Rihli

Mythological account

The name Rihli is said to derive from a Chin folktale about a girl named Rih. According to legend, Rih and her younger sister had a cruel stepmother, who persuaded their father to get rid of them. The father killed the younger sister in a forest. Upon finding her decapitated sister, Rih found was inconsolable. A good spirit known as Lasi found her and took pity on her. She revealed her a magical tree having a single leaf with which Rih revived her sister back to life. To quench the thirst of her younger sister, Rih turned herself into a small pool of water using the same leaf. Later, Rih was compelled to change herself into a white mithun, and wandered around in search of a safe place. Her sweat and tears formed rih-note (smaller lakes) wherever she went. It is believed that such lakes can still be found in the Vawmlu Range, Zur forest near the village Natchhawng, a place above Bochung village, and the area of Khawthlir village, all of which are in Myanmar. She wandered to Sanzawl village, followed the river Run. But the demon spirit of the river threatened to suck her dry. She migrated westward into Mizoram but found even the valley of Champhai unsuitable. A little further southeast she found the present location, and the lake became Rihli.

Traditional account

However, in another local version, the lake was originally called “Sialkidul” in reference to its shape of the head of a mithun (little similar to gayal) when viewed from far mountain top. After two generations of human settlement in the region, the tradition says that many black-faced people (maivom in native language) invaded the surrounding land and called the lake “Sri,” which later became transliterated to “Rih” or “Li”. The Maivom people settled there for two consecutive harvest-times (two years). The then Guite chief Mangsum I of Ciimnuai ordered them to bring in annual taxes but they refused and started attack some Guite habitations at Geeltui and Losau instead. Therefore, the chief organized a warfare operation against the Maivom and drove them westward across the Tio. In commemoration of this event, local war songs are still in use in the region. Some of them are:

(Original):

Tuanglam tungah tangpa khau bang ciah’ng, khuhva na tong sia e, tuaklo dawn kawi aw e; khuhva tongsuah tang ka sinlai zen, lumsuang ka tuun kaal in, tungkhai mu’n tuah inla, awi kawi na’ng e. (Gendongh, c. AD 1300)

(Translation):

Atop the road I'm on I tied a tang-pa [poetic for 'young man' - enemy here] like rope. Oh dove [enemy] how unpleasant your voice is, oh how you may become unmet; the words you [dove] have anchored have elated my heart's core, for whilst I tied the shield [enemy], I have joined the hovering eagle in joyful taking, oh let us sing together.

(Original):

Kuansuk ta’ng e, Tiopi dung zui in, Tiopi ah sehtak ah Ciinmang umtui bang ka khuai hi e; namtem tawi in sulzui ta’ng, Tio ii gaal ah pasal lian lu khai ing e. (Vunghsan, c. AD 1300)

(Translation):

I have gone off following the Tio's edge, on the river I have tied an Elder Mang [Chief, Ruler, Noble] like a water gourd; holding my sword firmly I followed close behind [him], and at the Tio nearby I have hung the head of a great man.