KONYAK NAGA

TATTOOED HEADHUNTERS
PRESENTED BY - SINCHANA S BIRADAR 2GI21AT051
SUJAY J KHADE 2GI21AT055
KONYAK NAGA
THE HEADHUNTERS  WHO ARE KONYAK NAGA ?  LOCATION OF KONYAK NAGA
 They are inhabit of the mon District, which is
also known as The Land of the Anghs.
 The konyak people , also known as the
Konyak Naga,
 These are also known as Headhunters.
 There approx. population is 320,000
[Assam,Nagaland & Myanmar]
 The Konyaks are traditional hunters and
warriors of Nagaland but now their main
occupation is agriculture.
 Before the arrival of the British, the term NAGALAND, INDIA TERRAINS OF MON DISTRICT
"Naga" was used by Assamese to refer to
certain isolated ethnic groups. INDIA
 they were known as war loving and often
attacked nearby villages of other tribes
taking the heads of opposing warriors as
trophies to hang in the Morong (a communal  Longwa village, Mon district of Nagaland,
house). India.
 They live on high rised sufaces .
 THE 16 MAIN NAGA TRIBES OF NAGALAND  Nagaland has a mansoonal climate [wet-
dry].
 The Konyaks can be found in
the Mon district of Nagaland, India and in
Myanmar, in
the Tirap and Changlang districts
of Arunachal.
 Konyak village is divided into different
sections called the Baan.
SETTLEMENT OF KONYAK TRIBE [HIGH LEVEL]
 Nagaland is a hilly state in the North East of India and is home to several tribes. Nagaland state is comprised of 12 districts as of
PHOM SANGTAM KHIAMNIUNGAN 2020. There are officially 16 recognized tribes by the Nagaland Government.
 The average elevation of the villages is between 900 and 1,200 meters. Because of the mountainous terrain and the threat of invasion
by neighboring tribes, these small villages were originally intended to be self-sufficient and secure. Consequently early explorers
reported that Naga villages were heavily fortified.

 WHY ARE THEY CALLED AS HEADHUNTERS ?

YIMCHUNGER LOTHA CHAKHESANG

KONYAK SUMI KUKI AO POCHURY

 Head hunting was the war-art of capturing the head of an enemy, which, was seen as a rite
of passage for young boys to turn into men.
 Capturing the head of an enemy meant to capture the spirit that the enemy had, and was
largely seen as a sign of unwavering courage and bravery.
 Buffalo heads decorate many houses, signifying the number of feasts the owner has held.
CHANG ANGAMI RENGMA KACHARI ZELIANG  The Konyak Naga tribe are a fierce warrior tribe, known for their ferocity and warring
 There are 16 officially recognized tribes by the Nagaland Government. practices with neighboring villages. They are known for their headhunting prowess, where
 The ‘Sixteen (16) Recognized Tribes of Nagaland’ includes the following: Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Kachari, Khiamniungan, they used to sever the heads of their enemies and bring back the victim’s head to the
Konyak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchunger, and Zeme-Liangmai (Zeliang). However, some sources village as a trophy. These heads would then be adorned on the walls and doorways of the
also include Kachari and Kuki in the list. warriors’ homes. The men who would bring back a severed head used to be hailed as a
 The fighters, the soldiers, the head hunters and the strongest people dwelling in the highlands of Northeast India. hero and a warrior.
 Each tribe is distinct in character from the other in terms of customs, language and dress.  Headhunting was once the heart of Naga society. Almost all the tribes in Nagaland used to practice headhunting. But it is the Konyak
 Tribes of Nagaland include a major part of the Nagaland community. tribe that holds a special place in the stories and lores surrounding them.
 KONYAK TATTOO  KONYAK JWELLERIES
 The prominent and iconic facial tattoo of the Konyak men is a depiction of this  As jewelry is so important to Konyak culture, it represents standardized symbolisms and spiritual beliefs.
unique cultural practice that distinguish the Konyaks to the rest of the world.  Among the nagas, necklaces that are thick with many strands are ordinarily worn by women.
Various other tattoo design patterns on the bodies of both men and women  They believed that the thicker the neckpiece, the higher the presumed wealth of the wearer and one’s
are a direct visual representation of this unique traditional practice. family.
 The former warriors wear jewelry and tattoos that signify how many people  These often arose from the natural environment, and such symbols often represent fertility and health.
they have killed and how many heads they brought back from raids on other  These are made of animal teeth, glass beads, wild banana seeds.
tribes.  Wearing tiger teeth symbolizes the courage of man who have hunted and exterminated tigers.
 The warriors of the Konyak Naga would kill an enemy and bring back their  The old men of the hill villages still wear bronze trophies around their necks.
head as a trophy, they would then be rewarded with a ceremonial tattoo on
their face or chest.
 In their old tradition they take enemy’s head during war, this allows them to
decorate their face and body with tattoos as a sign of reward.
 Tattoos in Konyak society symbolizes the rank of a person in the society as it is
given to Kings, prince, warriors and also to women when they reach certain
stage.
 They can be grouped into two groups, namely “Thendu”, which means the
“Tattooed Face” and “Thentho”, meaning the “White face”.
 Facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy’s head.
Red beads in a collar indicate danger, blood, and flame cylindrical Konyak collar are adorned with small size heads made of brass.

 KONYAK ATTIRE
 The konyak men were said to wear nothing but a bare apron to conceal their private
parts.
 The konyak women were said to wear only a skirt to cover their bottoms, 10-inch –long
below there knees.
 Instead of clothing they wore headgear, armlets, necklaces, earrings, braclets, cane
leggings & other items to beautify and cover onself.
 Konyak Naga Beaded Belt/Sash from North East India. Approximately 33" long and 4.5"
at its widest point. This piece of attire was only worn by the girls.

 POPULATION DATA OF NAGA TRIBES  WORSHIPS AND BELIEFS

 The district had a population of 250,260 persons with the  The head hunting rites were
Density of Population (Persons per sq Km.) at 140. The overall not merely a function of
Sex Ratio Total (Number of females per 1000 males) was at tribal warfare and barbarism
899. but also the fact that they
believed in natural forces
and supernatural [the
head was considered as the
power source for fertility] .
 The captured heads were kept and fed with
offering during the fests.
 Connection between the skull and the soul was
believed by these people. They believed in
supernatural forces,souls and different gods.
 LANGUAGE
 KONYAK FESTIVAL - AOLEANG
 The Aoleang festival is the base and major festival of the Konyak Naga tribe celebrated in the Mon
district of the tribal state of Nagaland, India.
 The Aoleang celebrates the arrival of spring and prays for a good upcoming harvest. The
celebrations are held in the first week of April and coincide with the start of the Konyak New Year.
 The locals celebrate the weeklong festival singing, dancing, sacrificing and feasting to appease the
god of harvest for better harvest all round the year.
 The harvest was inaugurated by festival lasting for two days with slaughter of pigs and cattle8s
and form of celebrations was by exchanging gifts singing dancing together, after the festival they
worked to get the grains to the village. wealthy people hired labor for this task and managed to
store huge amount of grains in granaries.
 The glorious age of head hunting of Konyak is a past now, these festivals are still is a way to
showcase their days of gun power and hunting.

 The Konyak language belongs to the Northern

Naga sub-branch of the Sal sub-family of Sino-
Tibetan.
  KONYAK NAGA RITUALS
There are some religious rites and rituals performed
during birth, death & marriage -
BIRTH There are some religious rituals
and ceremonies performed after
the birth. During the birth,
husband and some elder women
assist in delivering the child.
There was no doctor or hospital
and delivering child is depended
on the experienced women who
help in delivering the baby. The
labor pain women are usually
given some salty chicken soup in
order to deliver the baby with
good strength.
The young boys and girls are restricted to be present in the
room during child delivering. It is a belief that if the small boys
or girls crossed over the blood or fluids, it will squabble with the
child in the future. When the baby is delivered, either mother or
father cut the umbilical cord with a sharp bamboo knife and
bury in the ground inside the bedroom. The culture of delivering
baby is still practice in the village.
DEATH
 HOUSES OF KONYAK NAGA
 Naga villages are autonomous units situated on hilltops.
 The houses are made of bamboo, wood, and thatch.
 Houses are in recatagular plan with sloping roof.
 The houses have low surface area.
 Hunted heads are hanged around the dwellings.
 Villages have one or more entrances that were once guarded heavily .
 The houses were entirely spacious carved from wood with a living room as a common room for family
and guests) weapons and tools were kept separately the only source of light in these houses were light
from living room.
SCATTERED PLANNING
 FOOD CONSUMPTION
 Konyaks eat a lot of pork and Mithun meat, as well as rice
and other green vegetables. The Konyaks eat a variety of
meats as well as root and leafy vegetables.
 The Konyaks utilize the tubers not only as foods but also
• TYPICAL NAGA TRIBE HOUSE PLAN as medicines to cure ailments. • NAGA TRIBE KITCHEN
 Rice is the staple food of Konyaks, which is consumed
thrice daily along with a meat dish and a boiled vegetable
dish.
 Maize and millets are also consumed in small quantities.
 Rice beer and black tea are common beverages
consumed.
 Food consumption patterns of Konyaks varied with
agricultural seasons and climate.
 OCCUPATION OF KONYAK NAGA ?
 The Konyaks are traditional hunters and
warriors of Nagaland but now their main
occupation is agriculture
 They are skilled artisans and are experts in the
art of making firearms and handicrafts like
basket making, bamboo works and weaving.
 Their primary occupation is still agriculture.
They practice terraced or step farming and
cultivate paddy, yam, potatoes, and leafy
vegetables.

Some of the Naga tribes like Konyaks and Ao expose the dead on
beer or platform. They do not bury the dead. The Poumai Naga
• MAKING OF BASKETS WITH BAMBOO • BASKET DECORATED WITH SKULL • CULTIVATED VEGETABLES
believes in life after death. They believed that those who do good • KONYAK NAGA TRIBE HOUSE - VIEWS OF HUMAN
things while they are living on earth will live in Thaimaingi (a village
for the death or land of the death), which is underground. The
 GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND UPLIFTMENT FROM KONYAK NAGA
death body is ceremonially washed and dressed with fine garments
and lay on a bed till the death body is put into a coffin to be buried.
It is also their belief that if the death body is not washed, the death
will alive again and may harm the other people. The elderly women
and men washed the death body.

MARRIAGE

The only exception are the Konyak chiefs who are considered so
sacrosanct that their principal wife must be a woman of the same
clan. The boundaries have a legend about the origin of exogamous
clans. It is said that Nikhoga, the first man, had six sons but was
able to find a wife only for the eldest. This led to intrigues between
the brothers. The Naga women are well built, hard working, fairly
pretty but short in stature. They are never seen idle. Their chores
include fetching water, cutting wood, cooking food, brewing liquor,
working in the fields and weaving cloth at home. Most of the tribes
shave the girls head until she reaches the marriageable age.
 Headhunting is no more practiced, the Konyaks has diverted to more peaceful ways of life.
 The face of the ones who gets tattooed is swollen but there are no records that the pigment has caused any abnormalities to the skin.
 This traditional tattooing and tattoo pigment can have an impact to the world of Tattooing.
 Schemes undertaken by the Central Government body like NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) to curb the cultivation technique-
Farmers have resorted to regenerating shifting cultivation lands and alternative farming systems like permanent crop cultivation, agro-forestry, and
tree farming.
 Traditional tattooing among Konyaks is no more practiced after coming of Christianity.
 With the natural environment or nature bonding of Konyak Naga to the forest. Contribution of economic and traditional institution-bonding with
the practice was found among the tribe as a means of livelihood.
 Although government has many scheme for naga tribe, still immediately they require good policy and effective works on water supply, education,
agriculture and forestry and soil conservation.
 ‘Total restriction of Indian military force convoy and patrolling’, and no “military recruitment rallies” within Mon district will be allowed. Further, it
has announced non-acceptance of ‘developmental packages’ from the forces.