Folklore on birds from Lepcha people

Lepchas are the original inhabitants of ancient Sikkim. The arrival of Lepchas in Sikkim is debated. However, historians believe that Lepchas arrived in Sikkim following the rice valley through the sino-Indian migration route. Here we will share stories associated with birds of the Sikkim Himalayas with the ethnic Lepcha tribes of the region.

1. Fa-yon Pho aan Ta-hi [Gray-winged Blackbird and Crab] {by Geoffrey Gorer from Himalayan Village_An account of Lepchas of Sikkim p:268-9}
2. Sumong Pho [Blood Pheasant] - the savior of the Lepcha Tribe
3. Sumong Pho [Blood Pheasant] - the adjuvant of the Lepcha People

Fa-yon fo aan Ta-hi [Gray-winged Blackbird and Crab]

Fa-yon fo aan Ta-hi Once upon a time, there was a blackbird which was flying round a bush catching insects, when he saw a crab with its great big staring eyes walking by the bush. The blackbird asked the crab what it was doing, to which the crab replied that it was very hungry and was looking for food. Then the blackbird suggested that they set up a pact of friendship; the crab agreed, and they then made their plans to go hunting the wild boar in the forest. The crab said “ You take the wide path: I’ll follow you,” and in that order, they went into the forest; the bird uttered its cry “ Tcher tchir tchet ”’ and caught a wild boar, but all it could do was to pull out one hair. This happened three times and eventually, the crab got angry and said “You can’t manage this, my friend; we’d better change places; I’ll take the wide path and you follow.” The crab laid down on the wide path with its claws open and caught the boar by its throat; the blackbird flew up from behind, and between them, they killed the boar, cut up the meat, and heaped it up into a big pile. But when all was ready for cooking they found they had no fire to cook it with, so the crab told the blackbird to go and look for some. 

The blackbird set out and on its search came to the house of the she-devil Samoo. There he asked for fire and the she-devil asked “ What do you want it for?” The blackbird said, “We went out hunting so we couldn’t carry any fire with us.” The devil then gave him a firebrand but told the blackbird it must shake it back. The blackbird took it back to the crab 
and the two of them cooked the meat, but the devil had followed the sparks and came to try and get the food. But the blackbird flew away with its portion into the tree and the crab took his into the water. Nevertheless, they were very angry and the blackbird decided that they must kill the person who was trying to steal their meat. So he flew about in the forest and at last found some raw latex and dropped it all over the devil’s body so that the devil was extremely unwell for several days. 

When she finally recovered the devil decided to take her revenge. She, therefore, sewed up her anus and went to drink up all the water from the pool where the crab lived. She had drunk so much that the crab was visible on the bottom when the blackbird flew down and pecked open her anus so that all the water fell out and the pond was refilled. The devil was thus foiled 
three times, and got even angrier; so she went into the forest to look for latex, covered her anus with it, and started to drink the water again. When the crab was visible the blackbird flew down again, but this time its beak was caught in the latex. The devil immediately put the bird into a cage and tied up the crab’s claws. Then she returned to her home, hung up the blackbird in the cage, and kept the crab with its claws tied up. 

One day the two of them were basking in the sun, and the crab was very drowsy because it could find no water. The blackbird cried to the devil “Mother! Our friend must be dying! He has a most horrible stink; just take a sniff !’’ The devil leaned over to smell the torpid crab, which thereupon grasped the devil’s neck between its claws and killed her. Then the crab opened the blackbird’s cage with its pincers and they both escaped, the bird to the trees, and the crab to the water. 

Sumong Pho [Blood Pheasant] - the savior of the Lepcha Tribe

Sumong Pho Blood Pheasant is the most felicitous bird of the Lepcha Tribes of Sikkim. They call it Sumong Pho, which is a dweller of the high-altitude birch conifer habitat above 2,800 meters. The state bird of Sikkim - the Blood Pheasant is considered the rescuer and liberator from all the natural disasters that happened in ancient times in the Lepcha Land - Mayal Lyang. 

According to the Lepcha folklore, in ancient times, the great flood devastated the valleys of Sikkim. The fight between the two lovers Rangit Chu and Teesta Chu caused massive destruction in the peaceful hills and holy lands of the Lepcha Tribes. Inundated forests, fields, and hamlets of the Lepcha tribe, shattered the life of the people. Then the supreme Goddess Gna-zong-nyo addressed Sumong Pho to visit the valley and save the Lepcha people from this traumatized situation. Blood Pheasant - Sumong Pho arrived at the flood-affected victims, led the way, and safely guided them to the Tendong Hills. Tendong Mountain, the holy land of Lepcha was unaffected by the devastation. The Blood Pheasant - Sumong Pho gulped down the flood water and reinstated the Lepcha Land by bringing back cultivation fields, forests, and villages. The Lepchas returned to their houses. For being, the savior of their life the tribe promised to save the bird with all their efforts. It is considered a Great Sin if the Blood Pheasant is hunted down by any huntsman. The Lepcha Chieftains will severely punish the offender.  

Sumong Pho [Blood Pheasant] - the adjuvant of the Lepcha People

In another folklore of the Lepcha People, Sumong Pho Blood Pheasant played the role of guide for the river Rangit. The river Rangit flowed south following Sumong Pho's trail and met with Teesta. Whereas, the river Teesta was guided by a snake. Both the rivers were in love to each other. After their union at the confluence, the Lepcha people were born there.