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Reviewed by:
  • South Asian Folklore: An Encylopedia
  • Deeksha Nagar
South Asian Folklore: An Encylopedia. Eds. Margaret A. Mills, Peter J. Claus, and Sarah Diamond. (New York: Routledge, 2003. Pp. vii + 710, list of contributors, list of articles, maps, entries A to Z, index.)

South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia is a much-awaited work that collates rich information on various genres of South Asian life and cultures. The entries provide information on the regions and folklore of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Unlike most works that have examined separately the customs and traditions of the countries within South Asia, this encyclopedia transcends political borders and explores the cultural landscape by illuminating the similarities and differences embodied in the verbal, material, and symbolic expressions of varying peoples.

The content and organization of this encyclopedia are excellent. In order "to serve various informational needs" (x), the editors have incorporated three types of articles. There are "general concept articles" based on topics such as "Epic," "Folk Art," and "Material Culture"; "case study articles" that expand upon a particular theme or a genre emphasized or illustrated in a general article; and "definitional articles" that introduce either a non-English term (like "Hadith") or a concept (such as "Hot/Cold") as interpreted in South Asia or that create a point of reference to articles on related themes under a familiar subheading (such as "Song" or "Folk Literature").

The key themes addressed in the encyclopedia include specific entries on South Asian countries and regions, folklore scholarship, and expressive genres in material, verbal, and performing arts. Other significant topics covered in the text include the South Asian Diaspora in Africa, the Caribbean, Fiji and the South Pacific, North America, the South West Indian Ocean, and the United Kingdom; popular culture as represented in comic books, cassettes, films, songs, television, and wedding videos; and the tribal culture of India. Some case study articles, such as "Credit System (Women's Private Banking in Rural India)" supplement information about the extension of women's roles in contemporary rural societies. In line with folkloristic methodologies, most entries maintain a fine balance between the text and context. Since all the entries are cross-listed, additional information about shorter entries can be obtained by examining the articles mentioned.

The work as a whole provides a comparative perspective on the customs, traditions, and beliefs of various religious and ethnic communities. For example, in order to give a holistic picture of Muslim culture in South Asia, a general entry on "Muslim Folklore and Folklife" is complemented by various themes such as "Muslim Folklore, Sri Lanka"; religious themes like "Mosques" or "Shrines, Muslim"; accounts of various Sufis, pirs, and fakirs; festivals and celebrations such as "Moharram," "Ramazan/Ramadan," and "Urs"; literary and verbal arts such as "Jihad poetry," "Sufi Folk Poetry," "Ghazal," and "Musha'ira"; and sacred art such as "Ta 'zia." Such thematic interconnections offer a great starting point for researchers exploring topics for preliminary research in South Asia. Readers can browse these entries and then develop a number of comparative or case-study projects on a particular genre, along the lines of women's folklore, children's folklore, and occupational folklore, or on understudied topics connected with regional folklore and folk art forms.

With a topic as vast as South Asian folklore, the selection of regional genres could be a daunting task. Through the expertise of the editors and with the assistance of both regional [End Page 100] scholars from South Asia and international scholars from around the world, the themes discussed in this book provide a broad array of topics well known in each of the countries within the subcontinent. Some of these themes include folk theater forms like "Sokari (Sri Lanka)" and "Jatra" (performed in the states of Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa); musical traditions such as "Marphati and Mursidi songs" or "Tij songs"; and storytelling genres such as "Qissa," "Mu 'jizatKahani," "Dastan," and "Vrata Katha." While this work contains a large number of articles on oral traditions, it does not disregard the written sources that form an integral part of people's faith and cultural heritage. It includes articles on Hindu epics such as "Mahabharata," "Ramayana," the collection of ancient...

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