Anonymous
The Sun’s mother gave birth to five sons. Three of them died in infancy. The two surviving sons were Numit, our Sun and Taohuirengba, his elder brother. The two brothers took turns to light the whole world without any stoppage. There was no night. All the living beings suffered. They could neither sleep nor rest. The tried hiding inside caves but it did not do them much good.
Ekma Haodongla, the indolent, being a slave of Khwai-nongjengbam Piba, had to work as long as the sun shone in the sky. Since the two suns shone alternately one after another, there was no end to daylight. He had to continue working and do twice the work he normally did. He was angry as he neither could caress his children nor share intimacy with his wife, Haonuchangkhanu. He sent his wife to her parental house at Nongmaijing to beg for a bamboo. When they refused her, he sent her again to Thongkhong to beg her maternal uncle for a bamboo growing on the hill belonging Shok, Khural-lakpa or Chief of Khural. Her uncle was pleased to help his niece. Hewent to Shok and requested him to give a bamboo for his dear niece. Shok agreed and told him to select and cut as many bamboos as he required. Her uncle went to the bamboo grove and selected a good specimen. He cut the bamboo and gave it to her.
With the bamboo, Khwai-nongjengbam Piba made a bow and some arrows. It took him five days to complete. He avidly dried the implements in the sun. He then smeared poison on the arrowheads and kept them in a quiver.
Ekma Haodongla asked his wife to fetch water in a pitcher and carry it on her head. He then pulled his bow and sent an arrow flying. The arrow found its mark and hit the pitcher. On another occasion he cut her earring with an arrow. Using his bow and arrow he also shot a sparrow, which was pecking paddy spread out on phoura, a large circular bamboo mat, for drying. He thus practised his skill with the bow and arrows. When he was sure of his ability to handle the bow and arrows, he asked his wife to pack food and wine. He told his wife that a big boar and a large python had entered their paddy field and made a mess of it. He was going to kill the wild boar. Carrying his ration, he left home and laid in wait to ambush the two sun brothers, Numit and Taohuirengba.
Numit had set. Unaware of Ekma Haodongla’s plan Taohuirengba rose and shone brightly in the sky. Taking his opportunity, Ekma Haodongla shot an arrow but missed the target. The arrow hit the horse, Taohuirengba was riding. Taohuirengba fell near the Maring villages.
Numit, afraid of the attack on his brother, went into hiding at his father’s place. The land of the Meities was once again engulfed in darkness, which prevailed for days together. Unable to see the plight of the people, the Gods sent for Thong-ngak Lairemma, the Goddess with realistic dreams. But, when she requested Numit refused to come out of hiding. He said, “My mother gave birth to five sons. One day my eldest brother shrivelled up like dry paddy and was destroyed. My second brother decomposed like a rotten egg. Another brother fell into a fishing weir and was drowned. Only two of us survived. Now again, Khwai-nongjengbam Piba’s slave shot at my elder brother Taohuirengba. Luckil, the arrow missed him and hit his horse instead. He is now hiding in a cave. I am afraid of coming out alone.” Having failed at her mission, Thong-ngak Lairemma returned to her abode.
Then the Gods requested Panthoibi, the beautiful princess, wife of Khaba, to act as their emissary. She readily agreed and asked them to build ‘sagai mathol manga’, a machan or raised platform five stories high, and make roads for men and women to join her in entreaties to Numit. They should also keep rice neatly wrapped in banana leaves, eggs, jars filled to the brim with wine, ginger wrapped in leaves and cowries wrapped in a black cloth, ready. She then took the items and a white cock to persuade the sun to come out.
Panthoibi offered what she had brought to Numit and said people were suffering untold hardships because of darkness. She requested him to come out and shine again. When Numit came out and walked across the sky, much of his brilliance was lost. Only after a number of priests propitiated him by invoking his pleasantries, he shone brightly once more.
The Sun’s mother gave birth to five sons. Three of them died in infancy. The two surviving sons were Numit, our Sun and Taohuirengba, his elder brother. The two brothers took turns to light the whole world without any stoppage. There was no night. All the living beings suffered. They could neither sleep nor rest. The tried hiding inside caves but it did not do them much good.
Ekma Haodongla, the indolent, being a slave of Khwai-nongjengbam Piba, had to work as long as the sun shone in the sky. Since the two suns shone alternately one after another, there was no end to daylight. He had to continue working and do twice the work he normally did. He was angry as he neither could caress his children nor share intimacy with his wife, Haonuchangkhanu. He sent his wife to her parental house at Nongmaijing to beg for a bamboo. When they refused her, he sent her again to Thongkhong to beg her maternal uncle for a bamboo growing on the hill belonging Shok, Khural-lakpa or Chief of Khural. Her uncle was pleased to help his niece. Hewent to Shok and requested him to give a bamboo for his dear niece. Shok agreed and told him to select and cut as many bamboos as he required. Her uncle went to the bamboo grove and selected a good specimen. He cut the bamboo and gave it to her.
With the bamboo, Khwai-nongjengbam Piba made a bow and some arrows. It took him five days to complete. He avidly dried the implements in the sun. He then smeared poison on the arrowheads and kept them in a quiver.
Ekma Haodongla asked his wife to fetch water in a pitcher and carry it on her head. He then pulled his bow and sent an arrow flying. The arrow found its mark and hit the pitcher. On another occasion he cut her earring with an arrow. Using his bow and arrow he also shot a sparrow, which was pecking paddy spread out on phoura, a large circular bamboo mat, for drying. He thus practised his skill with the bow and arrows. When he was sure of his ability to handle the bow and arrows, he asked his wife to pack food and wine. He told his wife that a big boar and a large python had entered their paddy field and made a mess of it. He was going to kill the wild boar. Carrying his ration, he left home and laid in wait to ambush the two sun brothers, Numit and Taohuirengba.
Numit had set. Unaware of Ekma Haodongla’s plan Taohuirengba rose and shone brightly in the sky. Taking his opportunity, Ekma Haodongla shot an arrow but missed the target. The arrow hit the horse, Taohuirengba was riding. Taohuirengba fell near the Maring villages.
Numit, afraid of the attack on his brother, went into hiding at his father’s place. The land of the Meities was once again engulfed in darkness, which prevailed for days together. Unable to see the plight of the people, the Gods sent for Thong-ngak Lairemma, the Goddess with realistic dreams. But, when she requested Numit refused to come out of hiding. He said, “My mother gave birth to five sons. One day my eldest brother shrivelled up like dry paddy and was destroyed. My second brother decomposed like a rotten egg. Another brother fell into a fishing weir and was drowned. Only two of us survived. Now again, Khwai-nongjengbam Piba’s slave shot at my elder brother Taohuirengba. Luckil, the arrow missed him and hit his horse instead. He is now hiding in a cave. I am afraid of coming out alone.” Having failed at her mission, Thong-ngak Lairemma returned to her abode.
Then the Gods requested Panthoibi, the beautiful princess, wife of Khaba, to act as their emissary. She readily agreed and asked them to build ‘sagai mathol manga’, a machan or raised platform five stories high, and make roads for men and women to join her in entreaties to Numit. They should also keep rice neatly wrapped in banana leaves, eggs, jars filled to the brim with wine, ginger wrapped in leaves and cowries wrapped in a black cloth, ready. She then took the items and a white cock to persuade the sun to come out.
Panthoibi offered what she had brought to Numit and said people were suffering untold hardships because of darkness. She requested him to come out and shine again. When Numit came out and walked across the sky, much of his brilliance was lost. Only after a number of priests propitiated him by invoking his pleasantries, he shone brightly once more.
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