File:Folk-tales of the Khasis (1920) (14593667798).jpg

Identifier: folktalesofkhasi00rafy (find matches)
Title: Folk-tales of the Khasis
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Rafy, K. U
Subjects: Khasi (Indic people) Folklore -- India
Publisher: London : Macmillan and Co., Limited
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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en nooks. She was well known in the Blei-world, and she possessed the power of assuming what-ever form she pleased. She often assumed the formof a woman and mingled with mankind without any-body suspecting her identity. Many of the Bleis soughther in marriage, but U Mawlong Siem, her father,would never give his consent, lest his prestige be loweredamong the Bleis. There was one suitor whom Ka Kma Kharai speciallyfavoured. He was the god of Umwai, but her fatherforbade the union so sternly as to dispel all the hopesof the lovers. This so angered the young goddess thathenceforth she rebelled openly against her father, and FOLK TALKS OF THE KHASIS l>\- way of retaliation she encouraged the attentions ofBtrange and undesirable Lot When it was discovered that she was with child,vln fled from her borne, Fearing the wrath of her fatherand (nit herself under the protection of her maternaluncle, win) lived in the Pomdoloi cave, and was one ofthe famous dragons, or Yak Jakors of the country.
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TOE HAUNT OF KA K.MA KHAUAI. In this cave a son was horn to her. who proved to be amonster of hideous aspect, having the form of a snakeand the characteristics of a vampire, who could beappeased only when fed with human blood. Thismonster they railed U fhlen. Unlike his mother, U Thlen could not transformhimself into any likeness but that of a snake, but hel,.id power to diminish or to enlarge his size at will.Sometimes he appeared bo small as to be no bigger than xii U THLEN, THE SNAKE-YAMPIRE 61 a string of fine thread, at other times be expandedhimself to such dimensions that he could swallow aman bodily. In those days there was much intercourse betweenthe Bleis and mankind. The latter were privileged toattend the lew-blei—the fair of the Bleis—at Lynghing-khongkhen, the way to which passed the Pomdoloicave, and many unwary and unprotected travellersfell a prey to the greed of U Thlen and his associates. The commonest mode by which these poor un-fortunates were lured to their d

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