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Folktales of Bhutan
From the author of Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti another dip into the library of the storytellers from the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
Folktales of Bhutan is a collection of thirty-eight folktales and legends and is a first attempt by a Bhutanese to record in English the oral tradition of this kingdom in the eastern Himalayas. All of the stories recounted here were heard by the author when she was a child living in Bumthang in the central part of Bhutan and are the ones that she passes on to her children today, in the spirit of the oral tradition.
In Bhutan’s centuries of self-imposed isolation brought about by both its geographically remote position and political considerations, the Bhutanese oral tradition evolved and thrived. The rugged and awesome terrain and the people’s closeness to nature, together with their philosophy of karmic life cycles, an unquestioning belief in unseen co-inhabitants of the earth like spirits, ghosts and demons and the creative genius of the storytellers culminated in a remarkable repository of tales and legends which were passed on from one generation to the next.
Each story has been aptly illustrated by a Bhutanese artist who combines the traditional Bhutanese/Buddhist iconographic stylized forms together with his own artistic perceptions.
Folktales of Bhutan is a collection of thirty-eight folktales and legends and is a first attempt by a Bhutanese to record in English the oral tradition of this kingdom in the eastern Himalayas. All of the stories recounted here were heard by the author when she was a child living in Bumthang in the central part of Bhutan and are the ones that she passes on to her children today, in the spirit of the oral tradition.
In Bhutan’s centuries of self-imposed isolation brought about by both its geographically remote position and political considerations, the Bhutanese oral tradition evolved and thrived. The rugged and awesome terrain and the people’s closeness to nature, together with their philosophy of karmic life cycles, an unquestioning belief in unseen co-inhabitants of the earth like spirits, ghosts and demons and the creative genius of the storytellers culminated in a remarkable repository of tales and legends which were passed on from one generation to the next.
Each story has been aptly illustrated by a Bhutanese artist who combines the traditional Bhutanese/Buddhist iconographic stylized forms together with his own artistic perceptions.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2016
19 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Kunzang Choden
16 books78 followersKunzang Choden was born in 1952, in the year of the dragon, in Bumthang, Central Bhutan. She spent her early childhood in Bhutan but went to India (Darjeeling) for her primary and secondary education. She has a BA Honours in Psychology from Indraprastha College in Delhi and a BA in Sociology from the University of Nebraska, USA.
She has worked as a teacher and later for the UNDP in Bhutan. From 1990 onwards, Kunzang has been writing on Bhutanese oral traditions, folklore and women. She lives in Thimphu Bhutan with her husband and continues to research and document Bhutan's oral traditions.
She has worked as a teacher and later for the UNDP in Bhutan. From 1990 onwards, Kunzang has been writing on Bhutanese oral traditions, folklore and women. She lives in Thimphu Bhutan with her husband and continues to research and document Bhutan's oral traditions.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 5, 2022
"𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻".
Ashi Kunzang Choden has been always doing a marvelous job of passing down the stories which is rich in value to the younger generation. This book captivates the very essence and richness of an oral story which the elderly has been narrating to the younger ones who will listen with zeal, enthusiasm and commitment. However, what's the ideal reason if it doesn't go beyond generation and forever. We are losing the very essence of value richness stories. Therefore, Ashi Kunzang Choden has come into light to actually transform oral stories into a written form which can be read and transmitted generations and forever. Ashi Kunzang has been my favourite writer ever since I started reading Dawa, the story of a stray dog. Ashi, Thank You so much for your dedication and for your enthusiasm. We remain connected to our roots through you, without your book, the oral stories would vanish in the thin air whilst embracing the essence of modernity!
བཀྲིན་ཤིན་ཏུ་ཆེ་ལགས།
Ashi Kunzang Choden has been always doing a marvelous job of passing down the stories which is rich in value to the younger generation. This book captivates the very essence and richness of an oral story which the elderly has been narrating to the younger ones who will listen with zeal, enthusiasm and commitment. However, what's the ideal reason if it doesn't go beyond generation and forever. We are losing the very essence of value richness stories. Therefore, Ashi Kunzang Choden has come into light to actually transform oral stories into a written form which can be read and transmitted generations and forever. Ashi Kunzang has been my favourite writer ever since I started reading Dawa, the story of a stray dog. Ashi, Thank You so much for your dedication and for your enthusiasm. We remain connected to our roots through you, without your book, the oral stories would vanish in the thin air whilst embracing the essence of modernity!
བཀྲིན་ཤིན་ཏུ་ཆེ་ལགས།
July 10, 2023
Read Around the World: Bhutan
July 22, 2020
Reading the World -Bhutan
I loved this book. I am not super particular about genre or if the author has left the country of origin and has written the book from America. Being restrained by the issues of language and cost, I picked this book because it was available for me on Kindle.
Luckily, the genre of Folklore is by far my most favourite type of stories to find during this poor man's cruise through world of Literature. I have it 5 stars for a feeling of authenticity and an enjoyable to read style.
Mrs. Choden has chosen tales that are not just copies of European stories. She gives us a glimpse of her home and her childhood tales with just the right amount of the culture of the people of her country to be interesting without being overly political, stereotypical, or pretentious.
The book was easy to read and not too long or short.
I highly recommend this book for Bhutan if you are "Reading the World" or collecting folklore tales to enjoy.
The cover made me assume these were children's tales but they are not!
Enjoy this book. Don't ever waste your time on a book you don't enjoy!
I loved this book. I am not super particular about genre or if the author has left the country of origin and has written the book from America. Being restrained by the issues of language and cost, I picked this book because it was available for me on Kindle.
Luckily, the genre of Folklore is by far my most favourite type of stories to find during this poor man's cruise through world of Literature. I have it 5 stars for a feeling of authenticity and an enjoyable to read style.
Mrs. Choden has chosen tales that are not just copies of European stories. She gives us a glimpse of her home and her childhood tales with just the right amount of the culture of the people of her country to be interesting without being overly political, stereotypical, or pretentious.
The book was easy to read and not too long or short.
I highly recommend this book for Bhutan if you are "Reading the World" or collecting folklore tales to enjoy.
The cover made me assume these were children's tales but they are not!
Enjoy this book. Don't ever waste your time on a book you don't enjoy!
October 18, 2024
This was my choice for my Read the World series for the country of Bhutan. Bhutan are you ok? There are a lot of stories of malevolent spirits and a couple of people transforming into other objects/animals by wearing the skin. In the forward there is a mention of similarities to German folk tales but I didn't see it, I find that most countries have stories similar to Greek myths that may have actually originated in Egypt. There are also a lot of stories about wealth disparity and that most of the wealthy characters are the antagonist and yet everyone wants to be rich.
There are a lot of stories in here and it is divided into Folk tales and legends. I would suggest reading the legend section first as some of the creatures are better explained in that section. The most interesting parts of the book for me was the beginning and the end where the author talks about the ritual in telling folktales in Bhutan were they explain Dangoo Dingoo that begins each folktales.
I was missing some of the cultural aspects that I've read in other collections of folktales and I needed a more thorough introduction into sinpos and other beings that are particular to Bhutan. While I am glad that I read this collection, I think more of an introduction would have helped me connect more to the stories.
There are a lot of stories in here and it is divided into Folk tales and legends. I would suggest reading the legend section first as some of the creatures are better explained in that section. The most interesting parts of the book for me was the beginning and the end where the author talks about the ritual in telling folktales in Bhutan were they explain Dangoo Dingoo that begins each folktales.
I was missing some of the cultural aspects that I've read in other collections of folktales and I needed a more thorough introduction into sinpos and other beings that are particular to Bhutan. While I am glad that I read this collection, I think more of an introduction would have helped me connect more to the stories.
May 8, 2021
We kennen allemaal onze mooie sprookjes, fabels en legenden. Maar nu kunnen we die ook aanvullen met deze prachtige verzameling uit Bhutan, een kleine staat die zich uitstrekt van het hooggebergte van de Himalaya tot het subtropische laagland. Fabels hoeven geen uitleg. Het zijn allegorische vertellingen die wijze lessen bevatten en hun ontstaan en voortbestaan vinden in verhalende culturen. Bhutan is tot op heden een voorbeeld van zo'n verhalende cultuur, ook al begint die de laatste decennia te tanen. Daarom juist is het werk van Kunzang Choden zo belangrijk.
De thema's en de lessen van de meeste fabels zijn heel vergelijkbaar met die uit andere culturen, gewoon omdat die algemeen menselijk zijn. Andere zijn dan weer specifiek eigen aan de Oosterse - en boeddhistische - cultuur van Bhutan.
De thema's en de lessen van de meeste fabels zijn heel vergelijkbaar met die uit andere culturen, gewoon omdat die algemeen menselijk zijn. Andere zijn dan weer specifiek eigen aan de Oosterse - en boeddhistische - cultuur van Bhutan.
September 4, 2019
Folktales of Bhutan (2016) compiled by Kunzang Choden is a collection of folk tales from the isolated Himalayan country. It's an interesting group that has tales of devils, shape changers and ghosts done in a Bhutanese style. Reading the stories shows how different folk tales around the world can be.
It's a refreshing read that would be worth a look for anyone interested in global folk tales or who is looking for Bhutanese writing.
It's a refreshing read that would be worth a look for anyone interested in global folk tales or who is looking for Bhutanese writing.
January 24, 2026
Tales and Legends, Interesting but Odd
Strange stories form a window into a culture, often with unexpected conclusions. Beautiful pictures. Some stories have valuable lessons, but not all.
Strange stories form a window into a culture, often with unexpected conclusions. Beautiful pictures. Some stories have valuable lessons, but not all.
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August 27, 2021تجربة غنية وجميلة
September 5, 2025
Chosen for the "Read Around the World" challenge: BHUTAN. Felt I got to know Bhutan (small, landlocked country in Southeast Asia) better through these 38 folktales - which are somewhat similar to Aesop’s Fables, but darker.
I liked stories such as “The Tale of the Goat’s Tail” - in which a goat’s tail (just the tail - separated from the body) causes mischief.
A Glossary helpfully explains some words, but they can usually be understood from context too.
I liked stories such as “The Tale of the Goat’s Tail” - in which a goat’s tail (just the tail - separated from the body) causes mischief.
A Glossary helpfully explains some words, but they can usually be understood from context too.
January 20, 2022
2,5 -> 2
Reading the world - Bhutan
Interesting stories hidden beneath the so-so style. To my delight, there are some quite good ones about animals like how frog and cuckoo's relationship fell apart. Also unexpectedly I was surprised to find so many with female leads who don't get married at the end.
Reading the world - Bhutan
Interesting stories hidden beneath the so-so style. To my delight, there are some quite good ones about animals like how frog and cuckoo's relationship fell apart. Also unexpectedly I was surprised to find so many with female leads who don't get married at the end.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews