THE DRUM  Nagaland

Logdrums are one of the basic features of traditional culture of the northern tribes of the Naga people in Northeast India. They are used to communicate with the workers in the fields (Nagas are primarily farmers) in case of emergencies – in former times announcing the advance of enemies, today rather in case of fire in the village. Besides that they were protecting deities of the villages.

The process of finding, crafting and pulling the drum into the village is long drawn out and usually off limits to outsiders. In this case we were allowed to follow the men, about 300 of all ages, when they where bringing the drum into the village (the second day of two). That included pulling the drum up an unbelievable steep slope to the local street and then some four kilometres into the village.