Naga

expand all
collapse all

Individual Documents

Description: "The concepts of health and disease are largely cultural. For the Angami of Nagaland, carrying out the daily routine is an indicator of perfect health. A person who has lost appetite, feels dizzy, is unable to work in the fields or cut wood is considered ill (suo). According to the ethnotheory, the primary causes of illness are, intrusion of foreign bodies (ketsiecha) such as pebbles that are thrown at a person by malevolent spirits when their anger is roused and taking away of soul by the spirit theroma when displeased. The loss of the soul is often fatal. A 'strong soul' can however, be restored by means of rituals suggested by the medicine man. Trouble by soul of the dead (kesiama mela), resulting in high palpitations, blood pressure and fever are caused by breach of rule by a family member (mezthurha) as one of taking food from the enemy or killing somebody without sufficient reason..."
Creator/author: Vibha Joshi
Source/publisher: VIHANGAMA THE IGNCA NEWSLETTER Vol. III No. 3 October - December 1995
1995-12-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-08-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Category: Naga
Language: English
more