Myth-Folklore Unit: Raja Rasalu

Overview. Raja Rasalu (King Rasalu), hero of the Punjab, is the subject of many legends, and the stories below come from two different sources: Flora Annie Steel's Tales of the Punjab and Charles Swynnerton's Adventures of the Punjab Hero Raja Rasalu. The unit begins with the dramatic story of Raja Rasalu's birth and how he first set out on his adventures, accompanied by his mighty horse, Bhaunr' Iraqi. You will read how Raja Rasalu defeated the giant cannibals, and also how he captivated Rani Sundran while disguised as a holy man. With the help of a corpse and a kitten, Raja Rasalu will boldly challenge the evil Sarkap in a deadly game of dice, and you will also read about his friendship with Raja Bhoj and their adventures together. Raja Rasalu is part epic hero and part fairy-tale hero, using supernatural strength and extraordinary intelligence to best every opponent that he faces, as you will see.

Language. Both of the sources used in this unit are modern English retellings of the Raja Rasalu legends, so the language used should not pose any problems.

Story Length. This unit contains both single-page stories as well as three longer stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Raja Rasalu. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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READING A: 

1. The King and His Two Queens
2. How Raja Rasalu Was Born
3. How Raja Rasalu's Friends Forsook Him
4. How He Killed the Giants
5. How He Became a Jogi
6. The Dice and the Cricket
7. The Maidens Test Rasalu
8. Rasalu Swings the Maidens
9. The Dog and the Cat
10. How He Played Chaupur with King Sarkap

READING B:

1. The Hunter (Swynnerton)
2. The Hunter (cont.)
3. The Hunter (cont. again)
4. The Hunter (end)
5. The Swans (Swynnerton)
6. The Swans (cont.)
7. Raja Rasalu and Raja Bhoj (Swynnerton)
8. Raja Rasalu and Raja Bhoj (cont.)
9. Raja Rasalu and Raja Bhoj (end)

(illustration by John Batten)