Preview

Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion

Advanced search

Head meant for man vs. man meant for head. Perceptions, customs and practices of Naga tribes (North-East India)

https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2022-1-44-54

Abstract

The present case study dwells upon the vision of a human head in the popular mind of the Naga tribes living in the state of Nagaland, India, in whose perception a human head has direct association with the fertility of both man and land, which triggered the desire to possess more heads and, consequently, resulted in head hunting once widespread in the countries of South-East Asia, Burma, Indonesia, New Zealand. The paper is based on the material provided by the monographs of British anthropologists published in early twentieth century and the field work done by the author in Naga villages after 2012.

About the Author

A. A. Bychkova

Russian Federation

Anna A. Bychkova, independent researcher

Moscow



References

1. Elwin, V. (1969), The Nagas in the Nineteenth Century, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

2. Furer-Hiemrndorf, Ch., von (1968), Naked Nagas, Thacker Spink & Co, Calcatta, India. Hutton, J.H. (1968), The Sema Nagas, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.Hutton, J.H. (1969), The Angami Nagas, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

3. Hutton 1968 – Hutton J.H. The Sema Nagas. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968. 467 p.

4. Hutton 1969 – Hutton J.H. The Angami Nagas. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969. 499 p.

5. Imsong, M. (2009), God – Land – People, an Ethnic Naga Identity, Heritage publishing House, Dimapur, India.

6. Medvedev, S.V. (2017), Mozg protiv mozga [Mind versus brain], Moscow, Russia.

7. Mills, J.P. (1973), The Ao Nagas, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

8. Tajenyuba Ao (1957), Ao Naga Customary Laws, Tajenyuba Award Trust, Mokokchung, India.


Review

For citations:


Bychkova A.A. Head meant for man vs. man meant for head. Perceptions, customs and practices of Naga tribes (North-East India). Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion. 2022;(1):44-54. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2022-1-44-54

Views: 694


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 2658-4158 (Print)