Khongjomnubi Nongarol

The Khongjomnubi Nonggarol ( Ancient Meitei: Khongchomnupi Nongkalol) is an ancient Meitei language literary narrative text (puya) containing two major stories, first about a group of six Luwang girls turning into the pleiades in the sky, one of them giving birth to a and the second about a lady named Haosi Namoinu turning a harinongnang, unable to suffer the extreme cruelty of her stepmother, during her father's absence.

Etymology

''"Khongjomnubi"'' or ''"Khongchomnupi"'' means the Pleiades and ''"Nongarol"'' or ''"Nongkalol"'' means the ascend to the Heaven.

Stories

1st story

Once six Luwang ladies went to buy fish attempting to have a good bargain at a fishing weir maintained by six tribal men. They got familiar to one another soon after they saw one another. As there was no enough catch on that particular evening, the youths requested to the Luwang girls to spend the night in the open shed together with them so that they might take away the fish the next day. The girls, at first, were reluctant to accept the proposal due to their fear of their parents and brothers. However, on the persist request of the men, they agreed. Thus they stayed together in the dark with the men, elated with the passion of life, soon gave themselves to one another up to fulfill the desires of flesh. On the next day, the ladies felt shy to go home and to meet their families. So, the men proposed that if their parents were harsh on them, they would ascend heaven together. In that case, they planned to meet one another after five days at a place called Tentongyan where once Luwang Ningthou Punshiba, king of the Luwang dynasty, hung his royal bow and arrows, on the crooked tree branch.

Everything happened just like expected. The ladies were badly treated by their mothers at home, scolding and beating them for committing the sins of physical relationship before marriage and that too with men of community that was socially inferior to theirs. Getting embarrassed, the ladies left their homes before the stipulated number of days planned. They actually ran out and traced their way towards the abode of Salailen Sidaba, god of heaven. A strange thing happened on the way as one of the girls went into labour and gave birth to a instead of a human child. She left the creature on earth, behind their way, with assuring the baby that she would visit it once a year. Then, the birth giving lady followed her group of companions, who rested at every point of ridges, waiting for her. When they reached the abode of Salailen, they admitted and fell before Him honestly with their distress for searching an accommodation. Salailen felt pity for them and soon they were joined by the tribal men, their lovers, in the spot. Salailen warned them that in heaven, no mortal could enjoy earthly love or have menage a trois. He granted them a chance to go to earth once a year, lead conjugal life and take care of their child (the cicada). Hence, the six young couples lived an eternal life of happiness.

2nd story

The text has its another story, which is about how lady Haosi Namoinu turned into a .Singh, Moirangthem Kirti (1 July 1993). Folk Culture of Manipur. Manas Publications. ISBN 978-81-7049-063-0.

The following is a passage from the text describing the pitiable extreme troubles of lady Haosi Namoinu suffering the cruelty of her selfish stepmother:

See also

* Animals in Meitei culture
* Birds in Meitei culture
* Hills and mountains in Meitei culture
* List of Meitei folktales
* Plants in Meitei culture

References

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Cicadas
Crickets
Fairy tale stock characters
Female characters in fairy tales
Female legendary creatures
Fiction about shapeshifting
Insects in culture
Legendary creatures in popular culture
Meitei folklore
Meitei literature
Meitei mythology
Mythological human hybrids
Mythological insects
Puyas
Supernatural legends
Terms for women
Wind creatures
Women and death
Women in Meitei culture