Cosmology, Ecology, and Spirituality: Reappraising Stone Culture, Genna Tradition, and Ancestor Veneration among the Naga Tribes

Abstract

In this article, the author intends to reappraise the Naga perceptions of cosmology and spirituality which are rooted in the spheres of ecology, folklore, stone culture, “gennas” (rituals and taboos), and ancestor veneration. Included within the realm of ecology are village territory, land, forest, and agricultural fields. The Naga spirituality is perceptible in persistent survival of revered human relationships with the nature and the supreme creator, enduring roles of shaman-priests and clan/village elders as also commitment toward village customs and gennas, including agricultural rituals plus reverence for elders.