Tracing the traditional Dresses and Ornaments of Zeliangrongs
- Part 1 -

Dr Budha Kamei *

The present article is a descriptive account of the traditional dresses, ornaments and the like which form an important item of the basically material culture of the Zeliangrong, recognised by the name of 'Kacha Naga' and 'Kabui' in the list of Scheduled tribes of India. Though primarily of the type of material culture, the items of culture of the people under study embed in them many of the cultural elements of aesthetic category of the people.

While studying the material side of their costumes and other things of their personal adornment this piece of work exerts its interests equally in the aesthetic, creative cultural values expressed in close association with the material cultural items in point. This article has the purpose of keeping on record these highly valuable, cultural riches of this community. As such, the article may be treated as possessing the general historical value of contributing to be the preservation and conservation of historical antiques of count.

Dress in general means covering, or clothing and accessories for the human body. Thus, the term dress encompasses not only such familiar garments as shirts, skirts, trousers, jackets and coats but also footwears, caps and hats, sleepwears, sports cloths, corsets and gloves. Hairstyles and the wearing of beards, moustaches, and wigs at different times and in various forms are all linked to the history of fashion and dress. The same is true of the use of cosmetics and jewelry and other forms of body decoration. Man is the only animal that uses an artificial covering for the body. The primary use and meaning of dress is not so much to provide and adaptation to a climate as to enable man to be superior to weather. In other words, the use of dress enables him to move and be active in forests where animals seek shelter.

It is not easy to trace how man began to wear cloth. Perhaps there are some obvious reasons which may lead to the invention of garments among mankind. They are:
(i) to protect from sudden falls in the temperature, rains and winds and burning sunshine, the danger of injuring the feet and the skin of the body generally when in the forest, and the need of body-armour against the attacks of insects and of dangerous animals,
(ii) to use as decoration and ornamentation of the body in order to keep the body strong and beautiful. (L Beals, Ralph and Hoijer, Harry. (2007). An Introduction to Anthropology, Surjeet Publications, Delhi, p.368.)

The wearing of bands round the ankles, knees, wrists and elbows, which is clearly to protect the sinews and muscles from strains. TC Hudson writes, the Nagas wear black rings of cane round the knees—as some say, to give strength for climbing. (Hudson, TC (1996), The Naga Tribes of Manipur, Low price Publications, Delhi, p. 32.) The Malays use to wear bands and ligatures to protect the muscles and prevent strains, as for instance, round the wrists and below the knee, (Blagden, Skeat. (1906). Pagan Races of the Malay Peninsula, Vol. I, p.140.) (iii) to make the married woman unattractive to others and to conceal her body from other men's eyes.

In fact, dressing is a secondary human character. It must be treated, as regards its origins, in the same way as human weapons, tools, and machines. Dress increases the static resisting power of the surface of the body, just as tools increase the dynamic capacity of the limbs. It is an extension (and thereby an intension) of the capacity of the passive area of the person, just as a tool is of the active mechanism of the arm. Thus, dress may be treated as a second skin, because it covers the body, like a house it gives shelter for human being to protect from his surroundings. Anon says, "The body is the shell of the soul, and dress the husk of that shell, but the husk often fell the kernel is." (Edward, Tryon. (Compiled). (1999), The World Greatest Quotations: an Encyclopedia of Quotation, Crest Publishing House, New Delhi, p.240.)

In all civilizations, dress is worn for warmth, protection modesty (to enhance the appearance of the wearer), and to proclaim his place in society, including rank, occupation, age, sex, place of origin, marital status, and religion. (Ralph L. Beals and Harry Hoijer, An Introduction to Anthropology, Surjeet Publications, Delhi, 2007(First Indian Reprint), p.368.) For instance, about 4,000 years ago in the warm Indus valley, an assured little dancing girl from Harappa felt well-dressed wearing only bracelets, knowingly massed, a necklace, and well coiffed hair.

The proud Maya nobles of Central America wore many garments for protection. They used elaborate head dresses, decorated gaiters, and much jewelry, besides tattooing their bodies, artificially shaping their heads, filing their teeth, and crossing their eyes. In many cultures throughout the world various segments of society have been clearly differentiated by their dress. Distinctive national fashions or folk costumes developed over hundred of years, and in many countries traditional fashions are worn for special holdings and for ceremonial occasions. There existed distinct differences between male and female attire. —to be contd

In every land and every period of history the way people dress was affected by various social, political, economic, and geographic conditions as well as by artistic or aesthetic ideals. The prevailing style of dress may have reflection of the political and social change or the industrial advancement of a given period or group of people. Although distinctive dress is still predominant in some countries and regions, for the most part fashion in the 21st century has become international and is dominated by the culture of the western world.

How a man orders his materials, no less than what he says them or describes them to be, reflects the direction of his self and defines the character of something in his world. The properties of things are defined by being brought into relation to us. This is accomplished not only by saying something about them, but by doing something to them and or, making something out of them. (Cordwell, Justine M & Ronald, A Schwarz. (1979). The Fabrics of Culture, Mouton Publishers, The Haque, p.30.)

The custom of wearing body ornament had begun with the imaginative Homo sapiens. As recorded in history, there are excavations in terms of beads necklace, carved from the tusk of a mammoth, a string of snail shells and also necklace made of pointed teeth of predatory animals, foxes, wolves, bears etc. There must be reasons for using all this ornament. In some case, they might have used them to ensure the success of the hunt by depicting animals being killed through the efforts of hunters which was practiced by their ancestors. For the Zeliangrongs, ornaments are more than a matter of aesthetic, it is the identity of individuals and groups, it helps make statements, and definition. Indeed, ornaments are part of the definition of being truly human, because it is only from a corpse that ornaments are removed.

Adornment and decoration of human body features in all known cultures and societies and the practice is as old as recorded history. It is said that the use of ornaments preceded the use of garments and its purpose was to emphasise social position by a great display of trophies, charms and other valuables and to enhance attractiveness. In any societies particularly in tropical and mild climate adornment is far more important than clothing. (Das, Ram Charan. (1996). Social and Cultural Anthropology, Sangam Prakashan, Guwahati, p.161.). It suggests the behaviour or roles expected of people on the basis of their various and sometimes multiple connections with each other and can, therefore distinguish the powerful from the weak, the rich from the poor, the hero from the outcaste, the conformer from the non-conformer, the religious from the irreligious, the leader from the follower. (Cordwell, Justin M. & Schwarz, Ronald A. Op.cit, p.10.)

In some societies valued kinds of adornment are widely available to all, with perhaps some restriction on age. (Ibid.p.12). It can be used to indicate social roles, to establish social worth, as a symbol of economic status, as an emblem of political power or ideological inclination, as a reflection of magico-religious condition, as a facility in social rituals, and a reinforcement of beliefs, customs and values. (Ibid.Pp.21-22) It is a universal channel of communication; serves to enhance individual attractiveness, a symbol vocabulary which conjectures origin of some particular ornaments which have functional use. There are non-functional ornaments which are used commonly. The functional ornaments have particular meanings.

The Zeliangrong people use many natural objects deriving from feather, cotton, pith, teeth, horn, shells, bones, etc (J. Roy : History of Manipur, p.194). This is for the love of originality and the long ingrained custom that the tribals had chosen their ornaments, so that they are in keeping with their costume, no matter how simple or colourful it may be. The tribal ornaments are simple but notable for its uniqueness. Regarding the ornament of Zeliangrong people, Colonel Mc Cullock states that the girls wear glass beads ornaments on the arms till they are married.

In the festivals, the men commonly wear most priced necklaces of red pebbles. (Hudson T.C.,Op.cit.p. 34) It is said that a single stone of this sort is sometimes valued at five mithuns. (Ibid) According to R Brown, the males commonly wear necklaces of beads and shell. A reddish pebble necklace is the most highly priced. On the upper arm an ornament of brass is commonly worn and above the calf of the leg numerous rings of cane, very thin, and generally coloured black, are frequently worn. (Brown, R. (2001). Statistical Account of Manipur, Mittal Publications, New Delhi, p.23.) The women too always wear large and heavy earrings and numerous necklaces. Bracelets of brass are also worn besides the upper arm and the legs and ankles are bare of ornaments. (Ibid)

Like other Naga tribes, the Zeliangrong also have their own traditional dress and ornaments of different varieties, for both male and female according to their age and social status in the society. There are clothes exclusively meant for the birth, marriage, death ceremonies, and for their festive occasions. Indeed, the dress and ornaments are the medium of expressing their social and cultural identity. (Gosh, G.K. (1992). Tribals and their Culture in Manipur and Nagaland, Vol. III, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, p.67) The Simon commission report commenting on the Nagas writes, "These races must be among the most picturesque in the world," (Shimray, R.R. (1985). Origin and Culture of Nagas, Published by Ms. Pamleiphei, New Delhi, p.214.) and on shawls and ornaments, Dr. Hutton writes, "All Naga tribes have a most remarkable appreciation of the effective and picturesque in their use of colour, is usually an extraordinary good taste and particularly well adopted to the surroundings in which it is displayed.

The design of their clothes is conspicuous for the right use of brilliant colours, cowries, ivory and scarlet hair seem peculiarly well fitted to the deep green or bluish background usually afforded by the well weeded hills which is their home." (Ibid) In Zeliangrong society, the wearing of ornament begins at the time of birth of a child. On the birthday itself, the baby is fastened with a black thread locally called Khim round the neck, ankle, wrists and waist with ritual. This act symbolises the beginning of wearing ornaments in the life cycle of an individual.

Tanina, a lower garment is believed to be the oldest cloth used by the Zeliangrong people. They wore this garment to cover the private parts from puberty period onwards. It is considerably warm in use because of the compact weaving of the fiber of the cloth, which is obtained from a kind of creeper plant locally recognised as Taningken. This type of fiber was the only one known to be used in the ancient times. M Mc Cullock writes, the Zeliangrong male ties a cloth round his waist, the end of which hangs down in front to conceal his privities, otherwise he is quite naked.

They love to wear their traditional dresses which are richly coloured with beautiful and elaborate designs woven by them according to their fancy and skill. Traditionally, the Zeliangrong women possess the knowledge of weaving and it is a special duty and responsibility of a mother to teach her daughter the art of weaving from tender age. It is a shameful for a girl who did not learn and possess the knowledge of weaving after attending maturity. They produce most of their cloth artistically designed and woven by women in the families loin looms. Their yarn is spun from locally grown staple cotton and the dye required for colouring the yarn is also produced by themselves from herbs collected from the forest.

The best description of the Zeliangrong traditional dress is given by R. Brown who was a political agent of Manipur. He writes, the dress of male is scanty. Those living in the jungles only wear a small square piece of cloth in front hanging below and covering the privates, and confined to the waist by a string. They also wear a kilt-like piece of cloth round the waist. The men wear only thick sheet of cotton cloth, in winter season. (Mc Cullock, M. (2003). The Hill Tribes of Manipur in Naorem Sanajaoba (Ed.), Manipur: A British Anthology (Law, Customs, Hill men, Language and Religion), Vol. II, Akansha Publishing house, New Delhi, p.464.)

The women wear a piece of cotton cloth of thick texture like Fanek and reaches to a little below the knee; this garment is confined round the waist by a coloured scarf with fringed ends. The colour for ordinary wear is usually of muddy hews, with coloured stripes of various widths; on holiday occasions, blue, with red stripes, is the favourite colour. Over the shoulders is worn a scarf-shaped piece of cloth, generally of blue with a border and fringe of other colours.(Ibid)

Like other Naga tribes, they also have special dresses such as Tane, Phaitha, Langjinnina, Giyakni, Aliumailangni and Nithuina etc for their children. Tane, one of the smallest lower garments of the Zeliangrongs is worn by the young boys and girls of the age group from three to four years old. Decoration is made throughout the body of the cloth with black and white stripes running horizontally. The young children and elder men use phaitha, a pure white shawl as daily wear. Langjinnina, another type of lower garment for the young girls possessed layers of thin cream coloured stripes throughout the body of the cloth along with three pairs of horizontal black lines running at four equal intervals.

The lower parts of the cloth are decorated with red and black horizontal lines at the border. The young children and teenage girls of the age group from thirteen to fifteen years wear Giyakni, as lower garment especially at the time of festive occasions and other ceremonial functions. The base of the cloth is mixed with black, red and white broad striped lines running horizontally in a repeated manner. The lower part of the garment has a decorative design made by multicolour woven embroidery with tassels of multicolour yarn hanging from the body of the cloth.

to be continued...