The origin of human : Mee gi hourakpham
Fungawari Singbul by B. Jayantakumar Sharma

Translation by Nganthoi Lourembam *

An illustration of Folk tale 'Mee gi hourakpham' by Nganthoi Lourembam

Once upon a time there lived a woman called Jili Mosiro. One day, while she was just lying down on top of a hill, a scud of dark cloud in the sky covered her whole body and disappeared suddenly. Since that day Mosiro got conceived and with time she gave birth to three baby boys.

Mosiro looked after the three boys all by herself till they grew up. Among her three sons Mosiro loved Mee(human) the most, the third son. The three sons decided to keep their old mother in their respective houses by taking turns.

When she lived with her eldest son she got high fever; and when she lived with Kei(tiger) she became restless and nervous. But when she lived with her last son she wanted to die and Mee also thought it's better if she died hence he took a handful of spicy red chilies and boiled them with water.

He made his old mother drink the water. But instead of death she became stronger and healthier than before. However how long could she survive as she was already old! Later on she could barely stand up and walk. The old mother from her deathbed said to her son, Mee, "After I am dead, don't tell anyone. Burry me quietly. Also build a Funga on top of my tomb and cook food on it."

Once when she was staying at her son, Mee's place she passed away. As told by her mother, Mee buried her mother's dead body. And for the people to not know where she was buried he created various graveyards near his house.

When Kei returned home at sunset he was very upset to not see his mother and he started looking for his mother's dead body. He searched everywhere; at every corner of the house, canals, bushes but he couldn't find the dead body. Looking at his brother's behavior, the eldest son, Lai tried console him; he fondled Kei's neck and said, "Don't be upset, everything will be fine."

Since Lai fondled his brother Kei on the neck Kei couldn't move his neck anymore. And hence since that day tiger cannot move its neck from left to right or look backward.

From that day Kei got only a single bone; if he wishes to look back the whole body needs to be turned around. After Kei couldn't move his neck he stopped searching for his mother. The three knew that they cannot live together without their mother and hence decided to live separately for their lives.

All the three sons of Mosiro, Lai, Kei and Mee loved to live in the plain area. All of them quarreled to settle at the plain area and hence resorted to put up a race. They erected a stick tied with bunch of grasses as the touchdown of the race and decided that whoever touches the grasses on top of the stick will be declared winner.

The race was succeeded by Kei. The other brothers were disappointed and decided to race again. Lai wanted his youngest brother to succeed and said to Mee, "Brother, I want you to succeed the race but my brother, Kei is stronger and powerful and it is impossible for you to win the race. Hence if you have to win you have to win foully. Hide yourself nearby with a bow and an arrow. Before your brother Kei reaches the touchdown you should shoot the arrow towards the bunch of the grasses."

Mee followed his elder brother's suggestion. Before Kei reached Mee shot at the bunch of the grasses and claimed winner of the race. As a reward of winning the race Mee got the perfect plain region and agreed that Kei will loiter around the jungle and Lai will live inside the dense caves of the top hills.

The three brothers were all set to settle their lives in separate places. The eldest brother wanted his youngest brother Mee to not find him ever. Before, man could see Gods. Lai thought, "There will be quarrel if my brother Mee is able to see me; hence I must make he doesn't see me ever again."

And thus Lai exchanged the eyes between human and dog. Thus man couldn't see anything at night due to the exchange of eyes with dogs. Later Lai asked Mee if he would eat dried chilly or green chilly. Mee replied that he would eat both and that's the reason why man got classified into young and old and making those dead. Later they got separated.

After Mee got separated from Lai it was time to say goodbye to Kei. Kei doesn't treat his younger brother very well. Kei didn't have the love feeling for his brother; instead he wants to eat him up. Thus, men get scared of tiger. Thinking that Kei would eat him up, Mee lied many times to his brother.

When they were living together once Kei asked Mee, "Younger brother, where will you sleep tonight?" Mee replied, "On the ground." While Kei was away Mee prepared a bed by putting water on tub and covered up by a sheet of cloth. And he slept somewhere else. When Kei returned he thought his younger brother was sleeping on the bed and he jumped on it and he got drowned in the tub of water. And when Mee asked his brother what happened, Kei replied that he was just playing around.

Mee didn't like to live with Kei and hence Mee thought of a plan for the Kei to leave. Once Mee asked Kei, "Tada(elder brother) what are you scared of the most?" Kei didn't reply for very long time. However he couldn't hide as Mee kept on asking again and again. Kei said, "What I am scared of the most is the Krok-krok sound."

Knowing his brother's weakness Mee decided to collect drums and other hollow materials which make lot of noise and scare his brother. One day when Mee was knitting mat Kei came to join him. Then he slept off covered by mat.

While he was asleep Mee tied stuffs that make noisy sound on his tail and also played loud sound near Kei's ears. Kei got shocked and ran away towards the jungle. Since that day human being doesn't live together with tigers.


** From Manipur folk tale Book called "Fungawari Singbul" by B. Jayantakumar Sharma