ASPECTS OF CHAKHESANG FOLKLORE A Critical Study A THESIS Submitted to NAGALAND UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Philosophy in English Submitted by ANEILE PURO Ph.D. Regd. No. 512/2012 of 21.08.2012 Under the Supervision of Dr. JANO S. LIEGISE Associate Professor Department of English Nagaland University DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH School of Humanities and Education Nagaland University Kohima Campus, Meriema 2017 ASPECTS OF CHAKHESANG FOLKLORE A CRITICAL STUDY A Thesis Submitted to NAGALAND UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH By ANEILE PURO Ph.D. Regd. No. 512/2012 of 21.08.2012 Under the Supervision of Dr. JANO S. LIEGISE Associate Professor Department of English Nagaland University Department of English Nagaland University Campus: Kohima -797 001 2017 NAGALAND UNIVERSITY (A Central University established by the act of Parliament, 35/1989) Department of English Kohima Campus, Kohima-797001 14th of May 2017 SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled, Aspects of Chakhesang Folklore: A Critical Study, is a bonafide record of research work done by Ms Aneile Puro, Regn. No.512/2012, Department of English, Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, Meriema during 2012-17. Submitted to the Nagaland University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English, this thesis has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma, or other title and the thesis represents independent and original work on the part of the candidate under my supervision. Ms Aneile Puro has completed her research work within the stipulated time. The 15th of May, 2017 SUPERVISOR Kohima (DR. JANO S. LIEGISE) Associate Professor Department of English Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, Meriema Kohima-797001, Nagaland. CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I, Aneile Puro, hereby, declare that the thesis entitled, Aspects of Chakhesang Folklore: A Critical Study, is a bonafide record of research work done by me, under the guidance and supervision of Dr Jano S. Liegise, Associate professor, Department of English, Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, Meriema, during the period of my research (2012-2017), and it has not been submitted, either in full or in part, to any other university or institution for the award of any degree, diploma, or title. Place: Kohima ANEILE PURO Date :15th of May 2017 Research Scholar Countersigned Countersigned (DR. JANO S. LIEGISE) Head Supervisor Department of English Associate Professor Nagaland University Department of English Kohima Campus, Meriema. Nagaland University Kohima Campus, Meriema. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my Supervisor, Dr. Jano L Sekhose, Supervisor, Associate Professor, Department of English, Nagaland University for her individual guidance, understanding, encouragement, patience and her overall support, all of which has enabled me to complete this study. My gratitude also extends to the Chakhesang elders, who have walked down memory lane, those who knew folklore and songs. Thanks to two elderly persons from Enhulumi village who narrated and sang a popular song, "No Hi Mozho", sung by men to woo ladies and vice – versa. It would be incomplete without mentioning the names, Desmond, my school teacher, who has helped in translation and Bodzuwe Rose for helping in the typing works. This work would not have been possible without my dear husband, Merimvu Doulo for understanding and encouraging me, accompanying me for field works from the beginning till the end of my work. To my daughters, Love-u and Beve-u, the joy of my life. Finally, to God, for sustaining me to complete this work. Place: Kohima ANEILE PURO Date: 15th May, 2017 Research Scholar TABLE OF CONTENTS SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1-25 CHAPTER 2: Socio - Cultural Aspect 26-84 CHAPTER 3: Religious and Political Aspects 85-123 CHAPTER 4: Folk Narratives 124-224 CHAPTER 5: Traditional Words and Conceptual Terms 225-242 CHAPTER 6: Conclusion 243-263 BIBLIOGRAPHY 264-274 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Over generations, legends, myths and oral narratives have been passed down the ages in the form of folklore. Folklore in a very simple definition is the lore of ‘oral tradition' that is passed down from one generation to another. It includes the customs, stories, sayings, riddles, proverbs, idioms, songs, art and culture of a particular group of people, with more or less the same ethnic background, geography, religion, language, costume etc. Today, folklore studies, in its broader aspect, are inclusive and cover folk way of life. The word “Folklore" was coined in 1846 by William Thoms and began as a study of antiquities and as K.D. Upadhyaya has stated in A General Survey of Folklore Activities in India: Folklore is a fascinating study for the understanding of the social customs and religious beliefs of the people. In Europe and America various societies have been established to collect folklore material in the form of ballads, songs and tales. Such societies have successfully investigated problems of deep social interest. In India folklore studies offer fertile research areas. India is a country which is very rich in the materials of folklore. It is a land where many races have intermingled. This is why practices of different patterns of traditions, rites, customs, rituals, beliefs, and culture are to be seen ( 201-202 vol 4,No 4). 1 1. FOLKLORISTICS AS THE STUDY OF FOLKLORE In Folkloristics, as the Study of Folklore, it is important to underastand how the component parts of the terms ‘folk’ and ‘lore’ were first considered to mean. The word ‘folk’ originally was applied to rural, frequently poor, and illiterate peasants only. A more contemporary definition of folk is a social group which includes two or more persons with common traits, who express their shared identity through distinctive traditions. Folk is a flexible concept which can refer to a nation or to a single family. This expanded social definition of ‘folk’ supports a wider view of the material considered to be folklore artifacts. These include things people make with words, ‘verbal lore’, things they make with their hands, ‘material lore’, and things they make with their actions, ‘customary lore’. The folklorist studies the traditional artifacts of a group. They study the groups, within which these customs, traditions and beliefs are passed on. Tradition, as the Folkloristics say, is initially a remembered behavior. Once it loses its practical purpose, there is no reason for further transmission unless it is imbued with meaning beyond the initial practicality of the action. The above understanding is the core of folkloristics, the study of folklore. For a wholistic account of Chakhesang folklore, the present thesis will attempt to present and examine into those components that go into the construct of folklore in its wider perspective i.e. both oral tradition and folklife. As aspects of such, ‘verbal lore’, ‘material lore’ and ‘customary lore’ will be considered. 2 This study hopes to provide a basis for further intensive investigations into Naga folklore or comparative studies, nationally or internationally. Nagas inhabit a corner in the Northeast of India. The term ‘Naga’ has been subjected to various interpretations. Kumar in Naga Identity writes: Capt. Butler linked the term with Hindi word ‘Nanga’ and Bengali word ‘Nangta’, and some with Sanskrit ‘Nagna’. The words mean naked. Gait, Peal, Holecombe and Elwin link it with the word ‘Nok’ (meaning people in Nocte; Sanskrit ‘loka’ people). Qwen favours the derivation of the term from ‘Nag’, meaning mountain. Hutton favours its derivation from the Sanskrit ‘Nagna’… E.T. Dalton has also linked the term ‘Naga’ to the Sanskrit root, meaning ‘Naked’ to the Sanskrit ‘Nag’, snake (24) Thus, ‘Naga’ is a generic term given to the natives, who do not have a common native language, and who lived in isolation from each other, for centuries. Chasie points out that researchers have noted of how ancient Hindu literature mentions about “early Indo-Mongoloid (Kirati) in eastern India” known as cave dwellers, of indicators that the region provided travel route to China for Roman and Greek merchandise, of Nagas being 3 mentioned in the chronicles of the Ahoms when in 1228, the Tai-Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from Burma through Naga territory (26). Today, there are sixteen recognized tribes in Nagaland viz the Naga tribes of the Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Konyak, Khiamniungan, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchugru and Zeliang. The Kachari and the Kuki are also included among the recognized tribes of Nagaland. They spread over eleven districts, namely, Kohima, Mokokchung, Phek, Longleng, Zunheboto, Peren, Kiphire, Tuensang, Wokha and Dimapur. Nagas also inhabit adjoining areas of other states, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, as well as the country of Myanmar, erstwhile Burma. The district of Phek is home to the Chakhesang group and the Pochury group of tribes. Tradition and culture are an integral part of Naga society. Nagas have been living with traditions and culture. With the advent of Christianity, the attitudes towards their mythical beliefs are gradually changing. In a generation, folklore has been orally passed down to the next because of the fact that they have a strong belief or has a moral behind them. Much folklore has evolved in the form of myths, legends and has representations through symbols, linguistic forms, rituals and other aesthetic or expressive manifestations through culture and tradition. 4 An indepth study of the culture and tradition of the Nagas remains a challenge nevertheless, interesting and worth noting to let its legacy live on. N. Talitemjen Jamir and A. Lanunungsang stress this in Naga Society and Culture: Every society and culture has its own beauty and charm. The Northeastern part of India is absolutely a land of tribal people having very rich cultural heritage that speaks the fact of the great culture of our country.