Chicken-Liver Divination (Roksin-Kognam): An Ethnographic Study among the Galo Tribe

Divination through chicken-liver, locally known as Roksin-Kognam, is an important indigenous practice among some of the Tani groups of Arunachal Pradesh, especially the Galo tribe. Based on oral traditions and linked to the ancestral figure Abo Tani, this practice has developed into a structured system of knowledge used for diagnosis, prediction, and decision-making in social, agricultural, ritual, and everyday contexts. 

This study uses an ethnographic approach to document and analyse the process, meanings, and socio-cultural role of Roksin-Kognam, with special attention to Roksin-Kogek, the preliminary stage. Fieldwork was carried out in selected areas of Arunachal Pradesh using interviews, observation, and purposive sampling methods.

The findings show that the chicken liver is understood as a medium through which humans communicate with the supernatural world. The ritual is performed by specialists such as Xibu (shamans) and Xibv (ritual orators), and it follows three main stages: Roksin-Kogek (preliminary), Roksin-Kogja (main), and Roksin-Kogyww
(final). Each stage has a specific role in identifying, explaining, and confirming the issue under examination.

Although similar practices existed in ancient hepatoscopy traditions, Roksin-Kognam remains distinct because of its oral transmission and local symbolic meanings. The study shows its cultural importance and highlights the need to preserve this practice in a time of rapid social and cultural change.

Keywords: Roksin-Kognam, Chicken-Liver Divination, Galo Tribe, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Ethnography, Hepatoscopy, Roksin-Kogja, Roksin-Kogyww.