MSS EUR HODGSON/84 Limbu manuscripts: alphabet and Mundhum 1842, 1846
Limbu alphabet practice book: Limbu-Nepali, Limbu-Nepali vocabulary [vol 83-85/various fol.different] , Mundhum.
1[vol.84 fol(s)1] Limbu-Nepali vocabulary 1846 Nepali hand-made paper, fine condition, fair writing.
Limbu Nepali
Selected list of Limbu-Nepali vocabulary (only 23 words); Nepali title description of the next item (Item 2) written as liṃbuharuko bāhrakhari.
2[vol.84 fol(s)2verso-22] Limbu alphabet 1846 Nepali hand-made paper, fine condition, fair writing, folio 22 is blank.
Limbu Limbu
Limbu alphabet practice book written in Limbu and Nagari scripts and described as liṃbuharuko bāhrakhari (folio 1), the latter word being taken from the title of the Nepali alphabet primer or Bāhrakahrī; the Nāgarī section is not completed after folio 13; syllables categorised under inital consonant, for similar material organised by syllable finals (vowel or vowel plus final consonant) see[vol 78/4 fol.315-322]
3[vol.84 fol(s)23-99] Limbu alphabet collected from an old book found in Sikkim 1846 Nepali hand-made paper, fine condition, fair writing, ff. 24-25 are crossed out, folio 98 is blank.
Limbu Limbu
Examples of the Limbu alphabet collected and presented in Limbu and Nagari script on the basis of an old book found in Sikkim. The alphabet book is described in Nepali as "liṃbuharuko parhanyākramako akṣara sukhimako kuhiko pustaka vamojima lekhyāko" (Text book of Limbu alphabet written on the basis of a decaying Sikkimese book). For the original book from Sikkim, see [vol 88/01 fol.1-10] . The book lists characters of the Limbu script, including the combination aā representing a special consonant sound; use of vowel signs in the later section of the practice book. It is commonly believed that this alphabet was a good representation of Limbu pronunciation at the time of Sirijanga (18th century); Nagari section is not complete and left totally blank after folio 47; title description in Nepali on front page of folio 1 and a colophon-like description in Romanized Nepali and (briefly) in Limbu on the verso of folio 99.
4[vol.84 fol(s)100-163 verso] Limbu text of Yakthung mundhum and a copy of a letter from the Collector's Office related to a land transaction and revenue from the Jaleshwar area of the Nepal Tarai 1842, 1846 Hand-made but slightly acidic paper, fine condition, fair writing.
Limbu Avadi/Maithili
ff. 100-156 recto, 158-162 recto: Complete text of the Yakthungmundhum, which basically deals with Limbu cosmology beginning with the origin of the self-existent god (svayaṃbhū) and his offspring (the universe and earth-rocks, mountains, ocean, rivers, trees, air, fire, rain, different gods and goddesses, animals and creatures, different metals and precious stones) and finally human beings including the early ancestors of the Limbus, Mujingna or Mujinama and her daughters Khejingna, Phedangma and Yeba. It ends with the story of the activities and death of Sawanggemba, Yukpunggemba, the early male ancestor of the Limbus (father of the mythical Limbu couple Suhampheva and Ladangna, a brother and sister) and the origin of evil spirits.
The story of the appearance of Svaymbhu destroying the state of complete emptiness and darkness described in this mundhum bears a surprising resembles to a well-known Vajrayana Buddhist myth.
ff. 157-156 verso (in left to right order): A document dated 1842 written in the Hindi/Urdu language and Nagari script describing a transfer as a result of an auction of land at Jalesaraṃ (Jaleshwar), apparently situated within the maujā of Betiya, Amal Pragannā of Majhauvā and jamindārī of Tolāvelvā; the revenue collector involved was Robert Ferguson and the former and present landlords were Nagched Thakur and Liladhar Thakur and Sahebram Misra and his son Jagu Misra respectively. The collector is probably to be identified with the B. B. Ferguson mentioned in another manuscript of about the same date, see [vol 58/27 fol.97-98] . The manuscript reveals that Ferguson was one of Hodgson's family friends and had some land and other property in his name in the Nepal Tarai, which was in dispute between him and local feudals known as mahāpātras. Another manuscript from the Hodgson Collection listing wealthy landowners from the Jaleshwar area of the Tarai is [vol 60/23 fol.219] . The same Ferguson also appears to be mentioned in two manuscripts from the Royal Asiatic of London Hodgson MSS. in the RAS 01/52/169 and 01/72/238-39;
ff. 163 verso-163 (in left to right order): The same land transaction document transcribed in very poor Roman (both Nagari and Roman versions have been inserted completely arbitrarily into the continuous text of the Yakthung mundhum).
Nepali title description and English transliteration.
5[vol.84 fol(s)164-211] Limbu text of Yakhangshema mundhum 1846 Hand-made and slightly acidic paper, fine condition, fair writing, ff. 165 and 207-211 are blank.
Limbu
Complete text of the Yakhangshema mundhum of the Limbus; Limbu, Nepali and Romanized Nepali title description on the title page (folio 164), only three lines of Nepali translation in the beginning of the text (folio 166). This mundhum describes the myth relating to the origin and growth of the Savayethang Limbu (common name of the eight early Limbu kings) as the direct descendants of Suhampheba and Lahadangna (brother and sister from the same father but different mothers), and includes information on Limbu customs and manners.
Basic points covered by this mundhum are: origin of sins and growth of sinful offspring, divine creation of kinship for the betterment of the earth, separation and distribution of Limbu population, origin of the Limbu ritual specialists Phedangma, Samba, Yeba, Yema and Savayethang, creation of different clans and families, making houses and human settlement, origin of human spirit (preta), beginning of the tradition of marriage rite phungtuba and other human traditions.
Although the Yakhangshema mundhum is a separate Limbu cosmological text, it has the appearance of a second part of the Yakthung mundhum because the mythical description in the former is just a continuation of the story told in the latter.
6[vol.84 fol(s)212-251 verso] Limbu paidāyas (Limbu origin legends) 1846 Hand-made but slightly acidic paper, fine condition, fair writing, ff. 211 and 251 are blank.
Limbu Nepali
Complete text of the paidāyas (origin story) of the Limbus with a Nepali translation; Nepali and Romanized Nepali title description on the bottom page of the text reading "liṃbuharuko munthuṅ/ liṃbuko paidāyas" (stories and legends related to the origin of the Limbus). This also includes the description of Limbu cosmology as found in mundhums and oral traditions. This text is also known as the story of Ojohang, Pangbohang and the genealogy of the early ancestors of the Yangyanghang clan of the Limbus. It includes the following major points:
Origin of the universe and earth, birth of the early ancester of the Limbus, Khamjikkum Khambongba also known in Nepali as bhuinphuṭṭā;
Story of Parokmiba, Yamphamiba and the creation of rain, vegetation, different kinds of living creatures and finally of human beings;
Story of Mujinama-Khejinama, mother of human beings in general;
Origin and growth of the Savayethang (the eight early Limbu kings), children of Lahadangna;
Description of different rulers in the human world;
Genealogy of the Savayethang group of Limbu rulers;
ff. 223-229: Mythological story related to King Pangbohang;
ff. 241-250: Story related to King Ojohang and other different rulers of the Pallo-Kirant region including Dasa-Limbu kings, Yakkha kings, Dasa-Kholombas also known as Dasa-Majhiya (not accepted as kings but local commissioners);
The Limbu paidāyas ends with a description of the advent of the Gorkhali rulers and the fall of the local Limbu feudal territory of Pallo-Kirant.