The first single volume collection of classic Hindi folktales by translators William Crooke and Pandit Ram Gharib Chaube.
Over a century ago, a British editor collaborated with an Indian folklorist to record the folktales of rural northern India. The resulting collection is a kaleidoscope of popular lore that is colored by colonial assumptions as well as native roots, moods, and meanings.
In 1891, at a time when the study of India was primarily based on ancient texts, coins, and material remains, William Crooke dared to focus on living India—its everyday culture, age-old customs, and fictional narratives. With Pandit Ram Gharib Chaube, he recorded and published, over a period of six years, a remarkable collection of folktales from northern India.
The tales reflect the tapestry of social and personal lives of this region, the epicenter of a revolt against British rule in 1857. Although many of the tales were published in British ethnographic journals, a number of the manuscripts, in Chaube's handwriting, were unpublished; others existed only as old microfilm in a New Delhi library. Never before have they appeared as a single volume or been available in any one library or archive.
Features
• Includes the original versions of over 350 Indian folktales collected in colonial India during the 1890s
• Introduction by Sadhana Naithani provides an overview of William Crooke's methodology and translation practices
Highlights
• Offers classic folktales from a wide range of original narrators—professional storytellers belonging to the aboriginal races of India, village school teachers, and rural and common people
• Portrays the universal themes common to the various tales
• Includes a detailed introduction placing the tales in context with modern research
Sadhana Naithani is assistant professor of literature and folklore at the Center of German Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Reviews
"The magnitude and variety of the Crooke-Chaube collection is remarkable, and the tales are a pleasure to read. ... a very significant contribution to the history of folklorists. To the readership they offer enlightenment as well as entertainment."—Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies
"Folktales from Northern India is a treasure trove indeed. ... We are indebted to ABC-CLIO for bringing back into print many important collections of tales from what they call the 'golden age' of folklore. ... Naithani provides an excellent, comprehensive, and illuminating introduction to this collection, situating it in the context of its times."—Asian Folklore Studies
"Carefully interpreted, this material should be of great value in collections supporting the study of both comparative folklore/literature and Indian culture ... Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty/professionals; general readers."—Choice
