The Lushei Kuki Clans 29

The Lushei Kuki Clans 29

[Paotu.] A very insignificant clan, of which I have found only one

family. The clan formerly lived on a hill north of the Tao peak, to

the east of the Koladyne, and were probably driven out by the Chins

at the same time as the Kawlhring.

 

[Rentlei.] There are five families in this clan, which has long been

absorbed by the Lusheis, but the Rentlei maintain that at one time,

when they lived in a big village on the Minpui hill to the east of the

Tyao river, they were the more powerful and showed their contempt for

the Lusheis by throwing stones at the skulls of the pigs which the

latter used to place on posts outside their houses after performing

the Sakhua sacrifice, and this led to the Lusheis placing the skulls

inside their houses, whereas the Rentlei to this day adhere to the

custom of putting them outside. This clan is still looked on with

respect, and chiefs frequently take Rentlei brides.

 

[Roite.] This clan is divided into seven families, one of which

has a branch. There is nothing of interest to be noted about it.

 

[Vangchhia.] This clan has only three families and one branch. Its

members are said to be generally wealthy, and therefore prudent

parents strive to get them as "pu" to their children. Their Sakhua

sacrifice is elaborate, a mithan being killed in front of the house,

a cock at the head of the parents' bed, and a boar at that of the

children. There is a great feast, followed by nine days' "hrilh."

 

[Zawngte.] Now an insignificant clan, of which I have not obtained a

single family name. Under a chief called Chengtea they lived on a hill

north of Thlan-tlang, which is still known by their name. They were

ejected by the Chins probably at the same time as the Kawlhring and

Paotu. The eldest son inherits. They place their dead in hollowed-out

logs in small houses outside the village, and leave them there for

three months. In these particulars they resemble the Vuite. As among

the Chawte, after killing a mithan the household of the giver of the

feast wear some of the hairs of the tail on strings round their necks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER II

 

CLANS WHICH, THOUGH NOT ABSORBED, HAVE BEEN MUCH INFLUENCED BY

THE LUSHEIS

 

 

[Fanai.] A clan which was rising into eminence, when our occupation

of the country put a stop to its further aggrandisement. The chiefs

trace their pedigree back six generations, to a man called Fanai, who

lived among the Zahaos, to the east of the Tyao. His great grandson,

Roreiluova, was a slave, or at least a dependant, of a Zahao chief, and

was sent with 70 households to form a village at Bawlte, near Champhai,

in Lushei territory, with the intention, no doubt, of enlarging the

Zahao borders, but Roreiluova entered into peaceful relations with the

Lushei chiefs, and gradually severed his connection with the Zahaos,

and, moving south-west, occupied successively various sites to the

west and north-west of Lungleh, between the Lushai and Chin villages,

maintaining his position with considerable diplomatic skill, often

acting as intermediary between his more powerful neighbours. He

died at Konglung early in the nineteenth century, having attained

such a position that his sons were at once recognised as chiefs, and

on our occupying the country in 1890 we found eight Fanai villages,

containing about 700 houses, grouped along the west bank of the Tyao

and Koladyne rivers, between Biate on the north and Sangao on the

south. Roreiluova's descendants seem to have inherited his skill

in diplomacy, for they kept on good terms with their neighbours,

and whenever these quarrelled managed to assist the stronger without

entirely alienating the weaker.

 

The clan is subdivided into six families and one branch.

 

The Fanai now talk Lushai and dress in the same way, except as regards

the method of dressing the hair, which is parted horizontally across

the back of the head at the level of the ears, and the hair above

this is gathered into a knot over the forehead, while that below is

allowed to hang loose over the shoulders. They generally follow Lushai

customs. In the series of feasts which an aspirant for the title of

Thangchhuah has to perform, the Chong is replaced by the Buh-za-ai

(buh = rice, za = 100), performed as among the Lushais. The She-doi

feast has to be gone through twice, and is followed by a very similar

feast called She-cha-chun (spearing of male mithan), which completes

the series. Wealthy persons perform the Khuangchoi, but it is not

necessary. The Mi-thi-rawp-lam is prohibited. The following account

of the She-doi is taken from my diary of the 14th May, 1890.

 

"We went up at once to the village, where a peculiar dance was in

progress. Lembu's wife was being carried about on a platform, round

which a wooden railing had been fixed to enable her to maintain her

position. This platform had four long poles passed underneath it, and

a number of men and women, holding these, were moving the platform

about in a manner which must have been most uncomfortable for her

Majesty. They lifted it up and down, then swayed it to one side, then

to the other, then ran in one direction and stopped suddenly, then in

another, and pulled up with a jerk. During all this time the royal

lady maintained a solemn silence, and showed complete indifference

to the whole proceeding. Her head-dress consisted of a band round

which at intervals coloured bands of straw were plaited. From this

chaplet porcupine quills stood up all round, to the ends of which the

yellowish-green feathers of parrots were affixed, each terminating in a

tuft of red wool. At the back, an iron crossbar, about 6 inches long,

was tied horizontally, and from this a number of strings of black

and white seeds depended, at the end of which glistening wing-cases

of green beetles were attached. Except for this startling head-dress,

the Queen was dressed much as usual, except that her waist cloth was

longer and more gorgeous. Having been carried about for some time, her

Majesty showed her appreciation of the attentions of her subjects by

distributing gifts. First she threw a small chicken, which was eagerly

scrambled for and torn to pieces by the young men anxious to obtain

it, next followed a piece of white cotton wool, which no one would

pick up, and then some red thread, which was scrambled for eagerly.

 

"May 15th.--This morning a mithan was sacrificed. The animal was tied

by the head to one of the sacrificial posts, on which his skull was

to be placed later on. The chief then came out with a spear in one

hand, a gourd of rice beer in the other. The puithiam, or sorcerer,

accompanied him, also carrying a gourd of beer. The pair took up their

stand just behind the mithan, and the puithiam began mumbling what I

was told were prayers for the prosperity of the village. The prayers

were interrupted by the chief and the sorcerer taking mouthfuls

of beer and blowing them over the mithan. When the prayers were

finished, they anointed the animal with the remains of the liquor,

and the chief then gave it a slight stab behind the shoulder, and

disappeared into his house. The mithan was then thrown on its side

and killed by driving a sharp bamboo spear into its heart. The animal

was then cut up. Later on another was killed, without any special

ceremony, and the flesh of both cooked in the street. Later on there

was a dance. Three men arrayed in fine cloths, with smart turbans,

came up the main street, crossing from side to side. With bodies

bent forward and arms extended, they took two steps forward, then

whirled round once, beat time twice with the right foot, two steps,

whirled round again, beat time twice with the left foot, and so on,

keeping time with the royal band, consisting of a gong, a tom-tom,

and a bamboo tube, used as a drum. The dancers, having been well

regaled with beer, proceeded to dance each a pas seul of a decidedly

indecent nature. The chief was prohibited from crossing running water

for a month after this sacrifice had been performed." After this feast

there is five days' "hrilh" for the whole community, and during this

no flesh may be brought into the village. The skull of the mithan is

kept on the post in front of the chief's house for a month, during

which time he may not cross water or converse with strangers. On the

expiry of a month a pig and a fowl are sacrificed and the skull is

then removed to the front verandah.

 

The only difference in the ceremonies connected with childbirth is

that the Ui-ha-awr sacrifice is only performed if the child's hair

has a reddish tinge and the whites of its eyes turn yellowish.

 

The Sakhua sacrifices are very elaborate, and consist of a series

commencing with the Vok-rial, which is necessary when a new house

has been completed. A sow is killed at the head of the parents'

sleeping place, and whatever portions of the flesh are not at once

consumed are placed beneath it till the next day. The house during

this time is "sherh." No one may enter it, and the occupants must

not speak to strangers nor enter the forge. Later on a boar is killed

in the front verandah, and the heart, liver, and entrails, known as

"kawrawl," are placed under the parents' sleeping place for five

days, and are eaten by the parents, the father sitting with his

back to the partition wall and the mother facing him. During these

five days a hrilh as above is observed. This sacrifice is called

"Vok-pa"--i.e., "Boar"--and is followed by the "Hnuaipui"--i.e.,

"Great Beneath"--a full-grown sow being killed under the house, and

its head and sherh buried at the foot of one of the main posts. The

flesh is cooked beneath the house, but eaten in it. A three days'

hrilh follows. The series concludes with "Hnuaite"--i.e., "Lesser

Beneath"--which is similar to the former, but a young sow is killed.

 

These sacrifices are performed as the necessary animals become

available.

 

A dead Fanai is buried in the usual Lushai way, but no rice is placed

in the grave. An offering of maize, however, is suspended above

it. It may be noted that in the Zahao country rice is not cultivated,

the staple crop being maize. The Fanai do not kill tigers, giving as

the reason that a former ancestor of theirs lost his way, and was

conducted back to his village by a tiger, which kindly allowed him

to hold its tail.

 

[The Ralte.] This clan is found scattered in the Lushai villages to

the north of Aijal, in which neighbourhood there are also one or two

villages under Ralte chiefs. I have already--in Part I., Chapter V,

para. 1--given the legend regarding the repeopling of the world and

the closing of the exit from the Chhinglung owing to the loquacity

of the pair of Ralte. The names of these mythical ancestors were

Hehua and Leplupi. Their two sons were Kheltea and Siakenga, who

quarrelled over the distribution of their father's goods, which

Kheltea, the younger, had taken, thus conforming to Lushei custom,