Title

Archery of The Khasi Tribe Meghalaya

Description

For the Khasis, traditional archery is not only about marksmanship of the archers but also about their spiritual and psychological prowess What makes the sport special is the elaborate prelude to the archery-invoking the blessings of Ka Mei Hukum or the Mother Teacher who apparently teaches her worshippers from within, setting up of covenants or terms of challenge between two teams, arguing over these covenants and finally submitting the arguments to Ka-Mei-Hukum for her judgment.The locals believe that unless a player has the blessings of the Mother, he cannot win even if he is an excellent marksman. At the end of a game, it is entertaining to watch the winning team sing a victory song mocking the opponent

Tag

Khasi, Meghalaya, archery, arrow, bow, men, interview

producer

Anvayins

Language

English/Khasi

Location

Meghalaya

Extent

00:02:49