Indian Folk Literature: An Overview

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Questions and Answers

Which aspect of folklore is emphasized by a flexible view, moving away from considering it as marginal literature?

  • Its preservation in museums for distant appreciation.
  • Its focus on rural and peasant cultures exclusively.
  • Its strict adherence to oral tradition.
  • Its integration and influence on modern literature. (correct)

What is the role of social segregation and lack of self-expression in the study of folklore?

  • They are seen as the primary focus of classical literature.
  • They are characteristics exclusive to urban populations.
  • They are viewed as rudiments of the rural masses that enrich cultural heritage. (correct)
  • They are considered irrelevant to folklore studies.

What challenge arises when researching folklore and culture studies regarding 'pure folk'?

  • Defining what constitutes ‘pure folk’ and its authenticity. (correct)
  • Differentiating folklore from classical literature.
  • Classifying folklore based on geographical location.
  • Determining the monetary value of folk artifacts.

How can technology and modern society influence folk culture?

<p>By providing new tools for its transmission and generation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is it incorrect to assume that folklore is a dead culture?

<p>Because it is deeply connected with ever-changing cultural traditions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does folklore contrast with high culture regarding authenticity and originality?

<p>Folklore values tradition and anonymous authorship while high culture values individual originality. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What motivated Jacob Grimm to collect German folklore materials?

<p>To trace the roots of the German language and collect 'everything that is German'. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did W.J. Thoms contribute to the field of folklore studies?

<p>By coining the term 'folklore' and fixing the label for the resources and their study. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role did folklore play in Germany during Hitler's regime and in Soviet Russia?

<p>It was utilized for extreme Nazi racialist propaganda and to advance communism. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Max Muller attempt to explain the phenomenon of myth-creation?

<p>As a result of semantic changes in language, using the phrase 'malady of language'. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was Theodor Benfey's contribution to folklore studies?

<p>Claiming that all folktales originated in India and migrated to other regions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did anthropologists Tylor and Lang explain similarities between cultural traits among communities living in different locations?

<p>Through the anthropological evolution of mankind. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind Propp's study of Russian folktales?

<p>To analyze their structural forms and constant actions of characters. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the contextual theory in folklore studies?

<p>The interaction between an individual and his social group &amp; Holistic recording of folklore events. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant contribution of the Christian missionaries to folklore studies in India?

<p>Collecting and publishing first-hand resources of Indian traditional culture. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the nationalist period in the growth of folklore studies in India?

<p>Renewed nationalistic attitude towards Indian societies and traditions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the academic period of Indian folklore studies?

<p>It marked the formal study and research in institutionalized settings. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does Raja Rao represent folk literature in his Foreword to Kanthapura?

<p>As a deep component of all villages and life (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of wit and humour in stories of Birbal, Tenali Raman and Mullah Nasruddin?

<p>They provide an amiable orientation to preaching and teaching truth and justice. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does folk literature balance the telling and aesthetics of stories?

<p>It's themes form a part of the practice structured to balance telling and aesthetics with fine narrative features and idiomatic languages (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does folk literature often turn to popular materials present in the popular discourse?

<p>To attain closest connect with listeners. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of folklore is explored in the medieval Jain tale, ‘Prince Charming'?

<p>The futility of corporeal exquisiteness over the ethereal self. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of personification in folk literature?

<p>Strengthens of a cause for preservation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the story of “The Crowded Home”, what life-lesson does the folk-tale narrator Mullah Nasruddin provide through his advice to the neighbour?

<p>The way the mind can be tricked. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What purpose does Hyperbole serve in folk literature?

<p>To create an awe of Fantasy for the memories and minds impression and imagination (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role to Local dialects serve in Folklore?

<p>To exemplify the essence of the local area (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do tales and Folklore play to human insight?

<p>They lead to new insight, with reflection of strength, weakness, and limitation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Can folklore come from outside of tribal communities, and or rural areas?

<p>Folklore is in the metropolitans and cities for cultural preservation by folk, tribal, and traditional artists (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What impact has modernization had on plays/theatre?

<p>Tragedies, complexities of the urban, as well as recreations or changes in society developed (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What purpose did theater serve in Buddhism and Mahavira?

<p>Music and skits provided a new and vital role, a means of communicating and serving the principle of religions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the options have played a role in Indian Folklore?

<p>Music. dance. instruments (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where are there wide varieties of dances in different provinces and in india and why?

<p>For ceremonies, birthdays, celebrations (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to William Thomas, what is apart of folklore?

<p>Manners customs obssercances superstitions balads (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of Indian folk-lore, what texts give inspiration all over the world

<p>All, ramajana and mahabararht and such texts (F)</p> Signup and view all the answers

For the person who studies folklore, as a discipline, what point presents a good aspect?

<p>The opportunity to trace connections with clusterized diversity (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In viewing folk, from all over the world, from all theories, legends, time, etc one might say that the telling never has done what

<p>The world of telling never has been public or based on publications (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The main theme for stories are told for both child and adult, the theme is all of what, or what does it relate to

<p>Relates to those that age is not a factor (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A very large component and goal and key about the culture is what?

<p>The knowledge is the exploration (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Indian European and American society folklore folklore possesses a specific type of what?

<p>Folkore has the diverse traits in areas (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the areas that folk science and tecncology apply

<p>To use knowledge from myths to prevent disease (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Looking at tradions what can we see about their use

<p>That they can be a mix of stories and traditions that are mixed together. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Folk Literature

Literature transmitted by word of mouth among unlettered people.

Philology

The study of the historical development of languages, seeking root origins and etymologies.

William John Thoms

A British antiquarian who coined the word folklore in 1846.

Johann Gottfried von Herder

Romantic nationalist spirit in Germany was initiated by this scholar.

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Folklore (Romanticism)

Items of folklore understood as remnants of past generations with collective pride and national glory.

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Mythological School

The theoretical perspective that explains myths through semantic changes in language.

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Diffusion/Migration Theory

Folktales can and do travel across territories, originating in ancient India.

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Anthropological Perspectives

Folklore can be worth studying to reconstruct collective human activities of primitive times.

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Historical-Geographical Method

Breaking down folklore forms into identifiable traits for cross-comparative analysis.

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Psychoanalytical School

Myths, dreams, jokes etc. are symbolic expressions of the unconscious human mind.

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Oral-Formulaic Theory

Enable singers to continue traditional themes with accuracy/ improvisation.

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Structuralism

To treat any field/object of study as a system of interrelated parts.

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Contextual Theory

Items of folklore began to be seen as texts and events.

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Missionary Period

The Christian missionaries collected and published resources of Indian traditional culture.

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Nationalist Period

Indian scholars sought to establish cultural roots by exploring their own culture and traditions.

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Unit 1 Objectives

Understand beginning/growth, ideological contexts, and perceptions of folklore.

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Folk Literature

Limitless literary pursuits evolving with the dynamism of time and need.

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Unit 2 Objectives

Understand theme, narrative and folk texts of Indian folk literature.

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Indian Texts

Texts inspire folk literatures over the world.

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Folk Literature's Essence

Stories told, adapted, improvised, and innovated with cultural relevance.

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Personification

People or figures given animal or inanimate object traits

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Irony

Unexpected, surprising, and amusing contraditions are observed.

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"Vasudhaivkutumbkam"

Universal kinship.

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Unit 3 Objectives

Understand forms, patterns, objectives and variations of Indian Folklore.

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Lore

The collective knowledge or wisdom on a particular subject.

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Folklore Definition

A way of defining folklore from American folklorist Taylor.

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Folks

Nonliterate but ordinary, sometimes a bit primitive people who follow society.

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Chhau Dance

The subject of a dance to invoke religious story with drumbeats.

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Unit 4 Objectives

Ability to understand relationship, the culture and the discourse.

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Process of change

Identities change with time, they have societal matrix, inherent structure, etc.

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Evolutionist Theory

A step to understand how societies progress from various stages.

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Difussionist Theory

All transformative changes go in hands with previously advanced technology

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Primordialist Theory

Members of the human groups have innate propensity is an extreme.

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Contructionalist Theory

New identity relationship absolutely new, as weapon is used for struggles are sought.

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Dialectical Theory

Opposite concepts, as identity may not even be considered as similar.

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Counter-Discourse

Question what judicial power is so people re-define for themselves.

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Written Discourse

Written word over-ruling thoughts and ideas unless thoughts expressed from elites

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Palace Paradigm

Royal family always takes precedence, its thought process is superior.

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Critique

Did high culture stop lower performing arts? is a question to ask....

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Sanskritization

A concept by Srinivas where there is imposition over thoughts of Brahmin with lower castes.

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Study Notes

Indian Folk Literature

  • Focuses on the study of folklore and its relation to modernities
  • Examines folk, classical, and modern literature interaction
  • Includes examples from Indian oral and written traditions
  • Incorporates comparative studies from world literature
  • Adopts a flexible perspective on folk literature

Folklore as a Field of Study

  • Emerged as a key feature of marginal studies in contemporary literary research
  • Utilized to study the origins of groups outside the "mainstream"
  • Recognizes the rich cultural heritage, literature, music, dance, theatre, cuisine, and lifestyles of often marginalized rural communities.

Challenges in Folklore Studies

  • Defining ‘pure folk’
  • Differentiating culture studies from cultural studies
  • Can modern literature using folk elements be considered part of folk literature?
  • Distinguishing folklore from myth

Conceptual Evolution of "Folk"

  • Folk is synonymous with a people or way of life
  • Defined as the majority of a people that determines group character and preserves civilization's form, customs, arts, legends, and traditions

Key Features of Folk Literature:

  • Transmitted orally by unlettered people
  • Comprises prose, verse narratives, poems, songs, myths, drama, rituals, proverbs, and riddles
  • Until 4000 BC, all literature was oral and considered folk literature
  • Writing developed between 4000 and 3000 BC in Egypt and Mesopotamia, after which written literature spread

Historical Development of Folklore Studies:

  • William Thoms, a British antiquarian, coined the term ‘folklore’ in 1846
  • Folk materials were previously labeled 'Popular Antiquities or 'Popular Literature'
  • Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) released the first volume of the Kinder Und Mausmarchen (Grimms' Fairy Tales), initiating the scholarly and scientific study of folklore

Scholarly Works in Asia, particularly India

  • A German scholar Theodor Benfey claimed India was the origin of master tales found in the Grimms' Collection
  • Includes Kathasaritsagar, Panchatantra, Mahabharata, Ramayana and Jatakas

Western Schools of Thought in Folklore Studies:

  • Mythological School
  • Migrational/Benfey’s School
  • Anthropological School
  • Historical-Geographical/‘Finnish' School
  • Psychoanalytical School
  • Structural School
  • Thompsonian Concept of Motif/Classificatory analysis tale-types
  • Functional School
  • Historical Reconstructional Theory
  • Ideological Theory
  • Oral Formulaic Theory
  • Cross-Cultural Theory
  • Folk-Cultural Theory
  • Mass-Cultural Theory
  • Contextual Theory
  • Hemispheric Theory

Indian Context

  • Classical and folk traditions are named the Great and Little Traditions
  • Contrasts with Western views
  • Views periphery as vital in making Indian literature, evidenced in classics like Banabhatta’s Kadambari
  • Focuses on creation from elements of geographic regions and social senses, transcending caste system frameworks
  • Emphasis that orality or folk is an alternative, not opposite, tradition

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