Understanding Naga Lullabies: Translation, Documentation, and Feature Analysis

Lullabies are a genre of music predominantly used for lulling children and infants to sleep. Traditionally classified under ‘Folklore’ studies, lullabies are part of folksongs and are closely associated with the transmission of cultural knowledge and traditions. The Nagas, a tribal community, transmit their culture and literature orally, as they did not have a written script before British colonialism and the advent of Christian missionaries. Consequently, most of their lullabies are scarcely documented. This paper documents selected Naga tribal lullabies and presents them with English translations, highlighting the rich linguistic diversity and cultural significance embedded in these songs. The study primarily focuses on three aspects of its survey of lullabies: (i) Documenting Naga lullabies from selected tribes. (ii) Translating the lullabies into English, ensuring the preservation of their original meaning and cultural context. (iii) Studying the features of Naga lullabies, focusing on the linguistic elements.