LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 20:12 December 2020
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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An Analysis of Alternative Representations of Women in Kumaoni Narratives and Folklore, and Their Importance in the Preservation and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge and Culture of Kumaon

Reetika Negi, Ph.D. Scholar

Abstract

While there is an abundance of analyses focussing on the representation of women in Kumaoni folklore, most focus on the hardships they face in their lives. This leads to two problems, firstly, it reiterates the subdued status of women in society and reinforces stereotypical characterization of women as weak and powerless. Secondly, it leads to a neglect of multidimensional personalities of women in society, obscuring their capacities, intelligence, and contribution to the building of a culture and society.

The folklore of Kumaon is replete with powerful female characters and is characterized by the presence of goddesses, female deities and spirits who hold great importance in the Kumaoni worldview. Also, there is an abundance of narratives that highlight not only the wit and intelligence of the women of the region, but also provide accounts of women’s everyday-life activities.

This paper aims to focus on empowered representations of women, women’s perspective on things, their negotiations in everyday life and how their actions and words can be seen as acts of resistance to authority. It would also look at women’s narratives as means of knowledge preservation and dissemination. This paper also presents examples of women’s speech practices as well as other cultural practices specific to women and highlight women’s importance in the preservation of traditional knowledge and culture of Kumaon.

Keywords: Women’s Narratives, Folklore, Kumaoni Language, Traditional Knowledge, Kumaoni Culture

Introduction

Women are regarded as the backbone of the economy as well as the sustenance and continuation of the Kumaoni society. Because of the prevalence of migration amongst the men for better work, agricultural work as well as managing of the family falls on the shoulders of women in the region. Women do more work than men do in the region and take up task within as well as outside of the household. From the fields to care of the family, women in the region work tirelessly from dawn to dusk in the hills. It is a life of hardships and a few rewards for most of them. It would not be wrong if one were to say that without the women of the region, the life and economy of the region would come to a standstill.

Kumaoni people are a community of hill people who belong to the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand. People are mostly Hindus and the society has a patrilinear setup. People are deeply religious and believe in the supernatural. Along with the Greater Gods of the Hindu pantheon they worship their own deities. The language and culture while bearing similarities to Garhwal has its own uniqueness and norms. Kumaoni yet has not been granted the status of an official language by the government of India, but it has a very rich oral tradition and literary culture. Kumaoni has been placed in the vulnerable/unsafe category by the UNESCO’s Atlas of World Languages in Danger1 and is recognized as a separate language in the Ethnologue2.

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

Reetika Negi, Ph.D. Scholar
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
reetikajnu@gmail.com
Contact number - +919013417312
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