An untitled text. But this is the stone text, an instructional document explaining the eighty stones, an important ritual performed during large traditinal Spiti weddings. (Tib. ཐོ་རབས་བརྒྱད་བཅུ Wylie tho rabs brgyad bcu) The document illustrates how to set up the Tho, the piles of stones, of which there are eighty (organised into distinct groups) which form the basis for competitive singing between nyawon from the bride's party (the nang nyawa) and grooms party (the chi nyawa) The nang nyawa ask questions, mainly in the form of riddles, and the chi nyawa have to answer The document starts with a drawing of the precious sea buckthorn plant for which there is a specific song sung by the nang nyawa who say the plant is so big and thorny that the chi nyawa cant go round, over or under so how will they be able to get in? (the reply from the chi nyawa is the key to being allowed to continue) The head nyawon then crushes the (small dried symbolic) plant under foot. The Tho ritual then starts The second illustration is of the Tho mo che (ཐོ་མོ་ཆེ་), the biggest and most important pile of stones, for which there is a specific song. The occasion starts with a group of stones representing Gods, mountain spirits and nagas. These piles of stones are not destroyed (kicked over when singing) but given ceremonial honorific scarves (kataks) in white red and blue. The rest of the text describes the different groups of stones, for each group there are question and a song. During or after each song the relevant pile of stones is destroyed (kicked over) Text written on the back of the manuscript, on the plaster backing refers to the owner's village and occupation.
Extent: One text in the form of a long thin roll of paper.
Size and dimensions of original material: 160 cm x 6.5 cm. Condition of original material: Stained and splitting from rolling and unrolling. Mounted on to medical plaster to protect against further damage.Custodial history: Material handed down from the current owner's father.Arrangement: A single nyahon wedding song text kept in a suitcase along with other song texts
