Review of Stuart Blackburn, Himalayan Tribal Tales (2008)

The Journal of Asian Studies, 2007

February 2012 3 the sixth issue of the newsletter marks the way of the ISFNR from the interim conference, which was held in Shillong, India on February 22–25, 2011, to the 16th congress, to convene in Vilnius, Lithuania on June 25–30, 2013. The main goal of the ISFNR is to develop scholarly work on folk narratives and to stimulate contacts among researchers, although its regular forums, held on different continents and within different cultural contexts, always offer some extra values to the benefits of academic discussions. ...

Journal of Higher Education and Research Society: A Refereed International , 2024

The Central Himalayan region of Kumaun is a land which has stirred the imagination of people since time immemorial, by virtue of the diverse range of prevalent oral traditions and customs. However, this region has suffered prolonged cultural isolation owing to its geographical position, and also on account of the inclusion of Kumauni language and culture with Hindi. This sentiment has been shared by various Kumauni artists, scholars, and academicians who attempted to integrate Kumauni oral traditions and culture with cosmopolitan popular culture by translating and adapting the oral narratives, leading to changing the dynamics of folklores considerably in the popular culture world. The integration of oral narratives into the popular culture with the change of context and structure, through films, comics, songs, games, literature, etc., has led to the emergence of the genre of folkloresque, which has further challenged the traditional perspectives and predefined social and cultural constructs. This paper attempts to examine the emergence of folkloresque in various genres of Kumauni folklores, as they find their way into the popular culture through translations and adaptations. The paper also seeks to analyse how these translations and adaptations have not only led to the preservation, popularisation, and digitalisation of folklores, but they have also challenged the traditional perspectives in which the oral narratives and traditions were viewed, thereby creating liminal cultural spaces leading to a growing sense of cultural ambiguity.

Asian Highlands Perspectives , 2024

The 193 folklore selections in this collection were collected mostly by Tibetan students who retold what their elders shared with them while they were studying English at Qinghai Normal University, Xining City, Qinghai Province, PR China in the 1990s when family elders told stories to children whose families lacked televisions. At this time, elders transmitted stories that had been told for generations, imparting them to appreciative audiences, as attested by the collectors in introductory statements. Asian Highlands Perspectives has published earlier versions of many of these accounts. However, new unpublished selections are also featured. The astonishing variety of these narratives ranges from a primordial flood account (#183 Human-son Lehwherow and Sky-Nahgoome Descendants), Mi la tsi tsi 'little boy', a wild child who fled just like a wild animal when people approached and tricked children who didn't return home for several days or even years; stories about frogs, rabbits, bears, and other creatures; Uncle Ston pa, the trickster; ghosts; A rig rgad po, a devoted, very traditional Buddhist who is very direct in his manner; monsters; and many others. There has been no attempt to prevent duplication, so some stories are similar. While there are collections of Tibetan folklore in Tibetan, Chinese, English, and other languages, the number of selections and variety in this volume, introductions by many of the collectors, and information about the tellers and collection details emphasize the value of this collection especially, in the year 2024, when many young children have never heard folklore from their family members, given the popularity and their preference for television cartoons. We sincerely thank the tellers, collectors, and editors who made this volume possible.

History Research Journal

North- East India is an under veiled region with an awe-inspiring landscape, different groups of ethnic people, their culture and heritage. Contemporary writers from this region aspire towards a vision outside the tapered ethnic channel, and they represent a shared history. In their writings, the cultural memory is showcased, and the intensity of feeling overflows the labour of technique and craft. Mamang Dai presents a rare glimpse into the ecology, culture, life of the tribal people and history of the land of the dawn-lit mountains, Arunachal Pradesh, through her novel The Legends of Pensam. The word ‘Pensam’ in the title means ‘in-between’, but it may also be interpreted as ‘the hidden spaces of the heart’. This is a small world where anything can happen. Being adherents of the animistic faith, the tribes here believe in co-existence with the natural world along with the presence of spirits in their forests and rivers. This paper attempts to draw an insight into the culture and ...

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2016

Article III Lyngdoh, Margaret (forthcoming). Tiger Transformation Among the Khasis of Northeastern India: Belief Worlds and Shifting Realities. Anthropos 111 (2). Article IV Lyngdoh, Margaret (forthcoming). Spirit Propitiation and Corpse Re-animation: Belief Negotiations Among the Khasis of Northeastern India. In: Marion Bowman and Ülo Valk (eds.), Contesting Authority: Vernacular Knowledge and Alternative Beliefs. Sheffield: Equinox Publishing Ltd. further realized that the marginalisation and manipulation of the Khasi communities living in the peripheral areas of the Khasi Hills is a strategy of the dominant religious and political institutions-and that it is in no way accurate to view oral culture and indigenous religion as markers of "primitive" thought patterns or intelligence. I am very grateful for all of the insights that my doctoral research has granted me. The years that I have spent in Tartu have been a learning experience. Several individuals are responsible for guiding me, and I acknowledge them to be my super-heroes. Firstly, I acknowledge Ülo Valk, my very patient supervisor, mentor, and friend, who believed in me so much that I, too, began to have faith in myself. Next, my parents Sadik Lyngdoh and Gabrielle W. Lyngdoh, who trusted fate and sent me into (at the time) an unknown country. I acknowledge the great help of Laur Järv, my husband, who had the (mis)fortune to marry me: you supported me every single time. I want to thank my sister Aldalin Lyngdoh for all the computers she has bought for me; it is also fortunate that you work in a library, because without you, I do not know how I would have accessed the literature that I have. Claire Scheid, dear friend and colleague with whom I discussed so many research questions: thank you also for helping me with language editing. I thank Damang Syngkon, my friend and translator who has been there with me from the very beginning of it all. Thank you Ergo-Hart Västrik for your close reading of this text and for your insightful comments. I am additionally indebted to all my colleagues in the Department of Estonian and Comparative Folklore who have helped me, learned to eat spicy Indian food with me, and, most of all, have always been there for me when times got rough-thank you Merili, Pihla, Anastasiya, Maili, Liilia and Indrek Peedu. I would like to thank the Centre for Folklore Studies, Ohio State University, for allowing me to be a visiting scholar. In particular, I thank Amy Shuman (my teacher and mentor at OSU), Dorothy Noyes (who kindly gave me her office to use), and Cassie Patterson. I acknowledge also the kindness of the Study of

Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 2024

The Bodos, inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in northeastern India, are considered the indigenous population of the region. They possess a unique cultural identity characterised by their language, beliefs, rituals, and traditions. The primary objective of this paper is to explore the complex interrelationship between Bodo folklore and the practice of weaving, with the intention of providing insight into the culturally significant fabric that has been influenced by women's expertise. The dynamic relationship between women's folklore and the weaving traditions of the Bodo serves as evidence of the inherent interconnectivity of art, culture, and the human experience. By acknowledging and examining this dynamic relationship, we not only commemorate the ingenuity and perseverance of women but also get a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the Bodo society. Similar to the way in which every intricately crafted textile conveys a distinct narrative, the interconnectedness between folklore and weaving traditions serves as a collective account of resilience, cultural heritage, and timeless wisdom.

Towards Excellence, 2020

In the absence of a written literature and language for ages, the oral tradition was one of the distinguishing characteristic features of the various tribes of Nagaland and Meghalaya. In the case of the Khasis of Meghalaya, “…their alphabet is of very recent history, no older than when Thomas Jones, the Welsh Presbyterian missionary, introduced the Roman script in 1842, to form the essentials of the Khasi written word.” (Nongkynrih vii) For the Nagas, even the oral dialects spoken by the different indigenous tribes are different and hence, it was not an easy task to keep the oral tradition alive amidst so much of diversity. The origin tales that find mention in the oral narratives of both the Nagas and the Khasis play an important role in the comprehension of the unique culture and tradition of both the tribes. This paper is an attempt to explore the tales related to the origin of the Nagas and the Khasis, to explore their rich oral tradition, how these tales mirror the cultural ide...