To this day the spirit of Necorpa holds a formidable place among the known spirits of Tang. Every body in Tang at some time or another has had to conduct placatory rites for Necorpa. True to his word the spirit of Necorpa has never harmed the people of Kizom.
Epilogue
Dingbo must never Catch up with Dangbo...
We are told that Dingbo must never catch up with Dangbo for if he did then there would not be any more stories. As long as Dangbo is ahead of Dingbo there will continue to be stories. There was, however, a time in history, a long long time ago when the stories nearly ended for Dangbo was incapacitated and just narrowly escaped being caught by Dingbo.
Dangbo was running away from Dingbo as he had been running from time immemorial, or from the time that people began to tell stories. Suddenly he stepped on a thorn and could not run any further. He sat down and put his right foot on his left knee and inspected the sole of his foot. He right away saw the thorn that was lodged deep inside his heavily calloused sole. He could not pull it with his bare fingers. He had to have a needle. He realized to his dismay that the needle he always stuck in the collar of his gho for times like this was no longer there. It must have fallen out somewhere as he ran. But he would have to hurry because he knew that Dingbo was close behind him.
He was sitting there quite helpless when a brokpa passed him.
Full of hope he eagerly asked, “Ashang Brokpa, please lend me a needle.”
The Brokpa turned to him: “No! I won’t lend you my needle,” he said quite indifferently, probably unaware of the danger he was causing to the world of stories.
“Mouse, Mouse, please gnaw at the bag of the brokpa,” requested Dangbo of a mouse that came and crouched near them.
“No, no, I won’t gnaw at his bag,” squeaked the mouse.
“Cat, Cat, catch this mouse,” Dangbo asked a cat that had just stopped by. By now Dangbo was getting nervous for he knew that Dingbo would soon be catching up with him.
“No, no, I don’t want to catch the mouse,” meowed the cat.
“Dog, Dog, chase the cat,” said Dangbo as a dog turned up, having heard the meowing cat.
“No, no, I won’t chase the cat,” barked the dog as he lay down to watch the growing crowd of strangers.
“Stick, Stick, beat this dog,” shouted Dangbo loudly to a stick lying on the side of the road.
“No, no, I won’t beat the dog,” replied the stick lazily as he stretched out and lay deeper in the grass.
Dangbo turned desperately to the flickering fire which had been lit by some travelers who had passed this way and begged, “Fire, Fire, burn the stick.”
“No, no, I won’t burn the stick.” replied the fire, defiantly flaming up and crackling.
Now Dingbo could be seen in the distance coming closer and closer. Dangbo had to do something before he was caught. He saw a stream and shouted, “Water, Water, put out the fire.”
“No, no, I won’t put out the fire,” sang the water as it flowed down the stream.
Dangbo had to go on but he could not walk. He got up and took a few faltering steps and then fell back. He looked around miserably as a ram happened to come by. “Ram, Ram, drink up the water,” he pleaded.
It is not quite clear whether the ram actually heard this plea or whether he was simply very thirsty but he promptly walked over to the stream and began to drink thirstily from the stream lapping up huge gulps of the water. This started up a whole chain of events and Dangbo escaped being caught by Dingbo.
As the ram began to drink the water the startled water splashed up and put out the fire. The fire flickered for a while and then rose fiercely and scorched the stick. The stick stood upright, did a quick somersault, and began to hit the dog. The dog yelped and whimpered and ran after the cat who hissed and scolded and ran after the mouse, who let out a big squeak and began to gnaw in earnest at the brokpa’s bag. The brokpa seeing all this said, “Here, here, take the needle and tell the mouse to stop gnawing at my brand-new bag.”
Dangbo gladly took the needle, loosened the thorn and picked it out and stood up and instantly took to his heels just as Dingbo reached the spot where Dangbo had sat. He missed Dangbo by a hair’s breath. The great chase through time was on once again.
Thus every story must begin with Dangbo....Dingbo or Dangbo thik naki wenda, Dingbo thik naki wenda....Dangbo must always be ahead of Dingbo so that stories can follow...
Glossary
Acchu - Unclean stream or river. Bhutanese consider a river or stream unclean if there are settlements or villages up stream.
Akhai - Expression of repulsion
Acho-La-La - Acho means elder brother. The moon is often referred to as elder brother-La-La.
Ah chu chu - An expression of being cold.
Aila - Grandmother in Bumthangkha.
Ama - Mother in all dialects of Bhutan.
Aming - Maternal aunt in Bumthangkha.
Aming Niwa - Aunt mouse in Bumthangkha.
Ani/Animo - Nun.
Apa/Ap - Father.
Ara - Home-distilled liquor made from maize, wheat, barley, rice, buckwheat or millet.
Ashang - Maternal uncle.
Ashi - Title used for queens and princesses. The term is often used for ladies of the aristocracy.
Ayi wha - An expression of sadness in Bumthangkha.
Ayi-di-chi - Poor thing.
Bachu - A small Tibetan cow.
Bamairuchung - Horns of mithans, often ornately decorated in gold and silver, are used as containers for oil and alcoholic drinks.
Bangchung - A small double basket made of bamboo.
Boden - A high mattress used as a couch or a bed, usually stuffed with dried moss, used by wealthy and high-ranking people.
Bomed - A girl or daughter but in literal translation it means “not a boy” in Bumthangkha.
Brokpa - Nomad herders.
Bumthangkha - The dialect of Bumthang in central Bhutan.
Bumthangpa khuli - A pancake from buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is the staple food of Bumthang.
Chod - A ritual during which discontented spirits are invited to feast on the practitioner’s body which has been transformed into sanctified food.
Chabsang - Literally translated as “secret water,” it refers to urine.
Chenrezi - The Buddha of Compassion.
Chodpa - A practitioner of a religious ritual chod.
Choepa - Any person who has received empowerment to perform certain religious rites and rituals.
Chu - River.
Dasho - A title usually bestowed upon a person by the king. The term is often used for men of the aristocracy.
Dermo - Demoness.
Dhalham - Bhutanese knee-length boots, the upper portion being made of cloth, often elaborately embroidered, and with leather soles.
Dri - A unit of measurement (volume) used for grains and flour.
Dzong - A fortified palace usually the center for administrative as well as religious affairs.
Dzongkha - Official language of Bhutan.
Dzongpon - Administrative head of a dzong.
Gho - Males dress.
Gomchen - A lay religious practitioner of the Ningmapa sect.
Jatsam - Female progeny of a mithan bull (Bos frontalis) and a Bhutanese local cow.
Kaira - A woven belt.
Kaphe - Flour made of roasted barely or wheat.
Karmatekpa - A rice variety considered to be of low quality.
Katar - White silk ceremonial scarf used on auspicious occasions.
Kira - Woman’s dress
Koma - Brooches used to fasten the kira at the shoulders.
Kurtoip - Dialect of Kurtoi in the northeastern region of Bhutan.
Lagi - A long-sleeved white undershirt is worn under a gho. The sleeve ends (lagi) are folded back over the sleeves of the gho.
Lawang - An open container usually made of brass or copper which is filled with mustard oil. A wick is placed in the oil and it is used as a lamp.
Lopon - Teacher.
Lu - Subterranean beings.
Luyi gyalpo - King of the subterranean world.
Matha - Woolen fabric of red, green, and blue checks.
Melted in the sun and - A typical Bhutanese expression for
solidified in the shade - somebody who is extremely beautiful. Someone who is soft and fair is considered beautiful as opposed to farm women who are generally tanned and have rough skins due to the exposure to sun and wind.
Migoi - Yeti or the abominable snowman.
Mimi - Grandfather in Bumthangkha.
Mithan - A semi-domesticated animal (Bos forntalis) similar to cattle.
Monlo Karchung - The mountain pass leading into Tibet from Bumthang.
Moringmo - Derogatory expression for woman.
Naktsang - Very large houses belonging to landed families.
Nga - A big drum used during religious ceremonies.
Nyda - Hosts. A reciprocal system of hosting between Bhutanese and Tibetans.
Om Mani Padme Hung - The mantra of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezi.
Phob - A wooden cup. Most Bhutanese still have their individual cup and use it regularly during meals for liquids and tsaoem.
Phuta - A unit of measurement (approximately 350-400 ml) used for grains and flour. This measuring tool is used daily to measure the grains and flour according to the number of persons sharing a meal.
Rolong - A corpse that is revived after death and possessed by a malevolent spirit.
Singchang - Alcoholic drink made from fermented wheat, barley, buckwheat, or maize.
Sinpo - Flesh-eating spirits that roamed the earth freely until Guru Padmasambhava subdued them and exiled them to another world, sinpoiyul.
Sinpoiyul - Land of the sinpos.
Sog - The life-force.
Thro zangs - Open containers of various sizes made from an alloy. The often richly engraved utensils are considered very valuable by the Bhutanese.
Tosui - During the rice harvest people from higher elevations where no rice grows go to glean as well as to barter for rice in the lower rice-growing areas.
Tsagye - Slow and dull-witted.
Tsamkhang - Hermitage.
Tsangmo - A verse of four lines.
Tsaoem - A stew-like dish made from any vegetable, meat, or cheese.
Tsawa lama - A person’s main teacher of religion, also referred to as the root teacher.
Tsen - Aboriginal deities of Tibet and Bhutan who have become the guardians of the Buddhist teachings. They are believed to live in rocky areas and the color associated with them is red. In religious art they can be recognized as red men mounted on red horses.
Tsog - A generic term used for biscuits made of wheat flour which are usually fried in oil.
Wangdi dzongpon - Administrator of Wangdiphodrang.
Whay - Hey you.
Yaah lama - An expression of surprise, O lama.
Yuva - Large containers woven from strips of bamboo or cane, used to store grains
Za - A group of spirits who are known as protectors of the Buddhist teachings. They are associated with the stars and influence the human nervous system, they cause and cure paralysis, strokes and other ailments of the nervous system. They are depicted in religious art in many colors.
Zah - Fungal growths or burls on trees which, when turned into cups and bowls, have intricate patterns. The Bhutanese value zah cups (phobs)and bowls very highly and they are considered to be heirlooms.
Zahphi phobs - Phobs made of zah.
Zang - Huge open containers made of brass or copper used for storing and cooking during special occasions for large crowds.
Zi - One of the most precious stones found only in Tibet and valued highly as a precious ornament in Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Ladhak, and Tawang.
Zimpon - A person who is responsible for the personal welfare of the penlop.
The Author
Künzang Choden was born in Bumthang, central Bhutan in the year of the dragon (1952). It was during her childhood that Bhutan had opted to shed its self-imposed isolation for modernization and socioeconomic development. Several years later, it was the author’s interest in folklore, and her concern that much of her country’s cultural heritage would be lost in this transitional period, that motivated her to compile the folktales of this remote Himalayan kingdom. She is the first writer to chronicle her country’s oral tradition in English. Folktales of Bhutan was her first book. She has also authored Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti and Chilli and Cheese which are published in print by White Lotus.
Folktales of Bhutan Page 16
