Mythologies of the Konyak Tribe

Many of India’s indigenous tribes and cultures in remote areas of the country still live following practices handed down from generation to generation. The Konyaks are the largest of the 16 tribes inhabiting Nagaland. Located in the mountainous regions of the northeast, they are spread across Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh in India, and Myanmar. They come with a history of brutal headhunting and animistic culture. Severing heads was a common practice amongst Konyaks until as recently as 1940s, with the last reported head hunting in 1970s. Capturing an enemy’s head was the rite of passage for boys to turn into men, as capturing the head symbolically represented capturing the enemy’s spirit. Konyaks are still ruled by hereditary chieftains known as Anghs. When we arrive at Longwa, as per the tradition, we first visited the Angh as soon as we reached. I could recognize the Angh by the turquoise blue beads he wore below the knees. A necklace with brass faces was hanging around his neck; however he wasn’t a headhunter. He had inherited the position and the necklace from his father, who was a headhunter.

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. Once a young boy completed his first kill successfully, he was given his very own, very unique, facial tattoo to mark his shift and transition into manhood. Headhunting was the product of what the Konyak people believed in and what the skull represented. To them, the skull housed everything that the human is and ever will be. Phejin Konyak, the great-granddaughter of a Konyak headhunter, expressed in her book The Konyaks Last of the Tattooed Headhunter, that the skull had “all of the soul force of that being. This soul force is strongly associated with prosperity and fertility and is used for the benefit of the village, personal life, and crops.” The Konyak’s were once known as a war-loving people that would attack enemy tribes, taking the heads of that tribe’s warriors, and taking their decapitated prizes home. These skull-like trophies were then hung in communal houses called Morong’s and were put on display for all to see, admire, and appreciate. The more heads a warrior had, the more powerful he was. The display was done simply to show off the skill, strength, and prowess of that particular warrior, and was a sign of power to his tribe.

One of the most important Naga ethnic groups residing in Nagaland’s Mon District is the Konyaks. They hold the supremacy of the largest traditional dance, called the Konyak Dance. The Konyak are a Naga ethnic group from North East India, and they are one of the 16 Naga ethnic tribes known as headhunters. Their tattoos, which cover their entire faces and hands, distinguish them from other Naga; facial tattoos are gained by capturing an enemy’s head. Gunsmithing, iron smelting, brass-working, and gunpowder-making are some of the Konyaks’ other unique traditional techniques. They are also skilled in the creation of janglaü (machetes) and wooden sculptures and their Konyak Dance is the largest traditional dance The Konyak language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan Sal subfamily’s Northern Naga sub branch. The title “Konyak” is thought to be derived from the words “Whao,” which means “head,” and “Nyak,” which means “black,” which translates to “men with black hair.” They are divided into two groups: “Thendu,” which means “Tattooed Face,” and “Thentho,” which means “White Face.” The Thendu group is generally found in the Mon district’s central section, while the Thentho group is prevalent in the district’s upper and lower parts in the Wakching area.

8 Konyak civilians were killed at the centre of violence in in Oting village of Mon district in Nagaland. The Konyak is the largest tribe inhabiting Nagaland followed by Ao, Tangkhul, Sema, and Angami. Other Naga tribes include Lotha, Sangtam, Phom, Chakhesang (Chokri), Rengma etc. They are known in Arunachal Pradesh as the Wanchos. They are known to be one of the fiercest warrior tribes in Nagaland as they were famous for their practice of head hunting. The decapitated heads were brought back as trophies and hung in a community barn known as a “baan”. A unique feature of the Konyak tradition is the practice of the Angh (king) system. Their three most significant festivals were Aolingmonyu, Aonyimo and Laoun-ongmo.

The Konyak is the largest tribe, followed by Ao, Tangkhul, Sema, and Angami in Nagaland. Other Naga tribes include Lotha, Sangtam, Phom, Chang, Khiemnungam, Yimchungre, Zeliang, Chakhesang (Chokri), and Rengma. All the 14 Konyaks were returning from coal mines to their home in Oting village on December 4. On their way, 21 special para commando force allegedly fired on the innocent Konyak coal labours suspecting them to be insurgents. Konyaks live in Mon district of Nagaland, Tirap, Longding, and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh; Sibsagar District of Assam; and also in Myanmar. They are known in Arunachal Pradesh as the Wanchos (‘Wancho’ is a synonymous term for ‘Konyak’). Ethnically, culturally, and linguistically the Noctes and Tangsa of the same neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh, are also closely related to the Konyaks.

The Konyak village of Longwa close to the town of Mon, Nagaland, is a small hamlet on the border between India and Myanmar. The village is an enigma of sorts to us western travelers, consciously or unconsciously accustomed to categorizing people, places and everything else we come across on our travels. The border village of Longwa lies in Nagaland, and thus ‘belongs’ to India, but the semi-existent border actually bisects the village, with the people of the Konyak tribe having special privileges and being allowed cross-border, unrestricted access to the corresponding Konyak areas in Myanmar. The logistics of getting from Assam to Longwa can be found in this post. Nagaland, one of India’s Northeastern states (also known as the Seven Sisters), is very much a tribal region with several different communities inhabiting the area. The Konyak tribe is one of the largest in Nagaland, and as we found out at the Hornbill festival, amongst the most colorful tribes in the Northeast. They mostly live in and around the Mon district or the ‘The Land of the Anghs’. An Angh is a Konyak King who rules over the Konyak tribe.

With a population of roughly 3 lakh, the area inhabited by the Konyaks extends into Arunachal Pradesh, with a sizeable population in Myanmar as well. Known to be one of the fiercest warrior tribes in Nagaland, the Konyaks were the last to give up the practice of head-hunting – severing heads of enemies after attacking rival tribes – as late as the 1980s. The Konyaks are one of the major Naga ethnic groups. In Nagaland, they inhabit the Mon District—also known as ‘The Land of The Anghs’. Other unique traditional practices that set the Konyaks apart are: gunsmithing, iron-smelting, brass-works, and gunpowder-making. They are also adept in making ‘janglaü’ (machetes) and wooden sculptures.

The Konyaks are one of the major Naga ethnic groups. In Nagaland, they inhabit the Mon District, which is also known as The Land of the Anghs. The Anghs/Wangs are their traditional chiefs whom they hold in high esteem. Facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy’s head. Other unique traditional practices that set the Konyaks apart are: gunsmithing, iron-smelting, brass-works, and gunpowder-making. They are also known for in making excellent Yanglaü (machetes) and wooden sculptures. The Konyaks are the largest of the Naga ethnic groups. They are found in Tirap, Longding, and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh; Sibsagar District of Assam; and also in Myanmar. They are known in Arunachal Pradesh as the Wanchos (‘Wancho’ is a synonymous term for ‘Konyak’). Ethnically, culturally, and linguistically the Noctes and Tangsa of the same neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh, are also closely related to the Konyaks.

Konyak : The Warrior of Nagaland

The video is a presentation on the Konyak tribe of Nagaland. The film shows us glimpses of their village lifestyle, traditions, customs and belief systems. The film documents the life of the largest tribal group in Nagaland who are also found in the adjoining territories of Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. The Konyaks are settled in around hundred villages in the Mon district of Nagaland. The Konyaks are traditional hunters and warriors of Nagaland but now their main occupation is agriculture. A distinct group of Konyaks are easily recognized by their tattooed faces. In the past the Konyaks were renowned headhunters, they would often carry back the heads of their rivals as war trophy. They are skilled artisans and are experts in the art of making firearms and handicrafts like basket making, bamboo works and weaving. The Konyaks also have institutions of learning like the morung of other Naga tribes.

These are the last head-hunters of India’s Konyak tribe

Though some of this vast nation’s bustling urban regions are densely populated, others are remote, lush and mountainous. The north-eastern state of Nagaland is one such example. Bordering India’s eastern neighbour, Myanmar, Nagaland is home to 16 indigenous tribes, each with their own cultural practises and traditional way of life. For now, tribalism continues for the Konyaks. “The chief of a clan (Anghs) still rules the village”. “Buffalo heads decorate many houses; signifying the number of feasts the owner has held.” And though head-hunting was once a part of their culture, the Konyaks have moved on from the practise. “Many senior men didn’t like to talk about this dark history, as they realized how bad it was. They’re not proud of it, but they are proud of being strong warriors.”

On the eastern edge of India’s northeastern province of Nagaland, perched high atop a ridge of a far-ahead mountain, sits Longwa village, home to the Konyak Naga tribe. The Konyaks have been around since ‘time immemorial’, they like to say; they and their predecessors were nomads in the area for thousands of years, roaming for water and food on mountains and lowlands. They are the largest of the region’s 16 officially recognised tribes, and the last of the tattooed headhunters. Straddled between India and Myanmar, the international border slices through the heart of this village. Her people, too, live between two worlds, one in the present and one in the past. Young children in hoodies today stand astride their grandparents, the older relics of an ancient belief system.

The Konyaks are one of the major Naga ethnic groups. In Nagaland, they inhabit the Mon District—also known as ‘The Land of The Anghs‘. The Anghs/Wangs are their traditional chiefs whom they hold in high esteem. Facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy’s head. Other unique traditional practices that set the Konyaks apart from the rest are: gunsmithing, iron-smelting, brass-works, and gunpowder-making. They are also adept in making ‘Janglaü’ (machetes) and wood sculptures. The villages differed in language, political structure, and some aspects of material culture. Even though governing officials have interrupted the traditional ways of life of the Naga tribes, there are some things that have not changed. Within the village, their houses, appearance, language, religious beliefs and interpersonal relationships have been carried down from ancient times. They are also known as head hunters because they behead their enemies in war. The Konyak Nagas language is a Tibeto-Burman tonal language of which not even a simple word list was known. Though some cultural anthropologists managed to compile a vocabulary and a large number of texts, their research did not allow them to take part in a serious conversation. Fortunately for them, many people within the village, including some children, spoke fluent Naga-Assamese, the lingua franca of the Naga Hills region. In other villages, translators and the fluent language of Naga-Assamese was not helpful and no communication was possible.

The Konyak warrior tribe is one of the many Naga tribes. But what sets them apart from the rest of the tribes of this northeastern Indian state is their fierce headhunting history, which was part of their strong warrior tradition. Territorial conflicts between rival tribes and villages were resolved through warfare and Konyaks were feared for their headhunting skills – they beheaded their enemies and brought back the severed heads as trophies in a specially designed basket that they carried to the battles. The heads were then proudly displayed on the walls and doorways of the warriors. The Indian government put a ban on headhunting in 1960 but Konyaks say that the tradition continued for a few more years before limited aspects of modernity were accessible in these remote parts of Nagaland. The next generation of the Konyaks partially embraced a Baptist-based Christianity. In the remote villages of Nagaland ‘s Mon district, which borders Myanmar, a motley band of elderly former warriors are still visible — their tattooed faces and torsos bear witness to mortal combat and the once customary headhunting. It was tradition to honor the men with tattoos on their faces and chest as a mark of their heroic deeds. The elaborate process was done only by the chieftain’s wife.