Each village has a leader chosen by the people of the village. One of these village leaders is then chosen as the overall leader of the people. Although they have lost the use of writing the people still keep an oral list of their leaders. Some leaders acquire an epithet (which is not always flattering). I have made a note of ones they told me. These could be very useful in deciphering the old language as some of these names are bound to appear in the various texts I am finding.
Chenem the great
Asid the worried
Suragi the happy
Farel the afraid
Chamel the wise
Shisha the goat
Imfeste the laugher
Shasti the rock
Chontike the good
Krul the outsider
Karich the weak
Lalike the short
Gabidi the guilty
Notes on years and dates
By the reckoning of the Sholu this is year 1,123. Year 0 marks the year they came to this valley. Like us, they have a seven day week although there are no discernible weekends – each day seems the same and each family might have rest days on different days of the week from the next. Their naming of the days of the week is not very inspired – it translates as oneday, twoday etc.
They do not split the year into months, although they do sometimes refer to the their signs of the zodiac which roughly translate into months. For instance we are now in the time of their sign of the teacher. They might record a past date by saying ‘threeday of the 20th week of the year 1,120’.
As I write this we are in week 23 so their year must start around the beginning of our March. Each village keeps track of the date by means of a large plaque in each village centre on which marks are made to record the passing of the days, weeks and months. This is the only instance I have found where they still keep written records.