Sheep-form bhūta in the Two Mighties tale

Overview

In “Mr. Mighty-of-his-Mouth and Mr. Mighty-of-his-Hands,” a bhūta enters a sheepfold to steal an animal. It hears the shepherd mention a bhūta or kūta, mistakes the second word for the name of a stronger being, and changes into a sheep to hide among the flock. The source explicitly explains that kūta is a rhyming repetition without an independent Tamil meaning; the feared creatures do not exist in the story. Two men choose the disguised goblin because of its unusual weight. As the strong man carries it away, it causes pains throughout his body. His companion threatens to cut the supposed sheep into two more manageable loads, frightening the bhūta into melting away and escaping.

The goblin’s companions initially ridicule its fear, then surround the men’s house to avenge it. Mr. Mighty-of-his-Mouth stages a conversation with his wife claiming that their child has roasted three goblins for a snack. Believing the fiction, the attackers flee to another forest. Later the two men unknowingly sleep in a tree above their hunting ground. When the frightened strong man falls, his companion pretends that he has jumped down to catch a fat goblin for food. The goblins flee again. The human speakers possess no demonstrated supernatural strength or appetite; successful bluffing drives all three escapes. The bhūta’s bodily form outside its sheep disguise is not described.

A comparison occurs in Anna Liberata de Souza’s Three Clever Men tale, printed in Mary Frere’s 1870 Old Deccan Days. Here three human companions—a marksman, wrestler and pundit—encounter a demon that deliberately becomes an attractive goat to play tricks on them. The wrestler carries it home, and its fiery-looking eyes alert the pundit. He pretends that his household regularly eats demons and thereby extracts treasure. This is a separate witness with a goat disguise and different motivation, not proof that the same individual appears in both collections.

Frere’s demon subsequently flies the three men on his back to a court where his removal of communal treasure is to be judged. Their tree breaks and drops them onto the demon ruler; beating him and renewing their threats, they frighten the court into sending them home with more riches. The men never actually eat a demon. The marksman then stops his dangerous practice of shooting pearls from his wife’s nose-ring. Unlike the sheep-form account’s repeated escapes, this version concludes with shared wealth and a change in one man’s behaviour; its transport, ruler and treasure should not be retroactively added to the original bhūta’s biography.

Origins & earliest records

Southern Indian storytelling in Kingscote and Natesa Sastri’s English collection

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant English chapter, attached notes, title, preface and introduction read. Complete Frere XXIII supplies a separately labelled motif comparison, not an identification of the two demons.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India

   Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Paṇḍit Naṭêsá Sástrî, collectors · 1890

   VII, Vayalvallan Kaiyavalla, pp.93–101; all three notes. London: W. H. Allen & Co.; complete English chapter and attached notes read.

2. 02

   Old Deccan Days; or, Hindoo Fairy Legends Current in Southern India

   Anna Liberata de Souza, narrator; Mary Frere, collector; Bartle Frere, introduction and notes · 1870

   XXIII, How the Three Clever Men Outwitted the Demons, pp.314–325; footnotes106–108 and endnote344–345. Complete comparative narrative and ending read; Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co.

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

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Historical collected narrative and editorial notesTales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India — VII, Vayalvallan Kaiyavalla, pp.93–101; all three notesResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. Historical collected oral narrative in English; separate comparisonOld Deccan Days — XXIII, Three Clever Men, pp.314–325 and endnote344–345Research access: 2026-10-06

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.