Story 141 - The Frightened Yaka

IN a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said; there is also a boy of those two persons. In front of the house there is also a Murunga tree. A Yaka having come, remained seven years in the Murunga tree in order to “possess” the woman.

While they were in that manner, one day the man and the boy went on a journey somewhere or other. The woman that day having [previously] put away the bill-hook, brought it to the doorway, and while preparing to cut a vegetable, said,

“This bill-hook is indeed good [enough] to cut a Yaka.”

The Yaka who stayed in the Murunga tree at the doorway, having heard what the woman said, became afraid, and having waited until the time when the woman goes into the house [after] cutting the vegetable, the Yaka slowly descended from the Murunga tree.

When he was going away, the woman’s husband and boy, having gone on the journey, are coming back. The Yaka met them.

Then the Yaka asked at the hand of those two,

“Where did you go ? I stayed seven years in the Murunga tree at the doorway of your house, to ‘possess' your wife. To-day your wife, sharpening a bill-hook, came to the doorway, and looking in my direction said,

‘This bill-hook is indeed good for cutting a Yaka.’

Because of it, I am here, going away. Don’t you go; that wicked woman will cut you. Come, and go with me; I will give you a means of subsistence. I, having now gone in front, will ‘possess’ such and such a woman of such and such a village. You two having said that you are Yaksa Vedaralas,^[1] and having come [there], when you have told me to go I will go.

Then the men having said that you are [really] Yaksa Vedaralas, will give you many things. When you have driven me from that woman, again I will ‘possess’ still [another] woman. Thus, in that manner, until the time when the articles are sufficient for you, I will ‘ possess ’ women. When they have become sufficient do not come [to drive me out].”

Having said [this], the Yaka went in front and ‘ ‘ possessed ’ ’ the woman. After that, the man and the boy went and drove out the Yaka. From that day, news spread in the villages that the two persons were Yaksa Vedaralas. From that place the two persons obtained articles.

The Yaka having gone,

“possessed”

yet a woman also. Having driven him from there, too, these two persons got articles. The Yaka “possessed” still [another] woman also. Thus, in that manner, until the very time when the things were sufficient for the two persons, the Yaka “possessed” women.

After the articles became sufficient for the two persons, one day the Yaka said to the two,

“The articles are sufficient for you, are they not ?”

The two persons said,

“They are sufficient.”

Then the Yaka said,

“If so, I shall ‘ possess' the Queen of such and such a King. From there I shall not go. Don’t you come to drive me away.”

Having said it, the Yaka went to that city, and “possessed” the Queen.

The two Yaksa Vedaralas came to their village, taking the articles they had obtained. Then a message came from the King for the Yaksa Vedaralas to go. The two persons not having gone, remained [at home], because of the Yaka’s having said that he would not go.

After that, the King sent a message that if they did not come he would behead the Yaksa Vedaralas. After that, the two persons, being unable to escape, went to drive out the Yaka.

Having gone there, they utter and utter spells for the Yaka to go. The Yaka does not go. Anger came to the Yaka. In anger that, putting [out of consideration] his saying,

“Don’t,”

the two persons went and uttered spells, the Queen whom the Yaka has “possessed,” taking a rice pestle, came turning round the house after him in three circles to kill the Vedarala.^[2] When she was raising the rice pestle to strike the Vedarala, the man’s boy said,

“Look there, Yaka ! Our mother !”

Then, because he had been afraid [of her] formerly, when the boy said it, the Yaka, saying,

“Where, Bola ?”

and also rolling the Queen over on the path, face upwards, and saying “Hu,” went away. The Queen came to her senses.

The King gave the two persons many articles. The Yaka did not again come to “possess” women. That man and boy having come to their village, and become very wealthy, remained without a deficiency of anything.

North-western Province.

 

Note

In The Indian Antiquary, vol. xvi, p. 217 (Folklore in Southern India, p. 214), in a Tamil story related by Natesha Sastri, a Brahmana was turned by Siva into a Brahma-Rakshasa for refusing to impart his knowledge of music to others, and he resided in a Pipal or Bo tree. A poor Brahmana of Sengalinirpattu (Chingleput, land of the blue lotus) assisted him to escape from the wretched music of a piper by removing into another tree, and out of gratitude the demon " possessed ” the Princess of Maisur, in order that the Brahmana might obtain wealth by driving him out. Afterwards, when the demon “possessed” the Princess of Travancore, intending to remain, the Brahmana frightened him away by a threat that he would bring back the piper.

In Folk-Tales of Hindustan (Shaik Chilli), p. 6, a beggar’s wife beat him with a stick for coming home foodless, threw his turban into a tree and struck at it time after time, hitting the tree at each blow. The blows and her abuse frightened away from the tree the ghost or Bhut of a Brahmana of the family who had committed suicide. The ghost and the man travelled along together as friends in misfortune. By their arrangement the man drove the ghost from the Minister’s daughter, but refused to officiate when it “possessed” the Sultan’s daughter, until ordered to be executed. When the ghost threatened to kill him he told it he had terrible news, his wife would be there in a few minutes. The ghost left at once, and the man married the Princess and succeeded to the throne.

In Indian Nights’ Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 298, a man’s termagant wife was thrown into a well, and there married a demon, but in fear of her he soon hid as a man, in a mosque. Becoming friendly with the former husband, who recognised him, he promised to marry the man to the King’s daughter, whom he thereupon " possessed.” When the man drove him out she was given in marriage to him, together with half the kingdom. The demon, after warning him not to interfere, then " possessed ” the Minister’s daughter. After at first refusing to act, the man frightened him away by saying his former wife was coming.

In The Enchanted Parrot (Rev. B. H. Wortham), a variant is given in the stories XLVI and XLVII. The woman terrified everyone around, and a goblin who lived in a tree near her house ran away. The husband also left, became friendly with him, and was advised to go and cure the King’s daughter. He cured her, married her, and received half the kingdom. Then the goblin carried off this Princess. The man went in search of her, and frightened away the goblin by whispering that his wife was coming.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Persons, often village doctors or soothsayers, who possess a knowledge of the incantations and procedure by means of which demons are driven away.

[2]:

It is stated in the Maha Bharata (Vana Parva, ccxxix) that when a Yaksha enters a person he becomes insane.