Banjhakri and Banjhakrini

NEPAL, TAMANG MYTHOLOGY

In the mountains of Nepal, there are stories of the Banjhakri and his terrifying wife, the Banjhakrini. The Banjhakri was similar to the apelike yeti but was smaller and much more intelligent. He was born from the sun to protect the forest, and his flesh and bones could cure many ailments and heal many wounds. First and foremost, he was a shaman, and many stories tell of how he trained new shamans.

The Banjhakri was always on the lookout for new initiates to become great shamans, but he was very particular in his choices. They had to be children, and they couldn’t have any scars or imperfections on their bodies. If he approved of them, he kidnapped them, took them to his cave, and put them through rigorous training and tests. Some children reported being forced to eat worms with the backs of their hands, or having their hands dipped in hot oil, or being forced to perform difficult physical tasks. Children unable to keep up were left to the mercy of the bloodthirsty Banjhakrini and her golden sickle. Some of those children returned home beaten and bruised, and some never returned at all. But children who were able to remain steadfast and strong through the testing were rewarded. Years later they returned to their homes as fully trained jhakri, or shamans. They could now play the sacred dhyangro drum, commune with the spirit world, and cure diseases. Jhakri performed rituals at harvests, weddings, and funerals, singing and dancing and beating on their dhyangro drums. They also performed voluntary spirit possession, where the spirits of dead family members could possess the jhakri to communicate with their living family members for a short time.

Though these children-turned-jhakri could pass on their knowledge to their disciples, no one trained by a human could be as powerful as one trained by the Banjhakri himself.

Jack and the Beanstalk

ENGLAND, ENGLISH FAIRY TALE

There once was a poor young boy named Jack who lived with his mother and their one and only milking cow. There came a day when the cow became too old, and she stopped giving milk. Because she was the impoverished family’s only source of income, there was nothing for them to do but sell her. So Jack reluctantly took the cow to the market. On the way into town, Jack met a bean seller, who offered to buy the cow for a single magic bean.

Convinced that a magic bean was worth a lot and being too lazy to go all the way into town, Jack agreed to the deal and returned home. His mother, however, was furious. In a rage, she threw the bean out the window and spent the night sobbing. In the morning, the small family realized the bean had grown into a giant beanstalk, reaching up into the sky and piercing through the clouds. A curious Jack decided to climb up the stalk. At the top, Jack found a huge castle belonging to a giant. He slipped in and, with the help of a friendly giantess, managed to avoid being detected by a rather bloodthirsty giant.

When the giant fell asleep, Jack stole a bag of gold coins, a goose that laid golden eggs, and a harp that talked and played itself. Unfortunately, the harp did not want to be stolen, and it shouted out to the giant, waking him up. The giant roared when he realized what was happening and chased Jack down his beanstalk. Jack quickly scrambled down the stalk, just managing to reach the bottom as the giant started his own descent. The young boy grabbed an ax and quickly chopped through the beanstalk. The beanstalk toppled, and the giant fell to his death.

From that day on, Jack and his mother lived comfortably off the gold coins and golden eggs and were serenaded by the beautiful sounds of the magical harp.

Princess Parizade

ANATOLIA, ARABIC FOLKTALE

Sultan Kosrouschah was once traveling through his city in disguise when he overheard three poor sisters talking about their dream husbands. The oldest said she wished to marry the royal baker and eat bread all day. The next said she wished to marry the royal cook and eat rich food all day. The youngest, who was the most beautiful, said she wished to marry the sultan and give him children. The hidden sultan was amused, and the next day he granted all three sisters their wishes. The older two became jealous of their younger sister. So when she gave birth to a baby boy, another boy, and a daughter, they stole each child and set him or her adrift in the river. They told the sultan that she had given birth to a dog, a cat, and a stick. The sultan became livid and imprisoned his wife in a tall tower.

The three children were all found and adopted by the royal gardener, and he named them Bahman, Perviz, and Parizade. They lived happily together until the old gardener died, never telling the siblings about their true parentage. The siblings grieved till one day Parizade was kind to an old woman who told her about three magical objects: the talking bird, the singing tree, and the golden waters. Parizade was determined to set out and find them. But her brothers wouldn’t permit her to leave and instead set out themselves to retrieve the items for her. Bahman and Perviz found a dervish who told them to climb a particular mountain and never look back no matter what they heard. But they were unable to ignore the taunts they heard on their climb. They looked back and were turned to stone. Parizade eventually followed after. But at the mountain she stuffed her ears with wax and laughed at the voices who tried to taunt her. At the top she found the magical objects. With the golden water, she cured her brothers; with the singing tree, she brought magic to her garden; and with the advice of the talking bird, she convinced the sultan that she and her brothers were his legitimate children. Their mother was freed, and they became part of the royal family.

The Legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai

NEW ZEALAND, MAORI LEGEND

A long time ago, there was a great chief who lived at Owhata on the shore of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. He had a beautiful daughter named Hinemoa, whom many young men wished to marry but she had eyes only for the handsome Tutanekai. Tutanekai was also enamored of Hinemoa, but he knew that though he was of good birth, his rank was too low for Hinemoa’s father to ever accept him as a suitor. He was not even a tohunga, or skilled practitioner, of magic, someone able to make the Kōwhai flowers spontaneously bloom to win himself the admiration of his lover. So he watched her from afar, and because he lived far out in the middle of the lake on Mokoia Island, he saw her very infrequently. Finally, Tutanekai confessed his feelings to Hinemoa, and she to him, and they agreed to be married despite the chief’s disfavor. They agreed the best thing to do would be for Hinemoa to steal a canoe in the dead of night and row to Tutanekai. Tutanekai, for his part, would play his flute to guide her and let her know the coast was clear.

For several nights Tutanekai played his flute, but Hinemoa never came. The chief had suspected Hinemoa’s intentions and ordered the canoes to be pulled up far out of the water each night. Growing desperate, Hinemoa finally came up with an idea: she would tie hollow gourds to her clothing to keep her afloat and swim across the lake.

Hinemoa swam through the night, resting on the floating gourds when she grew tired, following the sound of Tutanekai’s flute when she lost her way. Exhausted, she finally made it to shore and revived herself in a warm pool of water. She teased and lured Tutanekai to her side, and they were married right away.

The next morning, everyone discovered Hinemoa and Tutanekai had been married. The chief accepted and blessed the couple, and the pair lived happily ever after.

The Woman Who Was Kind to Insects

ALASKA, INUIT FABLE

One year as winter approached, an old woman was left behind in her tribe’s summer campground. She had few teeth left to eat with, she could no longer make leather goods to sell, and she moved too slowly to make the journey to the new hunting ground. As the rest of her people moved on, they left behind a few insects in a basket for her to eat.

The old woman looked at the insects and thought to herself that the poor insects were still very young and she was very old. She thought that she did not have much time left to live, but these insects still had their whole lives in front of them, and maybe they would even have children as she had done. And so she decided to not eat them but to set them free.

The insects all flew or crawled or skittered away from the old woman, but they did not forget her. Soon they sent a small fox to the old woman’s camp. After sniffing her a few times, the fox jumped on her and began to bite her in a strange manner. Though the old woman initially thought her death had arrived, she realized that the fox was biting just at the edges of her skin, almost creating seams around the length of her body. The fox nipped and bit away until the old woman was able to shuck off her skin like a coat. Stepping out of her old skin, she saw the skin underneath was fresh and soft, like that of a much younger woman. She ran to the water and saw in her reflection that she had become young again.

The insects she had freed now gathered around her and thanked her for letting them live. She thanked them for giving her new life. And so she followed them back to their home and, it is said, married a blowfly who was very kind to her.

The Boy and the Dragon Pearl

CHINA, CHINESE LEGEND

Dragons in China are very powerful. They are symbols of strength, mystery, and good fortune. They can make themselves as small as silkworms or as large as the universe. They can live in heaven or deep in the ocean and control typhoons, tidal waves, floods, and rain. They can travel far distances, and some have even been known to favor men in mountain retreats. They are often known to carry a pearl that contains much of their magical power. Dragons are so magnificent, there is even an expression in Chinese that means “to hope one’s son will become a dragon.”

There once was a little boy who lived in a small village that was starving from years of drought. Nothing would grow, and even the wild animals were suffering. When the boy saw a fat rabbit, he followed it to its home. There he found a small patch of greenery that was flourishing, which, when he dug it up, was growing around a giant pearl. Thinking he could sell the pearl for food, the little boy and his mother put it in a rice jar that night and slept peacefully. In the morning, they found the once-empty rice jar overflowing. The same miracle repeated itself again with the rice jar, an oil jar, and then with a box of money. The boy and his mother realized the pearl was magic and were able to stop worrying about food. But their newfound luck was noticed by greedy men who smashed the boy’s house in order to find whatever they had.

The little boy grew terrified, and in his fear swallowed the pearl whole. He began to feel unbelievably thirsty. He drank a whole jug of water, then a whole well, then he plunged himself into the river. He emerged as a giant dragon, swishing his tail back and forth, and frightened the men away. The boy-turned-dragon looked at his mother and she at him, and they knew he could never be changed back. So instead he became the protector of the river, and his mother visited him often.

Mwindo

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, NYANGA MYTHOLOGY

A long time ago in the village of Tubondo, the evil chief Shemwindo threatened his wives to give birth only to daughters. His first six wives gave birth to baby girls, but the seventh wife, Nyamwindo, gave birth to a son from the tip of her middle finger. The boy was named Mwindo, and he was born with a magical flyswatter, an adze-axe, and a bag of fortune with a long rope inside. Shemwindo soon found out about his son and sought to kill him by sealing him in a drum and throwing him in the river.

The drum easily floated, and Mwindo decided to take the opportunity to visit his aunt Iyangura. His journey was met with many obstacles, including gods who barred his way, but he also met gods who decided to help him. He eventually earned the allegiance of his aunt, and she helped him enlist his uncles to forge a magical suit of armor so that he could return to Tubondo to challenge his father. A great battle ensued, ending only when Mwindo summoned lightning from the god Nkuba to destroy Tubondo. Mwindo resurrected the village with his flyswatter, only to realize Shemwindo had escaped down a secret hole that was a portal to the underworld.

Mwindo chased his father to the doorstep of Muisa, God of the Dead, and Muisa’s daughter, Kahindo. Mwindo befriended Kahindo, and she helped him defeat her father’s many tricks, including growing and harvesting a banana plantation in one night. But by the time Mwindo defeated Muisa, Shemwindo had already escaped out of the underworld and up into the sky. Mwindo followed him and gambled with the Sky God, Sheburungu, for possession of his father. Mwindo eventually won and took his father back to Earth.

Once back in Tubondo, Mwindo rebuilt the city and married a human woman. He had three brass thrones built, which floated ten feet off the ground. His aunt sat on the right, a strong adviser; his father sat on the left, a silent prisoner; and Mwindo sat in the middle, a wise and powerful king.

Tale of Tàj al-Mulúk and the Princess Dunyà

IRAN, ARABIC FOLKTALE

Prince Tàj al-Mulúk, son of King Sulayman, Shah of the Green Land and the Mountains of Isfahan, was eighteen when he met Aziz, a merchant from a distant land. Aziz showed Tàj al-Mulúk his many wares, but most stunning of all was a piece of linen depicting graceful prancing gazelles. He went on to tell the prince that the work was created by the hands of the beautiful and clever Princess Dunyà of the Camphor Islands. Without having met her, Tàj al-Mulúk became infatuated with the princess, so he had his father send a delegation to her to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Princess Dunyà told them she hated men and threatened to kill any husband she was forced to marry.

Undeterred, Tàj al-Mulúk, his vizier, and Aziz snuck onto the Camphor Islands in the guise of merchants and set up shop selling fabric in the bazaar. Soon after, an old woman came to their store to purchase fabric for Princess Dunyà. Tàj al-Mulúk gave her the fabric as a gift and slipped her a letter to give Princess Dunyà. And in this way, Tàj al-Mulúk and Dunyà exchanged many letters. Tàj al-Mulúk fell more deeply in love with her, and she began to feel affection for him also, but she refused to change her mind about marriage. The old woman told Tàj al-Mulúk that the princess once had a dream of a female pigeon who was trapped in a net and whose mate did not come to save her. The princess concluded she could never trust men.

Tàj al-Mulúk took this knowledge and commissioned a painting in a garden the princess visited regularly. The painting depicted a female pigeon trapped in a net and her mate caught in the claws of a kite. When Dunyà saw this, she realized she had misinterpreted her dream. So when Tàj al-Mulúk presented himself, she fell deeply in love with him. They consummated their love, and Tàj al-Mulúk remained hidden in the women’s quarters, disguised as a young lady for many months. The vizier, not knowing what had happened to Tàj al-Mulúk, summoned the king and his army to rescue the prince. The king arrived, the prince was revealed, and an official marriage was arranged between the lovers.

Boitatá

BRAZIL, BRAZILIAN MYTHOLOGY

Legend has it that long ago there once was a night that did not end. Deep in the Amazon forest, the night went on and on, lasting days and weeks and months. In this darkness, the people began to starve because they could not grow crops for food. It was too dark to see anything, too dark even to chop wood to make into torches to burn. It became oppressive, and all the animals and people began to grow scared. Then it began to rain.

The rain went on and on with no end in sight. The forest began to flood, and many of the animals and people, weak with hunger and cold, drowned in the endlessly rising waters.

It was then that a huge snake sleeping on a log deep in the forest woke from its slumber. It woke feeling very hungry. It slithered easily through the wet forest because it knew how to swim and was accustomed to darkness. It began to eat all the dead floating animals, filling its belly to bursting. Eventually, because there were so many animals, the snake was able to feast on only its favorite part—the eyes. The eyes of the animals gleamed bright with the light of the last rays of sun the animals had seen, so with each eye the snake swallowed, the brighter the snake itself became. It ate so many eyes full of light that it became fire and, with its brilliance, banished the rain and the night and brought warmth back to the forest. The snake became known as the Boitatá.

Now the Boitatá is considered a protector of the forests and fields. Its bright eyes can see perfectly in the dark, and it will kill anyone who tries to set fire to the forest, eating their eyes. Anyone who has the misfortune to see the snake will go blind, go insane, or even die.

Tatterhood

NORWAY, NORWEGIAN FAIRY TALE

There once was a queen who wanted a child but was never blessed with one. Eventually she found a beggar woman who told the queen to pour her bath water under her bed. In the morning, she would find two flowers growing there. The beggar woman warned the queen to eat only the pretty flower. However, the queen found the pretty flower so delicious that she had to eat the ugly one, too. Nine months later, an ugly and wild baby girl was born wearing a tattered cloak, riding a goat, and wielding a wooden spoon, followed shortly by the birth of a sweet and beautiful baby girl.

The queen was horrified by her hideous child, named Tatterhood, but charmed by the lovely twin. The family grew up happily until the day when trolls came to harass the kingdom. Tatterhood bade her family wait inside while she dealt with the trolls. She got on her goat and began beating the trolls so soundly with her wooden spoon that they howled with fright. This caused the lovely twin to stick her head out to see what was happening. Quick as a flash, the trolls yanked off her head and replaced it with a calf’s head before running away.

Tatterhood grabbed her sister and followed them across the sea. Arriving at the trolls’ home, Tatterhood beat them all up and rescued her sister’s head. After swapping the heads back, Tatterhood brought herself and her sister to a neighboring kingdom, where she demanded the king come meet her. The curious king came to see what the ruckus was about and instantly fell for the sweet princess. The princesses agreed that the lovely princess would marry the king if the ugly Tatterhood would marry the prince. The prince didn’t agree to these conditions, but his father forced him to marry Tatterhood.

On the day of their wedding, Tatterhood told her prince to ask about her tattered cloak, her beaten spoon, and her shaggy goat. As he inquired after each, they changed to a beautiful gown, a regal scepter, and a noble stallion, transforming the once ugly Tatterhood into a gorgeous princess. They then lived happily ever after.