Reading Notes: Santal Folklore Part A
Santal Folklore from Folklore of the Santal Parganas translated by C. H. Bompas
- Summary: Leopard is bitten by lizard, boy Ledha helps him, promises not to tell. Tells his sister in law. Leopard kidnaps Ledha, tries to eat him, Ledha scares him off with crunchy leaves, lives with wild cows, and marries a princess!
- mistaken intentions!
- Complex plot, pretty straightforward language
- Personified animals - on equal standing with humans
- Happily ever after, but unique ending
- Summary: Oilman has bulls - one wants to fight the Raja's elephant. Bull wins.
- He had two bulls - one died. Then he still has two? Confusing.
- Animals not only talk but act like people - bulls having to pay a debt to their owners?
- Elephant in makeup! Glamorous
- Summary: Girl loves monkey, villagers kill monkey, girl commits suicide.
- This was heavy! It was a really short story and I expected more twists and turns - I actually kind of liked how direct it was.
- Summary: Father gives his sons money, Ramai buys animals and ends up with a magic ring and a princess and a palace
- Maleness valued
- Snake's father wore a ring on his.... hand?
- Lots of dialogue
- Summary: Somai is hunting and is kidnapped by Ghormuhas. They feed him until he is strong enough to beat him in a race... So he outruns them and escapes.
- Ghormuhas are scary
- The protagonist isn't portrayed in a flattering light
- Graphic, gross descriptions
- Definitely a different pattern from other stories so far
- Summary: Raibar is arranging a marriage, runs into a leopard, tries to kill him, ends up setting him up with a leopardess - raibars and leopards are friends now
- Arranged marriage
- Setting - appears to be foresty region? Jungle?
- For once the person deceived the animal
- "Make two men of one" = related to marriage?
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| Tiger by Bill Hails via Flickr |
- Summary: Mom gives daughter to a tiger, daughter escapes. Everyone is mad
- The endings to these stories feel less rounded out than others, like there are still a lot of loose ends. Less emphasis on happy endings for sure.
- Summary: man tricks tiger to avoid killing him.
- Sad ending! The tiger dies of an infection.
- Summary: Raja has a prophetic dream where the son which gets a golden monkey, snake, and leopard will be the next Raja. The oldest goes to a series of Gosains, falls in love with a snake, gets changed into a golden leopard, changes back, then snake and back, then monkey and back.. He takes the snake home and wins.
- Seems like rank is important in these as well, but not like last week's selection.
- Gosain definition
- Summary: Jackal eats his crow friend and everything in his path and gets so full that he falls on a stake and dies.
- "bosom friends" - rarely see friendship portrayed as very important in stories... even if it ends badly
- "Very Hungry Caterpillar" or "Hungry Mungry" -- good lessons.
- Summary: Tiger mama and cow mama are friends. Tiger eats cow and babies run away together.
- Potential for storybook?
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