The Rich Heritage of the Nagas: Legends of Origin and the Prophecy of the Three Stones

The various Naga tribes share similar origin stories, each with its own distinct version. Mostly, all the Naga tribes point to Meikhel or its surrounding area as their place of origin. It is a small village between the Mao and Maram areas, 10 miles southeast of the present town of Kohima. It is referred to as Makbel or Meikhel by outsiders and foreign writers, and Mekhoromia by the Angamis. Mekhoromia in Angami means "the place of departure." Near Meikhel village is the second highest peak in all Naga hills, called Japvo (height 9,890 ft.). The legends of the Angamis, Semas, Lothas, Tangkhuls, Maos, and other Manipur Nagas, as well as the Somra Nagas, name Meikhel or its adjacent areas as their place of origin.

The Nagas of Manipur, especially the Tangkhuls, Maos, Marams, Khoiraos, and Marings, say that they—and this includes the Meiteis, i.e., Manipuris—came originally from Meikhel or Makhen, as they call it. The Angamis and Chakesangs also say the same thing, that they came from Meikhel or Mekhoromia. The Sema legend tells of the Kezkenoma Stone, which is the place of their origin, and like many other Sema legends, this story too is common to the Angamis and Lothas, especially the latter. The Semas call Japvo by another name, i.e., Tukahu. All the Naga tribes have stories that describe exactly how they came to occupy their present territories. It can be said that the Nagas at first lived in stone caves or in the womb of the earth. This theory is current not only among the Angamis but also among the Aos, Tangkhuls, and Semas. It is also found among the Lothas, who tell the story of having come from six Kotso (Stones).

The Angami legend was related by 83-year-old Visiewhezo Liegise, assisted by other elders of Khonoma village. According to him, the Kukis, Lushais, Meiteis, and Nagas were all one people to begin with. The ancestor of the present Angamis was the eldest, of the Lushai-Kukis the second, and of the Meiteis the youngest brother.

The three brothers, with their followers, had once gone in search of a place to settle, but after a sojourn, they parted accidentally. The eldest brother was leading the way and, in clearing a pathway through the jungles, cut the banana trees. The other two brothers were following. By the time the two brothers caught up, the banana plants had regrown, leaving no trace of the route the eldest brother had taken.

Consequently, the following groups went their way, and later the eldest brother and his followers, later known as the Lushais, Kukis, and Meiteis, settled in Mekhoromei (Meikhel). After many years, they found the place too small and departed northeastwards to settle in the present Angami territory. To this day, the Angami priests from all Angami villages do not fix the dates of any of the annual festivals but await orders from the priests of Meikhel.

The Tangkhul Nagas and indeed other tribes, who point to Meikhel as their place of origin, hold similar beliefs regarding the Stones of Meikhel. Three huge Stones were installed by the ancestors of the Naga tribes before they parted ways from Meikhel—one for God, one for men, and one for animals. It was decided, before their separation, that the Nagas would always install memorial Stones wherever they went to mark spots of burial, places of rest, brave deeds, actions or feats, victories, etc. They also believed that when two of the three Stones fell, all those who departed from Meikhel would come together once again, and that with the fall of the last Stone, the world would come to an end. Today, only one Stone stands at Meikhel. The Stone installed for animals fell in 1914, and the one installed for men fell in 1937.

The Tangkhul legend, which also explains the origin of the Meiteis (Manipuris), goes like this: One day, a sow, big with young, wandered away from the Tangkhul village of Hundung. The younger brother went in search of the missing sow and found her in the valley on the bank of the river Iril. That is the place where Oknung, the Pigs Stone, is found. The sow littered there, and the younger brother stayed back to look after her. When he looked back, he found he was alone, so he called out to his elder brother to come and fetch him back. The elder brother, tied to the other side of the river, could not return, so he went back, leaving the younger brother behind to establish a village there.

While the Naga legends tell of different stories about their origin, there is some truth in their being the same people once, who later parted and became the different tribes known today as the Nagas. The enduring myth of the Three Stones serves not only as a cultural cornerstone but also as a reminder of the shared heritage and the profound connections among the various Naga tribes.

This exploration of the Naga tribes, their origins, the significance of Meikhel, and the myth of the Three Stone Gods—representing God, men, and animals—highlights the deep cultural heritage of the Nagas. As the legend suggests, when the last of these stones falls, it is believed that the world will come to an end. I extend my heartfelt thanks to M. Horam for his extensive research and insights presented in Naga Polity, which provided the foundation for this article.