Legends of the Lepchas : Folk Tales from Sikkim – Yishey Doma

Description

‘In the beginning there was nothing but vast emptiness on earth and in the sky. Itbu-moo, the Mother Creator, shaped the mountains, the rivers and the lakes. But something was missing. Why did her creation feel empty? So, taking a fresh ball of snow, she created the first man… and then the first woman. These became the chief deities of the Lepchas.’

The Lepchas, defined by a language and a script, inhabit the region currently falling under the state of Sikkim, District Darjeeling of West Bengal, Ilam District of eastern Nepal and the southwestern parts of Bhutan. They have ancient lore to suggest their inhabitance in the region from times immemorial.

Many of these tales are included in this delightful collection by Yishey Doma, describing gods, goddesses, people, animals and nature in a cohesive world where one cannot do without the other.

Accompanying each short story is an illustration by Pankaj Thapa, etching the lyrical sweep and mood of the tale.