The Legend of Sopfünua Stone in Rüsoma Village, Kohima

Originating from the Angami Naga community’s migration from Sopfümia, the tale revolves around Zenyüü, a young woman from Rüsoma whose life takes a dramatic turn after her marriage.

As recounted in local folklore by Mhalelie Vimera on the TakeOne Nagaland YouTube channel, Zenyüü’s journey begins with a marriage proposal from a visitor to her village in Sopfüra. Accepting the proposal, Zenyüü moved to Pudonamei and had a child.

During that time, the Sopfüra villagers would visit Zenyüü saying, “We visited our host (Sopfü). She is our host (Sopfü),” and so, she came to be known as Sopfünuo.

However, her husband started ill-treating her and forced her to leave home one day. Deeply hurt, she lit a pine torch and left.

Zenyüü’s father, concerned by her prolonged absence, traveled to Pudunamei. There, he discovered Zenyüü’s husband with another woman. When questioned, her husband claimed they had argued and she had left, observing her torch’s path to imply she had returned to her father’s village.

Upon searching for her, Zenyüü’s father found a dead body with her head turned into stone. Troubled by this discovery, he returned home. That night, he dreamt of Zenyüü, who expressed her desire to turn into stone rather than rot.

The father visited her daily until she fully transformed. With the villagers’ assistance, they attempted to relocate her, encountering a storm when they left behind a small stone near her chest. Rectifying their mistake, they successfully transported her home.

The legend further intertwines with spiritual beliefs, attributing Sopfünuo’s transformation to the influence of the Spirit Terhuotie.

“Our elders believed she was struck by the Spirit Terhuotie, but the exact location of her injury remains unknown. Unable to walk and with her child still breastfeeding, it’s believed the child was injured by the mother’s rib cage and died,” Vimera narrates.

Even in modern times, reverence for Sopfünuo persists, with the village refusing to relocate her out of respect, fearing nature’s wrath in the form of storms.

“So, out of respect, this village does not disturb her,” says Vimera.