Folk Songs and Dances of Idus

Key Takeaways

• Traditions of folk songs and dances on harvesting, food making, and simple emotions of life
• Igu Dance

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The Idu Mishmi community has traditions of folk songs and dances on harvesting, food making, and simple emotions of life.
The ritual dance in the ceremonies of Ai-ah, Aihim , Mesalah and Rren is performed by the priests. The Idu Mishmis also have a fertility dance which is performed on the last day of Rren ceremony.

According to the local community, the first priest who officiated the funeral ceremony was Chineuhu and his brother Ahihiuh, who officiated three other ceremonies. Three or four additional dancers are chosen from the audience in addition to the priest. The priest wears a few additional items in addition to his regular attire, which consists of a loincloth, a short-sleeved coat, a sword slung on his right side, a leather bag slung on his left side, and a few bead necklaces.In addition to the typical Mishmi woman's attire of a skirt, a long coat, and beaded necklaces, priestesses wear these additional items. Female dancers typically dance with the priestess. The supporting dancers dress as normal.

The priest stands second either from the right or left of where the dancers are standing in a line. A little drum that hangs on one dancer's neck is played throughout the dance while he stands at the end of the line. The priest and the other two dancers play a very small, single-membrane semi-globular drum. They do this by striking the drum with a bamboo stick that is maintained attached to it by a string. If there is a fifth dancer, they all play trumpet bugles. The priest stands in the midst of the line when there are five dancers.He sings a line of an invocation while everyone else plays musical instruments, bends and extends their knees, and alternately lifts and stamps their right and left heels in time with the drumbeats. The chorus of singers continues after the priest has finished singing the passage. The priest continues the song by singing another line, which the others then join in on in chorus.

Tags: Geography