Munda Tribes are one of the largest tribes of India, residing in Chhatisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Orissa. They are generally short in height and dark complexioned. The Munda Tribes mostly follow the Sarna religion, believing in a god called Singbonga.it is believed by them that the Singbonga at the beginning created the whole universe and then gradually created man, animals and planets. Several fascinating legends are associated with the creation of the universe that are stated below:

Creation of the Earth
In the beginning the entire universe was covered with water and there was no availability of land. The three original and earliest lives were those of a Horo (tortoise), a Karkom (crab) and a Lendad (leech). The Singbonga, much worried over the creation of the earth, asked the animals to gather a lump of clay. The tortoise dived into the depths of the water but of no avail. It returned to the Singbonga empty handed and narrated to him that he was carrying clay on its back but due to the strong currents of the ocean all the clay were swept away.

Now it was the turn of the crab. It also dived in the depths of the water but remained unsuccessful and returned empty handed. It reported that it was carrying a good deal of clay between its pincers but the waves of the water washed it away. Finally the wriggling leech was sent for the same task. It also dived into the water and filled its mouth with clay. Emerging successful it returned to Singbonga. It emptied all the clay in the hands of Singbonga. He was very much pleased with the leech and created the earth with the help of the lump of clay. The Singbonga while creating the earth produced all sorts of trees and plants, herbs and shrubs, jungles and desert of all kinds and dimensions. Then the Singbonga filled the earth with different types of birds and animals.

Creation of Man
Once Singbonga with the intention creating a man made a figure of clay and put it before him to judge the proportions of its different limbs. A horse standing beside him however, struck the clay figure that broke it to pieces. Singbonga again made the same figure and this time again the horse tried to kick it to break to pieces but as he lifted his foreleg the tiger standing beside chased him. The clay figure was thus, saved and the Singbonga gave life to it and sent to the earth. The Singbonga to punish the horse for breaking the clay image cursed him that whenever he would try to kick men will put iron and rope into his mouth sit on his back and whip the hindlimb to control him. On the other hand the tiger was blessed for chasing the horse and preventing the clay figure from being broken. The Singbonga blessed him that all the animals stronger than the tiger would fear and flee away from him.

Another version of the legend of creation of man states that once upon a time the Singbonga filled the earth with different types of animals and plants. The bird Hur said to lay only one egg in it`s the whole lifetime was asked to lay an egg. Out of the egg a boy and a girl appeared who became the progenitors of the `Horo-honko` i.e. the children of men.

Legend Regarding Division of Several Tribes of the Munda Group The Mundas narrate an interesting legend about how their race came into existence. The Singbonga created a boy and a girl who in course of time gave birth. When all of them showed their incapability Singbonga himself became ready to be sacrificed. The sacrifice was to be sacrificed in the furnace hence the smelters worked together for building a new furnace. The Singbonga was placed inside and the bellows were blown. When the bellows stopped the smelters thought that he would be burnt to ashes but they saw Singbonga coming out from the furnace. Singbonga next asked the smelters to enter the furnace promising them gold and silver. All of them readily agreed and their wives were ordered to blow the bellows. The smelters were burnt alive and were thus, met with punishment.

The women soon came to know about the facts and began weeping. Singbonga gave them different types of foods and asked them to choose one by one, on which the fate of their descendants would depend. Thus, depending upon the food they choose the tribes were divided into different groups.

Legend Regarding Changing Shape of the Moon
According to the Mundas Chandor, the Moon is the wife of Sun. Once, the beautiful Chandor deserted her husband that infuriated the Sun who in a fit of anger cut her into two. However, he soon realised his mistake and repenting for his deeds he allowed Chandor to shine at time in her full beauty but as she was cut into two she could not always shine in full.

Legend of the fall of Angels
According to this legend it is believed that earlier the heaven was dominated by the divinities employed for serving Singbonga. Once, they saw their faces in a mirror and realised that they were also made in the form of the god and were in no way inferior to him. This escalated their pride and consequently they refused to obey Singbonga who in turn inflicted them with punishments. They were expelled out from the heaven and thrown away on the earth known as "Terasi Pirhi Ekasibasi". Upon reaching the destination they witnessed a huge quantity of iron ore lying on the ground. They together worked for making a furnace and began smelting iron ore in it. The smelting continued all the day and night long without any break. Slowly the smokes rose high above to the heaven that annoyed and irritated Singbonga. Immediately the Singbonga sent his representatives to King Crow to ask them to smelt the iron either by day or by night. However, they all disobeyed the order of Singbonga and as a sign of their resentment they caught the birds with their furnace tongs. The birds returned to Singbonga and narrated their sad plight. Singbonga as a warning sign again sent a crow but it was caught by them and turned into black in a way that it never became white again.

The Singbonga unable to counter the rebels of his subjects and to punish them for the insults of his messengers himself came down to that place in disguise. He approached a family who dealt with charcoal and began working there. There he was relegated with the job of taking care of their grain and to play with the children. The Singbonga saw that the children played with iron balls and joined them with egg. He crushed their iron balls with his eggs. One day the furnace where the rebels worked collapsed. Anxious and nervous the smelters consulted a Donra who took them to the Singbonga in disguise and asked him for help. Singbonga after meditating for a while informed the smelters that the Supreme Being was infuriated and to appease him a human sacrifice was required. The Singbonga then took pity on them and allotted them a separate place to reside in the form of minor deities or spirits. Some of them occupied fields and jungles, some streams and rivers while others stayed in trees and deserts and so on.