By HH Mohrmen
One thing that every culture in the world has are stories about ghosts. Ghost stories are often scary and create fear in the minds of many. Every culture has people who believe in ghosts, demons, or at least in strange beings that people are afraid of. These mysterious beings are said to have magical powers, which often cause harm to people. Those who claim to have seen ghosts also report sightings of beings that can be invisible or appear in different forms. Ghosts are something that people fear, and even mentioning it sends shivers down the spine of many individuals. The way people believe in and understand ghosts varies considerably from one culture to another.
In many cultures, ghosts are considered the spirits of dead people who still interact with the living. Yet one thing that ghosts have in common is that most people are scared of them. Ghosts are believed to be supernatural or paranormal beings, always linked to folklore or the culture of the people.
Ghosts in Folklore Traditions
Ghost stories are woven into the folklore of various cultures, and these stories are unique to each one. In the Jaiñtia Hills, there are also many stories about different types of ghosts. The “Lyngkhuh,” “ka Rangkit or ka Riang Khangnoh,” “ki Boit,” and “u Sap Putoi” are ghosts specific to their respective places. In the Pnar tradition of Jaiñtia, not all ghosts cast spells that cause people to suffer; there are also good ghosts. These are jovial spirits that like to play pranks on people and cause them no harm.
The Ghost that Causes No Harm
When we were kids, my parents had a tea stall at Iawmusiang, the main market of Jowai. They were busy, so they didn’t have time to prepare meals for us at home. As a result, every morning, noon, and evening, we ate at the shop. This suited me well because, for a boy my age, having the opportunity to go to the market and listen to discussions was nothing short of wonderful. Moreover, tea shops in Jowai still serve as chat rooms for those who want to discuss interesting topics, especially politics.
People from different villages, before and after their chores in Jowai, would visit their favorite tea shop in the market to catch up on what was happening in the world. When media and even newspapers were a distant dream, tea stalls like ours served as information centers.
At the time, there were only weekly newspapers in Jowai, like u Naphang, u Salonsar, u Jaintia, and u Parari. So, every Musiang or market day, the tea shop became a place where people discussed what was published in the newspapers. In the late eighties and early nineties, when daily vernacular papers like Mawphor began to appear, the news reports in those papers became the main subjects of discussion.
One day, while I was having my meal in the shop, I overheard people saying that a man had disappeared from his home, and the whole village was looking for him. I was a young boy then, about 10 years old, and Jowai was still a small, sleepy hamlet. Curious as any boy my age, I eavesdropped whenever I heard people talking about the man’s sudden and mysterious disappearance. The entire locality searched for him but to no avail. It was only after a few days that he was found in a forest near the town. He was sitting on the edge of a steep ledge. Eyewitnesses said he was in a trance, and had he been in his normal state, he would have fallen into the deep gorge and would not have survived the fall.
During our childhood, we were forbidden to wear our clothes inside out. Our elders told us it was taboo, lest we be carried off by the “Symphut” or “Suit Tynjang.” I’m not sure whether Symphut was a type of ghost or an animal, but one thing I knew for sure was that if it was a ghost, it wasn’t a bad one—it never harmed its victims.
In the past, incidents of people being carried off by the Symphut occurred frequently. We were told that it could change into a goat and lure its victim away. It was said that when someone was carried away by the Symphut, they would be in a trance, never feeling hunger, pain, or fear. Symphut was one of the phenomena that every child dreaded even thinking about. It was also said that females were more prone to fall victim to the Symphut than males. Legends tell us that when Symphut released its hold on someone, the person would be left in an odd or awkward position. For example, a girl might be found at the top of a tree or on the far end of a branch, places she would never have reached in her normal state.
Symphut was supposedly a good ghost; it never harmed its victims, so there was no tragic end to the story. People loved to talk about such incidents, albeit with awe. Symphut was a “wonder” unique to the people of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, and it was very popular during our childhood.
Whether Symphut is real or just a myth, I will never know. But one thing I do know is how much I hated those spine-chilling howls of the foxes on moonlit nights and how much we loved to talk about people who had been carried away by Symphut. Oh, the romance of the good ghost—a ghost that did no harm to its victims! Symphut in our childhood was real, but it seems to be gradually fading away. There is also another ghost believed to cause no harm to people.
The Ghost that Plays Pranks
Jowai has two large valleys, often referred to as the town’s two rice bowls, and the valleys must have influenced the decision of the first settlers to settle in the place. They are called “ka Pynthor Neiñ” or the upper valley and “Pynthor Wah” or the lower valley. The upper valley is visible to visitors driving into Jowai from Shillong, while the best part of the lower valley can be seen from the Ialong area. The largest section of the lower valley is called “ka Tre Tangliang.” From afar, the paddy fields of various shapes and sizes in that particular segment look like a huge labyrinth. It was in this maze-like paddy field that farmers and anglers reported getting lost, wandering around until daybreak without being able to find their way out. People often avoid passing through this area at night for fear of being caught in the quagmire.
Phyllang: The Tragic Story
This story begins with tragedy, as a woman, while traveling through the area, lost her son, who later became a ghost. It happened on a market day when the woman, after finishing her errands in Jowai, was returning to her village. The popular route to places like Tuber, Shangpung, Sutnga, and others was from Syntu Ksiar, where they had to cross the Myntdu River.
Lad Tuber, or the Tuber junction, used to be an important landmark on this route. For those journeying onward, it was also a significant place where one could stay at the ‘ïng/ïung basa,’ a house like an inn where travelers could spend the night. The owner of the ïng basa provided the traveler with food, a ‘lyngknot’ (a wooden stool to rest their head), and travelers often slept around the fireplace.
The woman was returning with her three children—one she carried on her back, one she held by the hand, and the eldest, Phyllang, was walking behind. Like many children their age, Phyllang and his younger sibling were playing as they walked, collecting wildflowers and fruits along the way. Phyllang, being the eldest, was walking behind while his mother led the younger ones. When they crossed the Myntdu River, she realized Phyllang was missing. She was in a dilemma, as she couldn’t leave her younger children on one side of the river to search for him. She decided to continue to the village and, upon reaching it, informed her relatives and neighbors of what had happened.
They immediately gathered dried bamboo, known locally as “prew/praw,” lit it, and headed to the place where Phyllang had disappeared. They searched for him the whole night but found nothing. As day broke, they returned to the village, and another group of community members replaced them to continue the search. They searched for him the next day, but he was nowhere to be found. Days turned into weeks, and after more than a week of searching with no success, they called it off.
Realizing there was no point in looking for her beloved son any longer, the mother and her relatives decided to perform the final rites for him, called “Kaweh Sniñ,” as he was assumed dead. People in Jowai and the surrounding areas believe that Phyllang’s spirit causes people to get lost in the maze-like paddy fields. Phyllang is no ordinary ghost but a spirit that drives people to act foolishly by simply playing tricks on them.