The Legend of Seko Saparo

 Narrated By Late Dadu Khan in July 2014, in Maiun.

I grew up listening to folk stories from my grandparents and elder people in my family, and I was always fascinated by those stories. Among the many tales they told, the legend of Seko Saparo is one such tale you won’t find in any book.

In the summer of 2014, during my vacation, I had the pleasure of spending time with my grandfather’s youngest brother, Late Dadu Khan. I would often sit with him and ask him to tell me stories, and he would gladly share them. He served in the army and worked as a teacher in the village. He was in his late seventies when he narrated the story of Seko Saparo. The story unfolds as:

Saparo was a resident of Seko, one of the oldest settlements of lower Hunza, currently known as Hussainabad. Saparo lived with his wife Makhagal in Seko. Makhagal was from Chalt, a nearby village in Nagar. He was a Daruoch (means hunter) and spent his summers in Maiun Bar, hunting for their livelihood. One day, he told his wife he was going for Daroi (hunting) so he could hunt a markhor for their family for winter stock. He left his home early morning so he could reach the hunting place in Maiun Bar (Canyon) on time. He spent many days in the mountain searching for a good target and was able to  hunt a Manyanro (Markhor in shina). He settled in a cave nearby and started a bonfire so he could cook some meat for himself before leaving for home.

After putting the meat on the fire, he came out of the cave and saw Makhagal with a basket of apricots near Unchai Harai (Unchai Harai is a summer shelter for livestock near a spring in Maiun Bar) . He had a chill in his body because he knew she couldn’t be his wife. He knew it was Dang Lathas, a supernatural being who can shapeshift to harm people. He immediately started making a rope with the markhor skin with some verses so he could use that rope to tie her forever. He kept an eye on her approaching him and sped up the rope making, chanting some ancient Shina verses.

“I have brought you some apricots,” she called to him. “It has been many days since you left home. Our kids have been crying for you,” she called from nearby. By the time she found out Saparo knew she was not his wife, she stopped outside the cave because she knew he would tie her with the rope. She called him out, “Come outside, have some apricots.”

He refused, “its cold outside, I have cooked some meat. Come inside, we will eat the meal and later the fruits inside the cave.” She started chanting her verses to bring him out, and he was chanting his verses to bring her inside. Saparo’s verses were so strong that she agreed to come inside. He told her to eat the meat and then they would leave. He had read some verses over the meat as well to control her. He served her the meat, and both ate.

He put all the remaining meat in a bag and told Dang Lathas to carry it on her back with the help of the rope he made; she couldn’t refuse. Before leaving, she told him, “You go first.” He refused because he knew she could attack from behind, and it was the tradition in the region to follow the women, instead of being followed by women for safety purpose. it was believed that most supernatural beings appeared as women. To avoid any attack, it was a norm to be led by a woman if traveling with a woman. He told her, “You are a woman, you lead and I will follow.” She was under his spell due to the meal she had eaten, and the rope tied around her body to carry the baggage, so she agreed.

He kept chanting verses and throwing pebbles around himself so she couldn’t come near him. When they reached Koi-yei Eil (an intake point on the river or a stream to divert water for irrigation), he thought she wouldn’t go away now as they had come so far. He told her he needed to freshen up and asked her to stay there; he would join in a few minutes. He thought she wouldn’t go anywhere and stopped chanting while freshening up. She was happy, as she had a chance to run since she knew he was not chanting or controlling her. Taking advantage of the situation, she tried running towards Seko to harm his family. He was not chanting but was watching her and immediately followed and came in front of her. She couldn’t go further towards Seko, so she started running towards the Maiun Bar. He followed her towards the canyon and started his chants again. She decoded the chants and threw stones, and he threw pebbles around himself to create a magical shield.

Near a narrow place in Xcha, he caught her on the top of a place called Dadro Fiyawo (Shoulder of Rocks). He told her, “Now tell me, where do you think you will go now?” He tied her with the magical rope with some magical words she could not decode. She told him, “Please forgive me, what will I eat here?” He said, “Eat the rocks. It is your punishment.” He told her, “this is your home now, this place will now be called Seko Saparo.” He ordered her, “From now on, when my sons and grandsons for generations pass through the Maiun Bar, they will greet you, call not to throw stones, and you are obliged to follow.” They will say, “Wa Dadi, thai darye pochy watenes nu bati na ve” (Oh grandmother, We are your sons and grandsons, do not throw rocks at us). He tied her there forever with his magical verses and left towards Seko.

The place still exists with the name Seko Saparo, a place of continuous land sliding and people still chant these words while passing the place so the sliding stop and they pass the area safely.

I was curious about the characters and ancient words in the tale, so I searched them on the internet and found few interesting facts and anecdotes

Makhagal: Makhagal is a Mongolian God, who helps people in trouble, make them happy and wealthy, and take them to paradise when they die.

Seko: The Sakas were a group of Indo-Scythian people who migrated into northwestern India from Central Asia around the 2nd century BCE – could there be any relation to their presence in Hunza in ancient times?

Danglathas: a supernatural being, a shape shifter, a witch, appears in many other folk stories as well. Is there a possibility in ancient times people had encounters with super humans?