Research Catalog

Title

Himalayan tribal tales : oral tradition and culture in the Apatani Valley / by Stuart Blackburn.

Author

Blackburn, Stuart H.

Publication

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2008.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xvi, 281 p., 16 p. of plates : col. ill., maps; 25 cm.

Summary

The valley sits high in the eastern Himalaya, and until recently fell between the jurisdictions and beyond the attention of any of the surrounding states, though is now part of Arunachal Pradesh in India. American folklore scholar Blackburn visited during the late 1990s and realized that stories he was hearing from the 30,000 or so Apatanis were nothing like the Tamil stories he had been hearing for a quarter century. He writes about the people and particular individuals and the history and culture, and presents tales, myths and histories, and ritual texts.

Series Statement

Brill's Tibetan studies library, 1568-6183 ; v. 16/2

Uniform Title

Brill's Tibetan studies library v. 16/2.

Subject

• Apatani (Indic people) > Folklore
• Apatani (Indic people) > Social life and customs
• Tales > Arunāchal Pradesh
• Oral tradition > Arunāchal Pradesh
• Arunāchal Pradesh (India) > Social life and customs

Genre/Form

Folklore

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [269]-278) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Inside culture 4 -- Between cultures 6 -- From south India to the eastern Himalayas 7 -- Oral genres 16 -- Hage Gyati 22 -- Chapter 2 A History of Change 27 -- Apatanis and their neighbours 30 -- Early history of change 35 -- The halyang come to the valley 37 -- Literacy, oral culture and script 41 -- Hapoli and village 43 -- Religious change and reaction: Donyi-Polo 47 -- Religious change and reaction in the Apatani valley 49 -- Chapter 3 Tales 55 -- Tales 55 -- 1 The Two Sisters: A Snake-Husband 55 -- 2 The Two Sisters: Fleeing the Ogre 58 -- 3 The Trickster Cycle: Abo Tani and His Rival 63 -- 4 The Trickster Cycle: Abo Tani and the Spirits 74 -- 5 The Trickster Cycle: The Sons of Abo Tani 78 -- 6 The Tallest Tree (1) 81 -- 7 The Tallest Tree (2) 83 -- 8 The Blinding Lake: Kar Siimi 88 -- 9 The Magic Tree: Ami Dori 91 -- 10 The Innocent Persecuted Heroine: Kokii Yamu 94 -- 11 The Power of Possessive Love: Papin and Pame 99 -- 12 A Stupid Wife: Tabu Yapi 105 -- Chapter 4 Myths and Histories 107 -- Myths and histories 108 -- 1 Beginnings of the World 108 -- 2 Migration across Mountains 110 -- 3 Lost Writing 116 -- 4 Settling the Valley 117 -- 5 Origin of the Mithun 119 -- 6 Origin of Cotton, Wool, Thread and Dyes 122 -- 7 Origin of Social Classes: Burning a Dictionary 125 -- 8 First Colonial Contact, 1897 129 -- 9 Attack on Outsiders, 1948 133 -- 10 Hidden Treasure, Early 20th Century 141 -- 11 Trading Expeditions, 1950s-1980s 144 -- 12 Naive Neighbours 151 -- 13 Sun-Moon and Death 153 -- 14 Reinvented Religion: Donyi-Polo 155 -- Chapter 5 Ritual Texts 159 -- Ritual texts 163 -- 1 The Mithun Chant: Subu Heniin 163 -- 2 Meat for All: Dulu Ayu 172 -- 3 Hunting the Monkey: Myoko Ayu 182 -- 4 The Festival Begins: Siikki Ayu 196 -- 5 Journey to the Land of the Dead 201 -- 6 Stomach Cure: Diipa Meko 210 -- Chapter 6 Comparisons, Local Culture and Identity 213 -- Comparisons: Apatani stories in the wider world 214 -- 1 Myths 214 -- 2 Tales 221 -- 3 Stories, History and the Extended Eastern Himalayas 227 -- Stories and local culture 231 -- 1 Exchange and Alliance 233 -- 2 Ceremonial Friendships 235 -- 3 'The roots are always entangled' 240 -- Identity, change and Abo Tani 241 -- 1 Outsiders: Halyang 242 -- 2 Tibet: Nyime 244 -- 3 Tribal Neighbours: Misan 246 -- 4 Abo Tani 247 -- Appendix 1 Transcription and Analysis of a Story 253 -- Appendix 2 List of Storytellers 259 -- Appendix 3 Comparative Profile of Apatani Stories 261.

ISBN

• 9789004171336 (hardback : alk. paper)
• 9004171339 (hardback : alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2008032574

OCLC

• 234431686
• SCSB-12891037

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library