The Role of Tamil Folkore in Modern Literature
My current research on Tamil literary history focuses on the role of folklore and print in the emergence of a literary culture during the nineteenth century. My starting point is that, although the study of colonial India is replete with works on nationalism, Hindu revivalism and so on, we know little about the place of folklore in these movements. We recognize the central role of folklore in constructing 'authentic' languages and literatures in Europe and, in turn, their role in European nationalisms. I believe that a case, similar yet different, can be made for folklore in India.
By STUART BLACKBURN
The project addresses two core questions. First, what role did early printed books of folklore play in the development of a Tamil literary culture in the nineteenth century? Two thousand years of Tamil literary history underwent a series of major changes during the century: the advent of a printing industry; a public school system; a university system; the rediscovery of ancient Tamil poetry. As a result, a literary culture emerged in which Tamils began to articulate new ideas about language and literature; literary biography began and literary history was written.The role of folklore in the emergence of this literary culture is largely determined by the transformation of oral traditions to print. By 1900 nearly a thousand Tamil books were published annually, but before 1850 most printed books were collections of folktales, proverbs and songs, which were continually reprinted. The impact of this printed oral literature on literary practices and linguistic identity is an important area of my research.
Secondly, what role did folklore play in the development of nationalism and regional movements in south India? Once available in print, and sometimes in English translations, Tamil books of folklore entered into public debates about the 'nation' and 'Dravidian' identity. A preliminary study of the prefaces and reviews of these books reveals that they were invoked as evidence of indigenous culture, as a cultural safe-haven from the inroads of the colonial state, the English language, and Christianity. By the end of the century, this printed oral literature was recognized as a 'national literature'.
This research is informed by similar work in other modern Indian languages, which was presented at the European Association of Modern South Asian Studies at Prague in 1998 and at a conference at the University of California at Berkeley in 1999, organized by Prof. V. Dalmia. A volume of essays, provisionally titled 'New Literary Histories for Nineteenth Century India', is forthcoming. *
Dr Stuart Blackburn teaches at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London and specializes in Tamil folk-traditions and literature. E-mail: sb12@soas.ac.uk