Reading Notes: Santal Folklore Part B

Santal Folklore from Folklore of the Santal Parganas translated by C. H. Bompas

The Jackal and the Chickens

• Summary: Jackal eats chicken, tries to eat her babies but they are clever
• Trickster stories in this set have the victim outsmarting the enemy 
• Regionally specific animals, setting seems really important

The Jackal Punished

• Summary: Similar to last one.
• Dialogue in verses 
• Trusted jackal friend attacking drunk chicken... Reminiscent of sexual assault stories 

The Tigers and the Cat

• Animals playing stereotypical roles
• Explanation tale

The Elephant and the Ants

• Summary: Elephant challenges ants to a race and runs himself to death because many ants tricked him. 
• Religious-sounding moral at the end - like old-fashioned fairy tales 

A Fox and His Wife

• Summary: Fox and wife outsmart tiger
• Foxes call tiger "uncle" 

The Jackal and the Crocodiles

• Summary: Jackal teaches crocodile babies and eats them all and Crocodile dad kills him
• Descriptions of emotion

Jackal by naddel via Flickr

The Hyaena Outwitted

• Summary: Tiger is dying, hyena summons animals, jackals get in trouble and kill hyena
• Short paragraphs, lots of dialogue

The Crow and the Egret

• Summary: Crow steals egret babies, money-lender accepts crow's bribe to settle argument, jackal scares money-lender, problem solved
• The style here is really straightforward. Not much to say about language or word choice
• Animals and humans are equals 

The Jackal and the Hare

• Summary: Jackal and hare steal food, jackal eats it all, hare breaks his drum
• I wonder if these stories were originally told to children as a way to teach lessons - they seem appropriate for that

The Brave Jackal

• "Hum pakpak"
• Jackal makes a fool of himself

The Jackal and the Leopards

• Trickster Jackal tricks leopards and crocodile