#assamese folklore

Eeeee okay. So lemme tell you about the myth of Tejimola from my state (Assam).

Tejimola was a girl whose dad was a businessman, and her biological mom died when she was young, so her dad remarried, and hence, we now enter the 'horrible stepmom' trope.

So once her dad left for another business trip and her stepmom was basically making her work like a slave. But she didn't mind. Things however changed when she got invited to her friend's wedding, and begged her stepmom to let her go.

The stepmom finally gave in BUT... obviously with a hidden motive. See she handed her brand new clothes to wear at the wedding, and asked her to carry it very carefully as it was "preciously made for her" or something along those lines, I think, but placed a mouse inside them.

By the time she was ready to wear the dress she found that it had big ass holes in it and a mouse hopped off from it and ran away. She was terrified, and recalled her mom's words. Her friend(s) tried to console her saying that her mom would understand, but she knew there was a very little chance.

Still she went back home with the now-chewed down clothes and lo and behold, as planned, her mom SNAPPED. She was so mad she punished her in ways unimaginable.

So there's this threshing tool called dheki, that's used to separate rice grains from their outer husks, while leaving the bran layer.

You place your feet to the leftmost side and it raises the right side, and the pounding stand on the hole (very key part of the tool for the story) does the threshing work.

I'll give a trigger warning here, because this is about to get dark.

So as a punishment the stepmom asked Tejimola to help her thresh the rice grains. Okay, not bad, you think?

Well while she was in the right sitting with her hand below the stand to deal with the unfiltered rice grains, her stepmom pounds her hand hard, to the point that it bleeds and actually gets fractured. Tejimola shrieks, but her stepmom is like "KEEP WORKING. Use your other hand!" But does the same with the other hand. Now she don't have any functional hands.

"Don't worry. Use your feet!" But does the same to her feet, one after the other.

"Use your head!" And does the same to her head. Atp Tejimola is practically dead, but her stepmom wasn't expecting this. She calls her out but doesn't get an answer. She's terrified, and prepares for her burial. After she's buried, she cleans off any possible evidence that could give away about the murder.

Now this is where Tejimola takes various forms to haunt her stepmom. First she becomes a bottle-gourd plant. One day a beggar asks her stepmom if they can have a bottle-gourd from her tree, to which she gets a little stunned cuz she wasn't aware she had such a tree, but permits the beggar, who, when reaches out to pluck a gourd, Tejimola asks them not to in a musical manner, saying her name and that she was killed by her stepmom. The beggar gets horrified and informs the owner aka our villain immediately. She destroyes it in a heartbeat. But in that same place a citrus tree grows and she takes its form. She does the same to people who try to pluck a fruit from the tree. This is how her stepmom comes to know about the tree and uproots it and throws it into a river.

In the river now, she takes the form of a beautiful lotus. Now this gets interesting, because her dad's returning from his trip and spots the lotus, and hears it achingly sing to him claiming it's Tejimola, his daughter. Her dad gets startled and asks her to prove she really is his daughter by transforming into a mynah/sparrow.

She does so and her dad's heart wrenches. He reaches home and immediately confronts his wife. Then he asks the bird to show up as Tejimola if that's truly her, and she transforms back into her human form, while her stepmom gets kicked out :3

The end

Imma just tag some ppl here:

Pori | পৰী

They are supernatural beings that exist in two distinct genders - male and female. These creatures are believed to reside in bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. According to legend, female pori have the ability to possess males while male pori possess females. 

The effects of possession by a pori are said to be severe, with the afflicted person often exhibiting erratic, maniacal behavior. It is thought that pori possess humans in order to experience the physical world and satisfy their own desires. 

In order to rid oneself of a pori possession, there are specific chants and rituals that can be performed. These chants are believed to have the power to banish the pori from the body, freeing the person from their influence. 

The concept of pori and their possession of humans is deeply rooted in folklore and mythology in certain cultures. While these beliefs may not be scientifically verifiable, they continue to hold a significant place in the cultural imagination of those who believe in them.

And in case of Irish mythology, yall know about Changelings and Sidhe already now don't you?

I'm from Assam, India so I'll be sharing some folktales and lores from my state.

But today I just wanna tell y'all the story of how we got the name of our state. Not the name Assam, but its original names- Kamarupa and Pragjyotishpura, the names that our state was referred to as in the epics of our country.

As for the first name, Kamarupa, this is what happened according to the scriptures-

The mythology regarding the origin of the name Kamarupa tells us the story of Sati who died due to the discourtesy shown to her husband by her father Daksha. Overcame by grief, Shiva carried her dead body and wandered throughout the world. In order to put a stop to this, Vishnu used his discus to cut the body into pieces, which then fell into different places. One such piece fell down on Nilachal hills near Gauhati and the place was henceforth held sacred as Kamakhya. But Shiva’s penance did not stop, so the Gods sent Kamdev, the cupid to break his penance by making him fall in love. Kamdev succeeded in his mission, but Siva enraged at this result, burnt Kamdev to ashes. Kamdev eventually regained his original form here and from then onward the country came to be known as Kamarupa (Where Kama regained his Rupa or form).

In case of the second name, Pragjyotishpura, this was the case.

Bhagadatta was the son of Narakasura, and he named his city Pragjyotishpura, where 'prag' means 'eastern', 'jyotish' means 'star' or 'astrology' and 'pura' means 'city'. So the meaning behind the name of this kingdom was the City of Eastern Star or City of Eastern Astrology.

In case of the modern name, Assam, formerly called Axom or Asom, the sources of its origin are vague so I'm not gonna talk about it.

Welp that's it for the first day I guess. A goof introductory history rant on how my state got its ancient names.

Horror

Let's talk about some of the mythical creatures of Assamese folklore, shall we?

Baak | বাঁক

The baak is a creature that appears frequently in folktales across Assam. It is typically found near water bodies and is known to be malevolent, often causing trouble for fishermen and other locals. The baak has a particular fondness for fish and can be dangerous, sometimes even drowning its victims.

According to folklore, the baak has a pouch attached to it that contains its soul. Destroying this pouch is the only way to kill a baak. Additionally, the baak is said to assume the form of its victim after death or possess them, sometimes going on to live with the victim's family and attempting to harm them as well.

To avoid encountering a baak, carrying a torn fishing net is said to be effective, as baaks are believed to be afraid of it. In some stories, the baak assumes the form of a man to live with his wife.

In "Assamese Demonology," Benudhar Rajkhowa classifies Assamese spirits into sub-terrananian, terrestrial, aerial, and celestial categories, placing the baak among the terrestrial spirits. Within this category, the baak is classified as an aqueous spirit and is listed as the first of five major aqueous spirits.

Dót | দ'ত

The dót, a spirit derived from the Sanskrit word daitya meaning demon, is well-known among the Assamese people. He lures individuals to secluded areas, where he inflicts severe beatings on them. However, he rarely kills his victims. Sometimes, he takes the form of a friend and convinces his target to accompany him to the watercourse where he has placed his fishing trap, only to leave them to suffer his wrath. The dót is a slender, tall figure with long, spike-like fingers. He resides in water channels, tanks, and overgrown watery plants , remote places. His appearance is jet black and he is naked, except for his prominently exposed fingers. The spirit is covered in a glutinous substance, giving him an advantage in wrestling matches with his victims. Mustard grain is the only thing that terrifies the dót. This is why it plays a crucial role in exorcism ceremonies. The dót initially appears as a regular person, but gradually grows taller until he vanishes entirely. At this point, the victim is so terrified that the spirit can possess them. The dót beats his victim mercilessly when he is alone but refrains from harming them in front of his wife. The spirit is powerless against righteous people. His spectral bag is his talisman, which gives him superhuman powers. If it is snatched from him, the dót loses his abilities and becomes a bound servant to the person who took it. He is forced to work as a regular human being until he can retrieve his bag. Children wear fishing hooks around their necks to scare off the dót.

Unoish-hotiya | ঊনৈশহতীয়া

It is a ghost that originates from an earlier time when people used unconventional methods of measurement, such as using their hands and fingers. The name of this ghost is derived from its towering height, which is said to be around 19 hands tall when they are put together. This ghost is typically described as a black shadow that appears during prime afternoon hours. It is believed that if someone happens to walk under the shadow of Unoish-hotiya, they and their family will be plagued with turmoil and misfortune.

Many people in Assam still fear the wrath of Unoish-hotiya and take precautions to avoid walking under its shadow. There are also several stories and legends associated with this ghost that have been passed down from generation to generation. The fear of encountering Unoish-hotiya serves as a warning to people to be cautious and respectful of the unknown. Despite the lack of scientific evidence to support the existence of such supernatural beings, the belief in Unoish-hotiya continues to be deeply ingrained in the cultural consciousness of certain communities.

পিশাচ | Pixaas

Pixaas is a bloodthirsty demon. It is a common motif in many mythologies and religions. A Pixaas, in many belief systems, is an evil spirit or supernatural entity that is often associated with chaos, destruction, and malevolence. The idea of a Pixaas refers to a demon that is said to crave or require blood for sustenance or as part of its destructive nature.

In some cultures, pixaas is believed to be supernatural entities that possess humans and cause them to commit heinous acts, including murder and mutilation. Some pixaas are also believed to feed on the blood or life force of living beings, often causing illness or death in their victims. The female counterpart of this creature is called Pixaasini, who are pretty similar to their male counterparts.

Kon bhoot

It is a 3 legged creature with no neck and an eye on his chest. This is regarded to be the king of the ghosts. 

This is believed to have looked really scary and harmful in nature. This has the strength of mauling several human beings at the same time.

There are a lot more these are just a very few examples.

AI by Chinmoy Barma