School of Folk & Tribal Lore

 
 

Research Activities

Documentation

Major Projects

Minor Projects

Outreach

Dissemination

       

Documentation

 
 

Since Folklore, explain the ‘system’ that is being followed in every aspect of life, the documentation of Multifacet Folklore tries to trace out its process. The globalization reduced the world to a ‘global village’. In this process, a ‘universal culture’ whether directly or indirectly, becomes a part of ‘native life’. In the name of universal culture, the ruling class invades and influences people. In this complex milieu, whether the native culture has any role to play in the contemporary life? Is there any culture that can be conceptualized as ‘ native culture’? If so, what are its structure, context and function? How to identify it? These are some of the questions to be answered. In this background, RRCF has envisaged the Documentation of Multifacet Folklore Survey. This, survey focused light on finding out the ‘system’ that a group is following in every aspect of the life. These systems reveal how firmly the roots were set and perpetuated from the past.

Methodology formulated for Documentation
 

Multifacet Folklore includes:

 
  • Village structure-nucleated, linear and isolated villages land settlement pattern within these villages etc.

 
  • Ecosystems like water resources, plantation, special plants and their use in the social and cultural life of the people, main sources of food etc.,

 
  • Name lore like personal names, house names, clan names, names of paddy and paddy fields, nick names, pet names etc.,

 
  • People of different communities of the villages, village attendant system, professions and ethnic slur etc.,

 
  • Day to day life - food, dress, ornaments, relationship with others etc.

 
  •  Folk sciences like preservation techniques followed in various factors, water divining, metallurgy and special knowledge of people etc.

 
  • Vocational lore - various professions like agriculture, weaving and pottery, traditional tools used in the profession and the patterns of professions etc.

 
  • Folk games - gender specific, age wise, indoor and outdoor etc.

 
  • Indigenous medical system, which includes preventive, curable and therapeutic; domestic medical treatments, treatment by professional and various other systems.

 
  • Food system - in day day life, special food for various festivals of different seasons and life-cycle ceremonies etc.

 
  • Fairs and Festivals - familial, clan, caste, communal and village levels.

 
  • Village deities - etymology, historical significance, oral histories, magical powers, various celebrations, offerings and sacrifices etc.,

 
  • Life cycle celebrations from birth to death. The patterns of celebrations, preparation of special food, importance to some plants and leaves in these ceremonies, special role played by some people, kinship system etc.

 
  • Folk literature like myths, legends, tales, epics, ballads, songs, proverbs, riddles and other forms of mental creations.

 
  • Folk arts - information on the performers, their main sources of income, other means, their feeling on their profession, texts, musical instruments, costumes, theatre, audience participation etc.

 
  • House lore-various structures of houses, materials used for construction, decorations of the house, various functions like pragmatic, health, entertaining, ceremonial houses, special attention to 'kitchen'.

 
  • Material culture of a house-all those items of material culture that are used in their day-to-day life as well as cultural life.

 
  • Belief systems - beliefs in connection with various activities and systems of life