Keibu Keioiba, also known as Kabui Keioiba, is a mythical creature with the head of a

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

and the body of a

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

in the

Meitei mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...

and

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

. He is often described as half man and half tiger. Legend says he was once a skilful priest named Kabui Salang Maiba. With his

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

, he transfigured himself into the form of a ferocious tiger. As a punishment of his pride, he could not completely turn back to his original human form.

Story

Keibu Keioiba was human in daytime and tiger during nighttime. During night, he wandered around for food in his tiger form. One night, he came across an old woman's house. He was to devour her. The old woman said that her wrinkled skin would not be tasty. She suggested him a neighbourhood's young beautiful lady named "Thabaton" in her place. Thabaton was the only sister in a family with seven brothers. The old woman informed Keibu Keioiba about the absence of the seven brothers at home. The brothers had gone for a work for a very long time. Keibu Keioiba was instructed some tricks by the old woman. The trick was to open the door of Thabaton's house. As instructed by the old woman, Keibu Keioiba did so. At first, he failed. But at the second time, he succeeded to make Thabaton open the door. Keibu Keioba forcefully took Thabaton away from her house. Meanwhile after the incident, the seven brothers returned home from their work. They found Thabaton missing in the house. They asked the old woman about their sister. She told them that Keibu Keioiba had taken her away. The seven brothers prepared their weapons. They set out in search for their sister. On the other hand, Keibu Keioiba did not eat Thabaton. Instead, he made Thabaton his wife. They lived together in the woods. The seven brothers never stopped searching for their sister in the woods. One day, they saw Thabaton. When they came close to her, they saw a man and a baby with her. The brothers gave a signal to Thabaton about their arrival. When Keibu Keioiba went away for a hunt, Thabaton met her brothers. They planned to escape from that place. When Keibu Keioiba returned, Thabaton gave him an Utong (bamboo pipe). The Utong was hollow on both the sides. She told Keibu Keioiba to fetch some water from the stream with that Utong. Keibu Keioiba went out to fetch water with the hollow Utong. In Keibu Keioiba's absence, the seven brothers burnt the house of Keibu keioiba and killed the baby. They ran away with their sister. On the other hand, Keibu Keioiba could not fetch the water with the Utong. Whenever he fetched water, the water leaked afterwards. A crow was observing his activities from a treetop. The crow said, ''"Keibu Keioiba Naning Namang Hotrong Ho, Natu Leima Kangkok"''. The crow's statement indicates the foolish nature of Keibu Keioiba and the escape of his prisoner-wife. The crow said it multiple times. Keibu Keioiba noticed the crow's strange statement. So, he quickly returned home. When he reached home, he found his burned house, his dead son and his wife missing. His anger knew no bound. So, he charged towards the house of Thabaton. The seven brothers were already aware that Keibu Keioiba would come back. So, they were all prepared with their weapons. As soon as Keibu Keioiba came towards them, they fought Keibu Keioiba with their weapons. Finally, Keibu Keioiba died at the hands of the seven brothers. After the death of Keibu Keioiba, Thabaton and her seven brothers lived happily ever after.

In contemporary culture

Keibu Keioiba (Tiger Head) Keibu Keioiba, also known as Kabui Keioiba ( en, Tiger Head), is a 2009 Meitei language Indian Manipuri animation feature film, directed by Bhumenjoy Konsam. It is the first Manipuri animation film, based on the Meitei folklore. It was screened i ...

'', a 2009

Meitei language Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in pa ...

animation film, was produced, featuring the legend of Keibu Keioiba. ''

Yamata Amasung Keibu Keioiba Yamata Amasung Keibu Keioiba ( en, Yamata-no-Orochi and Keibu Keioiba) is a Meitei language play, written and directed by Heisnam Tomba. It was produced by the Kalakshetra Manipur. This play attempts to weave together the folktales of the two leg ...

'' ( en, Yamata-no-Orochi and Keibu Keioiba) is a

play that interweaves the stories of the two legendary creatures,

Yamata-no-Orochi , or simply , is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon/serpent. Mythology Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history. The 712 AD transcribes this dragon name ...

Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of year ...

and Keibu Keioiba of

(

Manipuri mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...

). The role of Keibu Keioiba was firstly played by ''Kshetrimayum Priyobrata'' and then secondly played by ''Pangambam Tyson Meitei''.

References

External links

* * * {{Cite web, url=http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Folks.Taming_Keibu_Keioiba, title=Taming 'Keibu Keioiba': Translation as Recovery, website=e-pao.net Keibu Keioiba Meitei folklore Meitei literature Meitei mythology

Story

In contemporary culture

See also

References

External links