South Asian Folklore: A Handbook

South Asia is a distant, exotic place to most American students. It is also a land of diverse and fascinating cultures, exemplified by the folklore of the region. This book gives students and general readers a thorough introduction to South Asian folklore. Included are chapters on different types of folklore, the place of folklore in popular culture, and the scholarly response to South Asian folklore. The volume also provides numerous legends, tales, myths, riddles, jokes, and other examples of folklore from South Asia. The book closes with a glossary and a bibliography of print and electronic resources.

To most American students, South Asia is a distant and exotic world. It is the birthplace of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, and the home of hundreds of languages. It is also a region of growing economic importance. Students, travellers, and general readers increasingly need to understand the regions's cultures and customs, at the heart of which is a rich and varied folklore. This book is a brief but thorough introduction to folklore from South Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

The volume begins with an overview of the cultural background of South Asia, and examines different types of folklore and the difficulties of defining and classifying folklore genres. It then provides a substantial selection of legends, tales, myths, riddles, jokes, and other pieces of folklore from South Asia. This is followed by a look at research on the subject, along with an exploration of South Asian folklore in literature and popular culture. The volume closes with a glossary and a bibliography of print and electronic resources.

Author: Frank Korom
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 04/01/2006
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.13lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.42w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9780313331930

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 08/15/2006 pg. 120
Library Journal 08/01/2006 pg. 120
Multicultural Review 05/01/2007 pg. 17
American Reference Bks Annual 01/01/2007 pg. 495

About the Author

Frank J. Korom is Associate Professor of Religion and Anthropology at Boston University. He has published several books, and his work has appeared in such journals as Asian Folklore Studies, Western Folklore, and Journal of South Asian Literature.