Unnamed Shan artist: the striped tiger pursues the cunning hare in Griggs’s folktale
The pursuing tiger already bears the markings that the story attributes to burning bamboo. This historical illustration represents the speaking tiger in the named origin tale; its decorative markings are artistic treatment, rather than a biological explanation of tiger stripes.
Overview
At the beginning of the world this tiger is entirely yellow. During a jungle fire, false advice from an ox drives him into dry grass, and a horse directs him into burning bamboo. Falling bamboo burns stripes into his coat, which the story says are inherited by later tigers. A buffalo finally saves him by holding him underwater. He promises that tigers will not kill buffaloes, though the narration expressly allows wicked tigers to break that agreement.
Later a hare tricks him into attacking a wasp nest; the stings make his face swollen, explaining the broad flat faces of subsequent tigers. Other deceptions culminate in his being trapped and killed by people. These origin explanations belong to this Shan tale as retold by Griggs; they are not biological accounts of pigmentation, facial structure or predation.
Origins & earliest records
Shan traditions of the hill and water country, Burma/Myanmar
Records & interpretation
Full relevant tale and introduction directly read; historical spellings preserved.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shan Folk Lore Stories from the Hill and Water Country
Introduction dated Bhamo,1902; How the Hare Deceived the Tiger, pp. 58–66
- 02
Shan Folk Lore Stories, in The Red Miriok / Shan Folk Lore Stories (combined edition)
Bibliographic witness only: unpaginated title and copyright pages independently inspected in original scan; publication line says January1903, copyright1901and1902. This does not establish the date of the separately transcribed Gutenberg witness or of first publication.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
William C. Griggs, Shan Folk Lore Stories from the Hill and Water Country
Shan traditions; introduction dated Bhamo1902. How the Hare Deceived the Tiger, pp. 58–66
Whole hare/tiger narrative read through the tiger’s death. Actual story effects, etiological assertions and hare’s false claims distinguished. Historical missionary mediation, unnamed individual narrator and dated-introduction/publication distinction retained. Original combined-volume title/copyright pages independently viewed: archive item redmiriokshanfol0000anna, cached griggs-redmiriok-6.jpg and-7.jpg in public/assets/credited/_audit; publishedJanuary1903. Separate bibliographic witness, not a claim that full original scan text was collated.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical folktale collectionGriggs, Shan Folk Lore Stories, How the Hare Deceived the Tiger, pp. 58–66Research access: 2026-10-05
- Primary bibliographic scanCombined volume title and copyright pages, published January1903Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationUnnamed Shan artist: the striped tiger pursues the cunning hare in Griggs’s folktale
The pursuing tiger already bears the markings that the story attributes to burning bamboo. This historical illustration represents the speaking tiger in the named origin tale; its decorative markings are artistic treatment, rather than a biological explanation of tiger stripes.