Konyak Dance & Konyak Tribes

The Konyak are a Naga ethnic group from North East India, and they are one of the 16 Naga ethnic tribes known as headhunters. Their tattoos, which cover their entire faces and hands, distinguish them from other Naga; facial tattoos are gained by capturing an enemy’s head. Gunsmithing, iron smelting, brass-working, and gunpowder-making are some of the Konyaks’ other unique traditional techniques. They are also skilled in the creation of janglaü (machetes) and wooden sculptures and their Konyak Dance is the largest traditional dance The Konyak language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan Sal subfamily’s Northern Naga sub branch.

Tradition of Konyak Tribe

The title “Konyak” is thought to be derived from the words “Whao,” which means “head,” and “Nyak,” which means “black,” which translates to “men with black hair.” They are divided into two groups: “Thendu,” which means “Tattooed Face,” and “Thentho,” which means “White Face.” The Thendu group is generally found in the Mon district’s central section, while the Thentho group is prevalent in the district’s upper and lower parts in the Wakching area.

The Angh (king) system is a distinctive aspect of the Konyak tradition. Among the Konyaks, there are two types of Anghs: Pongyin Angh or Anaghtak Anghyong (the Great King or Chief) and Anghha (small king).

An Anghha is appointed in a village where there is no Pongyin Angh. The Pongyin Angh, from whose family the Anghha is appointed, makes such a village his subject village. The village government is handled by the Anghha and the village council, which is made up of one elder from the nokphong (clan).

Mon District is divided into seven “Chief Anghs,” namely Mon, Chui, Shengha Chingnyu, Longwa, Shangnyu, Jaboka, and Tangnyu. The Chief Anghs of these villages are in charge of a group of satellite villages, some of which are in Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar, but which have strong customary and traditional ties to the rest of the villages in Mon District.

Skills and Festivals of Konyak Tribe

Festivals are extremely important in the Konyaks’ lives. Aolingmonyu, Aonyimo, and Laoun-ongmo were the three most important festivals. After sowing seeds, Aolingmonyu is celebrated in the first week of April, signalling the start of a new year. It has religious significance in that it is used to please God in exchange for a bountiful harvest. After the harvest of the first crops, such as maize and vegetables, the Aonyimo is celebrated in July or August. The Laoun-ongmo festival is a thanksgiving celebration held after all agricultural chores have been completed.

The Konyaks are experts in the field of gun manufacture. They’re also excellent in handicrafts including basketry, cane and bamboo work, and brass work. Shangnyu and Chui have been designated as ethnic villages, providing anthropologists with a wealth of educational study opportunities.

Konyak Dance

The Konyak dance is the largest traditional dance in the world and the title was achieved on April 5, 2019, when the dance, with 4,687 participants, was performed by the Konyak Union at Mon, Nagaland. 

Guinness World Records gave them clearance to set the record on Tuesday night, according to Konyak Union head Manlip Konyak. On April 5, during the Konyak Aoleang-cum-Mini Hornbill Festival in Mon Town, an official effort to break the record was made.

For five minutes and two seconds, 4,687 women from over 115 villages in the district sang and danced in full Konyak Naga traditional dress.

Traditional clothing of Konyak Tribe

The Konyak men were said to wear nothing but a bare apron to conceal their private parts in the past, and the Konyak women were said to wear only a 10-inch-long skirt to cover their bottoms. Instead of clothing, they wore headgear, armlets, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, cane leggings, and other items to beautify and cover oneself.

In modern times, Konyak men wear a belt over their chest that is about 10 inches long and has a distinctive pattern embroidered on it, as well as a long apron that conceals their private parts and adornments on their bodies that are magnificent and extravagant.

The Konyak women wear a sleeveless shirt with a long wraparound skirt that extends 5 inches below the knees, as well as elaborate neck and head jewellery. The Konyaks are naturally hospitable, warm-hearted, and enjoy a good time. Elderly men enjoy “Khalap,” which is black tea, and a kettle for making black tea is always kept near the fireplace.

Food, Faith and Religion of Konyak Tribe

Konyaks eat a lot of pork and Mithun meat, as well as rice and other green vegetables. The Konyaks eat a variety of meats as well as root and leafy vegetables.

The Konyaks thought that they were all Longjing Pesao Te Khiimpu, according to their faith. A Yanang scholar from the Konyak tribe would refer to their religion as “animism.” They have faith in the spirits and energies that keep the planet spinning.

Conclusion

The Konyak Tribe is one of the 16 Naga ethnic tribes, with Konyak dance being the largest traditional dance in the world. The tribe resides in the Mon district of Nagaland and many other districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Myanmar. They are known as the Wanchos in Arunachal Pradesh, which is synonymous with Konyak. The Konyaks were once known for their tradition of head hunting. As a result, their community became largely isolated. The heads were beheaded and hung in a community barn known as a “baan” as trophies.

However, during the British administration, this began to change. They looked beyond Assam’s tea gardens and dispatched missionaries to the Naga homeland in the 1870s to mould the people into western civilization standards. Many Naga tribes converted to Christianity in exchange for free education, food, and shelter. Nevertheless, the Konyaks were the last to accept this transformation.