Indian Tales Research Articles

“The Amber Amulet” by Louisa May Alcott: An Unpublished Revision and the Author’s Farewell

ABSTRACT This introduction to Louisa May Alcott’s unpublished manuscript “The Amber Amulet” explores the genesis of this unpublished novella, a substantial revision of a work that previously appeared in 1870 in the form of the short story “La Belle Bayadère.” It reconstructs the contexts in which this Indian tale was revised, the author’s debt to Jules Verne’s fiction, and her semi-autobiographical portrait as a celebrity of the Victorian stage.

Ecopoetics and Aranya in the Graphic Novel Aranyaka: Book of the Forest

The crucial nexus between ecology, forest, forest dwellers, and their position in the ancient genres of literature and art is a significant area of aesthetic contemplation. Ancient Indian literary traditions have remarkable eco-sensitivity and display their own style of ecopoetics (signified by genres such as the Aranyakas). This study presents a critical analysis of the graphic novel Aranyaka: Book of the Forest (2019) — an artistic retelling based on Puranic tales, the Upanishads, and a special literary genre called the Aranyakas (because these texts were composed in the forests). This graphic novel is the culmination of an artistic collaboration between the graphic artist Amruta Patil and the Indian mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik. The novel has complex visual metaphors that are based on the intimate stories of the well-known Indian sage Y?jñavalkya, his wives Katyayani and Maitreyi, and a dialogue with his disciple Gargi. The graphic novel presents fragments of stories based on the concealed wisdom of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The novel is a “play” on the perceived dualisms of Nature and Culture, Savage and Civilised. The text is dialogic in its structure. There is an interplay of visual art with verbal metaphors from ancient Indian tales.

RETHINKING COVID-19 OUTBREAK IMPACT

The world is going through a tough time and struggling with a pandemic COVID-19. An illness started from Wuhan city, now spread over almost all countries of the globe. Vaccination process is still going on and people will have to wait a long for complete eradication. Till then the only prevention is following social distancing, wearing mask, being in quarantine and isolation. World leaders are imposing lockdown in the countries with different intensity. In totality this is a challenging time, not just for the leaders, doctors, and police but for the normal people including private employees, daily wage earners and self employed individuals. Economic activities got a long halt. Every part of the population is getting affected. Emotions of stress, anxiety, anger, fear and frustration are obvious among people in this lockdown time. During this time Indian spirituality has been rebooted by many aspects. There is no doubt that India is the richest in its knowledge of Ayurveda, Ethos and Universe. Keeping this in mind existing literature of COVID-19 outbreak with special context to call for mental health and role of spiritual practices in mitigating the stress was searched with the help of different database. Published articles were represented in systematic form and summarize based on their methodologies and themes. So, this paper is trying to give a picture how with the help of Indian spiritual practices people can regain their faith and self-confidence since Indian Government is doing a lot with Ayurvedic preventions and connecting people with knowledge and peace by re telecasting great Indian tales like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Upanishad. Objectives of the study: Following are the main objectives of this studyŸ To investigate COVID-19 outbreak in India and its general impact on business and human. Ÿ To study re conceptualization of business strategies during and after lockdown. Ÿ To investigate need of mental health call in pandemic. Ÿ To understand role of spirituality in stress management during COVID-19 outbreak.

An Analysis of Retelling FolkloresThrough the Contemporary Interpretations in Modern Fictions

The proposed article will look at a few texts by contemporary famous fiction writers. The study looks at how these writings show a range of different perspectives toward the performers and occurrences in ancient folklore. One can see the interpretations of ancient folklore through legendary stories, and writers use ancient folklore in a modern way.
 We are excited to know our traditions and culture through reading and writing about them. Modern authors have retold ancient Indian culture with contemporary situations by attributing scientific explanations to traditional cultural ethics.
 The paper focuses on modern writers who have written in contrast with our own ancient Indian mythical tales with new modern imagination, modern problems, and solutions.

Secular Life and Samsara: Symbolic Significance of the River Image in Siddhartha—An Indian Tale

Born in the 1870s, Hermann Hesse is one of the most influential writers in the history of European literature and even world literature. The characteristics of Hesse’s works are different from those of other European writers. He was good at deeply integrating religious culture into his works and using religious images to express his philosophical thoughts. As the masterpiece which best expresses Hesse’s religious thought, Siddhartha——An Indian Tale, after its publication in Germany in 1922, has set off a cultural upsurge. The whole book tells a story of Siddhartha, a nobleman of Brahman, after leaving his hometown and going through hardships, pursues selfhood and the supreme doctrine of Brahmanism. In the book, the image “river” appears many times along with the turning point of the Siddhartha’s life, bearing the symbolic significance of secular life and samsara. Literature image of river is the basis of this paper. From the perspective of religious culture, by searching the relevant papers at home and abroad and combining with the relevant religious scriptures, mapping the symbolic significance of the river image in the book to the different religious texts, finally symbolic significance of the river image in the book is found. Also, this paper carries on the deep analysis to the image. This paper not only pays attention to the surface meaning of the image, but also analyzes the symbolic significance of “river” in the novel by combining the characters, the plot and religious culture together.

Interrogating the “Nation” in Contemporary Indian Dance in India and the Diaspora

Nationalism is a problematic concept since it includes and excludes certain groups on different grounds as it suits the State. India excludes marginalized indigenous, Adivasi tribal population and many in the neglected Northeastern region of the sub-continent from the privileges of citizenship. I discuss such exclusions via performances in the genre of Contemporary Indian dance, by providing a brief overview of this style, its origins, techniques and idioms. A pioneering dancer-choreographer of Contemporary Indian Dance, Astad Deboo’s solo, group and collaborative work spanning 50 years, is note-worthy for his choreography with marginalized Manipuri drum-dancers and martial artists in Rhythm Divine I, and Rhythm Divine II: The River Runs Deep. Deboo’s signature style – abstract, meditative and infused uniquely with emotion” is imbibed by the Manipuri dancers. This essay also explores violence perpetrated by the Indian State against poor, tribal Indians as performed in Contemporary Indian Dance by diaspora-based Aparna Sindhoor/Anil Natyaveda’s Navarasa Dance Theater Company in works such as River Rites, showcasing struggles for water rights; A Story and a Song concerned with environmentalism using Indian and Native American folk tales. In Sindhoor’s words, Navarasa’s choreography delves into social justice issues? such as violence against women, environmental degradation, [and] human rights?

Of lions and Yakshis

Vladimir Propp’s theory Morphology of the Folktale identifies 31 invariant functions, subfunctions, and seven classes of folktale characters to describe the narrative structure of the Russian magic tale. Since it was first published in 1928, Propp’s approach has been used on various folktales of different cultural backgrounds. ProppOntology models Propp’s theory by describing narrative functions using a combination of a function class hierarchy and characteristic relationships between the Dramatis Personae for each function. A special focus lies on the restrictions Propp defined regarding which Dramatis Personae fulfill a certain function. This paper investigates how an ontology can assist traditional Humanities research in examining how well Propp’s theory fits for folktales outside of the Russian–European folktale culture. For this purpose, a lightweight query system has been implemented. To determine how well both the annotation schema and the query system works, twenty African tales and fifteen tales from the Kerala region in India were annotated. The system is evaluated by examining two case studies regarding the representation of characters and the use of Proppian functions in African and Indian tales. The findings are in line with traditional analogous Humanities research. This project shows how carefully modelled ontologies can be utilized as a knowledge base for comparative folklore research.

Puzathaer and Churning of the Milky Sea: Origins in Austronesian Southeast Asia

The similarities in Austronesian Puzathaer and Indian Churning of the Milky Sea point to a common source whether in South Asia or Southeast Asia. The paper argues the origin of both tales is in Southeast Asia, particularly Austronesian Southeast Asia. The arguments include linguistic, archaeological, historical, ethnological data and chronological precedence as evidence in favor of an Austronesian origin. The various details of the Indian tale provide clues as to its provenance. It is further argued that the Churning of the Milky Sea is a documentation of contact and growing trade between the two regions. The linguistic evidence further shows the impact of trading and seafaring activities of Austronesians on the civilization of India. The paper moreover ties Austronesians in Southern China, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Both tales have religious connotations albeit in a different context. Puzathaer is connected to ancestor worship whereas Churning of the Milky Sea is more philosophical.

“Eloquent Eyes”: Lockean Ocularcentrism in Sydney Owenson’s The Missionary: An Indian Tale (1811)

“Eloquent Eyes”: Lockean Ocularcentrism in Sydney Owenson’s The Missionary: An Indian Tale (1811)

The Great Indian Agrarian Crisis and Tales of Two Villages: Comparative Studies

The world is really feeling the heat, not only in the form of climate change, but because of fuming farmers’ unrest. Farmers’ suicides have become a common way of expressing their anger and anxiety as no one is there to take heed to their problems. This research paper tries to examine the in-depth analysis of the great agrarian crisis in India and how it was completely mistaken in understanding the real cause. With the comparative studies of the two villages of India, with a completely different technological, economical and cultural background, a deep observation was made possible in finding out that, it is the growing alienation of farmers with new agricultural technologies and the collapsing local natural resource base, which will further uproot the farmers and aggravate the great Indian agrarian crisis. Traditional agricultural knowledge and practices immensely contribute in preserving the identity of farm community and gives them a feeling of pride, which is vital for the reviving and resurrection of farmers’ dignity in India. Agriculture preserves the Indianness of India, and uprooting of farmers is analogous to uprooting our own identity.

Hint edebiyatından seçilmiş “lanet motifi” öyküleri

Indian tales have an important role both in Indian literature and world literature. This geographic area has a huge tale accumulation, which enables us to have knowledge about their culture and way of life. The curse motif tales which we examine in this study are literally selected from an ocean of tales, and they led us to become acquainted with Indian culture in a socio-cultural way. In this work, the notion of curse is studied in the light of Indian literary works (Râmayana, Mahābhārata, Skanda Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, Vishṇu Purāṇa, Vamanā Purāṇa, Kathāsaritsāgara, and Sakuntalā) under related titles such as “Curse from Gods, Brahmans, Mythological Creature and Ordinary People”. In the stories, which are analysed in relation to their topics, it is generally seen that the person was cursed, which was conisdered a form of punishment for reasons similar to those mentioned in the above topics. For example, in the stories which are about the curse of Brahmans, it is understood that the curse of Brahmans was a result of a disrespectful behavior towards themselves. Many other examples of this theme of “disrespectful” conduct can be seen in Indian literature.

Pattan’s Pumpkin: A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India by Chitra Soundar

Reviewed by: Pattan’s Pumpkin: A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India by Chitra Soundar Rebecca Linares Soundar, Chitra, ad. Pattan’s Pumpkin: A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India; illus. by Frané Lessac. Candlewick, 2017 26p ISBN 978-0-7636-9274-2 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R 4-8 yrs After Pattan and his wife, Kanni, find an ailing flower and decide to plant it in front of their hut, they’re startled when it yields an ever-growing pumpkin so large it seems it might one day be as tall as a mountain. When torrential rains begin falling without an end in sight, Pattan realizes the giant pumpkin just might save their lives. With Kanni, he gathers all the animals, bugs, plants, saplings, and seeds—no one and nothing can be left behind—and together they float to safety in the belly of the hollowed-out pumpkin. Based on a traditional South Indian tale told by the Irula people, this rendition includes engaging text with emphasis and emotion conveyed through accented and stylized fonts and richly saturated gouache illustrations. While the vibrant full-bleed illustrations make the book a wonderful selection for a readaloud, it also lends itself to being shared in a small group of readers as the aesthetic details of the text may be better noticed and appreciated this way. A thoroughly detailed author’s note provides important source information, including details about the folktale’s geographic and cultural roots. Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

A Novel Look Into Pathogenesis and a Logical Hint towards the Etiology of Metabolic Syndrome: The Jiggly-Signal and Wiggly-Receptor Hypothesis!

The galloping incidence and the alarming prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MbS) has put the human life on the edge of a certain catastrophe. Despite the full-blown epidemic presentation and ongoing and ever-expanding list of clinical and biochemical manifestations of the syndrome, not much have been logically addressed with regard to a comprehensive pathogenesis and an integrated etiology. What we have so far heard about MbS is more or less like the old Indian tale of examining a huge elephant in the dark. We would like to open a small but sun-view window and shed a faint beam of light onto this perplexing issue, and puzzle out the neglected pieces of a semiset picture and carry the current concepts regarding MbS one big step further. It is crystal clear that, metabolic syndrome is not merely a metabolic disorder, but also a real chaos at the level of molecular biology and inter-cellular dialogue; a state of generalized cell swelling, cell refreshing defect, cell senescence, chronic oxidative stress, and derailed tissue remodeling due to diverse unusual tissue growth factor expressions. Opposite to common belief of over- feeding and obesity as the initiating factor of metabolic syndrome, we suggest that a world-wide ubiquitous environmental insult has led to a state of profound signal-receptor mal-engagement and misunderstanding; an all-out syndrome which is unequivocally tied up to a strange and totally new pattern of insulin resistance state being emerged out of real blue in late 1980s. What we are trying to propose is that, the centripetal obesity of metabolic syndrome is the result of a recently broken out overwhelming insulin resistance state and its reciprocal, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, not simply and solely the cause of it. We would like to argue that in metabolic syndrome the insulin resistance comes first and leads to central adiposity. At the end, an all-embracing environmental risk factor will be logically hinted at as a novel etiologic clue.

Tell Me Where to Look

(2016). Tell Me Where to Look. Caribbean Quarterly: Vol. 62, Caribbean Literary Archives, pp. 321-330.

A Dream: “Coyote Kills the Giant”

“Coyote Kills the Giant” is an American Indian tale of the Flathead or Salish-Kootenai tribe of the northwest plateau areas of Montana, Idaho, and Western Washington. This story functions as a teaching tale, and it caught my imagination as a lens through which we can view our dreaming selves. I use this tale as an analogue to a dream, applying Jung's four stages of individuation to investigate a dream as a way to introduce how complexes hijack us.

A History of Persian Literature, Volume 1: General Introduction to Persian Literature

A History of Persian Literature, Volume 1: General Introduction to Persian Literature

Suicide, Romance, and Imperial Rebellion: Sati and the Lucretia Story in Sydney Owenson'sThe Missionary: An Indian Tale

AbstractAs Britain expanded its global interests at the turn of the 19th century, reports of ritual suicide such as sati, the Hindu custom of widow burning, registered clashes between colonizing and indigenous value systems. In the metropole, sati scandalized both secular individualist sensibilities and religious communal values, and the British public debated the extent to which East India Company administration should extend to such matters as local religious practices. Focusing on Sydney Owenson's 1811 novel,The Missionary: An Indian Tale,this essay sets the controversy over sati within the broader context of Romantic Britain's deep preoccupation with suicide. In so doing, this essay understands sati not as an isolated phenomenon, or as one unique to the problems of imperial management. Rather, it relates sati to Romantic‐era debates over the rights (and wrongs) of British women, and also to form of political and spiritual defiance associated with the French Revolution. Specifically, by examining the attempted sati of Owenson's protagonist Luxima, a Hindu “prophetess,” as an iteration of the classical Lucretia story, this essay explores the novel's posited links between female chastity, inter‐racial romance, and political community.

Binary Opposition Between Arrogance and Patience in Owenson’s The Missionary: An Indian Tale

“The Missionary: An Indian Tale” by Sydney Owenson (1811) a remarkable novel written in the backdrop of Spanish-Portuguese conflict in India, a haunting tale of cultural encounter and trans-racial romance set in early colonial India, deals with the theme of binary opposition between arrogance and patience. The Missionary focuses on the binary opposite relationship between Hilarion, a Portuguese missionary to India and Luxima, an Indian prophetess. Hilarion in the novel is presented as a colonizer who seems to be proud on his religion and intends to transform Luxima into Christian from Hindu whereas Luxima’s patience is privileged. Both are aristocratic, devoted to their religions, and biased against other cultures. The primary objective of this study is to analyze how the state of binary opposition between Hilarion’s arrogance and Luxima’s patience exists. The focus of this study is what made Hilarion to be converted in front of Luxima who was supposed to convert her. Owenson is saying that it is the subjectivity of Luxima that gets transferred to Hilarion but not vice versa. By valorizing Luxima’s subjectivity over Hilarion, the writer foregrounds the hidden value of the Hindu culture that gives emphasis not only upon the reason rather puts equal space for emotion. For this purpose the concepts of John Whale and Michael J. Franklin in used as a basic tool of textual analysis to prove its hypothesis. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014: 98-104

Sydney Owenson's Tropics

Readers of Sydney Owenson's 1811 novel The Missionary: An Indian Tale have usually understood it generically: as a romance of imperial reconciliation or a tragedy of failed imperial sympathy. This essay argues that Owenson's treatment of Anglo-Indian relations is best read in conjunction with works of tropical medicine, which, like The Missionary, seek to intervene directly rather than to theorize, recommend, or describe. In emphasizing the pragmatics of The Missionary, this essay seeks to reorient readers’ attention toward Owenson's sentence-level poetics, more specifically her enchainment of metonymies, which produces for its readers a syntactical as well as lexical experience of equivalence without prioritization and speed without rest. In contrast to the strictures on disease and contagion in medical writing about India, Owenson's metonymies celebrate as well as enact the circulatory motions of the Anglo-Indian sphere her novel depicts.

A Study of the Characteristicson of Ujishūi Monogatari through Indian Tales

A Study of the Characteristicson of Ujishūi Monogatari through Indian Tales