Myth-Folklore Unit: Khasi Folktales

Overview. The Khasi people live primarily in Meghalaya state in India and also in the neighboring nation of Bangladesh. The stories in Folktales of the Khasis were collected in the early 20th century and cover a wide range of topics. You will find animal legends here about tigers, monkeys, lynxes, and more, and there are also origin stories about the animals such as how the dog and the cat came to live with man, and how the ox and the goat were domesticated. There are tales of cosmic creation that explain what makes the lightning and where the dark spots on the moon come from, and you will also get to meet some of the gods and goddesses of the Khasi religion, including the twin goddesses Ka Ngot and Ka Iam who give their names to the river Ngot and the river Iam, and the mysterious culture-hero U Biskurom who, long ago, dwelt with the people of the earth and taught them wisdom.

Language. These folktales are told in contemporary English, so the language used should not pose any problems.

Story Length. This unit contains only single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on a single page: Khasi Folktales.



READING A:
  1. The Tiger and the Monkeys
  2. The Legend of the Iei Tree
  3. Hunting the Stag Lapalang
  4. The Goddesses Ka Ngot and Ka Iam
  5. U Biskurom
  6. How the Dog Came to live with Man
  7. The Stag and the Snail
READING B:
  1. The Leap of Ka Likai
  2. What caused the Shadows on the Moon
  3. U Ksuid Tynjang
  4. What makes the Lightning
  5. Ka Panshandi, the Lazy Tortoise
  6. How the Cat came to live with Man
  7. How the Tiger got his Strength
  8. Why the Goat lives with Mankind
  9. How the Ox came to be the Servant of Man