LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 19:12 December 2019
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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The Essence of Folktales and Their Functions in
Assamese Society

Kalyani Hazarika, M.A., NET, SET

Abstract

Social life is a result of assimilation of individual and public life. Folktales are being created with the experience of social life. From that perspective it may be said that social life is reciprocate to folktales. Folktales put its influence naturally upon the social life of a community. Folk society never pays their attention towards the logical analysis of the folktales. Genetically, they have been taking away rigid ideas. Assamese folktales are leading the Assamese tradition, ethics and customs and have been giving path towards the further generation. The fundamental learning of Assamese folktale makes people eligible to handle the problems of life. Though at first, it was somebody’s individual; later it becomes as the corn-house of primary learning for the Assamese society. And we see that the ethnic identity, cultural identity and natural integration are built up among different sections of the people of a state with the contribution of folkloric components. The morality of folktales has always remembered by Assamese people in every critical situation. Even Assamese folk-beliefs and ideas are formed specially based on folk tales. This paper aims to focus on how the prevalent elements of folktales are spreading out to each part of Assamese society and the day to day life of Assamese folk life.

Keywords: Assamese society, Folktale, Folk society, Customs, Folk belief, Moral, Tradition

I. Introduction

North East India has beautiful landscape and the confluence of various ethnic groups perhaps have given rise to a body of writing this is completely different from Indian English literature. The literature from North east India refers mostly to English writing but it also include in its rubric Assamese Literature, Bodo literature, writing in the ‘Meitei language’; that have long been traditions of writing and stand on their own with a glorious legacy. The north east is a fertile ground for various traditions that have made their way to this zone along with tribes that bought such way of life along with them when they came here from various part of Asia.

The meaning of the word ‘folk’ is common people, public. The term common people include people of all caste, creed and religion. According to folk-culturists the term ‘Folk’ refer to a class of people who follow the same customs and traditions. It may also refer to the common living, sharing language, religion etc. (Sarmah, 1997). On the contrary in literature the term ‘folk’ encompasses especially somewhat narrow ideas as compared to the folk society. It normally refers to the working class of villages and towns living under the canopy of traditions and customs (Sarmah, 1997). They are basically not endowed with formal education. From this angle folktale deals with the working class.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Kalyani Hazarika, M.A., NET, SET
Assistant Professor, Dept. of English
Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankerdeva Viswavidyalaya, Nagaon, Assam
Mobile no.- 6002942193
Kalyanihazarika7@gmail.com
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