Folk-Tales of the Khasis

In Short

This anthology captures the vibrant traditional lore of the Khasi hill people, offering origin myths, beast fables, and tragic romances. Through stories of proud peacocks flying to the sun, divine maidens descended from mountain rocks, and monstrous serpent-demons demanding human sacrifice, the collection explains how the world took its current shape. It reveals why dogs, cats, and goats came to dwell alongside human masters, how betel and tobacco became tokens of hospitality, and why moral transgressions ripple through generations. These timeless narratives endure because they blend sharp moral lessons with deep cultural reverence for nature.

The Story

The narrative world opens with cosmic origins and celestial transformations. Early tales describe how the grand structure of the earth and sky came to be, beginning with the arrogant peacock U Klew. Deceived by fellow birds into serving as an ambassador to the sun maiden Ka Sngi, U Klew soars into the sky, where the lonely maiden welcomes him into her celestial palace. Other divine beings descend to earth, such as the daughter of a mountain deity who appears as a child atop an unscalable rock near Pomlakrai, eventually becoming the revered ancestress of human chiefs.

As mortals populate the hills, their lives become entwined with magic, temptation, and sorrow. In one central tragedy, the musician U Raitong, living secretly as a disguised bedraggled outcast, plays his enchanted sharati flute by night. Hearing his rapturous music, the Mahadei, wife of the absent Siem, is lured to his hut. Temptation overcomes them, resulting in an illegitimate child; when the Siem returns, he vows severe retribution upon the transgressor. Human arrogance also brings grief, as seen when the majestic young Stag Lapalang ignores his mother's tearful warnings and leaves the Sylhet plains for the Khasi hills to graze on begonia leaves. Villagers organize a massive, relentless hunt, driving the noble stag across crag and glen until he dies pierced by a thousand arrows on Shillong mountain, leaving his mother to die of a broken heart upon discovering his fate.

Darker forces threaten human existence through hideous monsters and demonic tempters. The terrifying serpent-demon U Thlen, born of a dragon in the Pomdoloi cave, feeds upon human blood, enticing victims through his accomplice Ka Kma Kharai, who bestows magic rings of wealth in exchange for human sacrifices. To end such terror, heroes like U Babam Doh capture the shapeshifting dragon U Yak Jakor in a wooden chest. U Babam Doh brings the beast before the royal Durbar, exposes its trickery, and slays the monster before the assembled populace, restoring honor and safety to the land.

The collection moves toward explaining the permanent bonds between animals, humans, and the divine. A boastful dog at the Luri Lura market breaks a jar of foul-smelling food, earns the mockery of other beasts, and curses them before fleeing to live as man's companion. Similarly, a frightened cat leaves her tiger brother to dwell among purring children, and a goat mispronounces her words, terrifies a tiger with her trembling beard, and chooses human domesticity. Finally, human disobedience against divine decrees—such as partaking of forbidden bread offered by a disguised demon—subjects mankind to ongoing earthly sorrow, establishing the rituals, taboos, and hospitality customs that define Khasi life today.

How It Unfolds

The skyward flight Tricked by mischievous jungle birds into believing he was elected ambassador to the sun, the haughty peacock U Klew flies higher than any bird before him. He reaches the celestial palace of the maiden Ka Sngi, who warmly welcomes him to banish her perpetual solitude.

The secret night music Drawn by mesmerizing tones after midnight, the chief's wife spies through a crevice and sees U Raitong, a supposed idiot, playing his sharati flute in radiant attire. Overcome by passion, she enters his hut and breaks her marriage vows, bringing shame and impending execution upon them when her child is born.

The fatal highland hunt Seeking adventure and rich begonia leaves, the magnificent Stag Lapalang ignores his mother's anxious warnings and climbs into the Khasi hills. Alarm horns sound across the hamlets, mobilizing thousands of armed hunters who pursue the stag until he falls on Shillong mountain, breaking his mother's heart.

The dragon in the chest Determined to avenge his family and end generations of terror, the hero U Babam Doh trick-captures the bloodthirsty dragon U Yak Jakor at a forest pool. Bound and locked inside a wooden chest, the monster is brought before the chief's Durbar, where U Babam Doh exposes its dark shapeshifting deceptions and executes it in public.

The market quarrel At the Luri Lura fair, the dog proudly unseals an earthen jar of foul-smelling food, causing the assembled beasts to hoot, jeer, and kick the vessel into the mud. Enraged by their cruelty and the governor's scorn, the dog curses the jungle animals and leaves forever to serve Man.

The tempter's bread While waiting in the forest to receive wisdom from the Great God, a man accepts a tasty wheat cake from an affable stranger. Because this stranger is a hidden demon and rice is the only ordained food, the man's weakness surrenders his entire race to spirit torments.

The People

U Klew, a vain and heavy-bodied peacock, seeks grand prestige and the hand of the celestial sun maiden. His arrogant ambition drives him to undertake an impossible skyward flight; though he wins the maiden's companionship, his departure leaves his former avian companions filled with fear and regret over their cruel prank.

The Stag Lapalang desires freedom and the delicious begonia leaves of the high crags, yearning to break free from his mother's protective warnings. His headstrong nature leads him straight into the path of an entire country's hunting force, transforming a proud, graceful youth into a tragic fallen hero whose death leaves his mother broken-hearted.

U Raitong, an artist living as a miserable, ragged outcast, wishes only to play his sacred sharati flute in nightly solitude. When the chief's wife forces her way into his life, his moral resolve collapses under her intense passion, turning a peaceful hermit into a condemned criminal awaiting royal judgment.

U Babam Doh wants to clear his mother's honor and avenge his father by destroying the murderous dragon U Yak Jakor. Facing a shapeshifting beast that takes his dead father's form to deceive his mother, the young hero maintains his resolve, successfully trapping the monster and proving his bravery before the royal council.

U Ksew, an ambitious dog, wants respect and commercial success at the Luri Lura market. When his foul-smelling delicacy earns humiliation instead of praise, his optimism turns to bitter hatred, driving him to abandon the wild beasts and become the loyal servant of human masters.

In Its Own Voice

When the boastful peacock takes flight toward the sun maiden, the surrounding birds realize their deceptive prank has escalated into real danger.

"Contrary to their expectations, however, U Klew continued his flight upwards till they lost sight of him, and they marvelled and became afraid, not knowing to what danger their jest might drive him."

In explaining why divine judgment falls upon entire communities for individual sins, the Great God offers a stern lesson.

"This also is a parable; because one ant bit thee the whole nest was destroyed. Man is the ant; if man transgresseth he and all his race must suffer."

Humor and misunderstanding also shape the natural world, as seen when a terrified goat accidentally frightens a fierce predator.

"In her fright she quavered: 'I am eating khla' (a tiger), instead of saying, 'I am eating sla' (leaves)."

What It's Really About

Beneath their imaginative folklore framing, these tales explore the delicate moral balance between human communities, the natural world, and divine law. The stories repeatedly question the consequences of unchecked pride, disobedience, and deception. Arrogance leads peacocks and stags to tragic ends, while avarice transforms kind mothers into cruel guardians who beat their children for a taste of magic meat. Crucially, the collection emphasizes collective accountability: individual transgressions inevitably bring suffering upon the entire tribe or species. Yet alongside these grave moral warnings runs a deep appreciation for communal harmony, explaining how hospitality rituals like sharing betel nut and tobacco preserve social peace. Ultimately, the lore argues that survival requires humility, respect for sacred taboos, and a quiet acceptance of man's fragile place within creation.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate mythology, anthropology, and classic fable traditions will find this collection deeply rewarding. The prose feels direct, rhythmic, and steeped in oral tradition, carrying the reader effortlessly through mountain forests, river valleys, and ancestral caves. What lingers long after reading is the poetic logic of the Khasi worldview—where every mountain peak, animal habit, and domestic habit holds an ancient story of love, betrayal, or divine intervention.

However, modern readers should approach the work mindful of its period context. Written in the early twentieth century by a British observer, the narrative occasionally reflects colonial-era framing and somewhat formal archaisms in its English phrasing. Additionally, the sheer volume of standalone tales means the collection lacks a single continuous narrative arc, functioning instead as a tapestry of distinct vignettes. Some stories deal bluntly with harsh themes like child abandonment, extreme jealousy, and gruesome monster sacrifices. Yet for those willing to engage with its traditional pacing and regional nomenclature, the book offers an irreplaceable window into the living imagination of an extraordinary hill culture.