Details

Latitude

25.234

Longitude

96.9165

Start Date

2017-02-01

End Date

2017-02-01

Translation (by Mike Tu Awng) Now, we, Kachin people, have this Jahtawng, 'naming ritual' which is handed down to us from our forefathers time. We use this 'naming ritual' when we have offsprings. The purpose of this 'naming ritual' was that in those animistic time in the past, our ancestors did not want 'Nat' or spirit to name our offspring before us. So, we had this Jahtawng 'naming ritual' to name our offspring before 'Nat' or spirit, and this is a custom of we, Kachin people, handed down from generation to generation since our forefathers time. This is our Kachin people's a 'must use', a 'must do', and I want to tell you that this is symbol of our Kachin people. So, what do we need to use in jahtawng 'naming ritual'? We use meat so as to represent all the animals on earth. And we use egg to represent birds of all sort on earth. We use fish or dried-fish to represent all living creatures under deep water. When we have Jahtawng 'naming ritual' for a human being, they all need to be part of it. So, we use fish or dried-fish to represent all creatures living under water. After that, we use ginger to represent things that are underneath the ground such as onion, garlic, taro and so on, thins that are covered by the soil. So, ginger is an essential element in the Jahtawng naming ritual. This is the custom which is handed down to us from our forefathers that when we, Kachin people, have offsprings we use these egg, meat, ginger, fish or dried-fish in our naming ritual. I would like to tell you about the Jahtawng naming ritual like this. Transcription (by Lu Awng) Ya anhte Wunpawng sha ni moi jiwoi jiwa prat kaw na nna anhte lang hkrat wa ai wunpawng sha ni a htunghkying rai nga ai ndai anhte kasha shangai shaprat ai anhte ni gaw moi prat e ndai jijaw nat jaw prat rai jang e jijaw nat jaw nat ni anhte shangai shaprat ai ni hpe nat jaw prat gaw da nat ni amying shawng shamying kau na hpe nra ai majaw anhte shinggyim masha ni gaw ndai jijaw nat jaw aprat hta e ningre kaw na lang hkrat mat wa ai moi prat na kanu kawa gaji gawoi ni a htunghkying wunpawng amyu sha ni gaw ndai ma shangai ai shaloi anhte jahtawng htu ai ngu hpe anhte htunghkying hpe prat hte prat ban hte ban anhte galaw wa ai re. Ndai gaw wunpawng sha ni a nlang nmai n galaw nmai re anhte wunpawng sha ni maka kumla re ngu hpe tsun dan mayu ai hku re. Ya ndai jahtawng htu ai ngu hta hpa baw ni hpe lang ra ta nga yang e ndai jahtawng htu ai ngu ai shaloi ndai ah shan hpe gaw ndai mungkan ga na dusat dumyeng ni a malai ngu nna ah shan hpe e lang ai re yaw. Rai na she ndai udi hpe gaw a u ntsa malen pyen ai u ni a malai ngu na yawng ngu na ndai udi hpe lang ai re. Rai na she nga i nga jahkraw zawn re nga ni hpe lam ai lang ni gaw le hka hpungtang nga ni hka hpungtang kata na nga dusat ndai dumyeng ( dattawar) ni a malai i myen hku nga jang, e dai ni a malai hku nna ndai shinggyim masha langai jahtawng htu ai kaw shanhte ma lawm ra ai majaw e ndai nga hpe gaw hka kata kaw rawng ai hpan amyu ni yawng a malai ngu na nga jahkraw bang ai. Rai na she ndai ah ga kaw e lamu ga kata kaw e ndai shanam hpe gaw yaw lamu ga kata kaw e rawng ai ndai up ai baw amyu nai shakau shaban shagrang e ndai zawn re nai up da ai ga kaw up ai baw baw hpan hpan amyu yawng a matu malai ngu na ndai shanam hpe gaw ndai jahtawng htu ai kaw ndai gaw nlawm nmai re. Ndai udi, ah shan, shanam, ah nga ndai ni gaw anhte kashu kasha shangai shaprat ai shaloi wunpawng sha ni moi e jijaw nat jaw prat kaw na anhte lang hkrat wa ai wunpawng sha ni a nlang nmai e htunghkying langai mi re. Ngu na ndai e jahtawng htu ai lam hpe e dai hku tsun dan mayu ai hku re.

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