Cultural Folklore
Larry J. Fontana
Before “civilizing contact” was introduced through British colonization the Naga lived according to a traditional cultural style. Their beliefs, customs, opinions and values were passed down through many generations of ancestors using an oral tradition, word of mouth. The stressing of the written word and literature from the British challenged and ultimately changed the Naga’s traditional way of life (Tradition and the Naga, 2011.)
The Naga had a high regard for the past and teaching through the example, knowledge and observation gained through their ancestors over time. They were taught that the past must be respected and preserved and that all things ultimately stem from the past. They lived by acquiring property, crafting things, teaching and storytelling. As many cultures they would love, fight, hate, wonder and wander; their hopes and fears existed since the earliest days of their society.
From very early in life children are taught through stories and songs embracing a deep respect for nature. Tools, dress and even toys were designed to help children learn about their future roles. Girls were taught about motherhood and boys about becoming warriors. Children learn much about their culture through legends, anecdotes and folktales shared by the elders.
Naga folktales are very connected to the spiritual world and wildlife, such as humans gaining supernatural power by exchanging roles with animals. Many of these relationships with the animal kingdom are used in Naga teachings and rituals through carvings and shawls. The connection to their past, ancestors, belief systems, virtues and values, as presented through their folk tales, myths, legends, proverbs and songs enabled the Naga to develop a strong sense of whom they were and why they were as they were.
Today, greater than ninety-five percent of the Naga people profess to be Christians. The strong influence of the British and Christianity transformed the Naga culture almost entirely, now barely resembling the society it was over a century ago.
Another society, the Telengits, are one of the oldest Turkic cultures residing in western, central and northern Asia, northwestern China, southern Siberia and parts of Eastern Europe. Their ancestors go back to fifth and sixth century China (Telengit, 2011.) The Telengits are believed to have been some of Genghis Khan’s greatest personal guards, known for their bravery and loyal servitude. (Khan, 2011.)
Of the Telengit clans accounted for during the nineteenth century all are still present today. Their participation and association remains very important, in particular regarding spirituality. The Telengit practice exogamy, marrying outside their tribe, and have managed to preserve their genealogic legend all these generations.
The Telengit developed rich folklore and techniques such as the sewing of traditional clothing. Their religious rituals, customs and traditions are linked to their reverence for the earth and for encouraging harmony between people and natural environments. They continue to embrace and revive folk holidays, such as the Chaga-Bayram, which is a New Year celebration that was practiced since ancient times.
Ritual life for Telengit is complex and rooted in cultural history, with the most prominent being weddings. Some of the customs are the giving of leather vessels to the parents of the bride and the bride’s maternal uncle offering his consent.
Shamans and shamanism have a primary role in the Telengit culture, caretaking the magical and animist beliefs of the people. Nature and its forces are to them real, palpable and are seen through the veneration of the spirit-masters on their land. The shaman’s drums plays a special role in ritual which helps them journey and travel between different worlds. Every Telengit shaman has a supportive guide from their past, commonly a shaman blood relative.
Singer-storytellers (kaichi) have an honored role in the religious and artistic culture of the Telengit. A kaichi storyteller has the ability to sing about the Telengit legends from start to finish through throat singing and a unique instrument with only two strings. There is no memorizing in this tradition, and mastering it begins early in life. The plots are vivid and alive and convey stories to the listeners through the storyteller’s experience. There are a few places in modern-day Russia, such as Kosh-Agach, where throat singing performances and cultural story telling still take place.
In 2000, the Telengit Cultural Center was established to preserve Telengit culture, crafts, goods and clothing. The Center collects all types of artifacts, ritual practices, folklore and historical documentation in support of the preservation of the Telengit traditions, rituals and language. The Telengit museum presents new exhibits and artifacts every year.
Both the Naga and the Telengit were and are proud societies. They shared common philosophies and practices such as their reverence and respect for the earth and their connection to ancestors and the nature-spirits that live between the worlds. Of the two however, the Naga were assimilated by British and Christian influx, where the Telengit managed to more notably and sustainably retain their cultural presence.
Through the study of traditional cultures, folklore, values and rituals, comparisons with modern day art forms and technologies are unavoidable. In many ways these “ancient” people displayed remarkable passion, strength, creativity and determination. They used what they had available, elements from the earth such as wood, plants, clay, stones, animal parts, dance and song to express their art, religion, spirituality and values. In some ways art, music and culture in modern society are deprived of the rawness and necessity of the traditional cultural art forms.
Although modern technology, such as radio, television and the internet offer great benefits in the creation and presentation of art, music and movies, they are often compared, motivated and appreciated through technical accuracy, financial value and mass appeal; rather than the simple experience of raw and awkward expression. It would serve the creators of modern-day art forms to remain connected to history and nature, touching and smelling the dirt, feeling the wind and rain on their faces and creating art, music, stories and cultural folklore in respectful cooperation with earth’s elementals, gifts and mystery’s, as the traditional and ancient people understood and practiced so well.
References and Bibliography
Khan, t. W. (n.d.). Genghis Khan – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_K
Naga people – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naga_people
The Telengit. (n.d.). Cultual Survival Quarterly. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from https://ccco.desire2learn.com/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=411960&tId=5633808
Tradition and resilience among the Naga. (n.d.). Cultual Survival Quarterly. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from https://ccco.desire2learn.com/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=411960&tId=5633808
Turkic peoples – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkic_peoples
