I wanted to read the folklore of Laos because it's a country in Southeast Asia relatively close to Indonesia. I would have picked the stories from the Philippines but Laos seemed more interesting to me for some reason. I enjoyed so many of the stories from this reading and I think it was the first time I came away happy instead of frustrated. So many of the stories explained themselves all the way through with how something came to be or to explain a message. It was wonderful!
The Enchanted Mountain
The spot at the top of the mountain described in the story sound absolutely gorgeous. It's interesting that men can find the place but not prove that they have ever been there. I wonder how it came to be or what would happen if anyone found it and was allowed to stay? The fruit can't be eaten, the fowl can't be killed, and the water cannot be drank so how would that work? I mean maybe the person just uses it as a meditation garden, not wanting to take anything from it, just looking for a place to come for some peace.
(Kuang Si Falls in Laos. Photo from Pixabay)
The Spirit-Guarded Cave
I love how the spirits in these stories are so helpful to the people! It's really refreshing because it feels like all I've read the past few weeks are stories about how the deities like to screw people over. This story caught my attention because of the more open-ending it had by saying that the treasure so far has been left untouched. I think it would be interesting to continue the story so that maybe one of the ancestors of the wise man goes to claim the treasure after growing up hearing stories about it.
Bibliography. Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson, with photographs by W.A. Briggs (1899). Links to readings
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