The Origin Of The Raute

Once upon a time there was a man named Nari in the mountains of Dhakaldara in Jumla. He made his living by traping and hunting birds and animals. But for a long time he found that the animals that fell into his trap were missing.
One day Nari laid a trap but he was himself surprised by a wild man. Although the wild man was momentarily undecided, he seized Nari and carried him off.
The wild man came to a large cave where his wife spent all her time grinding millet.
The wild man took the man on his back and, followed by his wife, he walked across a cliff. As they were going along a narrow path, Nari suddenly held the woman with his hand and gave a kick to the wild man, who fell down the cliff and was killed. Then the man called aloud for help and hearing him, people came and rescued him and the wild woman.
They brought the woman to the village and one of the men kept her as own wife. But she never spoke a word. All she would do was to smile and grind the millet. In course of time, she bore five sons, Even then she did not speak.
Then, one day some men took hold of her grinding stone and hid it. When she discovered her loss, she looked everywhere but failing to find the stone, she gave out a loud cry and died at once.
Such is the origin of the Raute, offspring of the wild woman. There are now several villages where this tribe is to be found. Even now they are called the men of the forest.