Speak Your Roots

Tag: folklore

  • Shape shifters by Mario Pathaw

    Mario says: "Shape shifters are popular figures in myths and folktales around the world. In Japan and China, foxes assume human form to bedevil the unwary. In Brazil, the river dolphin Boto can turn into a boy and many Native American cultures have stories of "skin-walkers”. In Ireland, there is a myth which talks about the man wolves of Ossory."

    "This concept is also very popular in the Khasi tribe and there are tales and myths about the shape shifters of my clan, The Pathaw clan. According to the tales passed down from my great grandmother, the men of the Pathaw clan leave their bodies in a seemingly lifeless state while their spirits travel and roam around as the "Khla" (Tigers/ Leopards). The Khasi tribe describes a brave warrior as "U Khla Wait" (attributing to the fighting spirit of the Khla) and my mother describes our Pathaw men as warriors and protectors of the family."

    🐯…….🐯…….🐯

  • “Pahsyntiew” by Indari S. Warjri

    I heard of your beauty

    Blushing daughter of the deities

    Sheltered in your cave of chastity

    No man dare explore.

    A dark cascade rises from

    your shoulders

    But a tender lily

    Should not be bruised by

    hostile rocks.

    Your slender hand will stretch

    Towards the flower in the man's hand

    For in his hand man hold

    Unnamable delight.

    And you became mine,

    sweet maiden.

    O be the mother of my sons!

    But also the warm nest for

    my love.

    O children, may you be noble

    May you possess the

    strength of rocks

    May you protect the weak

    May you be suckled on knowledge

    For the celestials beckon

    And I must return.

    The sons became men, royal in stature

    Having wisdom gifted by the gods

    They came to rule the misty hills;

    To dwell in pinewood mansions

    Where carpets of clouds

    And cloaks of rain

    Conserve the forests of the Khasi hills.

    O mother, giver of life,

    See your sons-the syiems.

    "Pahsyntiew" by @indariwarjri based on the legend of Ka Pahsyntiew 🌹

    Indari S. Warjri (Associate Professor) is Head of the Department of English, St. Mary's College, Shillong.

    The Legend of Ka Pahsyntiew has been published in English, in the book Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends (Folktales of India) by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih. The book is published by Penguin Books.

  • “The Sun, the Peacock and I” by Badondor Diengdoh

    Spirited like the jaiñkyrshah

    flapping with the wind.

    Noisy like the sound of

    a bolbaring indenting tarmacs.

    The girls of summer

    The boys of winter.

    The blue rubber ball.

    targeting stacked rocks.

    Now

    still figuring out my life

    with unmatched socks

    Wish I could still be that

    kid from the block

    who daydreamed of

    the sun and the peacock.

    According to Khasi folklore, it is said that the Peacock and the Sun were together in heaven as lovers. But one day the peacock, while looking down on the earth, saw a garden full of mustard flowers. To him the garden looked like a beautiful girl in yellow and green clothes. He instantly fell in love with what he saw. The peacock left the sun and flew down to earth. The sun was heartbroken and her golden tears descended on his feathers creating the golden spotted pattern we all know.

    To the peacock's utter disappointment, upon landing on earth, he realised that what he saw was only a patch of mustard flowers. Now it was the peacocks' turn to cry. Full of regret he tried to fly back to the sun but could not. That is why the peacock is flightless to this day.

    "Bolbaring" is a wooden toy vehicle made out of small wooden poles and having rotating ball bearings as wheels.

    The rubber ball and stacked rocks refers to a traditional game known as "Mawpoiñ" in the Khasi language. It is like dodgeball, while introducing a new element into the game in the form of stacked rocks. It involves one team hitting their opponents with a ball or destroying the stacked rocks while the other team either dodges or re-stacks the rocks .

    "Jaiñkyrshah" is the traditional Khasi apron which is worn as a loop from one shoulder and its design is always a chequered one of different colours.