Understanding social metamorphosis of a tribal society in the Eastern Himalayas through intangible heritage

The Galo tribe in the Himalayas has a rich heritage of tangible and intangible cultures that are manifested in theirvarious life patterns through arts, crafts, festivals and oral traditions. This paper uses intangible heritage as materials and attempts to reconstruct the early society of the Galo during which significant discoveries and developments took place. Intangible heritage passed down through the ages is a chronological reference and a living archive of historical accounts. The paper traces the cultural shifts over time with the help of these living expressions. Mopin, a perfect manifestation of intangible heritage among the Galo, is embedded in theirculture and exhibits the vibrant aspects of their cultural life. Traditionally, it was a rite of propitiation, performed individually by families only after affirming through chicken liver examination. A nyibo (priest), after invoking the spirits of Mopin, Pinku, and Pinte, sacrificed a chicken, then inspected the veins and arteries in the liver, to determine the necessity of a Mopin-Pintum rite to address the agricultural crisis, when households faced adversities such as crop failure due to weather or pest outbreaks. However, in the second half of the 19th century, a drastic change transformed Mopin into a festival. This study of the Mopin myth goes beyond its evolution as a festival. It also sheds light on the primitive stage of Galo society and the emergence of various customs, especially historical events such as the discovery of paddy, the beginning of agriculture and the development of marriage customs. Therefore, the paper explores the social metamorphosis of Mopin from Pintum (rite) to a festival and the impact of these changes on traditional social settings.