Mentoh- About festivalsMentoh- About festivals

One recording in which Ms Mentoh Champang, Ms Montu Champang, Ms Lolita Champang, and Ranjung Champang discuss the Wihu Kuh; Mentoh festival. This consists of the following video file: SDM37-20120212-01_SM_JVC_AboutFestivals.mp4 The details of this recording is as follows: SDM37-20120212-01_SM_JVC_AboutFestivals.mp4_Duration 6’34”, About Wihu Kuh; Mentoh: “Wihu Kuh is a festival that is for sacrifice. When we cut down a tree, or a tree falls, we will sacrifice. This was done in Sanriban. After that they celebrate yat rem, which means to cut a new swidden field (bat dam). We would sacrifice while cutting down the trees, and that is when we celebrate Wihu Kuh. 0’48” The festival has three types, small festival (kuh sa) and big festival (kuh nu). We Champang would sacrifice pig (wakku sot) and cows and buffaloes (mansu tang, lumo tang) and celebrate for one month (toh chet). 1’32” After celebrating that festival, we cut the field (bat dam wot) and after that we burn it (san juk). 1’48” Discusses about sah su, a kind of sacrifice, which is practised after the burning and before planting. We sacrifice so that the rice will grow well and to make the soil fertile and for the (evil) spirits. 2’22” To begin the planting we cut the trees and put it in the middle of the field and put some blood on a leaf and tie that on the tree. That tree is called Sah o. The place where the tree is put is called Mon pang chung. This is our Champang custom.” 2’55” Montu “Before planting the paddy we ate cow and pig, that is a sacrifice for buying a new place for planting. In planting the paddy there, we all are relatives. 3’40” We all gather together and complete the planting of one swidden field in one day. At that time we drank alcohol (kham) (note that this is still practiced) and eat one pig. 3’52” And then after completing the planting of paddy, we celebrate mon tum festival. This is a festival for making the rice grow better. 4’15” At that time we would go to the river to sleep for one night and search for some fish and with our own sisters would bring four or five pieces of bamboo and cook the fish in the bamboo. 4’35” And then we would come back home and eat together, and this Mon tum festival (samdak tok refers to the leaf of paddy that is planted in the field. It is the name of a festival) . 5’00” And from that we celebrate the harvest festival of po we. And we will go to the ground near the house, wherever there is a big field, and the village head (Gaonbura) will gather people there and sacrifice again pigs and cattle and buffalo. 5’30” After eating and for cutting the rice again on one day we would gather with our own relatives and eat there hen and pig, for to bring a bigger harvest and in the morning again we would altogether go to do the work of constructing a raised platform (perhaps for use as a granary) (raangkan); 6’00” And if the field is big, we would work together, but if it is small, it is just the owner that will work it and after completing this they would be free