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Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends
It is believed that the only way the Khasi people could learn of God s word was by passing on the stories of their forefathers. The alphabet of the great Khasi tribe of North-East India was born as late as in 1842, when Thomas Jones, a Welsh Presbyterian missionary, introduced the Roman script to form the essentials of the Khasi written word. But long before the white man came, the Khasis knew agriculture, trade, commerce and industry. And they were also masters of storytelling. Theirs was a society of great wisdom and civilized conduct at a time when brute force held sway. For theirs was a culture that worshipped God through respect for both man and nature. Perhaps that is why Khasi stories always begin with When man and beasts and stones and trees spoke as one . . . How did the great storytelling tradition of the Khasis survive so long without a script? Putting together myths and legends peopled by deities and poor folk, speaking trees and talking tigers, the sun and the moon and everything below bilingual poet and writer Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih describes how fables of love and jealousy, hate and forgiveness, evil and redemption inform the philosophy, moral principles and daily activities of his community even today.
155 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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236 people want to read
About the author
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih
17 books34 followersKynpham Sing Nongkynrih is the winner of the Shakti Bhatt Prize 2024. He was born and brought up in Sohra, Meghalaya, and writes poetry, drama and fiction in Khasi and English. His latest works are "The Distaste of the Earth" (Penguin India, longlisted for the JCB Prize 2024 and shortlisted for the Kerala Literature Festival Book of the Year Award 2024) and the 1024-page debut novel, "Funeral Nights" (Context/Westland Amazon for India; And Other Stories for the UK-US). He is the author of "The Yearning of Seeds" (HarperCollins), "Time’s Barter: Haiku and Senryu" (HarperCollins), "Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends" (Penguin) and the co-editor of "Late-Blooming Cherries: Haiku Poetry from India" (HarperCollins), Lapbah: Stories from the Northeast (Penguin) and "Dancing Earth: An Anthology of Poetry from Northeast India" (Penguin).
He has published poems and stories in Planet: The Welsh Internationalist, Wasafiri, The New Welsh Review, PEN International, The Literary Review, Karavan, The Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Cordite Poetry Review, Poetry International Web, The Indian Quarterly, Down to Earth, The Hindu Business Line, Indian Literature, The Oxford Anthology of Writings from North-East India, Pilgrim’s India, Day’s End Stories and others.
His other awards include the first North-East Poetry Award (Tripura, 2004), the first Veer Shankar Shah-Raghunath Shah National Award for tribal literature (Madhya Pradesh, 2008), a Tagore Fellowship (IIAS, Shimla, 2018), the Bangalore Review June Jazz Award (2021) and the Sparrow Literary Award (2022). He teaches literature at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong.
From http://keralaliteraturefestival.com/s...
He has published poems and stories in Planet: The Welsh Internationalist, Wasafiri, The New Welsh Review, PEN International, The Literary Review, Karavan, The Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Cordite Poetry Review, Poetry International Web, The Indian Quarterly, Down to Earth, The Hindu Business Line, Indian Literature, The Oxford Anthology of Writings from North-East India, Pilgrim’s India, Day’s End Stories and others.
His other awards include the first North-East Poetry Award (Tripura, 2004), the first Veer Shankar Shah-Raghunath Shah National Award for tribal literature (Madhya Pradesh, 2008), a Tagore Fellowship (IIAS, Shimla, 2018), the Bangalore Review June Jazz Award (2021) and the Sparrow Literary Award (2022). He teaches literature at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong.
From http://keralaliteraturefestival.com/s...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 23, 2020
'Khasi', a tribe living in North Eastern states of our country who are predominantly occupied in yester year's 'hima' region which presently belongs to Meghalaya state. Though their written language is invented very recently in 1842, they are not backward in terms of morals & traditions at all and this reflects in their folk tales. Folk tales are the finest way to get introduced to a culture or a custom of any state/region & that too of a tribal community which mirrors the roots of the region distinctly in every tale that was told. 'Around the hearth' edited by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih accounts 20 such folk tales & fables painting a vivid picture of the Khasi tribe sprinkled with khasi words liniently here & there.
🎭
All the 20 tales are interconnected with each other so it should be read in an order. All the stories have a basic & common notion which are set during the time when humans & beasts spoke same language, and Gods & fairies frequent the earth often. I liked how these stories were arranged starting with evolution of Ramew, the mother Earth & after praying God U Blei, blessing her with five children who are five powers of the universe- the Sun, the Moon, Fire, Wind & Water; & then comes the story of origin of seven clans of the Khasi tribe sent by God to benefit the fruits on the Earth. The rituals & rites followed by the tribe are very simple& liberal , this has a legend which was believed strongly in the community.
🎭
Most of the stories have mystical elements & magical realism reasoning the names & shapes of rivers, mountains, ravines & towns. Why the world wakes up with crowing of a rooster & how dog became close to the mankind; the enimity between mountain brothers; why peacock is cursed not to fly high with its heavy feathers; men marrying mermaids & angels; ghastly existence of beasts roaming & sucking blood of humans; why moon regrets & escapes from his sibling sister Sun hiding from her till now. A few stories tell us how a belief & custom has ingrained in the tribe & some about the kings & rulers of the region, also some of them with melancholy churns our heart. Though these stories are majorly weaved with myths, interestingly all of them have an underlying strong moral motto surfacing at the end that is to be taught & passed on to their future generations.
🎭
I felt all these stories especially fables on animals could be enjoyed by children too. While reading this book,I travelled back to my memory lane when my grand mother who was a treasure of such folktales & legends used to tell us while feeding me & my sister with rice balls of yummy home made aavakaya ( mango pickle in Telugu) patted with ghee generously🥰.
🎭
All the 20 tales are interconnected with each other so it should be read in an order. All the stories have a basic & common notion which are set during the time when humans & beasts spoke same language, and Gods & fairies frequent the earth often. I liked how these stories were arranged starting with evolution of Ramew, the mother Earth & after praying God U Blei, blessing her with five children who are five powers of the universe- the Sun, the Moon, Fire, Wind & Water; & then comes the story of origin of seven clans of the Khasi tribe sent by God to benefit the fruits on the Earth. The rituals & rites followed by the tribe are very simple& liberal , this has a legend which was believed strongly in the community.
🎭
Most of the stories have mystical elements & magical realism reasoning the names & shapes of rivers, mountains, ravines & towns. Why the world wakes up with crowing of a rooster & how dog became close to the mankind; the enimity between mountain brothers; why peacock is cursed not to fly high with its heavy feathers; men marrying mermaids & angels; ghastly existence of beasts roaming & sucking blood of humans; why moon regrets & escapes from his sibling sister Sun hiding from her till now. A few stories tell us how a belief & custom has ingrained in the tribe & some about the kings & rulers of the region, also some of them with melancholy churns our heart. Though these stories are majorly weaved with myths, interestingly all of them have an underlying strong moral motto surfacing at the end that is to be taught & passed on to their future generations.
🎭
I felt all these stories especially fables on animals could be enjoyed by children too. While reading this book,I travelled back to my memory lane when my grand mother who was a treasure of such folktales & legends used to tell us while feeding me & my sister with rice balls of yummy home made aavakaya ( mango pickle in Telugu) patted with ghee generously🥰.
August 28, 2021
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Around the Hearth Khasi Legends by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih explores the great storytelling tradition of the Khasis.
It is through their storytelling that we get to know how present-day customs were first implemented; the history and significance behind them. These 20 short stories give an insight into Khasi culture, their way of living, and the connection they still share with nature when the rest of so-called “Modern India” is no short of becoming a concrete jungle cut off from the rituals their ancestors participated in to be one with nature.
The stories are individually read as folk-tales. They attempt to trace the reasons why the Khasis never begin a ritual without the sacrificial blood of the rooster placed before a piece of a Rubber Tree, the Oak Tree, and the Leaf; how the Peacock got the spotted glory of his tail; why there is a custom of exchanging kwai, a betel nut, a betel leaf, and lime or tobacco taken together came into being; why the Moon ventures out only at night; how to drive away spirits with a broom; among others. The history behind the name of present-day Shillong and the mention of certain places in present-day Bangladesh did have me very intrigued.
TAKE THAT COLONIZERS
Around the Hearth Khasi Legends by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih explores the great storytelling tradition of the Khasis.
“’ telling’ because their alphabet is of very recent history, no older than when Thomas Jones, the Welsh Presbyterian missionary, introduced the Roman script in 1842, to form the essentials of the Khasi written word”
It is through their storytelling that we get to know how present-day customs were first implemented; the history and significance behind them. These 20 short stories give an insight into Khasi culture, their way of living, and the connection they still share with nature when the rest of so-called “Modern India” is no short of becoming a concrete jungle cut off from the rituals their ancestors participated in to be one with nature.
“Khasi stories always begin with ‘When man and beasts and stones and trees spoke as one….’”
The stories are individually read as folk-tales. They attempt to trace the reasons why the Khasis never begin a ritual without the sacrificial blood of the rooster placed before a piece of a Rubber Tree, the Oak Tree, and the Leaf; how the Peacock got the spotted glory of his tail; why there is a custom of exchanging kwai, a betel nut, a betel leaf, and lime or tobacco taken together came into being; why the Moon ventures out only at night; how to drive away spirits with a broom; among others. The history behind the name of present-day Shillong and the mention of certain places in present-day Bangladesh did have me very intrigued.
“The Khasis before the white man came, were not a band of barbarians roving the hills for heads and scalps.
They did not live up trees like monkeys, nor hunt for food like savages. They knew how to make things out of wood and iron; they knew trade and commerce – and yes, industry.”
TAKE THAT COLONIZERS
April 14, 2021
I think I started developing a knack for stories in my toddler years when my grandma used to tell me bedtime stories revolving around nature, animals, and people. And this book here, Khasi Legends, just took me down that memory lane.
The Khasis are a group of seven tribes of North-Eastern India and before their script was developed in the 1840s, they used to pass on their stories, myths, and legends orally. The Khasi culture was the one where they considered everything and everyone to be god’s creation and thus, they respected all – man, nature, wildlife, and even inanimate objects.
Each tale in this book provides a backstory to help us understand the present Khasi culture – how the five elements of Earth were born, how a particular stream came into existence, how dog became man’s best friend, the story behind lightning and thunder, and such things. But these aren’t just fancy folktales with talking animals, no. These aren’t meant to be looked at as just some children’s story. Our Indian folktales have always had lessons for all hidden between them, and so does this one. Khasi Legends brings to us tales of love, morality, faith, violence, kinship, and much more.
Full of joy, heartbreak, magical realism, and knowledge, this book sucked me into the mythological world of North-East India and I don’t think I will ever be able to crawl out of here now! This book is sheer beauty.❤️
The Khasis are a group of seven tribes of North-Eastern India and before their script was developed in the 1840s, they used to pass on their stories, myths, and legends orally. The Khasi culture was the one where they considered everything and everyone to be god’s creation and thus, they respected all – man, nature, wildlife, and even inanimate objects.
Each tale in this book provides a backstory to help us understand the present Khasi culture – how the five elements of Earth were born, how a particular stream came into existence, how dog became man’s best friend, the story behind lightning and thunder, and such things. But these aren’t just fancy folktales with talking animals, no. These aren’t meant to be looked at as just some children’s story. Our Indian folktales have always had lessons for all hidden between them, and so does this one. Khasi Legends brings to us tales of love, morality, faith, violence, kinship, and much more.
Full of joy, heartbreak, magical realism, and knowledge, this book sucked me into the mythological world of North-East India and I don’t think I will ever be able to crawl out of here now! This book is sheer beauty.❤️
June 14, 2022
Beautifully written
Reading this reminds me of my Khasi Teacher back in school.
Picked this up as it was high time for me to polish my roots..a work of art!
Reading this reminds me of my Khasi Teacher back in school.
Picked this up as it was high time for me to polish my roots..a work of art!
June 26, 2025
This book has been lying on my shelf for four years, sandwiched between my other unread books. I finally complete it today.
While the stories are familiar, the translated versions feel less magical. This is no fault of the translator, of course, since it's impossible to replicate Khasi reduplication into English.
Some of these stories remain vibrant since they are part of the living religious mythology of the people of Khasi-Jaintia hills. It's also worth noting that most of these stories have variants, depending on where in the land of Hynniewtrep they are told.
While the stories are familiar, the translated versions feel less magical. This is no fault of the translator, of course, since it's impossible to replicate Khasi reduplication into English.
Some of these stories remain vibrant since they are part of the living religious mythology of the people of Khasi-Jaintia hills. It's also worth noting that most of these stories have variants, depending on where in the land of Hynniewtrep they are told.
February 14, 2018
This is a beautiful collection of folk tales from the Khasi community of Meghalaya. One can have a overview of the culture, customs and rites of the Khasis from this book.
February 26, 2024
From sanctified stories to panchatantra like tales and finally to legends that are closely associated with the geography of Meghalaya and the north-east of the Indian subcontinent, this books packs in 20 short stories and folktales that give you a glimpse of the culture.
The matriarchal society, the close relationship with nature, their idea of God and the heaven, the interpersonal relationship of the people withing the community, you get a taste of it all.
Although a few of the stories are grim and make you ponder on Man as a creature, nature as a ruthless magician and more, the stories all together would give you the feeling as if you are listening in to stories shared around bonfires in the middle of the forests.
Prof. Kynpham has done a wonderful job to make the stories accessible to all audiences.
My suggestion would be to add a glossary for pronunciations of the names correctly so as to not break the flow of reading by googling it multiple times.
Favourite story: Manik Raitong (the best one's the last one).
The matriarchal society, the close relationship with nature, their idea of God and the heaven, the interpersonal relationship of the people withing the community, you get a taste of it all.
Although a few of the stories are grim and make you ponder on Man as a creature, nature as a ruthless magician and more, the stories all together would give you the feeling as if you are listening in to stories shared around bonfires in the middle of the forests.
Prof. Kynpham has done a wonderful job to make the stories accessible to all audiences.
My suggestion would be to add a glossary for pronunciations of the names correctly so as to not break the flow of reading by googling it multiple times.
Favourite story: Manik Raitong (the best one's the last one).
March 5, 2024
“Around The Hearth Khasi Legends” by Professor Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih is a collection of 20 folk tales about the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya - the myths and legends that celebrate the great tradition of storytelling without any scripts but through man and nature!
True to it’s title, you will get the familiar feeling of gathering around a bonfire/hearth listening to age-old stories passed down over the generations.
Stories narrated through generations explaining the importance of a certain landmark or traditional practice or even something like why dog is a man’s most loyal friend, of the origins of rivers and mountains and something as tragic as the legend of Nohkalikai falls!
Professor Kynpham is also a poet and that’s why you can feel the poetic elements in certain stories very deeply. It keeps you engaged throughout.
I love short stories and growing up reading a lot of folk tales I enjoyed reading this book. Would definitely recommend if you want to know more about the Khasi culture or simply looking for real life legends.
True to it’s title, you will get the familiar feeling of gathering around a bonfire/hearth listening to age-old stories passed down over the generations.
Stories narrated through generations explaining the importance of a certain landmark or traditional practice or even something like why dog is a man’s most loyal friend, of the origins of rivers and mountains and something as tragic as the legend of Nohkalikai falls!
Professor Kynpham is also a poet and that’s why you can feel the poetic elements in certain stories very deeply. It keeps you engaged throughout.
I love short stories and growing up reading a lot of folk tales I enjoyed reading this book. Would definitely recommend if you want to know more about the Khasi culture or simply looking for real life legends.
August 10, 2025
It's fascinating that stories, no matter where they originate, share universal themes of love, loss, and resilience.
This book will make the reader appreciate the power of story telling.
Bah Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, did a fabulous job by assorting these folklore into a book, and presenting it to us.
The stories reflect the Khasi culture, helps achieve a deeper understanding of their way of life. Also, the geographical reference of the places that still exist makes the stories all the more full of life.
Looking forward to reading more.
This book will make the reader appreciate the power of story telling.
Bah Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, did a fabulous job by assorting these folklore into a book, and presenting it to us.
The stories reflect the Khasi culture, helps achieve a deeper understanding of their way of life. Also, the geographical reference of the places that still exist makes the stories all the more full of life.
Looking forward to reading more.
February 2, 2024
This is how the mythological legends/stories need to be reprised for modern times. Having lived in the region, I can vouch that every story provides a reasoning and base of how interconnected a Khasi is with nature. The intelligence of storytelling is beautiful and bewitching.
Read
March 11, 2024DNF 2nd chapter. Not for me.
September 14, 2023
One of my all-time favourite books of folklore. From the story of how the Khasi script was lost, to the secret tip from a tiny wren that helped people finally chop down the Tree of Despair, to the ultraspooky machinations of the serpent demon U Thlen and the Nongshohnoh who bring him blood--Khasi lore is full of powerful ancient magic.
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih is a great storyteller who has devoted his career to recording the richness of his tribal culture in English. And Pankaj Thapa's chapter-heading illustrations are brilliant.
My ten-year-old enjoyed it too!
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih is a great storyteller who has devoted his career to recording the richness of his tribal culture in English. And Pankaj Thapa's chapter-heading illustrations are brilliant.
My ten-year-old enjoyed it too!
February 3, 2025
3.75 ⭐️ So much of my enjoyment of this book has got to do with the fact that we had an author session and he is just the sweetest and nicest! Fav literature professor vibes, the kind who’d talk about life and you’d pay attention to their every word in class! 0.5 extra ⭐️ is for the author hi 🥹
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews