The English edition of the classic French work by Bernard Pignede, The Gurungs (1966), has recently been brought out by Ratna Pustak Bhandar (see Abstracts, page 39). As an appendix to the English edition, the book's editors have included an original piece of work on the origin of the Gurungs and their encounter with Hinduism. Written by Bhovar Palje Tamu and Yarjung Kromchhe Tamu, the paper is excerpted and adapted here with permission of the publishers.
The history of the Tamu (Ihc Gurungs of Nepal) is preserved in the myths and legends of Tamu Pye (Bonism), which are recited by the Bon priests in a mixture of Tibclo-Burman dialects. Tamu Pye tells of how the first people lived in Cho(Tso) Nasa, which is thought to tie in today´s western Mongolia. From here they dispersed southward, towfards today´s Qinghai, Kansu, Sichuan and Yunnan regions of China.
Some of tthe Tamu settled in the northern Bagmaliregion, having gone through theKcrun and Kuti passes. Acconfeg to Tamu legend, they must have settled in Mustang around the firstcentury AD, just after (he Tamangs settled in Bagmati. These two groups have been separate for no more thantthree thousand years. The Tamu used to hunt long distances following wild animals. They would move their settlements if they found abctterplace to live. While they inhabited the banks of the Mha-ri-syo (Marsyangdi river) in Manang, they adopted a new Klye (master) as their chief or king. His descendents are called Klye (Ghale).
Village of Kohla
Some Tamus crossed the Annapurna range in the course of hunting around 500 AD. They liked the high land and sowed some grain there. When they returned on a second visit, they had. a good harvest. On the^ third visit peoples from three clans came and settled there in their three groups, calling it Kohla Swomae Toh. This was the first historical village of the Tamus on the southern slopes of the Himalaya and it became the last united village too. Other Tamus migrated later from Manang and Mustang. Those remaining in Mustang became the Thakali when other Tibetan groups, and probably some Tamangs, arrived.