Traditional dress and ornament of the Zeliangrong of North East
- Part 3 -

Budha Kamei *

Traditional dress and ornament of the Zeliangrong people as seen at Orange Festival 2013 at Noney Common ground, Tamenglong in December 2013
Pix - Deepak Oinam

Costume of Festival:

In festive occasions, the males wear different types of cloths like Phephai, Ngumthophai, Giyakni, Masingphai or Kourangphai, Mazing-giakphai and Hengkungphai. The young males use Phephai as upper garment which is a white color cloth with horizontal borders made of red strips followed by black, white, red, white and black strips at each of its lengthwise ends. It is turned into a complete whole by joining two pieces which are woven on the loin loom, at the centre. Ngumthophai is worn by both males and females as shawl of which the major area is white and the side borders contain wide red and black bands. Extra weft designs are found in the end border.These days, this white shawl has got embroidery designs such as spears and shield. Kourangphai, a shawl is meant only for the aged people. This cloth is black color with two to three strips on the horizontal side and one yellow strip line on the vertical side. The young men also wear Mazing-giakphai and Hengkungphai as shawl at the time of festivals.

Dance Costume:

In festivals, boys and girls in colorful traditional attire perform dances together. Boys wear Tashini, a black loin cloth (more colorful as it is decorated with three rows of cowries on the body of the cloth), a white shoulder band, calf belt made of cane split in ring shape known as Chakeng, the Tada (a rice powder is mixed with water and painted on the legs, below the knees and above the ankles), headgear made of hornbill feathers,different kinds of necklace such as Talatiu, Tiuchang, Tajeutu made from whitish animal bone in elongated form, and Chapuanghinta (an ivory armlet) as dance costume. Traditionally, they use to hold Bang Chakiuh, a kind of dao on their right hand in dancing. The headgear is made as the feather is tucked into white cotton thread ball that is fastened with the hair of the user with the help of a hairpin. The hairpin is traditionally made from the quill of the porcupine.

Female dancing costume:

Like their male's counterpart, the female members too use different varieties of dancing costume such as a loin cloth known as Nithuina, different kinds of necklaces, bangles like the Tatta and Taluwang, and armlet like the Intan. The women folk dancers wear a headgear called Pikhim which is made of different colored thread with a decoration of locally available red color flower along with the leaves. They wear necklaces of various types like Tatiu, Chiurung, Tiurong, Tiuchang and Tapengchiu.

These necklaces are made up of conch-shells supported with differently colored beads (red, black, yellow, white and green) and commonly used by women folk for their beautification. Different types of ear rings like Chakonliu (made of red colored threads and Kung), Chalan (made of different colored threads and ornamented with dried orchid stem) and Majaimana etc. are also used. In addition, they wear Tan, a brass armlet made in spiral form.

Male working Dress:

The Zeliangrong males wear cloths locally recognized as Mazingphai and Nza as lower garment and shirt respectively while they are working in the fields or going to the forests to collect firewood and to hunt. Nza is meant a male's shirt which is made out of a shawl and worn above the shoulder on the left and right by crossing downward over the chest.

Female working dress:

The female workers too use cloths like Tanei and Takom as their lower garments and chest band respectively while they are in the field. Takon, a small black color cloth is used as chest band and the Phaizana, a small light blue color shawl is worn over the Takon.

War dress:

Rihphai, meaning war dress, is a Zeliangrong word. The Zeliangrong people are known for their bravery and fearlessness in facing their enemies in times of conflict and war. They use special form of war dresses like Mazingphai (lower garment) Nza (Shirt), Changiu (Spear), Chaheng (dao), Chugih (shield) etc. They use two kinds of shields called Giran and Chagi. Giran is reserved for the leader of the fighting group. This specific shield is made from the skin of a male pig or bear. It is decorated with horsehair which signifies the status and dignity of the owner of the shield. Chagih is used by the other warriors. It is made of bamboo supported by a wooden frame and decorated with Sau, bamboo split pieces on its front side for defensive purpose.

Coiffure:

The Zeliangrong males have different styles of haircut according to age and social status-whether youths, married men or aged persons. They wear small moustaches. The girls who have been admitted to the girls' dormitory have their hair cut short nicely in the traditional style. The face of the girls looks more beautiful and attractive with the style of hair cutting practiced by them. That special style of hair cutting also indicates the unmarried ones. But after marriage it is allowed to grow to its length.

Dresses for prayer, funeral and marriage:

In prayer or worship, female members wear Taramdui pheisoi and Banphei Bangmei as loin cloth and shawl and men wear Pheingao, a white muffler. In marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom wear festival dress. In funeral service, female members wear Khim Pheisoi, a black loincloth and Banphei Bangmei, a white shawl and male members use Chingkhongphei, as shawl.

In the words of N. Kahmei, like other Naga tribes, "the Zeliangrong also love to use hornbills tail tied with the pigtail on the head especially among the young people. They use spears in dancing, which give dazzling reflection when twirled round in rhythm. The Rongmeis use metal of dao-shape decorated with colorful thread or bamboo pieces instead of spear. Other ornaments used as dancing dresses are glass beads, brass ornaments, headgears and other colorful things. The women wear beads and shell ornaments profusely. Angami, Mao and Zeliangrong Nagas wear a short black cotton kilt embroidered with three or four rows of white cowries or white buttons in lieu of cowries and sequins etc. In war dance, they use spear and shield of hexagonal shape decorated with dyed goat hair. War dance with agility in movement is very exciting and delightful."

Dresses and ornaments are primarily an item of material culture in human societies having significance in the culture of a people. The earliest loin cloth, Tanina which was used by male individual to cover only the private part may be deemed to undo excitement of sexual urge of the opposite sex. It surely indicates the evolutionary stage of Zeliangrong society and the simple dressing of the loin in this style cannot be taken as sure sign of culturally well developed stage. In later stage, they become more advanced as the lower end of the cloth covered the thighs or the legs.

For the Zeliangrong women, there are modes of wearing loin cloth identifying the different status of the married women; the upper end of the cloth was raised up to cover the breasts. When clad in this manner, the women did not require putting on shirt. Unmarried woman, on the other hand, put on loin cloth around the waist leaving the upper part of the body to be covered by shirt. Girls clad the shirts, tightly fastened to the body to suppress the breasts as much as could be. It was considered highly immoral for a girl to wear loin cloth in the married woman's mode and vice-versa, as it involved disordering of the structural arrangement of keeping these two categorizes of females in the two different social statuses.

The women had to take every possible care in public gatherings, particularly in the ritualistic occasion, so that their loin cloths do not come loose. To avoid such awakened scene as loosening or falling of loin cloth, Tanina, the Zeliangrong woman put on a belt around the waist. Besides serving a belt, the use of the garment over the inner loin cloth was encouraged with an aesthetic sense.

The matter of moral value is also depicted in the distribution of the stripe pattern Tanina. This is again connected with the difference in cultural value attached to the colors of the Tanina. The brighter colors are prescribed for the youngsters while the fainted ones are for the aged. The associated symbolism in the brighter color is the source of sexual attraction, excitement and potentiality for a female in the prime of her life.

Aesthetic values have referred to beauty in itself and its application to arts and the nature. It may be observed in loin cloth locally known as Aliumailangni which has backdrop of grey color supported by broad red borders on the two horizontal sides. The border has woven embroidery by interlacing of multicolor yarn. Tassels are hanged over the woven embroidery along the weft. These works are apparently the attempts of the artisan to express her skill and originality in the best possible manner. The butterfly motif on the body of this garment can be vividly seen in the form of its most possible concrete expression.

These concrete manifestation and representation of the perception of natural objects are also seen in the loin cloth of Giyakni which has a motif of thirty pairs of butterflies on each joining part of the cloth.

The choice of color is a matter of aesthetic considerations. Red is the symbol of valor and strength, white is the symbol of simplicity, humility and gravity, and black is the symbol of darkness and cruelty.

The ornaments woven by them not only meant for beautification of the body are also employed to protect themselves against human predators and wild animals while venturing in the deep forest in search of food or hunting. The sewed of conch shells called Tabaichiu adorned as necklace are sometime used for breaking the teeth of the wild animals while fighting them or beating them off. Tatta or Taluwang commonly worn by unmarried girls as bangle is big, and heavy. Sometimes, it is used as instruments against the human predators and wild animals.

Like any other culture, the Zeliangrong culture expresses the sense of beauty also vividly in their various patterns of designs of weaving, embroidery and appliqué works color combinations and various mode of wearing the dresses.

In ritual aspect, traditional clothes have religious functions. For instance when a child is sick, Tanina of the mother is used as shawl to cover the body in order to protect from the evil forces (Rashi-Rarou). It is believed that the evil forces scare and dislike the Tanina. Thread of Langjin is also used as an article in the ritual of warding off the evil forces.

To conclude, it can be stated that material culture of dress and ornaments of the Zeliangrong had the functional value of organizing the civil society of the people during their historical days, helping in strengthening its moral, aesthetic and ideological foundations.

Concluded...