Lores of yore

The collection of Lepcha folk tales is aimed at giving a glimpse into the world of the fast vanishing tribe
Young author Yishey Doma in the acknowledgements section of her recently released book Legends of The Lepchas: Folk Tales from Sikkim (Westland and Tranquebar Press) writes “finally my mother and my late father — storehouse of folktales; if it weren't for you I wouldn't have grown up listening to stories.”

Listening to folk tales is an inevitable part of growing up in a Lepcha child's life. And for a tribe that shares such a deep bond with mother earth, it is only inevitable that nature stands at the core of every Lepcha lore. Soaked in nature, weaving various legends, myths, values and beliefs of the tribe are the stories told by Yishey in this book. The compact book adorning an image of Lepcha textile on its cover carries 22 stories, each accompanied by an illustration by Pankaj Thapa.

Remarkably, the stories chosen in this collection hold their own as individual tales but together they appear to be a set of tales, all connected with each other, leading one to another, collectively painting a picture of the history and the subsequent growth of the Lepchas. Yishey begins with “Children of the Snowy Peaks” which reveals how Itbu-moo, mother creator, gave birth to mountains, lakes and rivers and finally the first human being, ‘Fudonthing'. The next lore “The Death of Lasso Mung Puno” is about how the human race saved itself from the demon king.

Full report here Hindu