Anni Lanni Koko: Apocryphal of a Nomad and Yak in the moon

Anni Lanni Koko: Apocryphal of a Nomad and Yak in the moon

As a countryside born and bred child among old folks and local lore, I would sit on my granny’s lap by the winter fire hearth. We loved watching the full moon as she starts fascinating me with the story of an orphan nomad girl and her yak on the moon.

The story narrates as…Dhangphu Dhingphu…There was a lone girl in a small village supposedly in the nomadic settings.  When she was about 12 years old, both her parents passed away due to some illness leaving behind nothing, but a yak as a parental legacy. She survived on the milk of her yak for so long. She would take her yak into the nearby pasture yard and sit under the lone peach tree as her yak grazes.

It was the 15^th day of Bhutanese calendar. She decided to let her yak graze until the full moon shows up her face from behind the mountains. Upon the gradual appearance of the full moon she submitted her heart and sang the melodious song to the moon:

Anni Lanni Koko,

Nan oga chaya

Jing ge nan thong na,

Nan ge bu jang thong na mo?

Jang shonang feylo mala,

Jang bu nan chosa rik ne bui ko

Anni Lanni koko.

The above phrases are in Sharchopkha and it roughly translates to English as:

Dear an egg-like Auntie Moon

Where can I locate you exactly?

I can see your pretty face

Can you see me as well?

I really don’t feel happy here

 Can you take me with you?

Dear egg-like Auntie Moon.

She closed her eyes and wished that she be answered to her earnest songs. Upon opening her eyes, to her amazement and ecstasy she was already on the moon along with her yak and the peach tree.

Thus, it is said that she lived happily ever on the moon and if observed vigilantly one can spot her milking the yak under peach tree on the night of full moon. For this reason, my granny used to make me happy and adventuresome by full moon watching to observe the little nomadic girl and her yak under the peach tree. Even after getting volumes and units of scientific-induced knowledge and facts, I still look at the full moon with such a fascination.

(Note: The story is being narrated by my then 76 years old maternal Granny when i was around 6 years old so as to keep me away from my mother who has the busy farm and household schedule. I would stop nagging my mom retreating myself to the stories of my Granny. If my dear Granny was here in this world today, she would kiss my forehead with much love and appreciation for inscribing this folklore.)

-Tashi Dendup