Keibu Keioiba: Difference between revisions

This is a story of a kind, dedicated and skilled ancient Manipuri physician, who used to ride on a horse and visit places to heal those suffering ailments. As his knowledge and skill kept on increasing day by day, he kept on wanting to learn more and more. At a time, he was able to do whatever he wanted. He kept on conducting experiments until he decided to turn himself into a tiger one day, for he wanted the power of a tiger.<ref>http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageSelector.asp?src=Keibu_Keioiba_By_Nganthoi_Lourembam&ch=manipur&sub1=Folks&sub2=Folk_Tales</ref><ref>http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageSelector.asp?src=Kabui_Keioiba_and_Lai_Khutsangbi_Stories_of_Hunger_By_James_Oinam&ch=manipur&sub1=Folks&sub2=Folk_Tales</ref><ref>http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Folks.Taming_Keibu_Keioiba</ref>

He taught his wife how to help him turn into a tiger and how to return to his human form. But, as soon as he became the tiger-like creature Keibu Keioiba, he developed the tiger instinct of roaring and frightening people. So, his wife ran away from him before he could be subjected to return to his human form. Instead, he even tried to kill his wife and ran away in the wild far from home.

When he got hungry, he would come to human villages to steal poultry or fish or livestock, as he never learned how to hunt like a real tiger in the wild. He became the feared and the hated. He began to target humans for food.

He came to a village and took a young girl called Thabaton, who was home alone, left by her seven brothers for work. He was avenged by the brothers and the girl was saved.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Folks.Taming_Keibu_Keioiba |title=Taming 'Keibu Keioiba': Translation as Recovery |publisher=E-Pao|author=Sumitra Thoidingjam }}</ref>