Kuki (Indic people); Lushai (Asian people); Lushai language
Sar-thi.--Deaths from accidents, in childbirth, or those caused by
wild animals, or in war are termed "sar-thi," and the corpse must not
be buried within the village; in some cases the corpse must not even
be brought into the village, if the death occurred outside. Even if
the corpse is brought into the village, it is often not allowed into
a house, but deposited in the forge. In such cases no lukawng can
be demanded. Should the injured person survive for any considerable
time, the death will not be called sar-thi unless the person has
been wounded by a tiger. The fact that tigers eat men is given as the
reason for this. The graves of persons killed by tigers are watched
by the young men of the village for several nights, lest the tigers,
or their elder brothers the wild cats, should come and dig up the body.
In-thian, Thi-thin.--Three months after a death a small chicken is
killed and placed with some rice on the shelf which runs along the
wall. The family indulge in zu. This is apparently a sort of farewell
to the soul.
[9. Festivals.] There are three feasts connected with the crops. They
are all known as "Kut." The first is called "Chap-char-kut"; it is the
most important of the three, and is held after the jhums are burnt,
about the time of sowing, and is never omitted. It lasts three or
four days. On the first day a pig is killed by each householder who
can afford it and zu is drunk. On the second day, about 4 p.m., the
whole population gathers in the open space in the village, dressed
in its best. Everyone brings platters of rice, eggs, and flesh, and
tries to force the food down the throats of their friends. After dark
the young men and girls collect in houses of well-to-do people with
several daughters and dance "Chai" till daylight.
The Chai consists in all the young men sitting with their backs to
the walls, each with a girl sitting between his knees with her back to
him. Individual performers dance in the middle, the remainder singing
and clapping hands. On the third day the young men and girls collect in
the centre of the village and form a circle, every girl being between
two youths, whose arms cross over her neck, holding in their hands
cloths which hang down behind like a curtain. Inside the circle is
a drummer or gong-beater, who chants continuously, the young people
taking up the refrain, and treading a slow measure in time with the
song, while cups of zu are brought to them in rotation. Fourth day,
"Zuting-ni." The performance is repeated again if the liquor holds out.
In villages where there are many Ralte, [7] they kill their pigs the
next day after the Lusheis and the other ceremonies are postponed
one day.
Mim-kut.--Named after the maize, as it takes place when the crop
ripens. It is of but little importance and seems likely to die
out. Cakes of Job's tears are eaten and the next day is "hrilh."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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