THE NAGA MORUNG SYSTEM

Submitted by: Sentilong Ozukum

Definition
One of the oldest definition of the word Morung is found in the Ao-Naga Dictionary compiled in 1911 by
Dr. Edward Winter Clark. According to him, the word Morung is derived from the Assamese word meaning,
a big tree drum.1 In the olden days it was custom for the Nagas to keep a log drum near the bachelors
dormitory. Anthropologist Christoph Von Furer-Haimendorf in his book, The Return of the Naked Nagas also
affirms that the word Morung is of Assamese origin.2 Morung was a dormitory for the young people in the
Naga traditional society. It was a tradition that all the boys after they reached the age of puberty to enter the
Morung. A similar dormitory was operated for girls. Each Naga tribe has its own name for the Morung. For
example, the Aos call is Arju, the Kyongs call it Champo, the Angamis call it Kichuki and the Konyaks call it
Ban.
Composition of the Morung
Panger Imchen in his book Ancient Ao Naga Religion and Culture stated five stage groups in the Morung3
namely:
(a) Sungpur (the youngest group)
This group consisted of the age group between 15-20 years. All major works and responsibilities were
entrusted o this group. Their main duty was the collect water, firewood, arrange bamboo torches and
make water water containers. They also helped the seniors by massaging them, cutting their hair,
washing their feet and supplying wooden seats for elders.
(b) Tenapong (the blooming stage)
This was the strongest age group between 20-25 years. Their main duty was to supervise the Sungpur.
They were also assigned harder task like digging graves in the middle of the night, carrying sick
people etc.
(c) Tekumtet Zunga (the liberated group)
This was the marriageable stage between 25-30 years. It was the last working group in the Morung.
They were regarded as the masters of the organization. The success or failures in running the morung
depended heavily on this group.
(d) Juzen (the mature age group)
This group consisted of men 30 years and older. Their main duty was to maintain the Morung system
and organization. In all ceremonial feasts and festivals they led the junior members in dancing and
singing.
(e) Pener (completed group)
This was the last group in the Morung whose members were either married or unmarried. The married
men were not required to sleep in the Morung but directly or indreictly they were connected with the
Morung system.
All the members of the Morung were subjected to the authority of the leader who had the overall
power over the running of the Morung system. The leader was chosen on the basis of all round ability
as a successful warrior with the experience of war and raids and a record of bringing home enemy
heads. The completion of all five orders in the Morung qualified a person to be regarded by the
society as a fully grown man and capable of any given responsibilities.
1

E.W Clark, Ao Naga Dictionary (Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press, 1911), pp. 120-121
Christoph von Furer Haimendorf, Return to the Naked Nagas (London: John Murry, 1976), p34
3
Panger Imchen, Ancient Ao Naga Religion and Culture (New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications, 1993), pp 102105
2

Functions of the Morung

The role of the Morung in the traditional Naga society are:
(a) Security of the Village: One of the important duties of the Morung was the guard the security of the
village. Young men were trained in the Morung various skills to be employed in times of war.
(b) Centre for Attitude Formation in Young People: The Morung served as the educational centre for
the Nagas. Young people were trained to develop their individual potentialities such as bravery,
endurance, and self reliance.
(c) Centre for Training in Cultural Skills, Arts and Crafts: Young people were taught the techniques
of war, fighting, wrestling, games and sports, handicrafts, sex and moral education, religious
philosophy etc. 4 Naga culture was taught in in the form of folklore, songs and dance, sports and
games, discipline, hardwork, the spirit of service in community living and resilience in all matters of
life.5 Various arts like house building, weaving mats and winnowing fans, making baskets and earthen
pots, making daos, spears etc were also taught in the Morung. The young people were taught to
develop character, attitude formation as civic duties, community ethics, cooperative labour etc to
become worthy citizens. Mary Mead Clark in her book A Corner in India states that Nagas are gifted
for public speech because they were trained in the Morung.6
(d) A charitable centre: The Morung members occasionally worked together in a rich mans field and
earned money and rice. Such earnings were spent in celebrating festivals in the village, giving lonas to
poor people and also for use in helping the poor and unfortunate people in the village. 7 The Morung
members had a moral obligation to ensure that every family in the village was cared for. The Morung
was regarded as a charitable centre where love and concern towards one anothers welfare was
demonstrated.
(e) Community Service: A strong sense of community was maintained by among the Morung members
by working together to serve the community. The Morung members acted as messengers during any
emergency and calamities. They looked after children and old men. The entire life in the Morung was
pervaded by the community spirit of a well-knit society. All the services rendered by the Morung
members were done on altruistic spirit. No cash or kind was expected for services rendered.
(f) Promotion of Cleanliness: It was the duty and responsibilities of the Morung members to keep the
village clean. Various communal duties were assigned to various age groups of the Morung like
cleaning the public well, maintaining the public paths, repairing fence of the village etc. 8 The Morung
system promoted a sincere work ethic among the Nagas through its community work programme.
(g) Disciplining Centre: The Morung was an institution where young people were taught about the
importance of discipline in ones life. Obedience, discipline, and integrity were the hallmark of
Morung life. Family and personal pride and arrogance had no place. Even the sons of the Angs
(Konyak Naga word for Village Chief) were equally subjected to the authority of the Morung. 9
___________________________________________
4
M. Alemchiba Ao: Naga Culture in the Warrior, volume 3, No, 6, September, (Kohima: Govt. of
Nagaland, 1973), p.24
5
Sujata Miri, Why Tradition? in Modernization in Naga Society, ed B.B Kumar, (New Delhi:
Omsons Publications, 1993). P.14.
6
Mary Mead Clark, A Corner in India, p.46.
7
Panger Imchen, Ancient Ao Naga Religion and Culture, p. 104
8
Limatula Longkumer, Christian education for Adults in Tribal context, p 11.
9
Milada Ganguli, A Pilgrimage to the nagas, p.145

(h) Instruction of Moral and Sex Education: It was unacceptable to talk about any issue relating to sex
at the Naga home. Thus Morung was the only institution where young boys were given sex education.
The elders reminded the youngsters that sex before marriage was forbidden for the Nagas. They were
taught to respect Naga custom by behaving in a disciplined and orderly manner acceptable to the
Naga traditional society guided by the moral principles of self denial and obedience for the good of
the community. The importance of respecting one another was taught and maintained in the Morung
and all forms of forbidden words were forbidden. JH Hutton writing in The Angami Nagas noted that,
looking back before me in the course of my service; it certainly seems to me that violent quarrels
between fathers and sons are more frequent in tribes which have no Morungs.
(i) Development of Sobaliba: The Ao term Sobaliba means code of morals which characterizes the
traditional etiquette, social manner, honesty, integrity and virtues. Sobaliba is an ethical framework
which includes self-sacrifice, total self-denial, preservation, co-operation, honesty, truthfulness,
industrious, vicariousness, tactfulness, dedication, commitment, frugality and simplicity. Morung was
the institution where the young people were motivated to be strong in the practice of sobaliba.
The Morung was the cradle of the social and cultural life of the Nagas. The overall function of the
Morung was closely interlinked with the cultural, social, moral, economic, and religious life of the
Naga society. The effectiveness of a village depended largely on the members of the Morung and its
training system.