Bhutan Demon Mythology

Krinmo

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Tradition / Region: Bhutan Mythology
Alternate Names: None Recorded
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Krinmo are female demons from Bhutanese folklore. In the folktale Saved by Acho Lala, they are portrayed as man-eating beings who trick humans, capture them, and cook them in boiling cauldrons. The story also describes a krinmo disguising herself as a beautiful girl in order to deceive her victim.

In the tale, a young girl is left alone after her mother flees from a land filled with demons. Soon after, the daughter of a krinmo approaches the girl disguised as a beautiful human and gains her trust. The next day the krinmo returns carrying a sack and tricks the girl into reaching down from an orange tree, allowing the demon to grab her and carry her away.

During the journey, the girl convinces the krinmo to rest. While the demon sleeps, the girl secretly fills the sack with stones and escapes. The krinmo later empties the sack into a boiling cauldron, expecting meat, only to discover stones instead.

The following day the krinmo captures the girl again and brings her to the demon family’s home to be eaten. The girl persuades the mother krinmo to spare her until she grows larger. While left alone with the krinmo daughter, she tricks her into exchanging clothes and taking her place on a swing suspended above a boiling cauldron. The girl cuts the rope, causing the krinmo to fall into the boiling water.

That evening the krinmo family unknowingly eats their own daughter. When they later discover the deception, they chase the escaping girl up a cypress tree. As a krinmo climbs after her, the girl calls to Acho Lala, the moon, for help. Acho Lala lowers an iron chain, allowing the girl to escape to the moon. One krinmo attempts to follow her using a woollen rope, but the rope snaps and the demon falls to her death. The story says the curve on human feet was caused when the krinmo’s claws tore flesh from the girl’s feet as she escaped.

Sources

Penjore, D. (2011). Dangphu Dingphu: A Collection of Bhutanese Folktales.

Krinpo

by

Tradition / Region: Bhutan Mythology
Alternate Names: None Recorded
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Krinpo are man-eating demons from Bhutanese folklore. In the folktale Saved by Acho Lala, they are portrayed as dangerous beings who hunt humans and devour them as food. The story describes them living together as a family and preparing human victims in boiling cauldrons.

In the tale, a young girl is abandoned by her mother, who flees from a land filled with krinpo demons. The girl is later captured and brought to the home of the demons, where the krinpo family intends to eat her. She manages to delay her death by convincing them she is too small to cook.

While the other demons are away, the girl tricks one of the demon children into taking her place above a boiling cauldron. The demon falls into the pot and dies. That evening, the krinpo family unknowingly eats their own child while believing they are eating the captured girl.

The girl escapes while the demons are distracted and flees into a cypress tree as the krinpo pursue her. She calls upon Acho Lala, the moon, for help. Acho Lala lowers an iron chain from the sky, allowing her to climb safely to the moon while the demons fail to follow her.

Sources

Penjore, D. (2011). Dangphu Dingphu: A Collection of Bhutanese Folktales.