dttdnin-, athithai.lowhiskers stroking wept fore-finger having cut off died.

lengpe a variety of wild grape.

hlo .certain_ly-means a lion, and it,is a curious thing that severalAssarn hill-tribee rvhoso habitat is far removed-from that oflions should havo such clear traditions of the animal. It hasbeon suggestod that the lion's range waE very rnueh furthereast than it now is before the irrtrueion of tho tiger from thoeast, and the Indian lion, now limited to Kathii,war in theextrenre west, seems to havo been well known in tho CentralProvinoeg a.hlndred years_ago, The Kuki however may havepiokod up his knowleclge o{ it from tho Mon or RurmesL, whomnst have known of it through the intrusive Indian cultureof the Talaingc, and the Abor mnl'have got his uda Tibet. ItiE to be notod th&t l{ngae have no rrorrl for lion and no tradi-tion of it.

akalelan$ln,,on tho wrong side,'i.o.. not on the back of the{ao, but on the wrong eido -of the, edge. The old type ofThado dao (chlmkol) nnd the modern-type of pseudo.'kukri

Iz

merely blunt, it. It can be used only with a downwald strokofrom the right or an upward one from the left unless spocially

.made in the reverse form for a left-handed rn*n. The longnarrow curvod Kuki blade dorived from the Shan type (chtm:jam) has however, a rormal cutting.edgo rvhich is sharpenodon both sides.

{ sanga-tho leopard cat, Jelis bettgalensis.; Aichi-shoung,. The signiffcance of this appears not to be

known; shoung, is a stone, but I could not get any explarra-

tion of aichi, except that chi:harcl. Ai:rr eelemony, butthgre seems to lte no conuoction,

ti vobirh. The wildpigcollect great piles of stic[<s attd grassin thrliungle, apparently as a probection agaiust their natrrrol ene-mies. Solitary l:oars sometimes sleep in them, and the sorvsfarrow there.

i phel-not tho bow-string, as one might perhaps have oxpected,but, the borv itself. The iucident recalls Herodotus' accountof tho defeat of Senacherib King of Assyria. The old Testa'ment motoly says that the Assyrians were. smitten by theAngel of the Lortl {IL l{.ings, xix, 35 ; II Chron, xxxii, 2l ;

Isaiah, xxxvii, 36) so that " When they arose et-rrly in themorning behold they were all deatl mon," but Herodotus (II,lrtl) soys that a, numbor of fibld-mico pcured in upon themand devoured their quivers aucl bowe, and the lrandles of theirshields, so th6t on the next day, when thoy fled beroft ofarme, m&ny woro slaughtered.

ain-chunga--'on the houso top'--A 'Ihado house hac a elantin-groof, ill fftted for reclining, iror ts it, usual for persons to climb

them for th&t purposo,-though not of corrrae, impossible.

The visualization lit<e some othors in this story, e.g., that otthe seven sons sitting on the wall, rathor sugdosts a moro eolidmaterial culturo, tho flat roofs of a brick'built city, perhaps,

.such as the walled city of their fore'fathers of whrch t'hoChins sang to Major Fiyer lKhyeng People of tke SandouttyDi,stti,ct, Aralcan, J.A.S. f of 1875).

's kan$. This bean is a seed liho averylargeflathorse'chestnut,ind comes froq the Eigantic pod of tho sword'hban croeperEntail,a scanilens. It is-used throughout the Assam hills, atany rate south of the Erahmapulra, for games in- which a

competitor has to gtrike the beans set up by-others. lnManipur an ivory disc is usod, Tho Karens of. Burma knowthe g-ame with the seeds, and Cole (the T'inguia-n, -p" 277)

deseiibes from the Philippine Ielands a form of the sqrne

game idontical with one f6r-m popular among the Angami. ItExtends to Ocoania. fn Fiji ihti boau is ci\ed watai and thegr ehiu, (Deano, Ei,ji,an,lici,ety, P. 16), o/' tho Sema namo a@s)

fn Samoa it is playeh with cocbaiut dis6s (Brown, Meloneai,anand Potyneeidns, p. S+t1. Among the Thado, as among -mostAssarn hill tribes, tho game is soasonal, and is only -playedbetwegn tho harvest ant the sowing, though McCulloch not'esthat in Manipur, where it is playeti with -an ivory dieo andbeans and cdllecl Kang-s6naba, "it is piayed only in thgspr'ing " Account oJ tke Val'lay oJ Muhni.pore' p' 26).

,

10 Ju-len$r.'peg," v. supra, p. 93 n.4.1l ihu sh6m,'lit]:10 n=ig. i pig is measurecl by taping itr -girth

bohind the shoulders with a eliver of bamboo, rtroiShlln'ing out the resulting ciroumferenoe and halving I,t !y- douPllPlthE tepe ond mearrirring thet half againet th- hciSht ol thf

 

.126 Jowrnal ol the Asiatic Bociety ol Bengal,. [N.S., XXIV,

cloeed fisb aorosg the fingers. A ten fist pig therefore, is onethat hae. a girth of,twent;,- fists round tho up-per ribs.

rs onika,--the _cracks between the planking, o'i the bamboos, of

" Mr. Mouse, gnaw bows." e So the mouso went and gnewed

their bows.- -In the morning the seven young men waltod on

r928.1 Notes on the Thail,ow Eulci,a. laZ

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tho raieed floor of the house.rg athatke--ho broke the gourd that the fat migh6 run down the

tree trunk and make it slipper;z so that ihe lion shoutd beunable to climb.

l4 lhum-shunE--paddy rtrorto.r-usua,lly a vertical geetion oI atree-trunk hollorved in the middle.

16 aSll-hen-roost--a platforrri usuallv above the door ancl undertho oaves o{ the front gablo of thL house communicating by asmall door with a lof6 in the roof

ofthe

house cut off fro-m lheliving room by a mat Sartition. Almost all Thado housoshare this accommodatioh for their fos-ls.10 And on this account, it is said, a Thado killing a tiger alwayseinges the whiskers, and makes quito sure that thet shallcirtofi no fingers.

There was & m&n who had seven sons. One day whengle-a1ir1S a field they beheld a great vine in the midsi of it.Said the father ', My sons, leb uJmake a contoBt of cuttins tbis.and the one that fails to cut clean through, let him go and-sit inthe ga,6eway of the lion." I So on a diy his wife] having setherself to whet, whetted her children,s laos exeeeding sh"arp,but their father's she whetted on the rvrons Bide..z Bo th#went-to -their outting contest, and the sons cnf, through the vind,but the father cut not through it. Said the sons,,iX'ather, d;not go," but their father stid ,, Whv belie the rvord I savo ?,iSo ho went to the lion's gateway and set thore. A wiicl cat s

ceme. by. ]'Wh,o are you that ;it in my gateway ? I will eatyou " it said, and the man answered ., Iiaf me ! as tho stars inthe heavens, &s the leaves upon the earth, so is the number ofthose that will come to find

-me; my sword has been whetted on

the Aichi.stone,a and the whittiings trom my a,rrows equallodthe lairs of wild swine 6 in volume.; The wild cat was'afraidand fled. A tiger eame. .,Who &re vou that sit in my gate-wuy? I will eat you " said he. The inan ropeated his:foimorsaying, and the tiger was afraid and fled. T[en the lion came." Who are you thit sit in my gateway ? I will oat you ,, he

said. The man said,oEat

m; !

-Asth6 stars in the hedvene, asthe leaves rrpon oa,rth, so is the number of thoge that rvill come

!9 ffn$.mg; my sword has been whetted on the Aiohi-etone, andthe whittling! from my arows equalled tho laire of wild swino involumo." The lion cime and a[e him.

Thereafter the seven sons .wont in search of him. Thevtlcpt on- bhe way at the house of their father,s sister, and shlgot ra&dy rice and moa,t and driuk, and thev took it and cameto thq houso of.the lion. In the night theli,on said to the mouse

Norus r to 6-o. eqpra.

the wall, and called to the lioi" Show us h6w ydu ate our father,"and the lion came out aud the;' drew their bows but the bows

brake in twain. Then the lion made an end of them. Thentheir mother grieving in her heart lay on her house-top 10 andwept, and Gotl loosed His bow at her, and caused her to con-

ceiie. And when her child was born he rvas a man-child and

he had with bim at birth an irorr bean 11 and iron bow withal.

And rvhen he was grown and played uith hls fellows,-he-usedalways in his turn t"o strike tris irtay-tettows' beans with his bean,

till tirey said " If you are so itrong, go and take revengo foryour father and Srour brethren." So he went to his mother aud

.*id " Mother, wLat killcd my father *nd my brothers ?" o'When

you are as high as the platform for drying-the paddy,I will tellirou " said shi. The boy grew up quibkly tg the height of theplatform, " Mother " he-safd " tell me to-day. I have reached

the platform," but she said " When youa,re a han I wilJ tell yg!r-."

The'n when Le became a, m&n, his mother said to him " Theslayer of your father a,nd liour brethren is the lion." " I willtade reveirge " said he, ed he took his iron bdw and set forthand bv the"way he spent the night ot the house of his father'ssister. " My dhild," sbe said " Whithorgoest thou ?" He said

" I go to aveirge my father and my brotheri." Said his aunt

o'

Mychili, rlo not"go. -Your brothers, every oneof them' are-utterl)'icut ofi. Yotiare alone, and alone ydu cannot kill him'" Butho dnswered " Nevertheless I cen undertnke it." Then his auntsa,id " If you would avenge in full your father-and -your

brothors

let you tflrow up a stoneland beforeit-hae fallon back to earth,ari;k this iar efopty down to the peg,rz then catch tha! nlg -ofmine, tweniy pal6s-in girth,18 ana pitch it over the longth of the

house and over the breadth of the house. If you ca,n accomp-

lish this, then indeed shall you take rove4go for your-brothers

and your fathor." And aflthat his aunt f,ad said he dicl' So

she killed her pig arid gavo it him to take with him,- a-1d -sledrew ofi winel Tor him-antl made him ready a gourd tull of fat(saying) " When you rea,ch the house of the lion he wiII give

yoriwlie;

pour it-all down a gap in the platform 12 ; drink your

own wine. - IIe will give you-miat; cast it away through a gapin the platform 12; eat your own meat. The wine he gives-you rfyour biethren'sblood, and the flesh the fl"$ gf your brothete."Then he went to the house of the lion, and when he came thore

the lion gave him wine, and he poured it, away and drank hie

own winJ; ho gave him meat, anil ho cast it a,way and a-te hrg

own meat. Ai night the lion gaid n'Mr. Mouse, notch bow,"

NOCmg 0 l,o l4-v, eupra,* 'tl. 0., rioe wine, o? course ; commonly t'ransloted ag 'r rioo'b!a!r"

but it ie muoh more wine than beer.

 

128 ,Iourrul o! the Asiatic Society ol Betryal,. [N.S., XXIV,

and mestor ulouse carqre back and said ,, My Lord, f have noeeth left.', In the:right tt" fio"t ererv with d, ,. Cock-a--.

r928.1 Notes on the Thadur, Kukis.

vii. Tun Meorc Fronr,n.

tag

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"rJf.d ood le-do. Chonsnu,s i""tf, a ry, -I"ffi",.

ur""[tfia"r];"]rf,the lion *qu""r"i hi. gullet--id;

tir^;%ck crerv again ,, Cock.a.doodle-do, Choneffi .tr""gif, auy, *ir"urrg"r,. death day.,, andthe lion fed him. "bntnu f*.;;"';h;";." srripped the barkoff a tree and broke *";;".d ;iil; ;il" fork rB (in which hesat) and waite.. He "called o;; ; tfr" llo" ,)'S'f,"il"in"1

which .you did ro my tat,Lr ,il;;il.otfr".r.,, T;;";;;ion.eame forrh wirh" .ai-;il ;il;*:,;, And he tashed his tailnd leaped ar the man.and *"ir

"igh*ir;,t hil. iliil"r, mJ;iliihot with his bow into the op""-**To, u,na-tfr" Hon lay still. Buthe man was afraid.to

"o-"^ao*nl,;;'; there came bv a beeflying !e called to him-,, prry, Ur.'E;;# n-;;, l";k;;f,# #::al I have shot. w'erhe, it,"uL-a"*J;;'.fi;:;,'" T#il#"H;nd brlzzed at its vent, yr"rii *t"ili il"ui, and went insido andflew off rvirh a ..r"*, of ihell;;r. "

Ch;il"r" came by a hornet ;said the man, ,,riuy q".-n"."";-i;;;'i"ok ar that animal rhave-shob, is it dead irralive ?,,--ih"1;;;;;;ffi;*,;;..il;

buzzi'g at tho vent and_a f"rrirg ;ltt'h"'ir";a ;"a ,i""t*fl"ialand camied ofi a scrap of tt; li""i. -" ffi; the man came down.ald.to.ok the ,ion,s !;.dj;J i"L['*," n"-is of his brorhers andhis fa.ther and brought th"* h;;;.

""ft.**frife he was awav a

an-had been visitiig fri, -otfr", iy "lgli ""a.fr" nrif#;*;he door and when her son arrivedihe'hor*';;; -J.;;H;T;:I1uq " ilIother, gpen me tn" aoo..,i'--,i ioo are not mv son.,,she anewored, " I will not.open.,, ,,

114o16!f ,i-;;;;;,,,il;;fgde.ed your son. If you beii"* r"u n#'rin"tch a thread &crossthe hearth and if r shbot ,,i i a;.i;;; il;;il;;Jy.,; ;irH;;hat I ern vour so.r. and lf iT;i; "'s'e"ver

it, I shall be nochild o.f yours. Sho "stretch-ea tU"ifr.era, fr" .'t"t-it ir-;;;:#evertheJess she did no_t_ believe hil";a';pened not. So hesaid- to his mother ,,Mother, ,,"h; d;;" ;;;; i;; #ii,;addy mortar. la rook.o, tn" hen-roost *'r"q ,*" r""ili#""i,thehorizon." Earl.y t;* -otfr", ,ollrrrf,inot"a on the naddvmortar, and the liori,s head was ;i';;",';il;;;-b;ffii"#H:hen-roost, and her son.,and ti;.o;ft-o;;d. ;;;;-ilr;,'#;she

looked ar the horizon, ;lJi,;;;;;igiJi ro. was flashins hisdao to her and she,saw.

the glealm .i't;; -;;"#, ffiil*#:roubled and she weot. a"a aJ *tr" *ept Jfru *ru strokins thelion's whiskers, ,od,died.16 she cut off her fore-fingor thereby- and

}orrs ra bo 70:-o. st,pra.. I Tt g a-rrow would bi aimed through thernatting of the wall.

interstices of the bambooI

There was once a kingz who had seven wives and sevon

m&res. Tho seven wives were pregnant for seven years andthe seven mareB wera tor soyen years in foal. On this acsounthe was troubled at heart and went to ask the advice of a

priesta in the plains. The priest told him to keep his seven

wivee and $eyen mares at a place seven days' Journey distant

from him, on which they would all give birth within seve,ndays, " And when you look oD vour son," said he, " you will go

blind."After all that he was washing. hie face one day, when hie

son c&me by on horseback. On looking up to sed who it was,

he went blind. Then he called his son anti told him to bring tohim his mother and the other wives.a He brought them.After that the son of a widow in the village had a dream.He dreamed that God 5 appeared to him and t'old him to go

and oure the King's eyes. He said " I am a poor man, how canI go and cure them ?" God said " Go to that rango of hills.Ttiere there is a tree on rvhich eits a roc 6 and a, treo whoroonperches a great horned owl. Cut down these two treos and makeof one a fiddle and of tho othor a boat and a patldle." T Nextmorning he went to the king and said

"Give me serving

men and I will perform a ceremony that will curo you ofyour blindness." The king gave him serving men and he tookthem to the range of hills. There he felled the two trees andmade the implements as God had instructed him. When theywere finiehed there was nothing moro to be done. He waswarned in a dream to kill a pair of goats and a pair of pigoons

r The Magio f iddle-in Thado Shltangda adoi. For Shllan$dav. Appendix vi, Tbere seeme to bo a definito purpose in thesoleelion" of thig instrument to carry tho hero in flight, ae itseoms to bo always repredented with a bird carved et the endofthe key-board, while the dhapo of the body of the instrumenteppears to imitate the wings end tail of a bird.

z LenApa is the geuuino Thado word for a king or a ruling prince.,

Like many expressions in this tale, however, its uee envigsg€e

a condition of society which is not Thado ae we know the I'hadoto-day.I Priest-one version hae thsmpu, the oorrect Thado word, onother

has bamon, ,rl.e. 'Brahmanr' clearly indicating foreign in-fluenco.

a The Thado hes simply na-nute gakouvln, 'eall your mothers,'but the effect is bizarre in English.

6 God-in Thado Patben, the Crdator.'6 Tho Thado word is mulaopl. Thie word doeignatoa a mythioel

bird largoenoughto carry off men, and may be corrtlated to thcrukh of ilhe Arobbn Nighte. Yulo suggeats that the legcrdof the rukh oontaius a tradition of the Dinorfide or thcAepgotni,o, extinct birds of enormous size, oiilc\ia note in flhllraoale of Ma,rco Polo,lI, pp, 416 Bqq.

? Thc Thado worde aro Lun0, and kuntlhen, and thc cxplmrtlon

 

130 Journal ol th,e Asiatic Society ol Bengat. [N.S., XXIV,

and to a,noint with their blood the things he had made, andthat whon ho had done this the fiddle* rvould flv with him

1928.1 Notu on the Thaitou Kuki;. l$l

noticed seven clothes r&ils,l and thon seven of God's daughterr

c&me to wash at the spring. Each one hirng her pettloo&t

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and would alight outside the house of the King;"then if hesurmounted bhe range o{ hills before him he rvorrld see raindropsfalling as great as a man's hand, and from there across the se;, Iho rvould see f)oikumpu burning the corpsez of Lris sister's son,but before the rain should r6ach him Doikumpu would goloaving the.corpse only partly burned. He shiuld then [oa,nd burn his.hod.1,

_withthat fire and follow a{ter Doikumiu

and say to him " Uncle, feeling hurb that vou did not burnmo

-pro-perl.v I have come to-life

again.,, 'On hearing that,

he (Doikumpu) s-ould perform cerernolies and cure the"burns.So ho sent do the K,ing for a he-goat and a she-goat and apair of dovos, and killed them and mounted the'hddle andflow to tho King's. hnuee. B'rom thore he flew again to therange in front.of him aud thence he eaw the raiirlrops, &nd&orous tho eoa he saw srnolie., Again he flew and tied-up thefiddlo on tho far shore, arrd did ;s he had been instructla inthe dream, and it befell that Doikurnpu cured him accordingly.

Eve-ry day his aunt 3 tied up rice for him and he went"outin search of -game, but found none. One day she told himnever to 99 iI, I certain d-irection, so he wondered why sheso straitly forbade him, and took his food and wdnt that"wav.He,,reach.ed God'l spring,_ _and, its water was glistening d(eEolten silver.a By the side of it he undid and ate his"food.Having ea,ten. he was about to drink of tho spring when t e

given is that they mean a boat and a paddle, though the Thododo nob use boats. Tho words mightiequally welimeana dishand a spoon. No boat re eppears-in tho story as told now, butit may. have origina_lly been- ireeded for tho crossing of the sea,or tho idea of 'tho ShllanBda from the later pe$ ;f the atorvmay have intruded into the earlier part and ue'urped the boatf

Th"ftit"t:";ord-tutkhanglen ( -. warer-confine-bis, ) appearedefinitely to mean the ees, though fow Thado traie'evrir"s;nit. It is described as the plaoe-whore all water is colleotedfrom the rivers, and ie not

-appliedto lakos and rivers them-

selves.

Tho Thado do not burn their dead, though thg practioo existeamong some of tho Assam Hill tribes, -Eo may bo conneotsd.with them. Thus the Maru Kaohine, the Khaiis, the Chakmaoll cremato. The .. Kookies or lunctag " of whom'Maorae wrotiin 1790 (Aa.datic^.Reaearchet, VII, 104) also cremated then,&i some of the Old Kukis dc etill, and the story may point toon extinot praotioe of the Thado. Equelly riell tlie incident

_ msy relste to the Hindu praotioe.Bcing the. mother'a brothor''t wife of the dead boy whom she

hcrir ir imperronatinghc addremeg her throughoutis hepl, audthe rtory goc. on er if tho relationship antuillv existed.-

The Thodo- has hshtul; hah ir the wiite allov ( ? of lead andtin)'of whioh the womcn'l armlets worn ab6vL the elbow eromade, and tul is .imply I wator'-here the molten liquid.

over her own reil and washed herself . When the boy saw them

he fell,very much in love, and he snatched the pettiooat of the

vounqeet aud ran oft. God's youngesb daughter saw him as he

i"r,"lrd

called out"

Hi ! Hi ! Doikumpu's nephew ! Last night

I had a stomach-aoho a,nd mv petticoat is soiled with my dung,

are not you disgusted'? Looi< at it !" As he stopped to examine

it; he turned iirto an a,nt-hill.2As he did not come hotne'

his aunt and unolo took a spud, a, hoe and a fan and went

to look for him. When they-sa,w the ant-hill, thev dug, ar-rd

in the very midst they founct the boy, tiny and tender like tho

hidden teit-Uud in t[e centre of the stem of a plantain tree.

They fanned him with'the fan till he eame to himself ; theytoo[ him home and cherished him till he recovered his former

condition. Then hie aunt said to him " Do rrot ever go iherq

ag;in, but if you do, and if they call to you again as before, on

no aocouirt look behind vou at them." Then one day he went'

again and as bofore the daughters of God'3 eamo back to wash

a[ain. Again ho snatahod t-he petticoat atd fled homewards.

C"oa's datrtUtor callod out " m, pottiooat is soiled with SIrdung, looki" but he clid not stdp to look but ran back to the

house.Then the daughter of God camo to.asE for het'pet'ticoat.

IIe said bewould-not givo it hack unless she agreed to marryhim, and she aneworod-" Why would not I marry you.- You

have touched me, laid hands-on m.e, and my own people willnot lihe tue eny more." Then the boy said " Well, take oath,

thep " &nd Goa's daughter said " If i do not ma,rry you' letme ,booome &shee," so- arranging to come baok in six days

she went &wa,y. When sho got baok home she was afraidto tell hor fatirer anrl mother-but her oldest sister said to her

oarents " Mv voungest sister has married a, mortal'4 8re you

iloaaed ?" Aria nui fathor answerod " Io & house whore thero

i,r" m*.ry girls, do not Eome get married to- mortale and others

to fairids-liko

oureelvos ?" - So his daughter went ba,ck toM*nmashi six days later. Then when his wife had come to

him Martmashi ;id to hie aunt and uncle " I have delayedvory long, my mothor will be troubled," ond thery a,nswerod " If

Talhang-a bamboo laid horizonbally on supporte for hangingclothes on.

Hlemlhung is a mound of oarth thrown up by termitos.God-in Th;do Pathen, the Credtor.The Thodo word is Mahmasht which means a human os dirtino0

from a soirit snd ie generally used with referonce to the lcgcn'dary epo'oh when the-diatinclion wag less marked than it ir norlo.- Sioru. no, 28. 4f). The word is really hcrc 9r9di*Uin 6".fv i,i e pr-ope, name and continuel-to b. ro u'ad lortti-.Eil"iitr".ioiv.'i"it" next rentenoc I hevo tnndrlrd

1

2

I(

 

you[ urothor is alive, what are you doing here ? go home,,,so he toot( his wife.tb go h;;, ;;; ;;'."r.c,hed b.y the sea_shore "couta

132 Jourrual, ol the Asiatic Bociety ol Benqal. [N.S., XXIV, re28.l I{otes onllte Thatlou Ku,kis. lB8'

not let them stop in any tnan's house, but made them stayin a cow-shod. So Manmashi plaved on his fiddle and his rvife

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f'r the fiddre but ult-n"a it. Then his wife said" Kill nre and cut me.in tyo""a

J" nJif will go baek to mvoqo and tho orher half wiii br;;;"; ?frar". Take the fiddl_eith you and whon you. are h-r;C.t;hy on the fiddle and IIJ,'l:'ffiti,H'ifl ,,ig:iri{T;r;*ili,%Jg,,Jrffi

Thore are 60 manv t i"gs and

;ffi; iltu'u

*"y that men willtake me from vo", ,"; ;';hril"i" .'"pr"*rrd for qood.,, SoManruashi cur "her in two- diil",raTill'n*ame a-fiddle andtho obher wenr back to h;;;;. -i1;'Mr"mashi

rook wirhhiru the fidclle and rvent his *uy,-rrrJ *i"r, fr" rvas.hunsrv

he Plaved on rhe fi ddle, a,rl'-hi.'#ii"'"T*'J;;d;d' ffi J,;i:f,.*f rice aud two ot *"ut."nJ fi;';;"";;logethor. So he wentn and came ro the.viilage ;i; ilil"" iL" Hog said he wasn_ot to stop in any housE th;r; ;'fi" ;,

lil; ;.Ir.i,;;: ."a'i{ry".a on his fiddre .rl^'nl-"Xi?,fi*-1fl,tr'o dishes of ric6 a1. lwo ai.fr"* ,i',,i"rl.",iU""'it",i*?.

servants, comins to fetch_rvater, sa*- iiirl"ir"^i.i "r;il:r;Pll 11"

king, sai,ing,,,,9. r,."s,^i,;';;il""t rviling to let theuan srop in a house, but he tid,i naJr" ina *ner-il-"-pf"v_ *it, a beautiful sirl comes, .bringing--iw"ji*n". of rice anrl two

ishes of meat] and she is m6re-beautilut tUan any of yourseverr.rvives,', said the_v. The;ih; fiil";;**"ned him. Saidlre kirrg "I u.ill exchauge my tohattl.angr fot vour fiddle.,,Jlarrrrurshi said ,, Of rvhat ,rre,i, 1ro* lo,tqlg*nr r,, The kinseplied ,, Ir beats ot itsrii *h"i;i;; ir'i"fa r, beat ,, and h6tord it ro benr a ,schimii;;;;;;;;;h;; ;r. bel.w his house,urrd.the /olulkury went.aud .tu.iin['oithe very top beat itrght arvii.! rr,ll down to tlre glouna.'-'ft",, itey exchanged andflanmashi took rhe toldlle,ii ;q,r;;;; by rhe way he fellhungr.y and founcl uo llreans of eating. $o he said to theuhat,.latt!.t,, (io, ireat th9 Fi;; a;;;;d*" the fidrlle and hisdrruglrter." So the tot*i,t;'*J'"';;";';ii'i"rr the I<ing and;r'ought his dauEhter aud his'fii;il -+;"oMu,r*orhi played

;ii,":: ", :u*.?*_l*.,),-, r" ;& ;+il o g',tll" prates o f ri ce anrrthree

of mear a,d th"y atelanJ'il;?d;;#'ffi:#'i-ii,ffi1:r'e,t ,rI ;rrrd came to ihe uitt"g" .i "-l"i"gl--i;;;r;'*;;:f:,:^':.1:i:i:. like.oursetves',.rhe wortls tpathenchanpt, litorally;i:Ix'ig;ff ::J'I:#.i:r,1._o;""1_"."::*-;!i;rq;r;;;il[;illT"1,fi:::lrs

very much or that of rhe Griod eeopio ;i ..;;I huve been unable to let a definite meanlnq i rne

_* "rdai"! ir

"t,"p ;"a r ro be rr,

"J.

"rJi.fl l r'itf":"oTg,ttre nindusrani lohait-iron, aiJ

";;;;;;;; ilsc.iuea the im-temenr as an irou *trt. -til" rfiiffiff;i.HJtiiar eno,gh andppEars in our own folk-lore",

;;;i"k;;r';'li;:'rr,",]i",i,!;ifthing,rhe tree known-;;-.;ff;." as schima

came and brought three plates of rice and three of meat.When they had oaten their fill of rice they gave the plate to thecow.herd. The corv-hord rvent and told the king. " You werenot willing thab he should stay in &ry man's house," said he

" but this dish and rvhatever he has is good and his rvives arefairer than your$." The king sent to fetch him and they

fetched him.When he lvas come before the king,

theking

said " Let your wife wrestle with m.y rvife and the one bhatwins shall possess the loser, so thev wrestled to-gether andManmashi's wife was heaten. Then the king took Manmashi'swife. Then Manmashi went on, and rvhen he had got rvell onhis way he sent lhe l,ohaldan'g, saying, " Bcat bhe king and l:ringback his daughter and my wife." The lohaldo,ri,g rvent andbeat the king and brought along his wives and his daughter ancl

Manmashi's lvife. Then they went on, and rvhen they wereabout to reach his house, (Manmashi said tcl the t'omen) 'o Yodstay here. I rvill go and buy and bring tobacco,l but his rvivesdid not &gree, so they all went on together and arrived at thehouse. And when they had entered the house (they foundthat) it was srnall and thero wore no plenishingss in it at all.On that God's daughtor turnod the house into a mansion 3 and

made the old mother young again, and after that tho daughterof Glod went off home.

One day Manmashi went to call in at the King's house.The King said " Sit down " and he sat down, and it became timefor him to play on his fiddle. But when he said " King, I amgoing " the King said " Do- not, go." Next he said "King, m.v

bladder is full,a I am going to empty it," but the King said " Donot go out. Do so where you sit.5" Then having sat a littlelonger " King, my bowels are full. I go to empty them." Saidthe King " Do it where you sit. My servants will remove it,"

It is tho almost invariable custom, when frionde.meet omong thoThado, for one to hand the other a pinch of tobacco te"af tochew. Presumably Manmashi pretondod to want i0 to ofier tohis relatives, in reality intending to

try andprep&re

his housefor the reception ol his wives.Thilkeo-the hetorogoneous essertment.of

-imploments and pos-sessions with which any Thado houso is filled-baskets, diShes.clothes, gourds, arms, gongs, stonls, etc., etc.,

The Thado version told to me had banEla i.e. bungalow, obvi-ously a modern touch, tho house of an Europoan dfficial beincthe moet superior kind of house the narratoicould think of. -

The Thado oven when addrossing a king needs no euphemiem;ho eays plainly Kajun ashoe, kajun gathange, iit. .. mvurino becomes, I will void my urine." The idiom of Manmarhiirnext Bentence is exaotly the same, Tho roottha appearr to brueed only in t[is connection.

The image i; the hRrretor'e mind is probably that ol a Thrdohoure built on a,platform of bamboo with plcnty o('lutrrrtlolr,

 

fS4 Journal ofthe Asiatic Soaiety ol Bengal: [N.S., XXIV,

but Manmashi said ', No, I have something, I must do in mvhouee, O_ Kilg." .But the Kirrg said .,!Vhat ;".ir; .#,

re28.l Notes on tlte Thailou Kukis. 186

Then to Manmashi. "'Iake your wife and go," said he. Man'mashi took his wife rryith him and came back and arrived at

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speak. I will send from my house to feteh it u *omLr, *honevor goos out in the sun.l" Manmashi gaid ,, Then so. anJon my bed behind the pillow thoro is that which i* ;r*;p;J i;a white cloth. B'ing it, but do not cause it to sive .iol ,r,r,sound.2"

. So. the girl rvent, -but in bringing it "sheurade it

sound. As tho sound came from it her fi,ce"was slapped and

the fiddle.disappeared. And she came and told Manmiifri, ,"JManmashi was grieved in his hoart anrl wept.Then Manmashi went to his house a'nd taking the lohal-

dang wanb to looh for her. Ho .rvont and searchdi at Gotl'sspr.ing, brrt found. no one thero. A chr.vsalis s was drau,ingwator. Monmashi osked ,,-Why are you brawing water ?,, f-treplied " It is for the dauighter: of God to wash i,ith.,, NIan.maehi eoid "I will oome too; take me with you.', Said thechryselis '( You_cannot como,.but if you insist on coming catchhold of m), hook I and come." So lie causht hold of tnE nookand asoonded to hoaven. When he reachel there another ma,rlhad arranged. to marry his wife, and that night there ,r*. arirrt -

ing 1nd-dancing,. and_ in the morning an ole[hant came to fetch

her.a Manmashi said to his wife ,, don,t so:, but she""r*urui I must go. As you did not love me aid

l"t asorvant"touch

me, - my hoart is broken,5" and she started to mount theelephant, on th-at Maumashi fell angr5r o and said to the tohit-daTO

,','Gg nd,knock tc pio_ees thelowdah on that elephaut,,,

and th-e_-loftald,ang went and knocked it to pieces. ThLn Godoaid ".Why aro..you-two, husband ond wifd, treating o.r" ,r,-othcr like this ?" and his daughter.replied ,iHe let E, ."rorottouch tho fiddle, and I_was angry and-ran away home,,' Godsaid " Where is tire fiddle ?" bhen his daughter brought theffddle and shewed it to him. He broke it.- ,,It is oier thisthat ;zou two are luarrelling', eaid he and threw it awav.

o

6

J.e. a dopondant of such posiiion in the household that she isnever sont, out to rvork in the fields aB most womon are, and is

_ by imqlication a person entitled to respect snd confidence.

Bocauge_ tho slightest sorlnd p-roduoed evln by giving the instru_lnent q tap would call its familiar, who woui-il be*offended as

3!9.1e$ pngcieJly enjoined herlovor to carry the ffddle himself_xrcnorvrntang.

Ol is a c-hlyealis, partic-ularly. such as aro found in tho ground,end olgenn€i, ltho ohrysalis with a hook) tho word

"*"?t

""u,s a particular va-riety which is said to have its tail p""*u"u"ttycurled up in the form of a hook,

Another oxotic touoh, Thadb bridee are no0 fEtched on elephants,s! sny late not now.a-days.

Ka-lha ashle,.literally,l My soul is epoilt," an expression usedby pereons in grea0 grief,

A-lung a-hanEln, literally .. his heart waB rockless,,' Hang.isused of-persons who displey coura,ge in the face oidangerl.a-lunE a.hang is the ordiirery erpresiion for loeing one's tEmper.

Doikumpu's. He said to Doikumpu, " IJncle, give mo y-our-hoo,

your spud, your fan and your knife." He answered.-" Nephew,

if you ask fbr tbings, why rvould ye gludge them !" and gave

thlm. Then Manmashi's wife said " It is through your auntand your uncle that we trvo were unitod, why do you ask_ yourunole {or all his things ?" Sr: Doikumpu gave him the knife'

They accepted bhs knife and came along together till theyreaohed the outskirts of the village. There the rvifo scraped

the dirb from her breasts rvith the knife and rubbed it on to a

piec€ of cotton rvool and gave it to Manmashi. " Take this,'n she

3aid, and put it into the King's eyes and instruct him to take

it out wh-en you rvill be reaching Your orvn }touse'" So Nlan-

mashi went and did just as his wife told him and came, and as

he reached his home the King took out the cotton wool, a,nd

hoth his eyes were opened.

One day after that Manmashi's rvife said to him " Glo andeall in at the King'e house " and sent Lrim off' When Man'mashi went there the King rvas angrv' He said to Manmashi

" Sit, dorvn,n' and rvhen he was seated " Your mithun bull shall

fight rvith mirre. Your dog shall figtrt with my dog, your'-ooclr

sliall fight with my cock, your boarI

shall fight with my boar'Will vou come to me or shall I corne to You ?" Manmashi was

troubled at heart and 'went home sobbing.z IIis wife said

" What has happened that you veep ?" You go to a friend'shouse, take drink and meat and come back sobbing." So he

auswerod " The King is going to make all our animals 3 fight "Said his wife " Very well, arrange for the fighting on the thirdday from to-day. Then his wife for their mithun provided awild mithun,a for their dog she provided a tiger,6 for their

Bv most of the Thado all boars are castrated at two to three' months old by which time they have genorally reproduoed

themselves (o. noto 1 on P. 86), but in tho Il6lthang clantho chief usually keeps a real boar and take.s a pig fromovery littor in tho villago as his fee, the boar being kept loose,

of oourso, to roemes he

will.l'he Thado word kdp is the same as that used above antl krelow

for 'weop;' it implles the shedding of tears, but is probably,like'sob,' an onomataPoeic word.

Gancha=" domestio anim&ls." This incident of ffghting animalsoccurs moro than once in Lepcha folklore; vido Lepcha Folk'lore, Journ. Asiat. Soc' of Bengal, Vol. XXI' pp. 38, 415,

Jangshlel tho wild mithun or gaui (boe gaurua-'1,- -Solitary bullsoI thie gpecies frequently aseooiate with ghlel, the domosticmithun 'or gayai (bos ltontalls\, fighting with and oftonkilling or eeriouily damaging che bulls and begetting- .hVbriaoffrpring, which aro disliked as thoy are apt to bo troublesomewhen they como to maturitY.

Humpl-gerierio. It might be a tiger, a lcopard or even one of

thc rmoller felines such es e golden cat'.

 

APPENDIX B.

Tsu Housn on Doxolrcrt.

I adtr this Dongngel podigree as there hae been so much pother about the illegitlmooy of0he line that now represents Dongngol. The theory appears to be based on tJre goandol

136 Journal ol th,e Asiatic Soc,iety itl Bengal. [N.S., XXIV, 1928.]

cook sho provided a hawk, for their boar she provided & wildboar. Then they summoned (the King, and the animals)

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ooused by Noingul's marriago, and porhaps on doubtg as to tho real perentage of Ngulobin, butIt soems really to arise frdrn the arroganco of Khutinthang, who probably really olaimrprucerlence rather as tho head of the linoal descendant of Thado, which he is, than ln &nybona ftile belief that the oldor line is extinct. They aro far from that, and if 6he Lhotjim andOwite are excluded, there are still mombors of the Thomlhun a,nd llaolai clans with pedigroeorvory bit as genuine as Khutinthang's, if less distioguished, AII these Dongngol olane;however, are smaller numerically and poorer in possesaions than their collaterals desoendsdlrom Thado.

IThothaug

Il.Satthong

I_|rrl

Thangpi HaugchorrI

Javong

J arrrarr

t-Mangtul

Shichargl

Thithang

a quo

SIIITLTIOfi tlxlo

L.[.MHAO(mostl.y in Bmo,)

ITHOMLHUN

(a olau ropresentqd iu Lutsho,Mlking, arrd possibl.y othcl

villugcs, iu Manipur.)

-lrl

l,ilor.r 11{ I (iwITEflrr nrlontcd. sou rvho I So trametl after the sunlight, as his ltrothothr,l lreeu fouuci I to cover hel sharrre, prctc[ded that her childEl,rln(l.olccl undr'r' il I rvas bortr fron oue of trvo eggs she hatt keptlrrr[r:t. Beirrgoltler, irr a ua.drlr birr wlrerc t ray ol'sunlight fc[[ ortllrurr Dorrsnge'I rvas I therd thrcuoh a hol. in t.lre urattirtq. Tt is, otr,rrllr',1 clder'brothcrI course, onli the Cwitc rvho dcscetrd irotulrl lrirn. Irut was oI I Dorrgngel b1- his sistcr. Thitlrang was tltt'iltrkrrurvl pareut- r son of * regtlar wi[e.ll{'r,

ThithangI

Thfi,tthurrtI

I

Neilun Changthongll

- I

-

ThongleugI

flaongul(a bastar'd)

Hougchangu Quft

HAOLAIOT

JONGBE(though thc IIaoIai

ate this tarne,)repu<li-

&ul,,s*l

Flu rrw&y to Sheitul with a girl oflrrllrlor itatus and renaiucd thePo irlrlrnr,r,r orr &ccount of his mistlli,ance,Hlr lroritago was claimetl by I{aougulLrrl. tlro couiius obiocted &nd rvent toFlroltrrl uutl_fetehodbock Noingul's soli rr ru,'r',,orl Noihrrr

r<natnltct Prortrtt__lt

I(hubkhuthangIJamkhulotI

LeugJolrrrr(Frorn whoru tlrlrDetligroo rvtt.,rlr.tol rrotl)

SatkhJjaurI

SheilulI

Jarnkhusat

NgulchinI

NguljaurI

|-,-_|Cbelgjtpao Thotgugaur

ohiof of tho Dong-upol clau and headofths Tho<lo I(u-kin

fought in pairs. The mithun fought with the mithun &nd Man"meBhi's mithun killed (the other) ; the dog fought with the dogand Meuma,shi'r dog killed (the other) ; the oock fought withthe cook and Manmashi's cock killed (the other) ; the boarfought with the boar, a,nd Manmashi's boar killed (the other),

 

138 Journal ol the Asiatdo Bodiety ol Bengal^ [N.S., XXIV.

There is also a story that Dongngel had connection with a femaleserow which he had caught in a sn&ro. He let her go and the boy childseen later with a gerow in the jungle and ultimately reoovoroi was

re28.l Notes on the'Thadou Kukis. lS0r

must inovitably arise kreiween two versions of an account preservod-only

bv oral traditi6n' Eh'pu'g version agrees more closel;r with that'- of the

Slrit]ho, rvho, however,'meke Hangmin the ;'ounger biother of Shingmen

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lelovg{ by hia {athor_ and-called-Lushei lun:much cherishod), andfrom him aro deeconded the Lushei tribe.

It will be sosn that the lino of Dongngel is sonior to that of Thadohimself, although the latt-sr.has-Siy9n fris name to the tribe. Khilkhung(Khutinthang) the head of the Shitlho elan used to pay satthdns to Chenqljapao until the Kuki robellion, and the ground on which he ;laims thittho line is extinct is presurnably that of Neingul's m|salliance. Even ifthis were a legitimate ground, horvever, Changthong'e docendants wouldhave a prior claim to soniority to Thado's, not to mention Chungngul.obief of the IIaoIai, as well as the hoad of the Thomlhun clan, -if-the

Gwite can be ruled out. I gathor from Mr. Duncan, however, that theallegation that the Dongngel aro imgam ie based on a story that Doneneeldied without legitimateiesue and had omitted to recognise his illegiti-miteofrrlpring, q,nd t!a! Thado

-wasentitlod-to inherit undog.the circum-stanees.

but refuged to olaim hig inhoritanco, whioh passed by-default to a slave.As aooording to the Slritlho genoalogy Dongngel wae tho son of Thithoand Thado was three genorations later, the alleged personal quarrelbetween Dongngel and Thado over lhechontul, at, Nanglengbung piesentsmuoh difficulty; I suspect lho dngatn theory to be aiecent inve-ntion ofthe thitlho, The-Lhotjim_cl_aimed eoniorityto the Dongngel clan incourt iu 1928, on the ground that Dongngel cellod their anceitor .. eldorbrother," but it ig said tIIBt all tho evidenco eupported the Dongngelcorrtention,

The following altornative Eedigree of Dongngel was given meby Ehpu, a minor ohief of the Haolai clan, who was mueh conobrnedbecause

he thought otherinfonnauis

had given me an inoorroet &ceount.Ile was, I must admit, very far gone in his cups at the.time and I had noopportunity of discovoling rvhether ho hold to his version when sober.

Shongthu

I

SatthongI

Thangpi

I

Javong

I

llangtulI

Shingmen

utngl*",,I

t--Thit'ho (of Aishan)* Thohin (of Jampi)I (a quoThad,o)-I

Sheichang

L-nongl.rrg"l rurgl"r,rrrg

nrotii

It will bo notlood 0het the.number of generations from Chongthuto Dongngol is the samo in eaoh oa,8e, and many of the namos are identi-cal though nnt in 0ho samo order. The discrepancy is probably su , as

and the'ancestor of the Kom and the Oltl Kukis.

 

3.{.

Notes an the Tlwil,ou Rukis.. l4l

J (if the speaker's sife ie ol 0ho

Wife,g Mother I aemo elan es his motber.

wiii;;'""##,8 Wife I otherwise henu or hc'uI a.ooording to sgB snd oir.

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APPENDIX C.

Tslpo TsnMs or finle.rroNsgrp.

The terms of relationship that follow are given in the form used in&ddross. Those which are the more honorific-begin with he-rvhich isreplaced. rvhen tho relativo is spoken of, instead of sfoken to, by

ka=. mv.'la-='your,' a:. his', etc. In tho case of torms refelence, iherefore, I ha"rrindicated the uso of tho possossivo pronoun by an apostrophe. In thecago of tho lese honorific torm s ka-r-the possbssive of the hrst personelpronou.n, is- used in addrese a s well ae in reference, ancl has accirdinglyboen givon here instead of the form in he-.

The Thado are patrilineal and exgamous and their torms of relation-uhip aro of. cours_o olassiffoatory. 'The propor marriage for a ma,n is withhis mother's brother'e daughter, whilo that-preferred i'or a girl is with herfather's gigtor's gon. The lattor however ii much less im-portant. Butmarriage .of a -girl to_ her mothere' brother'g son is .prbhibited, andmarriage into the rnothor's clan is eschowed for womon'for at least twogonorations og a rule. The important terms of relationship thereforeindicate definite classification for purposes of marriage. Thlus hepu isused. prim^arily for any _m?l of lhe speaker's motheis clan, and

-heplfor the wife of such, p_robably originallytho mother,s mother (?ahenult:'great-mother') and hence applied by courtesy to all women who-sehusl:ands are addressed as hepu, whonc'e again no dou,bt hepu has been

applied conversely to all grandfathers. Henunga is used foi the womenof tho speaker's mother's clan, tho potential wivos of the speaker (if aman), and it may bo obsorved that in the case of a Iatheis brother,swife the implication is avoided by respectfully addressing her as henulfo,lgh. referring to her by tho classificatorily correct ierm 'nunSa.Similarly an elder brother'i wife is addressod as he,u, el,Jer sister,, Eutlikowiso referred to ss kanunga.. Etiquotte is losg strict with rolatives who marry tho daughters of 6he

clan then with those whose daughtors aro marri6d by it. "Hegangis

applied to the former, but only to tho senior men of th-e elan, mei otlhestanding of the speaker's father. F'or porsons outsicle this marriagoscheme porsonBl names aro used or honorifics such as hepa . fathei,,henu . mothor,' or he,u, . olclor brother, or , elder sister., ffepu is alsoggTmonly- used_as an honorific forrn of address to a,nyono of unusuallyhigh social standing.

- . To elucidato tho system a gonealogical table is appended to the listof terms, giving the forms of address In lieu of nam6i from the point ofview of a man and his two sisters who marry into difrerent clans.

-'A husband addregses his wife by her namo or as kaJinu:.my wife,but she addresses him by the name ;f hie first child, of dhichover-sex, to.

whioh 'pa' is suffixed-i.e. , Father of so and so.' Till he has a child shecannot addiess him by a,ny neme or title.

Hepu -

Hepl =

l. Granil-7.ather.2, Mother's Brother (the personal name may rmJ be addod

in address).3, Motker's Brotigr'a Son.

1 (when of the aame clen ea( speaker's mother ancl follow-I ed by p6rsonal name if) neceesary.)

4,

6.

0.

l.2.

Wife's FatherWife's BrotherWlfe'a Brother'c Son

Granil.Mothar.M other' e Broth,er' e W,i!e.

J cumstanees.)Eather.FMhar's Brallvr (irl roferenee 'pa len,'panao aeoordirrg

aB older or Younge?).Mother's Sieter's Husband, etc. (by court6sy).Mother.Father's Brother'e wife (in address, brlt nun{la in rofor'

enee).

S:t\"{: Brother's wife} (:*"#*,."l.rn$;l

wife'e Mothor , ;i;;_* - -"r.-iiipri ,"

Huebend,s Mother . (unless of the speek- | courtesy'nH#;;,; T;fi;i" t er's own clan. I titlee"ffiil;" I when hsnl i"J

used).Patker'a Matre Oowein an Eatker's Sride (or any other

patrilinal collateral of that generatibn).M,otlwr'a Sieler,M olker' s Brothar' e Daughter -

Ilepa.- I.2,

3.Henu : l

c,

3.4.

D.

6.

Ilepangar-

Ilenun$al: I.a,

3.4.

Hegtrng: l.o

Henl : l.a,

3.

IIe,uZ= I.t

3.

4.D.

6.

l.

8.

9.10.Kanao2: l.

t

Kacha?: l.2.

Wife's SigterWifo'e Brother's

Daughter

I (Followod by porsonal name

I if necessary but oulY used ifI of the som€ clen as the

I speakcr's mothor. Other-

i wise personal name alone is

J ueed).E

dlwr'e Sdater' e Eucbanil.

Husband"s Father (when his mottler is of the speaker'aclan).

Father'a Sieter.flusband's Mother 'ffiffiffi'; il-;;#i" | {it ot tt e se:"e clan as speakor,

"-ii;il:; J otherwise henu).

frlder Brother.&lil,er Siater.Eatket's Brotlwr'e Cldlil Oliler Thon Spealct (followed by

pereonal name).X'ather'e Sister's Child lMothor'p Sistsr's Child I

Ilusband's Eldor I

Brother I

nIJtJii'," era"* |(Plobably by- courte;y merlolv -"iil;ffi;"1irjI; I c/' also s'o' hepi-3, and 4)'

Eldor Sister's Hugband I

Elder Brother's Wife3

IWife'e Sister:s Ilusband J

Younger Brother.Youmger Si,ster.

Son.Dauglrter.

I The rooo-raga in thoso two words is apparontly !he- rogt rueaning..wetoh ovor,,, .'Lond,' as in bomgmga=..cow-herd." cf, the Sema toraIt

oI retationship angu (Tke Serma Nagas, p. l^lt).^^2 In the 'casdof 'theso four terins '-roa is suffixed ia referenoe whan it

is desired to indioate the female gendor.s But Kanun{la in retoronce, if of the speaker's mother'a clan.

 

142 Jou,rnal ol the Asicttic Soci,ety ol Bengat. IN"S., XXIV, lg2g.]

Katul:

Kajlnu-

l. Sister's Chili.9. tr'ather's Sister's Child.i]. Grantl-Child.

Wi.Je.

lrr other c&ses. e:{uept as alre,rrlv rroted irr t,ttllt, of .husband.; the

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personal name is userl. thorrgh hepa,, henu. he,u, kanao, gulpa(='friond,') Td, l9_. importanCpersons hepu, are froquently'..Ga I=merelv honorifie s.ithrrrrt urry implication of kinship.

I In tho (rasc uf these four term-s ,rit is sullixecl iu reference when itis clesiretl to inrlicnte tlie female eender.

 

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APPENDIX D.

Tsaoo Wrnrni'n'

The Thado ie an enemy by no meane to bo despieed when t}te riattor

is ono of iunglo'fighting-;"f ;;;tilla-*ttit"*'' rnitiative ig not hie

strons noint in war,

"rra

tu* t'ini;;dtly tarrrit t'tntt his best plgps for

ifri'i'rtr,j',in"ir"i"!'ri-i."."i""a in hii eupe andabandoued sith the

fif,H;?"#ffi;,ii J,r"Jia"".t]or,.- rii"" d",nqthe Thado rebellion of

l9l8-19 plang wero ,"p"'iiliii"'iod",-;;d

; o-ften abandonod in the

rffi -dlTJ"[1T,{LsS"ji*'lr*"lXt}ry*t**'HJi]jf :Htil{ffi;;:";ii; T;;i;"il*;iiri'aer""'i"" and the prevailils- note .ie:t#"J;;'r;:" "fr;;;h;"

are laid, poste.or camps erd worried bv night

-]Jllffi .:"'ii"r, trr?i" T=-i,'"i"i

.iv' i-"i""li.n or'pushin e home. and the

ffi;;t#;;;iiv r,t."**a, but'never ongased ln-the lpo-*' 'stockadee

are built acrosa n&rrow prifi *fr"*1t"

tur-niig of them is like-lf t3 prove

;;dt;;;-ff-p;otoog"a,'J"t"t" a"t""a"a as.'[ong as tho defendors can

hold on with o ""*tii"^oi'ul'""-oi 'tti-'t"ei'cape-py nisnt' ,!!39'Jt"'Juil-"J iii **"titp"" "i

remarkable strolgth'-somo I have seen.havrng

il*",iiiiiJ'Jt-" prfi*a; i,i-"f"ighr tr""" 8-inc}es or more in diamotor

bacl<od by a thicknees of eve; lirger. tree trunks laid horizontally' and

this again by another ptiit-"a-"'ti"'ptljhi trunks. similar to the ffret' the

whole beins well over tt i"" f"lf iftilk,'the intorgtices packed with eartl

Lii'i.Iiil3r"ii'i;;;;il; d;;'

-.il;Jfil'"""t''1

and gideg were

'werrili:#;ii;;;ii"1'6;;;;"p1r.Jili."lt'111"-l::"s.T""tS';T3,"Jl'inorious toL Sareiooted foe and by no meu'ne tnn

while doep communicatili itullJr{u"-t""u dug runnine back from the

defenders' position, to ;;bd';h;;;t';;It in"safetv wien the flankeof

the oosition rvere turned.oaching enemy whence---

hmbushes in thick junglo are laid for au appr

rh"'iih;;;;;,i""--ur "fi*";iJ;h?ppear, to t|,:S:g *#31"J?.lt :

u"it"Ut" oPportunity is a,fforded' Tho same tactrt

aorose rivers or a.ny"p;';il'"-;;urat-obetacles -hagper

any rap,id

;;;;*il.'-P-"ii"l-Jt."5l"r,""..;4 boobv trups of all sorts oro the

defensivo woepons *"o.- Tt" oirensive weiponeLre practicallv confined

to oowder and shot, the p.*A;;i;*"-made,'reported slow in isnition but

i".,,i"'iilJ'r"liifi ;;"-i;i,th:'ilffi ;;;ii!;"c_;I aror-rectang[Iarpieces

"i-.t i"r-f,"*i""*a f."a-L* fil"d itot"-htud-from a flintlock or percus'

sion-cap musket o" trorrio-." Jinuua" cann-on.clescribod below (Apx'

E). on one oceasion .tirv'i""ilJ ii'i-*uii"euelli"t'

did r meot with the

use of tho bow and arro-#,antl tf,e dao was never' t think, actually used

as a, w€apon or on"o""'ii"upi *itrr a"'tiryi wiih defenceless villagers'fi."-";"8fiilri"*;;-i"i?"'.ffi'At"v

'o-i&u9" warrare' Lururi vil-

laqe was cut up rV"

-p",iv-of Tnaho oarly in t'he prosont' century'

thi somnolent inhabitaIiJ"i,"i"e-;it*LiJ i"d'oo*tlv.-"'"gsacrod--a't;;;a;il ;the"s beine ;u""iua'oe as stavea, anrl the villaqo has.never

;:",iL'ff"#;;iH {i#*'lf ;J"i'""ti""' iurins the rha-do robellion

Kasom, to grve orr" ,rr"i,,li"oiiil" t*"it t""gkli'ul-village in the north

;-til;'M;":p.," State,"!rll;;;d'i" lels its'inablitv to produce the

*:,1 For the general fashion of Kuki w-arfare-see Cerev and 'Iuck' op' col')

Ch. xxiv. The Kukis *;';;";;ffi; uen-gq't' to clrivL off their captivor

'strung together tv".#ir'J5il"ir""t-a"ii["ouph

the lobo of thc car

The Arakrn pi"atu" .."ud" #'ii"?- tili"g" ti- i1'p "9!t-t}'*ughthe polmr ot

;#:";ffi;;I*; t'"a" I n,""dv, ovt' citl' p' I 13' )-( E d' )

 

144 Journal ol the Asi,ati,a Soeiety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV, 1928 ]

lurther supplies dbrnanded by Chengjapao. The massacre,which followedhas beon already describod lsuprapage23).

The Thado is not without aeertain ready rgsourcefutrnoss and & sonseof humour. Whe4 the columns operating in Manipur in lgl8-lg took acouple of entiquetod T.pounder guns known as .. Bubble " and .. Squeak ,'

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into the ffeld, tho Thado at onco retorted with his hide cannoni whichhad not_pr-eviously b-eon,heard of, and these did vory little loss damagothan "Bubblo" and..Squoak" and made very near as much noiJe.During th9 enq3rry after the final surrender of the rebels I was question-ing ono of their captured leadors Eniakhup, an ox-sepov of the NaEaHills Military Polico and tho only Thado from that district u'ho took aivprominent part in the robellion. Ee had not, he said, taken anv activLpart in the operations, but had morely been present with the rebeis undercompulsion, -"Is it not true, thon" I asked, ..that you drillod the menof tho rebollious chiefs and taught thom how to shoot ?" .. I did,,, $&idhe with his tongue in his cheek,-..and why wouldn't I ? It was the bestI could do to help you all." ,, I{ow so ?" I asked him. ..Why, themore powder and shot thoy woultl be wasting on their tergets, the lesstley would havo for shooting at your soldiers with." A stout iellow.He oscaped the ropo ho doubfless deserved ancl was deportod temporarilvto Sadiya with the robel chiofs. There he foll sick arid died in kohimlon his way back to his homo.

A number of Thados aro row being eulisted in the Assam Rifles, anclthe Naga Hills tsattalion has already- one Thado Kuki platoon, and isrecruiting & second.

APPENDIX E.

Tn.eoo MeNurectuRES aND Wraroxs.

IIr. Shaw has mentionerl several articles of metal formerly manu-iactured bv the Thado. It is tfue tllat the art of making thern is rarell'practised now, l:ut it is not dead. In l9I8 during the Kuki rebellion an

ingenious follorver of Tingtong manufactured a brasg muzzle-loading gun,and one or two Thados of llolliang village in the Naga Hills still makesbrass tobacoo pipis auci liquor sipiions, rvhile the chief of Chongchin nearSaipimol in the r\Ianipur Stato gave me & btouze mouth-piece for a pipe,that he had made himself. The craft is usually horeditary end confinedto certain clans. The rnethod used is theczre perdue \ttoceas, which I hadclemonstrated for me try Ngulshi! of Holkang in June l02iJ.

Tho crude bees-*'ax is broken up into a pan of rvatcr which is boiledso that the wax forms a thin sheet on t'he top, the impurities sinking tothe lrcbtom or arthorirrg to the under sido of the wax sheot,. lVhen cooledthe wator is poured off arrd the impurities scrapecl from the wax with sknife. The wax is then heated at the fire, kneaded reheaterl, kneaclccland rolled liko dough, a heatod glass bottle being used as a rollor in thiscase, until it is all cornpletely soft and fine witlrout a Iump of arry sort.

If a solid article is to be casb, & rvax core is modellocl of tho shapo ro'quired, but if hollow, like a pipe or ei siphon tube, a solid removeablecentre is required. This is made with wire in tho caso of a st,raighthole like that of a pipo-stom, or a pipe-bowl ; if a curvo is required, as inthe siphon tubo, a piece o{ pliable bamboo is used. In eithor case thiswiro or bamboo is rvound closely with thread, as a spindle, the bindingbeing thickened as necetsary where o brrlgo is needed, as in the bowl of apipe. As t'his coro would bo liable to burn when the rv*x is melted outand the molten metal poured in it is coverecl rvith a thin loyer of fino bluoclay. Strips of the propared wax aro then rolled out thin. and wrappodround the core, and shaved and smoothed with a hoated knife-blade tille smooth aud symmotrical surface is obtained. The ornarnentation ig

then put on in rvax appliqu6, lines, coils and spirals being laid on withthe fingors using very fine threads of was, which aro produced in variouethicknesses by means of bamboo pistons, Lhe rvax boing lorced through aminute hole in tho centro of the node at the bottom of the l:amboo cylin'der b;, 1ns6q1g of a plrrnger of wood or bamboo; from this hols it comosout in the forrn of a 6ne cylindrical throad. Tho wax model is complotedby the adtlition of a stalk, as it rvere, of cylindrical wax abbui B/10 toI inctr in diametor rvhich represents the hole through rvhich the wax willbo nrn out and the metal run in.

For forrning tho moulcl round this wsx two sorts of clay aro roquired;the very fine blue clay alroady mentioned is pounded thoroughly to getricl of anything in the naturelf grit or lumpsi A layer of thiE is appliedw-ell moistened, direct to the wax modelling and rubbed well into the in-terstices of tho ornamentation with the fingers. Onthe top of this is lsida socond layel of the same blue clay rvhich has boon thoroughly poundedup rvith the husks of paddy so ae to bind and not, crack in the firing,'llhis is allowod to dry and is then cbvored with a third layet of a ooarserred clay obtained liom the mounds thrown up by termitos and likowieepounded up with paddy husks, and very thoroighly kneadod. Througltnll these coats of clay the wax end of the " stalk " attached to tho oorois allowod to protrudo, and the clay at the polnt oI omerg€nco ig morrld-odrorrnd it into a funnel-shaped hollow. The cla.y moulcle ere driod rlowly.

Tho samo prepared rdcl clay is ueed for thdmanufeoturo of a oruoil,lointo which thC motal to be melted is put and which is thotr olomtl

 

J.P.A.S.B., XXIV, 1928. 146(o).146 Journal ol the Asiatic Bociety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

and coverod with a turnip-shapod donre having a small aperture ob thepoint. This crucible is heated to a white heat in a fire fannod by theusual upright piston bellowe, & process whieh needscongiderable physicalexertion and takes at least a couple of hours. Meanwhile the dried

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Fig. l.-Thado pipe inbrass.

X5g. Z.-Thado pipe,inwood with bronzemouth-piece castby Bapu, Chief ofChongchin. t

Fig. 3.-Thado pipe in PiPe'stone with brass mouth'piece and mounts.

X'ig. 4.-Brass box for flint and steel.

Artiolee oast in metal by oirc puihm plooill.

I

I

rnoulds are heatecl, and the wax rnelted and run out, the emptiod mouldsl:eing then baked to a red heat rvhile the rnetal is being melted in theerucible, Both this latter and the moulds are handled with rough bamboopineers made ou the pattern of the banrboo clappors used for bird scar'ingin various parts of !'urther India $:ide The Sema Nagae,p.66, flg. 3).\Vhen tho crucible is white.hot the matal is poured into the mould, andas the latter is also heated, to prevent the metal's cooling too rapidly,6he

metal ffllg up the hollow evacuated by the wax.Beautiful work is produced by this process-brass diro-handles, brass

gauntlets for women, lotracco-pipos, rnouth-pieces, siphon tubos or c_ur'

vcd joints for siphon tubes.{used in drarving off the liquor from the fer-mentod rice and huske), brass boxes for flint' and steel of a curious designrvith corners prolonged into points, and beautif ul metal vaseg'ortamentedrvith designs^"rprod'u"irrg tfio basiket work whieh is useC to cover andBtrengthe; tho aarthenwire or:iginals. Tha most characteristic Perhap.sqre tf,e tobaoco pipes and siphoi joints ornamented rnost frequently withhornbills, often with animali such'as elephants or mithun, which are some-

times exeellently modelled.Othor rneta;l work inelucles swords. claos, knivos, agricultural imple-

ments and women'g iron walking sbici:s. Various othor forms of manu-facOure are also practised. Bloc-ked hide is used for making c-ov.erl.lobamboo tubes usid for guivers, etc., for pouches carried at a belt likethose of sepoys, for amriunition, and for'similar articles. The r:ualmothod is io soak it in water, rnould it and dry it in the form requirod,

afterwhich

itie

usually treated with botnbal,nad i.e.treo'oil or woo_d'o-rl

obteined poesibly from-a il,ipterocarpwa (odde J,A.S.B., No.-ll-0 of' 1841,

oisit to Egok Phyoo, p. ll21) givin! the appeeranco of black lacqugr.Coloured licquer perhips is its6 ,r"id for cov6ring the stocks of guns, fororname[ting-powier tiorns. somo timee beautlfilly intaid sith silv.er,

Ior coverini riocket tinder boxeg made-of basket bork and tor similarpurpos€s. "Elbgant'wooden

clishes (one in the form of o-quir,ich) are

made, mainly -with ttre dao aud adze. As by the Konyak, Naga, -tie'dyeirig is praoliised; bhe Thado pro<lucing spirilly striped'red and whitepilroupine quills.for uee as hairpins, bv this process. The Konyaks- use a

ii*itri' pt.r-"".s of tying a spiral *trip ro,ri.d a javelin shaft and thensmoking it so as to-lea]ve a.irpiral white band aitornating with a'darkone all-down the siaft, and Lhota Nagas have a similar method of orno'menting bamboo rnugs; the Kacharis use the mothod also.

lVeapons incluclJdaos, muskots, bows and arrorrs aud cannon of sortg'The spea-r is not populer, ih" not -osu of the throwing speer, whiqh is t'he

principal Naga rveepon of offonce being one of the points that drstrngur-ihes Kukis fiom Nagas. The daos .,t"i in type, the- old Thado dao, now

obroleto, being a sin[le-handed ghort-hiudleilireapon with a broad trian'gular blade $;ll illu;tra,ted in Butlor'g (Iraoele a'nd Ailventuree in Aaaarn'

iihe eom-oner subeoquent forrh hag a narrow blado curved somewhat

back torvarde the poinf and a single-handed pumrdel ueually mounted inbrasg, 'Ihe long bladed two-handed Shan sriord ig aleo in uso, and now'a-days a ehort-knife with a longieh handle, the blatlo shgpe$ ol !lt"lines'of a kulcri but etraight, is pop'ulat. Its shape is certain-ly dug-to theinfluenca of the Gurkha Eztr; uirea by che Assani Rifles' The old 'Ihadodao ueed to hove e curiously bent hoirclle gometimes covergd with blo-cked

hide or with hair lrcund.roriud ond lacquered and mounteil with a plume

of red or iryhite heir at the tip. rather s'uggestive of t'he handle of a &rrie'

Soppitt (op. ci.t., p. 6) mentioirs " a long eiv6rd-like weepon med-e of iron,"which eounds rather like thE Khesi or flikir two handed sworcl.

Arohers' bracors lia'akel,l are, or rather, ueed to be made of brass,

ivory, bone or wood."' The brass ones were cast and were 'rathor like a

 

J.P.A.S.B., X)(IV, 1928.

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J.P.A.S.B., XXIV, 1928.

---1--z';:;==1-

146(b).

r928.j Nolee qru th,e Tha'il,ow Kwlcis, L47

greatly thiokoned braoelet, and werg used also as " knuckl€-dugtert ";the others were generally eomething like an enormous clothes-pin with otruncatod fork and groatly extended head. Tho fork was fftt€d on to thewrigt while tho head protectod the thumb and hand. I am told by Mr.

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fig. l.-Top of ilon staff used byThado women. Scale c. fi.

Fig. 2.-Iron hooks (cltinkinq), for

hanging up utensils, etc., the pro.perty of Khilkung Chief of Jampi.

Erg. $,-Chaldept. Scale {.

X'ig. 4.-Porbion of jouahal.Scale $.

Eig. 6.-Thado woaring chald,ep, iow.ch,al,, th,utpa and aakul,-gi.

(2 and 3 alter d,rawings by Mr. S. J.

Duncan\.

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Dunoen that the bracors of this type ar''e eaid to have been used to pro-teot tho ha,nd when in oonflict with a tigor or leopard,-as the ivory madea wedge which prevented tho wrist being orushed in lihe animal's jews.

Muskets are usually aneient flintJocks or Tower musketg tho formerof whieh originally belonged to the Eonb'lo East India Co. The stocksput on by Thado are thin in the grip and are out 6woy as fine as possibleoonsistontly with the requieito strongth so as to throw the weight intothe barrel. Thoy are sometimeg hendsomely orna,rnented in black andred, with a very pronounced 'beid' to ths butt.

lBower now-q-uite obsoleto, are of the simple bcmboo type about 5 ft.long with a 6bre string, arrowB are iron.headed with barbs. Theyused tobe poisonod, probably with aconite, a,nd I collected a numbor of such srrowsduring the Kuki rsbellion, but they woreall very old, and it ie probablya long time since the.Thado have obtainod any fresh poison, and they donot apparently recognize the plant but soom genorally to havo obtainedtho poison from other tribes by trade. The butts are swellod behindthefoathering, which consists of two pieces of foether stripped fmm the quillaod bound to the ehaft, whioh is ootohod atthe end for the bon'string;.they are drawn and released by tho forefinger a,nd thumb, the so-oalled

" primary " method. I havo only oomo across three bows, all old, andonly one of thoee wag used. It was held in an obliquo almost horizontalplane. A bracer of ivory, trono or brags was lrorn to protect the leftwrist, and resembled a very massive a0umpy clothes peg in shape, It isquite obeolete.

Cannons aro madoofwettod

hide, rolled round in soveral thickneseeswith or without a bamboo coro and generally bound with ooiled wire, caue,or hide strips; tho butt is made by bending forward the wetted hide andtying.down to tho barrel and letting it dry in that position; a short irontube serveg ae a nipplo or touch-hole. Thisweapon is loaded with abouta quarter of a pound of powder and * handful of slugs made of pieces ofiron fflod or hammorod into a rectanglo, fragmonts of tolograph wiro, roughlead bullets, anything handy in fact, even pobbles. They frequentlyburg0 at the firet dischargo and but rarely eurvivo two. Aho method ofusing them was sometimes to tio thom to a tree and touch thom off witha train of powder, sometimes to a,rrango a muskot-lock so as to dischargothem by a c&p on the endiof the touch-holo either by putling a etring,or arranging a trip in tho path:

Tho Kuki mothod of manufacturing gunpowder has beon fully des-cribed by Mesgrs. Carey and fuck in YoI- I of Tlw Chin Hi,ll,s (page 226),and by Reid in Chin-Luehai, Land, (page 232).

The blow-gun lchuonil,o' is usod a.s a toy or &s a woa,pon for killingbirds and rats. ft coneists of a simple bamboo tube of as long a node as

can be found locally but of only e singlo node of bamboo' The dart is ofbamboo, of bamboo tipped with iron or of porcupine's quill and is providedwith a windage plug by moang of cotton thread wound tightly round tho,projectilo or by giving it s conical butt of folded lsat hollowed at the base ofthe cone. I have described the apparatus in detail in Man (77, July, tg24),sinco when Mr. Mills has como &cross & harpoon foim in the North Cacbar

1 Bullet-bows Oring clay pellets and strung with cane &ro commorr.The bow iir of the simple type tho ineide of the bamboo forming thcconvex eide of the bow, though tho Biete and Sakchip (Tippora) Kukir uroa cornposibe bow in which the inside of the bamboo beoomos tho oon.

'cave aurfaoo of the bow. The Thado oall the giant armadillo woodlouta,which ourls up into a ball as big as a cherry Pathan.pa Sailloltr;ng l,C.

" Clod's bow.bullet."

 

148 Joarnal ol the Asiatia Society of Rengal. {N.S., XXIV, 1928.1

Hills in which the projectile is attached try a throad to the tubo so thattho rat-shooter can haul it in after e miss to save himself the lrouble ofgetting up to fetch it or so that the rat may not run aw.ay with the mis-sile sticking in6o hirn.

J.P.A.S.B., XXIY, 1928. r{7(al.

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A hide cuirass is roportod by Mr. Duncao from Toloulong village,where it bolongs to ono Mangjalhun of the Phoh-hil clan, formerly chiefof a small and now non-existent villago. Mangjelhun had it frorn hisgrand.father Chongjalhun in the marriago price oI one of his eistorc.Chongjalhun thon livod at Lunglen or Lurrgthul in what ie now thoLuahai I{ills, and wae subsequently ohief of SoIo in Menipur.

This hide armour eovore the back and shoulder blodos aad fas-

teng down the chest being supported over the shoulders by straps. TheThado call ib Saph,o apparently after the pangolin (scaly axrt-eatei), Thisbroast plate is similar to the typo found in the lasi century by Peal in theNaga Hills (Konyak), whero it has now apparently entirely disappeared,and reportod from Formosa, from Bornoo, from tho hjlls of lndo-Chinaand elsewhore in the Indonesian aroo. Mangialhun's specimen is madeof rhinoceros hide, but the Sernas uso a degenerate form of the samecuirass which consists of little mor€ than a very broad hide bolt protec.ting the ebdomon, and made of cow or rnithun hide, Tho Sema-orticleis virtually identical with that of the Aehluslay warrior of S. America(Nordenskiiild, Lea Iniliens du Clnco, pl. xi).

The rnothod of treating hide is to soa.k it for a long timo in the leesofrico wine, a,nd thon pound it repeatedly with paddy pestloe until quitesoft.

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J.P.a.s.B,, xxlv, 1928.

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APPENDIX T"

Tr.l,oo Musroer, Ixsrnuun xrs.

The Thaclo are more prolific than Nagas in musical instrumonts andthough thoir singing ie not to be compared with good Nasa sineinc thevproduee far more in the way of instrumental musi-c from i set jf iistrJ-'ments mostly rather crudo. The music is all in a minor key,

The following instrumonts are used :-L Dapl-a large Burmoso gong. valued accord.ing to tho clarity of

the note, and its reverberations whon tho gong is struck orl tho'boss.

dabu-small pu,r-m9se gongs in sets-of three, the throe gongs be-ing theoretically in tune at equal intervals of about a half toneof westorn music.

kingktdit-a ,wooden gong used in the fields, partly to scarobirds, partly also to produce ploasing sounds. -

dtenEdong-a xylophone consisting of six solid woodon slatslaid across two oords which are fastenod at one ond oaoh to thebig toe of the foot on the oorresponding side 6nd at the othertogethor behind the pleyor's back, rosombling in effoct theback-strap of the Indonosian tension loom, the slat with thelolsest noto boing nearost the playor's body and tho othors

receding in ascending order. They are playod rvith two miniaturewoodon clubs held and manipulated as drumsticks are by ake0tle-drum player. This instrument is raroly met with. Hlun-jangul oj Saijang_is-the only man I eould find to make and playone in the Naga llills.

khoun$-a drum, made from a hollowed sectioa of troo truuk' covered at both ends with a hide mombrano for which thoskin of the sorow (aapricorhi,s surnatremsie rubiil,us) is preferred.The two membranes are laced together with a cane lashingwhich runs backwards and forwaris across the barrel of th"edrum. A small round hole is often made in the oentros ofthe membranes. Some of theso drurirs are of large sizo, andf sent an outsize specimen to the Oxford University Mugeum.

gu-shurrkol-a trumpot (8u='bamboo') made of suoceseivoseotions of nodoe of bamboo one fitting inside the noxt so as toproduce a diamoter gradually increasing from the mouthpieceonwards. To make tho .qections hold and fit, water is frequent-ly poured over

itbeforo use so that fhe bamboo swolls

and eachsootion fiis tightly into the next. Tho mouthpioce is cut obli-quoly at,t-ho end and placod between the lips so thatthe edgeso-f this oblique aperture aro in the same plano as the lips andthe roouth of lhe trumpet points sideweys, for the llirmpetis blown with a loose lip, the mouthpioce being kept in poei-tion against the lips by holding tho right hand.rouncl it, and asnoar to the end as po-ssible, the thumb and fore ffnger keepingcontact with the performer's mouth.

kuli-flute*There aro gevoral types of kull. One is the ordineryflute mado from an internodo 6f bamboo one node of whloh lirotained, Just bolow this node is tho holo into whioh thomusioian blows; above the open ond are fotrr holer, thc uppu.two stoppod by the ffrst and second finger of thc rlght, hlid,

"x.

 

l5O Journal oi the Asiatic Bociety ol Bengal. lN.S.. XXIV, Ig2g.l

and the lower two_by 6he same fingers of the left hand (thusdiffering from the Naga type -hich fia*1w,r stops for tbe fingers,a'cl sometimes one for- the thumb of tfre ,igfrf Ur";;;;.i"il;;the aperrtrre at rlr"o.en$ sropped by rt e-pai;;i ;il;j;f;il;;;The otherlypes of flrrtes arrc'deviJetl io,-grr" extraneoue assis-tance to the pla;rer by directing the air,currlent for him. Lnave seelt tlvo natte-rns;

1928.1 .Noles on the ?hadou Kukis. x5I

the Thado instrument thero aro soven of theso bamboo orgea-pipos; each onds in a node inside the gourd, and between -thignode and the shell of the gourd the bamboo is cut away on thounder sido and tho wind illowod to entor the pipo tirough ametal plate the contre of which is cut into a vibrating tonguewhich is ofton r.r,eighted with wax to incroaso the vibration, tho

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in one two intemodes are usetl bothencls l;eing op:".; !t" *""i"i." iri"-"'irrr. one aucl the windIeaves-it by a hole just above the aivi,.iinl node and p"*". ii,i"a conduit rnacle of i small bamboo, *ptitl anr.l attached to theinstr.menr nr -p*., this co;duit ;t"i""t. tf," *i"ii-[r.i iii"node and reai"ects ii.iii;;;;; J;";;;.Iil;e back into the rorrer.internode, this artificial reai'rectiori

pe"t.ili;g tir" .L-ri,;;i;;as that performed by-the lips of tfr'e-nautisi-;h;;i;;;il;;the simple flute; for-the"".t'thu

i""t,,"*unta are sirnilar havinstho same fo*r stops. n tho oihe;;";;;;:i;;;;;ffi#i"il;;;.;:obtained b1- using a eingle l"t"rro,G-[* retainins I narro\rproj ec ric, n ir bout- in i rrch ton g .il;; ;i,; ;", l;;hilii" fX.rlJl;':upper end; another piece of-bamboo is tied t. tti. f""i-i"e.na-rroir-.,aperture Lretween the two into which tt" -i,-i"il"f;:?ffi ;il"#? ::i,lf""[$,i:,,,"T,il9,3:*:,fl #,l.J,,ilT:Hi:;i;

^ _ the usual four stops ale to""a fo*"" al*"_8. chapang-kult-sma'u ;;ilifil;:;;', JtiiiLo." simptified fornrof kuli consisting- of tn,o"up"*t" I""ti.., ,f #;I;o,';;;whieh {its inside ihe- otfr", oria nuJ u iii" ut tho point of con_tact arlrl,has the.node abovo rhis h;l;-;-[y bl;*i;g i"t;-;;eupper rube the air is directecl by its los:er'octge at tfo poi"t olcontact rvith the lower and inner-tub" ii,to tfr" Bofuili.Ji;;;;;

11",:_:: l-g -"lops,so rhar variatioiiin

-nJt"

"u.,

onry bo obrain -eq D). mod.ula,tion

of the lung po$e1,, &ncl the instrumeni is^ - really no more than a whistle.' '9. thelli--a rudimentary flageoler, the flute revorsecl as it wers,and-pla5.ed from the.opin e"a, tne ;;;i;

"fttro bamboo.beiniat the tower enrl nitli trr. rr.r",rl""i;;;;i;_;ilI#tr;:itE

first trvo fingers of the righr lru,;i";'i;; i,ulrttpi"""i6- ih.-,",r;i;:less end rvhi-ch is cut arir1.- so that l-h;-;pp"" edgo rests iustXil*l1l:,*lee of the m,,sicior,'s oirp"* li J'd"a tl,"%p;,; rl'l;htted b)-the lower lip _whieh is flexeil to alltw rhe p".;;t; ;ir;;lli:ll:^*l!:: immlaiateif b;i;;. th" ,i,1,;;

"cs".";dBpp;lt"rneretore to the mrrsician,s loryor lip is a-square hole tlie edseof which divides the blast, p*.t, goirlg-iorrriil;;;;;; ffi;utside.

10. gu-chang-pol-clarinet-is derived from a still more orimitivej^.:l_11:l lile',.of paddy. st.o*, fo"

-th";;;;l;s;i [il;;;;rs " b&mboo Paddr.stlarv,,. the latter boine the Erisinal mate-rtat ror ilre lnstrument, f<.rr rvhich Hlunjarrlrrl rvho ilade it forme could, indeed. offer rro name at alll ft. consists of a thirrDamboo

s.ith a notle as tho rnouthpiece, just below which ato.gue-shaped eut is rnacle, the coi.tex-'oi the bamboo treing

::-l_pgq l.-"y till it is qtite ihin, so that the 1""g""'"tifri"iiriEeur vrDrates as the rrind passes through. Belori' this are foirr

r , -stop.srnorlulated l:y the first two fingErs of ;ach hand.t r. gu-snem-mouth organ_is a familiar instrument consisting ola gourd the stalh eird of rvhich is, fitteci wittr a moutho%o"mat'tt frorn a ,.cle of small bamboo i;;;;i;.i ;;;;;#;#;;;"

and having arr a1,ertrrre c.t. nl:ove tt,u iinal.o ;i;;;ji;';;,];i;:setr rorms a reeeptacle for any saliva that maS, escapefrom themorrt,h. The l.reJll- of the gorircl is fittetl ,rith ,*o rows of nioesone row atrove tho other prr6js61,ing more or less at rightlairjlesfrom the shell. in rvhich rhe "ilse.;;;;J;

fast, with wax. In

wholeplate beirrg fastened to the bamboo by a wax setting;tho metal used is preforrably boll-metal and sometimes braee;there is a t,raditiou that t'hoso reods used formerlv f,o be madeof bamboo. Each pipe has a single stop; ther:e #e three 6ipesin the top row, of which bhe outsido loft (the pipes point awayfrom tho plal,sr'. body) has the stop undornea*,h and is control-

led by the second finger of the right hand. while the ofher twohave thoil etop6 on the upper side and are both controllecl bythe right thumb. The lower row ltag four pipes, of which theoutsicle lefL has the stop on thb uppor side and controlled bythe left thumb; the next pipe to it ha,s the stop belon, and iseontrolled by tho first Snger of the left hald; the remainiugtwo on the light also have the stop bolow, and are both controll.ed by the second or third finger of theleft hand. Thesetwo pipesaro tuned to the samo note. 'Ihe lowest pipe is tho onc ngxrto them, above which comes the outside leititand pipe of thatrorv and then the pair. on the right; above thie is th6 top rowIrorn right to left in asconding ordor.

Subdued but harmonious notos are proclucecl, including a I'air approsi -

mation to the huinan voico and an oxcellent imitation of the rroteJernitt,.etl by the wings of the great hornbill when flying overhead.

The legend of tho-origin of the gushein is that a chief hacl seveumueicians_who played in harmony on pipos of difforont, pitch. Fiuding by

some misfortuno tbat his musicians were reduced to bne he hit on-the.gxpedient of combining their instrumonts into oue by meAns of a gourd.'.Iho3Sh this instrumenl is rvidely known in south east Asia, being loundin tho mountains from Tonking to at lepst as far west as the Daflaiountryalrd as far south as Malay, and in the Philippin.es in the souf,h east, it isorn Assam eouth of the Brahmaputra, essentially an inetrumerrt of theKuki as clistinct from the Naga tribes to whom gonerally speaking it isunknown.

12. lhemlhai-jow's harp-a simple form.iu which the tongue ismado to vibrato by jerkingthe string tied at its root. The endof the tongue is.*i,eigfrteci--ith wax as by the tribes

"""tf, "lhe Br.ahmaputra, but otherwise it resembles the usual Nagaform.

13. $u-da r-ziihor-made from an internode of bamboo both nodesof which are retained. Three or moro strings ar.e nrade by incis-ing.the outer bark of the bamboo and raising strips of it underwhich are inserted at each end moveable pegs br bridges ofbamboo to make this solf-string taut and tunable. I'ho bamboo

is cut, away on the undorside to make the interior act as asounding board. This instrument, again is not Naga at all,but is common among the Kuki tribes and again oxtonds toMalaSr and to the Philippines. The Malays ca,ll it gendangbatak associating it with primitive tribes (Balfour, FasciaulMalayensao).

lI. Shilangda-fiddle-Though wolt known to I'hado folklore and

- r gu-bamboo, so there is no dorivation from i"guitar,,'; ttre per-plexing Khasi duttara for a species of guitar mav therefoio also be entiiolyfortuitous and duttara a,nd ,.guitarr'rmerely a caee of ,.oonvergonievclrrtion " from gu-da ancl x/dalo.

 

152 Journa.lol the Asi,oticBoc,iety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV, lg2g.J

tradition this instrument seems to have disappeared arnong theThado propor with whom I am in touch.-

-Ihave, how6ver,

obtained an old specimen from a villago of Chirus who call theinstrument sarangda. It is, ovon in name apparently, identi-cal with the Bengali sarind.a, a ;hree-stringed frddle pdyed witha_bow strong_with horsehair, The resonator has ioughl-r- the

r

160(a).

;€: 8.9 EiY > hoo-

E;;:st IE€:€*.E

J.P,A.S.B., XXIV, 1928.

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shape of a.flying_bird (whence, no cloubt, its appliciti'on inthe s-tory-App--endix A, vii) the .. tail ,' only being i6vered withparchment while the wings make an uncoveied hollow resonator.The end above the-keys is earved into a sibting bird both in theChiru specimens I have seen and in all the Bongali specimensin the Indian ilIuseum, but the only other specimdns of ihis tvrre

there come from the north-rvest irontier i,ncl have ,o "u,"ioidird above the koys, though otherwise rosernblinE the Bensaliinstrument. Tho bild represented was sairl by the Chirus to"bea dove or a pigeon,'and it and the rvhole bod.y of the instrrr-ment is carved from orre block of wood.

An almost complete set, of Thado musical instruments will be foundin the Oxford Univorsitv Museum. It should perhaps be added that toaccompany- dancing _tho long bamboo tubos used for water camying arestruck on the ground (node downwards, of course) to produco a- mrisiealnoto, but they are not ma,de for that purpose in sets toproduce a spocificsories of notes as aro the ,. dtflg tengkhin$ " of the Nlalay Poninsular,similarly used. The Besisi. by the rvay, like the Thado, use tho gudacalled ,,banJen$ " by them, and probably borrowed from Malayan trlbes,see Skeat and Blagden, Pagan. Races of the llalay Pen,insular, II, 140sqq. and ll7.

A musical instrument called phelphit is reported by Mr. Duncan,which consists of ten simple bamboo tubes 6f ,gladuated lengths. He

describes it as follows:-. "The notos are produced by llowing at,the opon end. Generally the

notes are only four, viz.. G (Soh), E (Me), D (Ray) and low C (Doh).Eaeh man holds a tube and blowe into it, at regular int6rvals to harmonizLwiththosympatheticnote played by anothor man. Theorder of the notesas they aro plaved is more or less as follows :-

I Harmonisation

This is the common harmonisation when a tiger or big game is killed.The Kotlhangs uso this form of music in dancing too, ind it serves asaccompaniment to the song."

M: R I D1 : S I M : R I DT.: S I M : R I D1 : S I MS: M I R : D1I S : M I R

Ii{

t

i

I

I

I

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i

II

^ oeEt o)

X H "'EBf

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l-

at-r7.HA^

€eFC)au,

H-t HIN

*dr(DA-

aiao

L)-

Isi$tfr

I

I

I

 

J.P.A.S.B., )(XIV, 1928.

h0

I

l5

gif,itis$ii:i6il

b0

k,.o@E E4?o€I APPENDIX G,

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trEdoo6l

o)9

Ee()o

.dg\o

t$.qr)'=dBB -i39a=(Di3 1iotroEt$)

OEo(Da€

c,oIEr.xG{.-

d,E

*,HSEg6HAE r e^ &H f : f,"€tgf r, s yss r:E i F: F E E

t ts aE: r; t;ssig;E:s

EEili$in EeiY;

$i;IiiBE i$iIi

^kh^D

E:EfE€rdsa'cPlq'i*

looiasOOtr,i p.s.9i 3 a'H

. Oq Obod o &E

a l.\

: -oil.::

\ //t.{

of -l -

@FSbO ,-

:-BIE.v' c,l

--=:--- _ _\:+,---- :---0-

l\ft scnr,r,expous Norrs.

INDOL The Indoi is the .. house-magie,,'a bundle of charms, whichis made either by tho thempu or by any other porson who has the roquigite

knowledge of_what.is required.and of the signihcation of the objecti usedand of the formulao usod in putting tliem together. .It c6nsigts ofceveu objocts bound with a single cord to a bamboo spike, some of th6objoets boing ornarnonted with feathers from a white

-cock,The soiki

is thrust into the thatch in the-porch of the house. The component liartsand their significance are as foilows:-

L. A pig's shull, toconfer vigour and ferbilitylike that of thefabledsow of Lheival (the place of origin of men), which had ten bonnivesat a farrorv, and which rooted up and rooted down, overthrowing greattrees, ovon as diseaso shall be uprooted and cast forth from the"b6diesof the owner of tho house and ail that dwell therein.

-_ .?. A goa!'s korn. bo confor beauty and vigour like that of the goat ofHeilhongpi (tho rock that c eats all water, and stands in the soa"wherethe rivers flowinto it),. with curling horns and long silky hair.. q. A m,i,mdatwre gourd, l,ad,l,e to confer plenry in allihat can bo liftedin a ladle-water, winn (i.e. rice-wino), grain, etc,

.4. . A mdniature gourd,, cormpl,ete, aoitai,ni,ng water and, eeed,s, bo conf.etrapid.increase-, prosperity and porfoction liko that of tho gourd, and

wealth in catfle, crope, and all olse, that ehall nevor dry up. -5. -A balual, (that is a circular stand for a jar, but it is represented ina .purely conventional m&nner by a fragment of split stick with acoiled eliver of bamboo pool) to eirsure thit all wealth acquired bv theownor is encircled and bound in as with a belval, and cannoi escape'or belost.

6. A minute bam,boo doo (chlmponp) of Kol-thi (i.e. iron of"Alva"-Burma) to enguro that evon a,B s,uch a dao will cut throustevorything thore is high up or lo.w down (kol-sa kol-Ihang), so iltevrl Bprnts that bring diseaso or misfortune shall be cleft and drivsnaway from the body of the ownor of the house and all that dwell thorein.

7. A rninuta bantboo spaar-kead, (theingcha) to onsuro that ovenag from ono horizori to the-othor (Koisa Kolhahg) fho spear is useJof all mon for slaying and killing, and there is nothin! that ii not pi"""uJby it, so all misfortuno and disease and ghosts (.ipughao palhao',i.e. ghosts oI cognatos and ghosts of agnates) ishall be-pi&ced ,'.rd"drirruoott.

-

The abovo seven are bound togothor on a singlo cord.flbro made

from the ffbro of the plant khaopl-and with the c6rd bound fast to ab_amboo spiko. Tho spear head is at one 6nd of tho cord, ths.dao' atthe other. On the two gourd articlos are feathers from a white oockfastened with wax.

8. Thc. bamboo spi,lce ie cut from tho cultivated bamboo onlv andconfers vitality.and straight strong growth like that of the cultivatodbamboo and ensules prolific increase like tho green shoots which thebamboo puts forth early.

-0. The cord enaunos that as the plant from which it cams walPp{uood from the earth and hae ten layLrs of cor6ox, so'shelt ttro ownorof the house and all that dwetl thorein be stronE. and thot

"ronor it

ie bound about tho bamboo spike, so ie all diseaje, miefortuno an,l oviibound faet and provented frdm attacking the ownor of tho homr *riJrta rnmatoa, end that even Bo'algo are oottle and oropr nud nll lrrltrtrof wealfh bound so that thoy onnnot osonpe him.

 

t54 Journal ol the Asia,tic Society ol BewJal. [N.S., XXIV,

10. The wkite ohicken, Jeathers ensure that as the white cock ofMolkoi rocalled the sun after the Thimzin and reetored the liehtdispelling the darkness so shall a,ll disaase misfortune and ovil be cleaiedaway from the persons of the owner of the house and tho rlwollerstherein.

The Shingshuan clan and their offshoots use a slightly difierent

J.P.A.S.B., XXIV, 1928. 153(a).

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indol. It has no cock's feathers and no gourd ladle, since tho thempuof the ancestor of the clan had the ill-luck to be .. chopped " by onemiosduring tho perlormance o{ the ceremonv and before iti-complotion. Asit could.nover be finished, the miniature gourd, which he was using, as inall Thado ceromonies, to pour libations to the spirits and rvhich he had

le{t unemptied was added to the indol. Having been killed moreover hewas unable to claim the baskot of grain rvhich is the roco$nized thempu,sfoe, and in consequence a minialure basket is attachid to the lidoiand whenever thero is a foast day observed in the house this rniniaturebosket is filled up with cooked millot as the thempu's share. It must bomillet not rice, as the ancestors of the clan used millot, sorghum and coixonly, rice being at that time unknown.

(X'rom information supplied by a thempu of the Shitnhao clan, which9bryrv_9s the Shingshuan custom, who made mo a Shin$Bh'uan indoi.J. H. H.)

OF SERPDNI'S. 'Ihe Thado beliovo in a serpent with seven nostrilswhich lives under wator and causeg men to drown by catching thom uuderwater and making thsm into pillows. This legendary serpsnt appoarsto be confused in genoral thought with the rock python, gulpi, whichis regarded with groat awe. Formorly it was tho only poisonous snake,and it bit a man and he died. It asked a little snake whether the manhad died or no. The Iitile snake roplied .' No, Listen how they ero

beating drums and drinking modhu (reiorring to tho funeral coremoiries);how ehould he havo died ?" The big one then said that his poison was ofno uB6, and vomitod it all over a plant. Tho other snakes divided up thepoison and becarue poisonous from that time, and last of all the littlered ant got what was left, and the plant had sharp edged leavos, so thatthey could not get the poison from the edges, and since then tho troe-netlle (Laportea crenulata) has stung men and the big suako has usedmagic instoad of poison.

.-. The awe o_f the python is common, but not universal, among the Naga

tribeg. The Chakroma Angami eat ii, but tho Ao and the Chang holdltin vory great awe, as do most tribeg in a losgor dogroe.

Great fear is felt by the Thado of a black snake called !,ulshle,which I have not boen able to idonfify. Tho malo is said to keep watchin a treo above the femalo when the latter is guarding her eggs in a nestontho ground. This sounds like the hamadryad, but the snake is reported .

to be totally blaok without any transverse bars at all and not to have anyhood, and- they have another name for the hamadryad. .However, s'o

great is the fear of this snake, which is said to be vory deadly, thata man who kille one may not enter the village that day. IIe throwsdown.on the path, as ho goes home, quantities of little loaves which thepurauing soul of tho vengeful snake-must count ere it can catch hirn.Siryilarly in_ the ceremony (al) performed for killing a tigor a wooden postwith meny incisione is put up. Above it hangs a rattlo tnade of * gourdand some slats of wood like bull-roarers (v. Shakespeoq Lualtei, KwlciCland, p. _207, illustratiou-). The tiger's ghost cannot paas the post to cometo tho village rnhero the slayer is till it liee counted the cuts on the post,and it can nevsr do this es tho gourd swinging in the wind and rattling

'repeatedly dietraots it, making itlose count.- fhe killer of the lulshte oireeching tho outskirte of his villago must split a bamboo placed upright inthe ground and scrape through betweon tho split sides closing thom quick-ly and tightly behind him and tying them togither.

Fig.2.-Indad of the Shingshuan clan.

Scalo c. [.

 

4

r928.1 Notes on, the Tlr.adau Kukis. IEE

'Ihe names of t'he follirving snakes may prove useful to sorneoni: :*Gulpi, rock python.Gulsho, harnadryad.ThanP,chorn, P"ussell's Viper.GulnEiong,shan, Comrnon Ltrimalayan Viper.

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Gullha, green pit viper.Gulvankal, groen t.reo-snoke.

If a snake be found oating anolher animal it is wrong to lot it go.Tho snake should be killecl.'

O? GH):;TS. 'fhe 'Ihado l:elieves in certain disombodiod spilits orbeings of a ghostly nature whictr aro apparently akin to the astral bodiesof humans, and are known as kau. Thusin-kau (:'houso ghosi.,') isused of the familiar spirit or rather of the astral body of the kaushi orvarnpiro (q.v.).

Kau-rnei (-' ghost-fire ') is apparently the Will o' the wisp, a"s it con-sists in small palo moving fires and is regarded as harmless to humanbeings.

Gim-kau.(:' jungle-ghost') on the other hand is dangerous. ltappears in tho night in tho form ot' a much more powe-rful light,- singleand. concontrated, but rvit'h some movoment, as it swells and sul:sides.It is often seen by parties fishing; rny informant watched one in thejunglo near Kohima; one wa,s seen by a woman of Thenjol in lg16 orthereaboutg, whon she left hor house at night. It rvas in the top of a treeand sho ran back to her house in torlor, fastoned tho door and faintod.She recovored onough to tell her husband what sho harl seen, but wassmitten with violent diarrhea and vomitting and was dea,d by morning.

In addition toghosts

thero ale theusual godlings of the jungle-

Thoee that prosiclo over trees (thin$bu ng,a) and those ihat presido ovorstonos (shoingbu nga), etc. Such an one is the G6rnnupi or '

jungle'wifo'of femalo shapo with red teeth and breasts that hang dowt to her hips'

VAMPIRES, The Thedo livo in great dread of vampires, kaushi,mon who can so projoct their astral bodios as.to entor into l;hose they wishto and dovour tlieir internal organs, particularly the liver and heart. So

groat is thoir lear of porsons reputed to have this -powerthat the;r will

not as a rule on any account mention the namo of a porson as being akauehi for fear thpt if tho vampire came to hear of it he would sta,ri todevour tho person who hocl spoken ill of him' Tho l{eithei oJ Manipurhavo a similar belief in vampires which they coll hin$chabi, and thoMaori also bolieve in varnpires who send their atua to enter & tttan'sbody and slowly eat away his vitals (Ok), New Zealand, ch. viii).Thil belief differs from the commoner belief in material vampiros whichattack persons bodily and suck their blood, much ae tho Sema Naga heliefin wer-leopards who project their souls into the familiar boast differsfrom tho cbmmonor bolief in a bodily transformation into a tiger or a

wolf.Somo Thado say that if a man is suffeting from the attacks of a vam'

piro, and his hair be cut off, it will be found, when he is recoverod of thedisoase, that his hair is iutac0 and that of the vampire hae.besn cut.

THE SOUL. The Thado sharoe with his Naga neighbours thoconcep-tion of tho soul as a minute roplica, of the individual, and like thom (theKaohha Nagas) etretches,a thrbad along side the plank across a ditch ora ladder up which ho may havo to climb in oriler that the soul rqa,y orou.

or olimb bisido him, Tiis is dono by a sick man who gooB to tho floldlto recall the eoul which hae played truant thero. The Khaeie olso uro

throad to mako a bridgo for the soul (Gurdon, op, ci,t., I4l)". l'hir urc.ofthreacl as a poth for thJaoul Booms to hivo been incorporotod irrto lSudrllrlrtritua,l &s a heans of bringing tho priest into oonta-ot witlt tho worihlp'

 

156 Jowrnnl, ol the Asiatia Boci,ety ol Bengal. [N.S., XXIV,

pars and eo, no doubt, incroaaing tho efficacy of their worghip. ojdeLewin-. Wil,il Races oJ S.E. Indda, lO5, ll<1, and cJ. 173, lg7, 209.

Thore appears to be gome idea that the cblour red has certain perti-cqlar property with regard to the soul, as red cloth may not be bluriedwith any person who leaves any surviving rolatives. perhaps the idea isthat the souls of tho survivors are attracted by the colour io follow the

re28.l Notes ott the Thadou Kukis. L67

hand the Semas would appesr to credit it with

;ffi,:l::***lf ##,l{ff{"te-"?=,t}t*s3"Jfi }3".f fl ffi :'J,'""if,*iltrSALAA.M.-OId and old-fashioned men among the Thado; when per-forming coremonies to propitiate a;j;;pt"it

";;;n&crron ro express theireverenco which consists in tie palms of tho-han-d-st;;;;;;

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to the next world and so c&uae the doath of the eurvivor also.

T H A Do M fr D I C I N p,-._The Thado is moro primitive than the Naga in

general in the treatment of dieease, in that he makes little use of sim6bs.being moro single-heartedly devoted to the ueo of ceremonial for the tureand prevontivo of illness. No sickness is in his opinion natural, but all is.due to tho ma.levolent attacks of evil spirits. Those Spirits, howevor, areIittle removed in conception from the notion of bacilli, Bnd the TLacloexplains tho efiectivenesi of European modicine, which he ,"aaif,v

"amii"-.s due to the fact that Europeans havo discovered the particuli,r odourswhich are noxious to particular epirits, and can thue drivo them away trrthe application, intomal or external as tho caee may be, of the ap'pro.priate.compound in eaohcaee.

-.P,recisolythe same tlieory is held by the

Tinguian of the Philippines (CoIe, Tka Tingu.ian, 409), and in SierraLeone in W. Afrioa (Beatty ,Ilurnam Leoptarils, 25). The view that illnees isdue to ev-il spirits probably still gurvivee in Europe (o. -Eotk-lore, XXXVII,iy-, f,-350 stq.). At any_rato it was strong in the XVILth century. Th;life of Jon Olafsson afiords a oase in point, as.hs ancl nine othei sailorsgot lgadaches on accorrnt of a,,ghostly presence,,on theirship (Life oJ

' Jon Ol,aJsson, I, 54), and the same idoa seeme to have aetrratod the iariou"sJohn M-ytton two- centuries later when ho set fire io his night ehirt (andhe inside it) " to frighten away the hiccougha."

Purely magical romedies are also resoited to by the Thado. Thus oremedy for heartburn is to tie round the neck a (?i clavicle bone from a

pig's throat. The reaeoning is obscure here, but it is clear onough in thep-ractice of tying a bit o( polished horn from the tip of the horn of a eoro*o(Caprieorn) round a wrist that has boen broken in ordor to etrenqthen it.for the joints and musoles of thie extraodinarily active cliff.dwolli-ne beasiere strong and masaive out of prbportion to ite sizo and weight, TEe iawof a monitor lizard (tho guisCrnp of Bongal) is used as ai antidote"iorlhe stings ol the treo-nettle (Laportea cr;nutdtol, the stung spot beingscra.pod with e piece of the jaw. The jaw-bono of a mird.-turile il11nil-arly used {or stings caused by the hairs of hairy caterpillarg, a,ndThados have agsevorated ttr mo that relief ig almost imhediat6. KaohhaNagas (Lyengmai) use the lizard jaw for both purposes..- Simp_le-s are used occasionally. One is-the yeliow berry of theplant Epillnga or llngkanS, (Solanum ,i,nd,icurn) dried and poundecl andsmokod in a pipe, as if tobacco, to alloviate toothache fhie berrv isused for tho same purpose by Khasis who put tho seeds of it on a hot iaoand inhale the smoke, whilo somo of the Kachha Nasa (Nruonsmai) outit into hot water and inhale the steam, also to alleviade tooth"ache,'thebolief being, a,s among tho Thado, that the minute worm which is gnew-

ing the tooth (?:the nerve) will bo killed and drop out (cf. Coli, TheTi,ngudan, loa. cit., also Burton, Arabi,an Ni,ghte, IV, lg$rr\. ' -

.['.tB.E.-]tow 6re is mado with flint and steel, and there eppeers tobe no tradition oven of the use of any other spperatus in the piit. Thefire-'stick (eplit.hearth'and flexible sawing-lfong) is hardly ever usedand then only by porsons who havo learnt itJ uso fi6m Nagas,

BULL-ROAR.OI?.-Th; Thado bull-roerer, raroly eeen, is tied by enotoh, not, apparently, Iike some Noga ones, by a- hole." It is so;e-times used to scare birds, but in the Shingshuan olan, &t any rete, theold men object to its use on tho ground thdt it calls up tho slirits.

-The

tame idea ie found in othor tribis of Aseam. Thue t'he Khisis eay theaame, and the Southern Sangtams tlrot it Bttrects tigers. On the other

]rlacinjand raisins them infront od ttu ?u"u-*1ln..irru tt"*-rJ'ti" fi"""#"":ead.This action distinctry suggests contect with some rndian curture ands perhaps to be compared- *i"tl

"""h;;;.,

""J't

"tof a word (taimar forhe number 10.000_; lakh, with ihe'p"""t["'.f

"irg;in

j r*ti;;I"?ti":

If ? g: _lpp""dix. A, Folk-iar",

-ii;.-;i,

fi;;; 16 Jnd with the ini;roducrionoI rorergn apparatus guch as kings and elophants t;t"-it,"Ji,:'I"'r[li.ili(c., Fotk.tale, No. vii). Cf. atso

"ia* epp"iak'g_Silt""'iai...At'CS.-(mit) i\{a;- kro got rid of by rying one in a liltle parcel andutting irinto the basker oi a visiroi at tLo irouie. C/. rh;;;il;;"i#;mothod of set,tins rid of. a *i"o"

"ii*",ii,-".g. llffii'6';r";;;';;i;;;;p. tBG ; I\tarsh aL:.,karen r""eii ij niii;:;:.;ii.C.&D?,S,-$tone adzes, although callecl ordinarily by anothor nama/ie'), aro none rho ress saict io-be sfirit:[;;; "r

"r.y.."1ri"iirrr;"Ll"irtrr,',]i,laecording to othor accouDts, pathdn hil;"li:r"rk;

so is eodetim". i"I".i.t"a by rh, b;;"i;;;;ffi;iill?Ti i#i;H,fr::,;,fhrows the hoe ho is making"ai ir,u'"i"-uau'io *.1" f,l. .i"p,;;ffi tffi;all to earth a.d me, nnaihern.-A;;;r;;;"sion says thar thev arlhrow, down becausr' the ma*er ir p""a=J"ir'i" rri."r,1"ari";;:"'fii;belief .that rhey, are thunderl:oG ,"a iirJ*i" ii

t rees i s ;lso h;id, ;;d;; i

"iu,igl;t l;;t iii J,,i" if Ja." HH'jr.r

t*:L::li:e he rvill believe that it is otlorwis;-;h;;;;"

"i;;--hil;ffffi:plit the tree, if the .,thuncler-bolt ;'d-o;;';;. "-

NA"URAL HISfORy.._.fhe Thado, though an accurate andenerally reliable observer^of

animals-wf,"iu".i'"""f, observation is ofirect and fppreciabte bone't to hinr,;.;;;;;;;_" of rhe habits of ani_a,ls that'e rvants for foo{, i,,,"i""""upuLl"u-"r ""tr"Lii.ti;;;r:[..han Plinv the -Elder in. ma*ers that, concirn frim less ,[ffi' mhT_;:largo and fleshv caternirar calleir iilgG;i; saru to turn into a smarlield morrse initead oi into a moth. if,Z L."" i..m a bear,s penis, iflropped into the vi,age. we,, *itt causo-ttJ'i*-."t* of rhe v,lase to-ecome presn an r by dri-n ki.g ;r,; ;

"i;;" d;; r'ffi i;."iN i r;" "iirs"

riicarls) is the priest of tho gibbon (Hvlobiii iiii""t-1. rrii"'"r"l"r"IJind a Thado will not rvi,in[ly hr"ilif;;;ili;. ;] Lowin Hitt Tracts of_h itta s o n s and th e D w eu e r s fu ," r, ti) i.- bi.

*1if,I, ;"r; ; ; ;L.i "i;" ;i,;"i"ljorrs.

DREAMS.-To dream-of.

a-weclding, according to the Thado, por_tends a death; to dream of the.death oti *""'fo""tels succesa in hunt.ing; the familiar failins dream i."it;ifi;;;';i'iie g"o*th of rhe bodv.The first and lasr of t"hese i"t.""p""iatiJi;";;_-;;" l""irr?"er#Ji

Isles, at any rare in rreland, anrt ir; fi;;;; ;;; ;;"". is sharect atso bvhe.Sema. Naga. - Anothe" d"ea*, tf,rt-.iifr"'i".. .f"

i..ifr,-t" illd;r"ortondthe death oI a near relative purti""fu"h, say thrih;d;,';;"d;mother's side. The Angami-go. f";tii".-;"J"Lry ir is acruallv themother's brother's deat h" whieh- i"

-

i.""l"ra]"hh;"M;-i;",r

irr"'irr"'Jllhowever, seem to see in this. ar"u* *urery u]"l"ug" .r, i".irriL'i"rr"family, and the death of a frienJ .; ;i-; I"i#".-i.-lt" E;ii#ffi;n Europe as well.

/SfNUS IN ,IEGULI^S._For a clog or a goat to climb on to theroof of a house ie an omen of terrible *i;i;;;"; ?; ite inhabitani;,-- --

frYO.E^Sf.-This crirne,.when it occurs, which ie very rarely, ir punlfh.ed by oxpulrion from rhe viuage. Tnu;;ly';;;;i';r";iile-bi;fii'illi

 

158 Journal olthe Asiatic SocietE ot' Bertgal^ [N.S., XXIV, 1928.1

of a man of Thengbung by whon-r his own mother hacl a child. Both wereturned out of Ther:gbung.

S?ONAS,-Stones aro used as substitutes whon a man wishee to breaka tabu on leaving home. A small oblong stone is ta,ken ancl set upright inthe ground. -{ little food and drink is suppliecl for it and it remains andobservos the tabu while tho man himself goes abroad. Stones are so

set up by Nagas for that

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,l oftenthat the Thado leaves his, or ono of his, at, home in the stone when hegoes out.

GAMES.--Gamos played by clrilclren incluclo a ganle t'ith peg-tops,and a gamo in which two boys amuse themselvos by dressing up as a man

and his rvife and successfully taking in strangers. The Thado, however,an<l I have mado rnany enquirios, seem to havo no trace, unloss this gameis such, of tho eustom common to so many tribes of Malay affinities, inclu-ding the Lushei, wheroby some rnales dress as females and follow femaleoccupations. IIr. Shaw, howevern states thot impotence ig commonamong the Thado, and it may be that this is a symptom of the sameohvsical tendencr'.' " C"t'" craclles-are another Thado game, antl one of the ffrst I saw wascalled " duck's foot," and is mado by the Kabui also. In Samoa liko.rvise, this samo figure is callerl " the threo toed cluck " (Hornell, " Cat'scradles " in Di,scoaery, April 1028, p. ll2).

A form of dance, somewhat on the linos of a sword danco, has beendescrihecl to me by Mr. Duncan (I have not yet seon it myself), calledeu'taldm' in which the dancer dances between four men who face oach otherfrom opposite sides of a Blluare, each pair holding two bamboos ono ondin each hand.. As tho one pair closes their bamboos togother, tho ofherpair parts theirs at right angles, and so alternately in varying time, whilethe dancer has to skip from the spacos formecl by the closirtg bamtroos

into thoso formed by the parting bamboos in time to tho singing andwith enough agility to savo his ankles from severe contusion.

.{PPENDIX H.

ANTEr{opoMETRy.

The measurements,giv-er b-elow are thoFe taherr by mo from sixtyi:,111JI

fifreen fematE Thado in igzi.:"Tr," averages work our a!Ileight d i608.7

r.ength or hoacr : i639;'

Broaclrtr of head j l:f.J

Nasar

lengrh I Ltrl,Nasal breadth : ,-6.,

oephalic index J iA !? 76.6

Nasal index d sO.Z

I 8l'1

._, -Th.qtg tigures agree p1'o-tty closely wjth those given for Kukig bvvaddell in ,rribes oitn" Eiahriaprrtii'v"iri'ti,'a,'s."ij.l'xix, til^ffidi.xcept in tho matler of nasal width fr"-ilfii"fr-f,f uddell,s figure is dis_tinctly.higher on rhe who.le. \\,il;fui;;;;i.r, toor. all his meaeure-monts but ono from rnembers of t.e Laktrer L"ii" i" the south r,ushaiEills, and thoro were oven fewer.";J;";" ;;;;*ii ry hil th;;";;;;:-,(Ed.)

 

Jutmal ol th,e Asiatic Bociety of Benga.l. [N.S., XXIV,

o

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E- g^tHt?Es E*Ea6; f

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t0totes on th,e Thailau Kulcis,928.1

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1S2 Journal of the As,iuttc Societg ol Bengal. [N.S., XXM928.]

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Brsr,roenapny ox. rup Tueno.

In an Appendix to Mr. Mills' 'Ihe Ao Nagas. I have given a biblio-graphy of the Naga Hills down to 1925 which includos a number of books

dealing with the Ttrado in particular and tho Kuki race in general.T. C. Hodson has given a good bibliography in his Thado Grammar, ar,dColonel J. Shakospear has also given a Lushei-l'hado bibliography in hisThe Lushed Kulci, Clans. I give here, therefore, only such reforences ageithor bear on the Kukis as a whole, irrospoctivo of individual tribes, or onthe Thodo in particular, and includo nothing which relatos exclusively toeome other.branch of I(ukis. lVorks marked with an asterisk contain atleast one illustration of a Thado.

I. 1840 ['ishor, Capt., Memoir oJ Sulhet Cachar and the AdjacentDistricts. J.A.S.B.,IX. pp. 836, 837.

2. 1854. Jenkins, Col., An Account oj the Assam Tribes in Mills'Report on the Prouince o! Assam.

3. 1855. Butler, Major .I., Tra.uels anrJ Aduentures ia lssarz* (SlnithElder, London) pp. 80.101.

4. 1855. Stewart, Lt. R., Notes on Northent Cacha,r; J.A.S.B.,XXIV, pp. 617-6{9 ; $56-675; 685.691.

5. 1857. Stewarb, Lt. R,., Slight ttotice oJ the ()rantmar o! the llhad.ouor New Kookie. Language, J.A.S.B., XXV, pp. 178 sqq.6. 1859. McCulloch, Major .W., Account oJ the Vailey of Munnipore,

_(Calcutt-a) ; Jp. 55.64, Appondix fI, ancl Vo'cabularf pp.'xi to xliir.

7. 1872. Dalton, E. T., Ethn.ograptty oJ Bangat* (Calcutta) pp. 44.4gll,nct /D.

8. 1873. Butlor, 9apb" J,,-,Vocabu,lary oJ some oJ the Dialects spolceni,n the Naga Hills, J.A.S.B., XLII, pt. t, Appondix.

9. 1874. Brown, R.. .Account oJ Manipur anil, th,e Hill Territory,1873, pp. 47.it.

10. 1874. Campbell, Sir^G. S-peci,mens ol Languages oJ Ind,i,a (Cal-

cutta), pp. 204-2t7.

Il. 1875. Damant, G. H., The North Cachar Hi.tts and, thei,t Inhabi,_tants, in the Calcuttct Reaieus, voI. LXI, pp. g7-gg.

12. 1876. Daman6, G. H., Reytort on, a ?our i,n ihe Nortk CackarHi,lls.

13. 1879. Huntor, W. W., Statisticq.l Accoumt of Asso,m. (Londont.II, 186 to 188, and 884 to BBZ, and eliewbere iu. inau* .i.u. " Kuki ").

14. 1880. Damant, G. El.,._lfloJes on the Locali,ty and, populatiort, oJ th,eTri,bes ilwelling between, the Brafi,rnaputri u,ru) Niiothi,Ri,aers, J. R. A.S., XII, 228 _ZBt, 2ts7 _2J5, 252_Zi;,6.

16. l88f i\[ackcnzie, A.. , History_o_J the Relations oJ (]otserttment utilltthe Hi,ll Tribes oJ the N. E. Erontier of'Benqel (C,alt,ur,tiit.Ch. xv and part's of xvi and xxi an& ."rrio pl__nli" ilitho,. appendixes', (stic).

16. 1884. Soppitt, C. A., Short Accou)tt oJ the Kulci rttttl, l,nnlril ,ltt,t.bes on the N. E. pronti.er (Striilong).

 

164 Jowrnq,l ol the Asiatic Bociety ol Benclal. [N.S., XXIV,

17. 1886. Ilunter, !V. W., Imperial (lazetteer oJ Inilia, (London), vol'X, pp. 150-151.

13. f 886, Dun, E. IF|., Gazetteer oJ fulr-tnipur (Calcutta), pp. 32-36.

19. 1887. Wstt, D. G., The Aboriginat Trihes o! Manipur, J.R.-1.1',XVI, PP. 349'350.

r928.1 Notes on tke Thadou Kukis. t06

No. 16 Soppitb (Account ol thn Kuki,atuilI'ltskdiTribes), whioh' like

t{o. l, i""o*

ulioUtui"utrtu. Tirere ie a c-opy in th€ Ijbrarv of th," P:p::{bommis"ion""'s Office at, Kohima, and another is. possessed D{ lqeCatholic Miseion in Shillong. He gives somo interestilc. e!9 remarr<aDto

details, elsewhere unrecorddd, but c{ealing with the Sakchip (?'e' 'r iPp€-ra,'

'nd Bieto sub-tribes, as well as with the Thado, does not alwey€- 9t99rly.disiinguish between fhe customs of the Thado and of theso Old llukri"iU""i*frif" the section on language is baged on llrangkol and Biote'

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20, 1892. Gait, E. A,,Cemsus oJ Intlia,, Asscr,rn, vol. I, pp. l8l' 182

and 251,252.

21. 1893. Elles, Col. 8.P,., Mil,itary Beport on the Chirt LusheiConr"lry (Simla), (Shillong)' P. 16.

22. 1894. Davis, A. ${,, Gazetteer oJ the North Lushai Hills (Shillong),pp. 3 Eq.

28. t896. Johnstono, Genl' SirJ., fuIy Eryterien'ces in Maniputanil' the

Naga Hi,lts, pp. 25'27 and olservhere, e.97. ia ch. sx(London).

24. 1896, Carey, [1. S., ancl Tuck, H. N., ?ft'e Chi'tt' Hi'l'ls, vol' l, ch'xii ancl Pt. II Passirn.

25. 1900. Scott, J' and Hardiman, J. P" Qozetteer oJ Upper Burtrwa,nclthe Skan States (Rangoon), vol. l, part i' page 437'

26. 190I. War.ldell, L. A. , Tfibes oJ th.e Bttilzntaputrrt' Valley'

J.A.S.B., LXrX, 50-52.

27. lg}2. Allen B. C., Assam Consus R,opolt, pt. i, page 90'

28. 1902. Allen, B' C., A.ssant Di,sttict Gazetteers, vol, 1, Ctrchar

(Shillong) PP. 5l ancl 52'

29. f903-'27. Griorson, Sit G., Littgttistic Suruey ol Inrlia, (QalcrtttaL

III, iii, l'19, 59-71 and S8-105, I, i' 40'49 and 7l to 77

and maPs.30. 1906. Shakespear, Major L. W., Military RepofiontheNagaHills

(Simla)' Page 19.

31. 1906. Ilodsnn, T. C., Tha,lo Gru,mmdr (Shillong)'

32. 1912. Shakespea,r, Lt.-Col. ,L, Tha Lushei' Kulci' Clans (London\,

Pt. II, ch. iv and vi.

33. 1913. Shakespeer, Lt.-Col. L.W', Mi'l'itarA-leport dn th'e X(tqo

Hills:zr.d. Edition, (Simla). pp. 38' 39.

34. 1924. Ilutton, J. H., Occurrence oJ the Blow'gwn i'n Aesan?',* Man,XXIV' viii,77

35. 1927. Vickers, Col. A., Amonq tke Kwlcis, Blackwood's Magazine'

36. 1927. Crawford, C. G., Hanilboolc o! Kuki' Custom (Manipur)'

37. 1928. Mitls,J. P.,TkeHi'tlTribes oJ Ayqm, IV,TheKukiClans'*Assam Review I, iv, (June 1928), pp 9-ll'

OfthoabovereforencesNos.2Tand2g,HodsonandGrielson'arei-oo-riu,nt-fo" tho language, and No. l5 is important for the early his'

ilr'y ;i ;h;;ations of"thi Thado with Govornment' For Ethnology the

following are imPortant :-No. 4-stewart (Nores on Nortk Caahar\, now unobtainablo, but large'

ly reprodueed in

No. 7--Dalton (Ethnogrctphy o! Bengalf which' as reproducing

St"*u"rt i"" "o""Lu'to"rr,ir

itie mdsu valuable early authority with tho

possible excePtion of

No. G-MoCulloch (Val'ley o! Mwani'pote) ar,d

No. 9-Brown (Account oJ Munipurl.bol'h of whom give short.but as

farastheygoaccura,to&ccountBoftho.Iharloofthe,Vlantpurlitateslxtyto sovonty Years ago, and

No. 24 Carev and Tuck (The Chi,n IIilIs) deals primarily with Chins'

of whom it hal exeellent ill.strations, but Part II relatog gonerally to

the Chin Kuki I'ribes as a whole'

No.30 Shakelpear (Lushei, Kubi Clans\ though primarily concomed

rvith the Lushei dials (in part I1) with the non-Lushei Clansircludrng

tho Thado, on rvhom it is tho best recent authority'

No. 34 Crawfotd' (Kulci Custom) deale with Thaclo custom' uot Kuki

"".t"-'i"-gu""ral,and is valuable,'but contains little, if anything' that'

is not included in this volume.

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J.P.A.S.B., xxlv, 1928.[rl,it,t't,r L

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Fig. l(o).

(Lerrgjarrg of 'I'arrinq, Khulhou clan.)feather plumo).

Thado dtessed for ntrr or hunting (ot) rvith tlintlock gun, and 1by in ceremolial cl.llr(thangn'ang) arrtl headgear t j"u,ciiai--hair. arrtl cowrie irran'trt uakir-feather nr,,-or

 

J.P.A.S.B., XXIV, 1928. L)t,atllu 7,

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Iloikhunem of Kanjang village--(Telshing clan).

 

SKETCH MAP sHowlNg-THE LOCALIT INHABITED BY THE

SETLLONGo l

\1Dt

gttt "

lref' /...6

"o" /

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