Nocte
Encyclopedia
The Nocte are a Naga people
of a population of 33,000 found in the Patkai
hills of Tirap
district of Arunachal Pradesh
. Ethnically related to the Konyak Naga, their origins can be traced back to the Hukong Valley in Myanmar
, where they migrated from between the 1670 and 1700. They have chiefs who exert control over the village, and they are also consulted by the village elders and priests on all important socio-religious ceremonies.
since the 18th century, under the influence of Shri Shankardeva. This has enriched the Nocte culture and brought them closer to the Hindu culture of the mainstream which have displaced indigenous culture and religion. The 1961 census still reports a few Buddhists among the Nocte.
They worship Jauban (supreme god) who was believed to have created human beings and started miseries, troubles and happiness. Other malevolent and benevolent deities are also worshipped as well. Offerings of food and water are given to the gods in order to appease them.
The Nocte also deeply follow the virtues of Barghariya Satra in addition to Jauban. A Mahantas (priest) conducts the religious ceremonies.
Of late, Baptist
missionaries have converted about one-fifth to one-third of the Nocte to Christianity
, principally those living in Khonsa
.
The second day, known as Chamkatja, requires the Nocte to pray to the gods and the chiefs. Following that, feasts and dances that lasts right up to the next day is held. Upon reaching the final day, both the elderly villages and the chief will seek for good foirtune by breaking eggs collected from the village. Selected plots for new year's cultivation is based on the spiritual reply shown by the eggs. The festival is then concluded with a song, on which the villagers pray and hope for a better new year.
and maize
are planted, as their staple food
is rice, which is often supplemented by leafy vegetables, fish
and meat
. A local liquor brewed from rice, tapioca
and millet
proved to be popular among the Nocte, although in recent times tea
is consumed as well. However, as staunch Hindus, they do not take beef
and mutton.
, they tattoo their faces and bodies.
Owing to the humid climate, the menfolk will wear a loincloth in front with cane belts, which acts as a waistband. Bamboo slips and armlets made of ivory are worn on all four limbs as well. The womenfolk tend to wear a short cotton skirt that measures from the waist to knees, and a blouse is worn to cover the upper body. The goats horns acts as ear lobes, although ornaments include metal bangles and earrings are worn.
The dormitory of a bachelor is known as a "Poh", while a bachelorettes' one is known as a "Yanpo". However, women are not permitted to enter in the boys’ dormitory, although the reverse is permitted. Dormitories are built upon wooden raised piles, usually measuring four feet above the ground. The bachelors' dormitories are decorated with human skulls taken in head hunting, which are used for containing large log drums carved out from wooden logs. The drum, known as thum, is carved out of designs from hornbills and tigers. However, with the advancement of Western education it has been witnessed that these practices are in decline. Headhunting, which once proved to be popular among the Nocte, has been banned since 1991.
Inevitably, the decomposed bodies would attract bacteria, insect and germs lying in the open that produced a terrible stench. This was the cause of the frequent outbreaks of health-threatening diseases. Owing to public health education by reformers, burial of the deceased in proper coffins have completely supplaced this traditional rite since 2004. The Kheti village, which is not far removed from Khonsa, was the last village to give up this practice in the modern Nocte society.
Naga people
The term Naga people refers to a conglomeration of several tribes inhabiting the North Eastern part of India and north-western Burma. The tribes have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland...
of a population of 33,000 found in the Patkai
Patkai
The Pat-kai meaning to Cut Chicken in Tai Ahom language are the hills on India's North Eastern border with Burma. They were created by the same tectonic processes that resulted in the formation of the Himalayain the Mesozoic . They are not as rugged as the Himalayas and its peaks are much lower...
hills of Tirap
Tirap district
The Tirap district is located in the southeastern part of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. It shares a state border with Nagaland and Assam, an international border with Myanmar and a district border with Changlang.- History :...
district of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
. Ethnically related to the Konyak Naga, their origins can be traced back to the Hukong Valley in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, where they migrated from between the 1670 and 1700. They have chiefs who exert control over the village, and they are also consulted by the village elders and priests on all important socio-religious ceremonies.
Religion
The Nocte were followers of Theravada Buddhism and Animism, although they have adopted HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
since the 18th century, under the influence of Shri Shankardeva. This has enriched the Nocte culture and brought them closer to the Hindu culture of the mainstream which have displaced indigenous culture and religion. The 1961 census still reports a few Buddhists among the Nocte.
They worship Jauban (supreme god) who was believed to have created human beings and started miseries, troubles and happiness. Other malevolent and benevolent deities are also worshipped as well. Offerings of food and water are given to the gods in order to appease them.
The Nocte also deeply follow the virtues of Barghariya Satra in addition to Jauban. A Mahantas (priest) conducts the religious ceremonies.
Of late, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
missionaries have converted about one-fifth to one-third of the Nocte to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, principally those living in Khonsa
Khonsa
Khonsa is the headquarters of Tirap district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It also houses one of the State viz., Ramakrishna Sarada Mission School. The town is cosmopolitan in nature as people from every Indian State could be found here....
.
Culture
Loku, which literally means chasing out of the old season of the year, acts as the main festival of the Nocte. The festival, which lasts for three days, involves the slaughter of cattle, entertainment and the gathering of food on the first day.The second day, known as Chamkatja, requires the Nocte to pray to the gods and the chiefs. Following that, feasts and dances that lasts right up to the next day is held. Upon reaching the final day, both the elderly villages and the chief will seek for good foirtune by breaking eggs collected from the village. Selected plots for new year's cultivation is based on the spiritual reply shown by the eggs. The festival is then concluded with a song, on which the villagers pray and hope for a better new year.
Food
The Nocte are agriculturalists and have a good planning in their daily diet. Main crops such as riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
are planted, as their staple food
Staple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
is rice, which is often supplemented by leafy vegetables, fish
Fish (food)
Fish is a food consumed by many species, including humans. The word "fish" refers to both the animal and to the food prepared from it. Fish has been an important source of protein for humans throughout recorded history.-Terminology:...
and meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
. A local liquor brewed from rice, tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
and millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
proved to be popular among the Nocte, although in recent times tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
is consumed as well. However, as staunch Hindus, they do not take beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and mutton.
Dress
The menfolk have a tendency to shave their hair in the frontal part of the head, and the back tuft of hair is tied into a chignon just above the nape. The womenfolk will keep their long auburn tresses tied into a bun kept at the back of the neck, although the widows will cut their hair short on the condition if they do not remarry. Like the WanchoWancho
The Wancho are a tribal people inhabiting the Patkai hills of Tirap district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India. They have a population of 35,000. Culturally Naga, they are ethnically related to the Nocte and Konyak Naga of the Mon and Tirap districts...
, they tattoo their faces and bodies.
Owing to the humid climate, the menfolk will wear a loincloth in front with cane belts, which acts as a waistband. Bamboo slips and armlets made of ivory are worn on all four limbs as well. The womenfolk tend to wear a short cotton skirt that measures from the waist to knees, and a blouse is worn to cover the upper body. The goats horns acts as ear lobes, although ornaments include metal bangles and earrings are worn.
Lifestyle
The Nocte construct houses made of silts, although the chief's houses are constructed with carved massive blocks and wooden pillars. Dormitories are provided for bachelors and unmarried woman separately. According to their tradition, it is a place where the elders teach the children about traditional mythology, folklore and religion. In cases of Christian families, Christian teachings are also mixed with traditional teachings as well, which is evident among Catholic converts. The chiefs are addressed in either of the two titles: Namsang and Borduria.The dormitory of a bachelor is known as a "Poh", while a bachelorettes' one is known as a "Yanpo". However, women are not permitted to enter in the boys’ dormitory, although the reverse is permitted. Dormitories are built upon wooden raised piles, usually measuring four feet above the ground. The bachelors' dormitories are decorated with human skulls taken in head hunting, which are used for containing large log drums carved out from wooden logs. The drum, known as thum, is carved out of designs from hornbills and tigers. However, with the advancement of Western education it has been witnessed that these practices are in decline. Headhunting, which once proved to be popular among the Nocte, has been banned since 1991.
Hygiene issues
The Nocte followed an age-old tradition of keeping bodies of the deceased relatives in the open, either near a river or just outside their houses. The Nocte Christians, like most Nocte, would keep their body exposed for three days, although they are kept in the house.Inevitably, the decomposed bodies would attract bacteria, insect and germs lying in the open that produced a terrible stench. This was the cause of the frequent outbreaks of health-threatening diseases. Owing to public health education by reformers, burial of the deceased in proper coffins have completely supplaced this traditional rite since 2004. The Kheti village, which is not far removed from Khonsa, was the last village to give up this practice in the modern Nocte society.