Walung people
 Futuk festival celerabration | |
| (Approximately 20000) Approximately 20000 (including those of ancestral descent) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Taplejung District, Kathmandu, Darjeeling, New York | |
| Languages | |
| Walungge language, Tibetan | |
| Religion | |
| Tibetan Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tibetan people |
The Walung people (also Walung-ngas, Walungpa) are the indigenous inhabitants of the region around Olangchung Gola.[1] They are descended from Tibetan settlers from the 7th century.[2][3] The primary occupation of the Walung people is trade and herding yaks and dzos.[4] The Walung have resided in Nepal for a long time, but exactly how long is unknown. Estimates range from 1,300 years to just a few centuries. In the oldest recorded study conducted in the area in 1855, Joseph Hooker reported that the Walung had been there for centuries or longer.
Culture
[edit]Walung people practice Nyingmapa Buddhism. A large monastery, Deki Chholing Gompa, was built 450 years ago sits on top of the main village of Olangchung Gola.[5] The chief deity at the monastery is Chenrezi (Avalokiteśvara).[4] The Walung people revere the monastery as their shelter from anything untoward. Historically, they would also invite Tibetan monks from Lhasa to provide teaching in this monastery.[4] Losar (Tibetan New Year) and Futuk are the main festivals, which the people celebrate with full pomp and show.[1] Losar celebrates the Tibetan New Year. Futuk reenacts a historical local battle.[3]
Language
[edit]| Walungge | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Nepal, China |
| Region | Province No. 1, Tibet |
Native speakers | 4,500 (2019)[6] |
| None | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ola |
| Glottolog | walu1241 Walungge |
The language spoken by the Walung people is the Walungge language, similar to the dialect of the Dinggyê County, Tibet and has 71% lexical similarity with the Lhasa Tibetan.[7][1] Clark (2019) places it in a group which he calls "WDT Bhote", where the three varieties are Walungge, Thudam, and Dhokpya (Thokpya, Tokpegola).[3] The speakers of these varieties reside in Taplejung and Sankhuwasabha in Province No. 1, Nepal, although some speakers reported areas outside of those districts, including in Tibet, where the language is also spoken. These claims have not been investigated. There is a lack of connection between the various villages, especially regarding language names. Clark (2019) received a variety of names when asking the question "what are the names for your language and people group?", and states that many Walung use "Sherpa" to identify both, along with "Bhote". When asking "Do any groups of villages speak the same way [as yours]?", Clark received varying answers from his four sites, where each indicated Walung, Walung indicated Yangma (which was not one of the study sites) and Tibet, and Ghunsa indicated all four study sites.
Other Names
[edit]Walungge has also been known as Walungge Keccya, Halungge, Walongchung Gola, and Walunggi.[3] The suffix -ge or -ke is the Tibetan word for language.
Classification
[edit]The Tibetic languages as a whole are an area of conflict for the linguistic community, largely due to the complexity of the continuum of dialects that makes up the branch. Nicolas Tournadre (2014) places Walungge and Dhokpya (he calls it Tokpe Gola) under his South-Western Tibetic branch.[3] The WDT Bhote languages are not usually the targets of study.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Walung". National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination (Nepal). Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
- ^ Wangyal, Sonam B. (Sep 22, 2009). "The Walung-ngas: a disappearing Tibetan tribe". The Tibet Journal. p. 576. ISSN 0970-5368. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
As competition amongst these business houses became more intense they camped closer and closer and closer to Walung in order to be ahead of their trading rivals. Eventually this led to the Tibetans actually settling in Walung
- ^ a b c d e Clark, Micah (2019). "A Sociolinguistic Study of Walungge and Related Varieties Dhokpya and Thudam" (PDF). Tribhuvan University and SIL International. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
the Halung settled in the area around the 7th century A.D. when a chief named Mao Rong Hang gained control of the Kirat land of eastern Nepal via an army of Tibetans. ... Apart from the centuries-old gompa, Walung is also known for the Futuk Festival. This annual festival is celebrated around late November and according to the website of the Halung community based in New York City (2012), "… relives the scenes of the battle between the Gyabo of Maksum and the Gyabo of Thudam"
- ^ a b c Hattaway, Paul (2004). Peoples of the Buddhist World: A Christian Prayer Diary. William Carey Library. p. 346. ISBN 9780878083619. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
- ^ Nebbs, Adam (6 Jan 2017). "Hong Kong firm offers 17-day tour of remote northeast Nepal". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
the 450-year-old Deki Chholing Gompa, which houses a trove of sacred Buddhist texts and ancient thangkas
- ^ Walungge at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ "Walungge". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
Walungge
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