Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti

by Kunzang Choden

Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti is a collection of twenty-two stories set in four different regions of Bhutan. The presence of the yeti is ubiquitous to the kingdoms of the Himalayas, where beliefs and attitudes related to it go beyond scientific judgment and analysis. The Bhutanese consider the yeti, or the migoi, to be an essential part of the backdrop of their existence. Believed to possess supernatural powers enabling it to become invisible at will, the yeti often manifests itself in a tangible form and then suddenly vanishes, leaving behind nothing but an unexpected void. Folklore about the abominable snowman has existed for centuries; however, with the far-reaching impact of the media, the perpetuation of this oral tradition is threatened. This collection of stories is an attempt to document a vital tradition before it is wiped out entirely. The book is well illustrated and includes maps of the four regions.


The author Kunzang Choden was born in Bumthang, central Bhutan in the year of the dragon (1952). It was during her childhood that Bhutan had opted to shed its self-imposed isolation for modernization and socioeconomic development. Several years later, it was the author’s interest in folklore, and her concern that much of her country’s cultural heritage would be lost in this transitional period, that motivated her to compile the folktales of this remote Himalayan kingdom. She is the first writer to chronicle her country’s oral tradition in English. The Yeti in Bhutan is her second book. She has also authored Folktales of Bhutan, which was published in 1994 by White Lotus.

Genres: Fiction, Asia, Fantasy, Short Stories, Folklore

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 1997

About the author

Kunzang Choden was born in 1952, in the year of the dragon, in Bumthang, Central Bhutan. She spent her early childhood in Bhutan but went to India (Darjeeling) for her primary and secondary education. She has a BA Honours in Psychology from Indraprastha College in Delhi and a BA in Sociology from the University of Nebraska, USA.

She has worked as a teacher and later for the UNDP in Bhutan. From 1990 onwards, Kunzang has been writing on Bhutanese oral traditions, folklore and women. She lives in Thimphu Bhutan with her husband and continues to research and document Bhutan's oral traditions.

Reviews

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti é uma compilação de 22 contos folclóricos, passados em 4 regiões diferentes do Butão.

O elemento comum a todas elas é o Migoi, ou Yeti ou Abominável homem das neves, seja na sua versão masculina ou feminina:

(...) a giant hairy man with the features of a monkey...

It must have been a female for its huge, sagging breasts were swinging and rolling on its chest as it strolled away past the tree and into the forests.

Estas histórias foram sempre transmitidas oralmente ao longo de gerações.
Para escrever estas fábulas Choden viajou e falou com os anciãos das aldeias de diversos locais do Butão.



61/198 – Butão

[ElenaSquareEyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti is a collection of twenty-two stories set in four different regions of Bhutan. The presence of the yeti is ubiquitous to the kingdoms of the Himalayas, where beliefs and attitudes related to it go beyond scientific judgment and analysis.

This short story collection is really quite interesting. Choden has listened and talked to village elders throughout Bhutan to write down the stories or folktales that had previously just been verbally passed down the generations. The way the stories are written are simple but effective and they do feel like you’re just listening to a tale that often has some sort of lesson for the listener to learn. A lot of the stories seemed like fables with the people who encountered the yetis (or the migoe as the Bhutanese call them) learning something, or making horrendous mistakes that then the listener will learn from.

The migoi are often described as “a giant hairy man with the features of a monkey”. All of the descriptions are very vivid, especially for the female yetis with their “huge sagging breasts… swinging and rolling on its chest” and there’s also illustrations in Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti which was an unexpected but nice surprise and it really adds to the stories. Everyone has an idea of what a yeti looks like thanks to popular culture, but to see how the Bhutanese sees them, which is generally similar to the Western version but has some different things like how they possess the “dipshing” which enables it to turn invisible at will.

Some of the stories in Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti are quite gruesome as the people who encounter the yeti either anger it and therefore it harms them, or from their own fear or desire to be perceived as strong, they do their best to capture or kill the yeti.

Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti is a short but interesting read. It’s fun to hear different stories about yetis and how while they generally have similar attributes throughout the different regions of Bhutan, there are some differences in terms of the spirituality or legends surrounding the yetis.

[Dawa Zangmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti" is a collection of folktales and stories from the Kingdom of Bhutan, edited by Kunzang Choden. The book explores the rich cultural heritage of Bhutan, a small himalayan country, through its legends and myths surrounding the yeti. It provides insights into the natural environemtn of Bhutan, with its high peaks and dense forests, and the relationship between humans and the natural world. The stories ranges from the humorous to the poignant, and are sure to captivate readers of all ages. While it may not have universal appeal, it's still worthwhile read for anyone interested in learning more about this facinating country and its traditions.

[Zhelana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out strong, but as it continued it got a little repetitive. Also, what you learned in one chapter did not apply to the next, so it sort of fell into that category of "100 things about X" where I wind up not remembering what I read from one week to the next because they're not connected thoughts. Tales of the yeti is an interesting topic, but maybe the author should have told fewer of them with more build up and context in those fewer chapters. There were so many 2-10 page stories that they all started to blur together, and I'm really not sure I learned much. But I was entertained, mostly. Even if I don't remember 90% of the stories that I read.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting!

Fascinating folk tales of the yeti in Bhutan. With its mystical powers, it is a very elusive creature. Some of the areas of the country believe the Yeti is very savage and fierce, while other tribes/clans believe it is a peaceable vegetarian unless provoked by attack or defiance. These encounters reflect the cultures of the peoples of Bhutan with some very surprising conclusions at times.

[Chucho LDR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es una compilación de las historias que se cuentan a lo largo de Bután sobre este el Yeti o “pie grande”, un personaje característico del folclor de esta región de Asia. Conocido como migoi, estos personajes suelen ser pacíficos, a menos que se metan con ellos. También tenemos relatos sobre raptos de personas o incluso butaneses que los han enfrentado.

Este libro les ayudará a aproximarse a la literatura oral de este increíble país asiático.

[Elif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to learn about Bhutan? Read this.

English: https://elifthereader.com/books/bhuta...
Türkçe: https://kitaplikkedisi.com/kitaplar/b...

[Khendum Tshogyel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, I must appreciate Kunzang’s initiative in her efforts to conserve age-old Bhutanese tales about the Yeti (alias: abominable snow man) by traveling across the country and documenting the stories and writing them down so as not to lose this important piece of Bhutanese culture with the passage of time. Secondly, in order to truly immerse in the tales of the Yeti, the best experience is if one hears them orally or verbatim as it is in essence, a tradition of oral storytelling. I am mentioning this as readers who are not Bhutanese may not be able to fully grasp all aspects of the story from merely reading the book itself since it holds a lot of cultural references that coupled with the mastery of oral storytelling, makes it for a whole different experience of thrill and curiosity.

[Stephanie Guyer-Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything Kunzang Choden writes, but especially her tales that likely started out by the fire somewhere centuries ago, like these ones.

[Shawn Small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leading Bhutanese folklorist, Kunzang Choden, shares 22 masterfully written tales of ancient and modern Yeti lore from Bhutan. A must for all cryptid fans.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Country: Bhutan

[Annamari Laaksonen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti is a collection of 22 oral stories about the migoi – the Bhutanese version of the yeti or mountain man. Choden collected these stories from four different regions of Bhutan, talking to village elders and relying on oral tradition. The purpose was to conserve the oral cultural heritage and make sure it would not disappear. Many of the stories are about the encounters of yak herders with the migoi. The stories are short and they capture Bhutanese folklore well. As is the case with short stories, even if the themes are similar, some are more interesting than others and they start to feel a bit repetitive. It is still quite a nice read. It’s short and offers an introduction to Bhutanese oral tradition. 

I read this book as part of our project Virtual Nomad that explores and celebrates food, writing, cinema and music from different countries. www.myvirtualnomad.com

[Harry Rutherford · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was certainly interesting to read some yeti lore: I learned that they smell horrible and have hollow backs, for example. And it’s clear that they are regarded as magical/folkloric creatures rather than just another species of wild animal; people may believe they are real, but they are not just another wild animal like a bear. There are stories of women bearing them children, for example. But although I was pleased to get some sense of the yeti’s place in Bhutanese culture, the stories themselves were not especially fascinating; a selection of four or five of the best ones would have been enough for me.

[Paritosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read if you'd like to indulge yourself in some folklore... The fact that these stories have origins in Bhutan increased my curiosity as it is one of the countries I know nothing about..
My curiosity was rewarded...apart from the stories about yetis, Kunzang Choden has written quite a bit about the people, their traditions, and their beliefs.. Maybe a trip there isn't such a farfetched idea?

[Coeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's it about?
The Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti is a collection of stories of the famed Yeti/Abominable Snowman from the different parts of Bhutan. In those parts, they are called many names like Migoi or Gredpo. The book compiles 23 tales from Laya, Bumthang, Kurtoi, and Merak and Sakteng, and each chapter has a brief description of each tribe where the stories originate from.

https://open.substack.com/pub/donein9...

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While some of the stories were interesting and entertaining some lacked entertainment at all, and some seemed completely pointless to put in the story. With this being about folklore though I suppose that is to be expected. Interesting enough.

[Daniel Simmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

More interesting for the Bhutanese cultural details than for the narratives themselves.

[Lolilu]

COMPRAR