Tsungkotepsu is a warrior shawl worn by the male members of the
Ao tribe of
Nagaland. Only those men, especially the rich ones, who have performed the sacrifice of a ‘mithun’ (gaur) is entitled to wear this shawl. A ‘mithun’ symbolizes wealth. In the olden times, the right to wear the shawl was given to those warriors who used to behead enemies during a battle.
Tsungkotepsu has a background of dark shade. There is a white band in the middle, with horizontal bands of black, red and white colors on either side of it. The middle band contains black colored images of ‘mithun,’ elephant and tiger, which shows the valor of a man, and human heads, which represent success in battles. Other images like cock, spear and other weapons are also included.
