Frank J. Korom

Languages of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples of India: The Ethnic Space

This Volume presents a broad overview of the linguistic structure of indigeneous and tribal languages of Andamanesw, Austroasiatic, Dravidian, Indo-Aryan and Tibeto Burman. It includes twenty-six studies by internationally renowned scholars. It discusses the identity and dynamics of these languages representing in their use and structures.

Historical Dictionary of Hinduism

With a history of over three and a half millennia, and over 800 million adherents, Hinduism is one of the worlds largest and most diverse religious traditions. The Historical Dictionary of Hinduism presents the Hindu religious traditions major events, individuals, texts, sects, and concepts in the context of its historical development through various periods. In addition, sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites, the rituals performed as religious practices, the manifestations of Hindu religious sensibilities in biography, art, the caste system of social organization, mythology, and the theories of salvation developed through the history of Hinduism are also presented. A pronunciation guide to Sanskrit and Tamil, and a chronology of the history of Hinduism are included. Those who study Hinduism will find the bibliography, organized under ten topical headings and including primary and secondary sources, particularly useful for their research.

Introduction: locating the study of folklore in modern South Asian studies

ABSTRACT The study of folklore served an important role in the development of South Asian Studies, yet, ironically, folklore was mostly studied in relation to classical Sanskrit texts within academe. The study of vernacular folklore was, on the other hand, relegated to amateurs and collectors, but with the publication of an important volume, tellingly titled Another Harmony (1986), since it revised the folk/classical divide, folklore re-entered areal studies with a newer generation of scholars who were interested in a variety of new approaches that went beyond the textual interface. This introduction briefly traces that history then introduces the current set of papers to point out both the problems and prospects of returning to the folkloristic project.

The End of Magic (review)

formed at folk festivals where they met other song collectors. These experiences seemed to have encouraged the sisters to seek out songs and variants more aggressively for their own collection. Cochran points out that while the names of the famous academic collectors were not familiar to the sisters, they had their own expert sources from within recordings and performers’ songbooks with which to build their collections. Cochran claims that the sisters “were in no sense serious collectors of folksongs,” like Almeda Riddle for example (p. 36). But perhaps this begs the question (again and again) of what constitutes a folksong. This reviewer would like to have seen an appreciation of the Gilbert sisters as intellectuals in their own right, as scholars searching out artifacts for analysis before finally selecting a particular variant for use in performance before friends and family, a process not so very different from the folklore teacher selecting a prized variant to use before a classroom of students. Cochran’s study is a warm and sympathetic tribute to the Gilbert sisters and their families, and most especially to Phydella, his major informant. One could wish that the book contained other things, or at least more things. Nevertheless, we should not lose sight of what Cochran has accomplished, and we should applaud his efforts in getting this work published.

The Death of Authentic Primitive Art and Other Tales of Progress, and: Destination Culture: Tourism, Museums, and Heritage (review)

minating descriptions of the nature of specific types of fishing jobs, boats, equipment, gear, maintenance and repair, fishing “terrain,” and customary practical jokes for greenhorns like “anchor watch,” of directly and indirectly articulated rules of professional conduct, crew interaction, and skipper responsibility, of fishing philosophies, strategies, and measurements of skills, status, and success. While Fields specifically takes on the effects of gender in the commercial fishing environment, many of the women’s experiences easily could be those of men trying to get work on a boat, interacting with crew, and surviving the working environment at sea and on shore. Yet one of the points Fields makes in her discussion is that while sharing in “universal” aspects of the business, each woman has a distinctive personal experience; and, by extension, women may be challenged by a particular variation of the universals—which resonate with the challenges that women face in venturing into other formerly all male domains. Folklorists, anthropologists, and women’s studies specialists will find this short book of primary materials full of useful examples, cogent insights, and powerful, eloquent articulations, whether looking at commercial fishing in general, in Alaska, or at the women’s experience as fishermen. But beyond the scholars, this book is engaging, intriguing, and thrilling for anyone who might be fascinated by the lives of these extraordinary working women—working people—who thrive on hard challenges, physical and emotional stamina, and moments of grace within an elemental and fiercely beautiful sphere.

Two Tales of Crow and Sparrow: A Freudian Folkloristic Essay on Caste and Untouchability

This provocative book by a leading folklorist offers a new analysis of caste in India, focusing on the rationale underlying the customs surrounding untouchability. Drawing on clues contained in two fascinating folktales, Alan Dundes goes beyond Dumonts classic Homo Hierarchicus in deconstructing the pervasive pollution complex that prevents millions of individuals from entering temples or drawing water from community wells. His graceful and erudite explanation of caste also illuminates the mysterious worship of the sacred cow as well as sati/suttee, or widow burning. The author concludes by relating caste to the theory of marginal survival, drawing on Gypsy concepts of pollution. This controversial book offers a fresh perspective for anyone interested in India, folklore, and psychoanlytic anthropology_a detailed case study documenting how folklore, as a source of native categories and symbols, can yield unique insights into the unconscious functioning of a culture through time. In this comprehensive textbook, renowned philosopher J. N. Mohanty examines the range of Indian philosophy from the Sutra period through the 17th century Navya Nyaya. Classical Indian Philosophy is divided into three parts that cover epistemology, metaphysics, and the attempt to transcend the distinction between subject and object. Mohanty focuses on the major concepts and problems dealt with in Indian philosophy, including ethics, social philosophy, law, and aesthetics. Students of Indian philosophy at every level will find this a rich and rewarding text.

Pierced by Murugan's Lance: Ritual, Power, and Moral Redemption among Malaysian Hindus

An analysis of the Thaipusam festival of the Hindu Tamils of Malaysia and the vows they make to the god Murugan. It explores the meaning of vow fulfilment as reflected in social, economic and political divisions in the Tamil community, and the practice of ritual as a form of symbolic action.