OLAC Record oai:www.mpi.nl:1839_00-0000-0000-0017-C404-C

Metadata
Title:		Lochhang - Placating the spirits
		The Traditional Songs And Poetry Of Upper Assam – A Multifaceted Linguistic and Ethnographic Documentation of the Tangsa, Tai and Singpho Communities in Margherita, Northeast India
Contributor:		Stephen Morey
Contributor (consultant):		Sese Langching
		Nongtang Langching (Lochhang)
Coverage:		India
Date:		2008-01-03
Description:		A recording in which Sese Langching and Nongtang Langching discuss the custom of placating the spirits. This consists of the following media filesː SDM15-2008Tascam-019.wav Duration 2’32” In this text, Sese Langching explained the history of the ceremony of placating the spirits. ‘Long ago, it is said, on this small earth, medicines were given. After giving that medicine, the pig dug it up to eat and the birds also ate it, it is said. And after that, the God said "you should plant it properly, I will give it only once". And when it was given again, again the pig dug and ate it. "You did not fence it properly”, he said ‘If you fenced it properly, the pigs that are digging and the chickens would not get it."’ As a result of this, Sese Langching said, it is necessary to prepare alcohol and sacrifice birds and pigs to give the spirit and 'pay respect to the spirit(s) by giving him all the best pieces of meat off the bone. And then we must first give the flesh of the fish to the spirit. Having given the first part – best part, then after we would eat.'
		This project contains linguistic, musicological, ethnographic and other cultural information about three communities in Upper Assam: Singpho, Tai and Tangsa. The recordings and analyses have been done by Stephen Morey, together with Palash Kumar Nath (Gauhati University), Juergen Schoepf (Phonogrammarchiv, Vienna), Meenaxi Barkataki Ruscheweyh (Goettingen Academy of Sciences), Chaichuen Khamdaengyodtai (Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai), Zeenat Tabassum (Gauhati University), Karabi Mazumder (Gauhati University), Krishna Boro (Gauhati University), Paul Hastie (LaTrobe University). The key aims of the project were • to provide a comprehensive documentation of the varieties of Tangsa language spoken in the Margherita Subdivision of Upper Assam, India, • to provide a comprehensive documentation of the traditional songs, and poetry of three endangered language communities in the Margherita Subdivision: the Tangsa and Singpho (both Tibeto-Burman) and the Tai (Tai-Kadai), including a study of Tai traditional manuscripts, which are highly relevant for language and culture maintenance among the Tai. Within each of these communities there is considerable linguistic and cultural diversity, so all the files have been divided up and named according to this system: Tai SDM01 Phake SDM02 Aiton SDM03 Khamyang SDM04 Ahom SDM05 Khamti Singpho SDM07 Turung SDM08 Numhpuk Hkawng SDM09 Diyun Hkawng SDM10 Tieng Hkawng Tangsa SDM11 Yongkuk SDM12 Cholim (Tonglum) SDM13 Chamchang (Kimsing) SDM14 Tikhak SDM15 Lochhang (Langching) SDM16 Ngaimong SDM17 Maitai SDM18 Shechhyoe SDM19 Mossang SDM20 Khalak SDM21 Lakkai SDM22 Longri SDM23 Hakhun SDM24 Lungkhe SDM25 Rera (Ronrang) SDM26 Sangte SDM27 Sangwal SDM28 Halang SDM29 Haseng SDM30 Mungray (Morang) SDM31 Moklum SDM32 Nokja SDM33 Hawoi (Havi) SDM34 Joglei (Jogly) SDM35 Namsang (Nocte) SDM36 Longchang Among the Tangsa, there is considerable diversity. Each group has its own name for itself and for each other group. In the list above, the name in parentheses is sometimes called the 'general name', whereas the first listed name is that used by the group for themselves. The naming of Tangsa groups needs considerable further research
		A recording in which Sese Langching and Nongtang Langching discuss the custom of placating the spirits. This consists of the following media filesː SDM15-2008Tascam-019.wav Duration 2’32” In this text, Sese Langching explained the history of the ceremony of placating the spirits. ‘Long ago, it is said, on this small earth, medicines were given. After giving that medicine, the pig dug it up to eat and the birds also ate it, it is said. And after that, the God said "you should plant it properly, I will give it only once". And when it was given again, again the pig dug and ate it. "You did not fence it properly”, he said ‘If you fenced it properly, the pigs that are digging and the chickens would not get it."’ As a result of this, Sese Langching said, it is necessary to prepare alcohol and sacrifice birds and pigs to give the spirit and 'pay respect to the spirit(s) by giving him all the best pieces of meat off the bone. And then we must first give the flesh of the fish to the spirit. Having given the first part – best part, then after we would eat.'
		Sese Langching was born about 1926. He remembers being involved in the building of the Stillwell Road (1942-45) as a young man. He was the Gaonbura (village head man) of Hewe Ninggam village for many years, but has been succeeded by his son. Singpho is the first language of most people in Hewe Ninggam village these days.
		Nongtang Langching was born in Hewe Ninggam village, and grew up speaking both Singpho and Lochhang (Langching). He is a widower with two married daughters.
Format:		audio/x-wav
Identifier:		oai:www.mpi.nl:1839_00-0000-0000-0017-C404-C
Publisher:		Stephen Morey
		Research Centre for Linguistic Typology, La Trobe University
Subject:		Discourse
		Discussion
		Ritual - placating the spirits
		Tase Naga language
		Tangsa - Lochhang variety (general name Langching)
Subject (ISO639):		nst
Type:		audio
OLAC Info
Archive:		The Language Archive at the MPI for Psycholinguistics
Description:		http://www.language-archives.org/archive/www.mpi.nl
GetRecord:		OAI-PMH request for OLAC format
GetRecord:		Pre-generated XML file
OAI Info
OaiIdentifier:		oai:www.mpi.nl:1839_00-0000-0000-0017-C404-C
DateStamp:		2017-04-21
GetRecord:		OAI-PMH request for simple DC format
Search Info
Citation:		Stephen Morey; Sese Langching (consultant); Nongtang Langching (Lochhang) (consultant). 2008-01-03. Stephen Morey.
Terms:		area_Asia country_MM iso639_nst
Inferred Metadata
Country:		Myanmar
Area:		Asia