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Legends of the Place

Our Khasi Hills have their share of legends, which have been passed on from one generation to another through word of mouth. Some of them had been recorded by the early missionaries and by British Civil Servants who had served in the Hills after the Hills were annexed to the British Empire. Khasi language got its script only after the missionaries adapted alphabets to express the spoken language in writing. Hence, one does encounter variations in narration and certain details, but one can easily discern the basic theme even in the differing versions. We are trying to bring out here the different versions, which help us to have a peek into the world of our ancestors. The frequent tragic endings in these legends seem to indicate a mindset. How we Khasis had lost our original script itself is an interesting story, which is also narrated below.

1. The Legend of 'Kwai' | 2. The Legend of Daiñthlen | 3. The Legend of Nohkalikai | 4. The Legend of the 'Forbidden Tree' | 5. The Legend of the Sun and the Moon | 6. The Legend of Ramhah | 7. The Legend of Ula and his wife | 8. The Legend about how the Khasis lost their script

Excerpt from the article "Notes on the Kasia Hills, and People" by Lt. Henry Yule, the Bengal Engineers (Sir Henry Yule, the Geographer): Published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol. XIV Part II - July to December, 1844

On the road from Cherra to Jaintia is a singular ravine, some 600 yards in length, and 80 feet in depth, with sides remarkably even, and regularly parallel. The far end is closed by a round knoll. This, it is said, was the archery ground of three heroes of old, Ramha, Nonorrop, and Pangnorrop. I asked if there were giants then in old times ? The good man answered, that he could not speak as to their height, but they were "Bara mota wala," exceedingly stout.
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