Chapter 4 Folktales of Gamit Community

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Chapter 4

Folktales of Gamit Community

‘Narration is ageless’ says Linda Degh. Giving detail explanation of this folklore

genre she observes, ‘The impulse to tell a story and need to listen to it have made

narrative the natural companion of mankind throughout the history and civilization.

Stories are able to adapt themselves to any local and social climate. According to the

concepts of the Grimms and their disciples, folktales are the late relics of the ancient

mythology of the Indo-Germans, and the myths of gods and heroes can be reconstructed

from these fragmentary mosaics. Because of their oral existence, narrative genres float in

an unlimited variants around a limited number of plots. Like novels and short stories,

their sophisticated counterparts, Folktales are told primarily for entertainment although

they may have secondary purposes’ (53).

The first documentation of Gamit folktales recorded is by Colonial administrator

George A. Grierson in his monumental study of Indian languages, Linguistic Survey of

India. Grierson has given the sample of Gamit language through a folktale, ‘The Prodigal

Son’ that he collected from Olpad region in Surat district, (Volume IX, Part-III). The last

two decades of twentieth century marked the rise in the field of study of tribal and border

languages. Institutions like Sahitya Akademi, Central Institute of Indian Languages

(CIIL), Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, Vadodara and Adivasi Academy

Tejgadh have contributed remarkably for documentation, conservation and propagation

of tribal oral literature. Launched towards the end of 20th century, collection and

compilation of tribal oral literature have been undertaken by many non-native and native

writers as well as by the researchers. Wellknown folklorist of Gujarat Kanjibhai Patel has

published folktales of Adivasis entitled Goth (1996). Father Raymond Chauhan has

documented nineteen Gamit folktales in Gamit Dantkathao (2002), which also formed

the part of M. A. degree programme for the students of Gujarati literature in Veer

Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat.

Thirteen folktales included in this chapter have been collected from Vansda taluka

of Navasari district, where the Gamit population is dense. Variants of these tales are

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found in Indian regional languages and also across the world. These tales possess rich

aesthetic value and bring about the tribal psyche. Most of the tales have supernatural

element. All these tales are M�̈rchen type, as no myth known to be collected in Gamit

language. Most of the tales have animal characters but these tales can not be categorized

into fables. Animals, birds, vegetation, hills and river play important roles in these tales

as tribal psyche does not discriminate between the animated and inanimated phenomena.

Most of the tales included here are the amalgamation of narratives and songs. Gamit

word for the tale is ‘Goth’ which seems to be derived from Marathi ‘Gosht ‘. Goth also

means ‘to communicate’ and ‘to bring together ‘in Gamit dialect.

Culture Bearer (Somliben Gamit)

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Table 4 INDEX OF THE TALES

NO TITLE IN GAMIT ENGLISH TITLE CHARACTERS

1. Koo-a-lo ne Teen Ba-a-

hinyo Crab and Three Sisters Animal, Human

2. Men- hout Mynah Bird, Deity,

Human,

3. Khaira Khunt Katechu Tree Human , Tree

4. Pavari Ba-a hin Flute Sister Human

5. Dollo Anklet Animal, Human

6. Kovalan Pumpkin Husband Human , Fruit

7. Pasali Step –Mother Human

8. Pado Magical Buffalo Human,Deity,

animal

9. Ahali Mor Peacock – Husband Bird , Human

10. Baglo – Lavandi Crane and the Princess Bird , Human

11. Kavalan Fulan Lotus Flower Human , Flower

12. Ventyo Dwarf Human

13. Panoti Panoti Human

1. KOOALO NE TEEN BA-A-HINYO (Gamit Transcription)

Ek gaanvamain ek doho rav ato. To ek dihi jadie main lakde la geeyo. Dohe te

lakda ba-a bandyo baki tyal ba a j nay uchkay. Doho te bamla mandy, “e….kada ba-a

chadava yeja ..ra…” Ahadamain tan ek kooalo yano ne dohal akhe, “Ain tul ba-a

chadavu baki tapuhie vorad maa are kaara padi.” Doho akhe, “haran.” Doho ga-a yano

ne mathi puhiel puchhaya ka tu kooala are vorad kaahe?”, te mathi puhi akhe,“ kooala

are ku vorad kae?

choolamain take te chudam

ne mooamain take te koodam

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Dohe te vachali puhiel puchhayan, te tee hagi akhe, “kooala are ku vorad kae?

choolamany take te chudam

ne mooamany take te koodam.

Pase dohe vahni puhiel puchhay, tve tee kooala are vorad kaara tiyar ovi goy.. Kooalo te

vorad kaine vahni puhiel ley giyo. Thoda dihi jaya pase doho akhe, ‘maan puhiel mila ja

de.’ Doho te puhie ta gaavaro yeno. Tave kooalo ga-a nay ato. Ami vahani puhie kooalal

poohhayan,

Maan abo bu yeno ra… ma raja ra .. tu,

Ami kai randi khavadu maa raja…. ra…tu”

Tave kooalo akhe,

Kookadan ne bokdan randi khavadje

maan rani …va…tu”

Puhie te kukadan ne bokadan randi ne abbahal khavadyan. Doho teraji ovine tya ga-a

giyo ne ga-a jaine ben puhiel badi vat kaee. Thoda dihi pase ben baanhiyo vahani

banhiye ta gavaryo giyo. Kooalo ga-a nay ato, pasen puhie kooakal puchhayan,

Maan baahin bu yeni ra… ma raja ra …tu,

Ami kai randi khavadu maa raja…. ra…tu.

Kooale akhyan,

Kukadan ne pichhadan randi khavadje

Maan rani…va..tu.

Puhie te kukadan ne pichhadan randine baanhiel khavadyan. Ba-a-hinyo pasi gavari

yenio j nay. (Heard by the researcher from the family members)

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Crab and Three Sisters

There was an old man. He had three daughters. One day he went to forest to

collect the firewood. He was not able to raise the firewood bundle so he called for the

help. No one responded to him. At last, a crab appeared and 'he' agreed to help the old

man on one condition that he would allow one of his daughters to be married off with

him. Old man agreed. He came home and talked to his three daughters about his meeting

with the crab and the promise he had made to him. Sneering at her father's proposal, the

eldest daughter said,’ I will not get married to this insct because, if you put crab into oven

the sound heard is 'chudum' and when you put into mouth the sound heard is 'kudum!.'”

Both the elder daughters turned down crab's marriage proposal but the youngest one

agreed. She got married with the crab and came to stay with him at his place.

Some days passed and the old man visited his daughter to know about the well

being of her. Crab husband was not present at home. So the wife asked the husband …

O King of my heart

My father has become our guest

What shall I cook for him?

The crab husband replied,

O queen of my heart!

Cook chicken and mutton for your father

Father was entertained with chicken and mutton. He found his daughter living happily.

After some days, two elder sisters visited their married sister. The husband was not at

home this time too and his wife again asked him,

O King of my heart!

My sisters have become our guest

What shall I cook for them?

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The husband replied,

O queen of my heart!

Cook chicken along with feathers for your sisters.

After such hospitality, two sisters never visited their sister.

●●●●●

Analysis: It was obvious that the crab was not happy with two elder sisters' arrival who

had turned down his marriage proposal. Though he was not present at home, he conveyed

his message clearly through food that two sisters were unwelcomed guest and better they

should never come again. There are some indigenous elements in this story which must

be highlighted.

· The crab, a small animal in the story possesses magical power. It is super-human.

Old man is convinced about it and so as his youngest daughter.

· When told in native Gamit dialect, rhyming of the words like 'Chudum - Kudum,

Kukadan - Pichhadan' - entertain the listeners as well as it also work as

nmemonic technique.

New World Dictionary of Advance English defines crab as one of the species of

decapods which has four pairs of legs and a pair of pincers. Another meaning is that it is

a heavy machinery to hoist the weight. Crab has a good balance and it can walk side

ways. It can survive under water and on land. Some of the species of crab inhabit on the

trees too.

As per Aarne Thompson tale type motif classification of this tale can be put under the

category of :

· B - 495.1 Helpful Crab

· B - 620.1 Daughter promised to animal suitor

It is important to note that many stories found in the different part of the India and across

the world have resembalance with the crab tale. Verrier Elvin collected from M. P. region

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near Chitrakoot where crab is replaced by the fisher-girl. In Grimm Brothers' collection, a

Frog Prince gets married to the Princess. Hungarian, Scotland and English tales revolve

around the same storyline. Only and foremost difference is that metamorphoses of the

Crab or the Frog or the Wolf takes place in the end while in Gamit tale crab remains the

crab till the end.

2. MEN- HOUT (Gamit Transcription)

Ek goval ato. To roj dobe cha-a-ra jay. Dobe cha-i-ne vakhathe j yey. To ba

pavari bo hajjad vajade. Ek dihi dobe gothadi ne to angala giyo. Tave noye mere jada ve

rav ati ti devi tya dagale ne pavari ley nathi ne jadave chadine bahi goy. Goval te ga-a

giyo ne ajjehe- abbahal dagale lan dovadye. Tye te jada tale yene ne akhet,

Hout …..va…hout…

Ma poha pavari de..

Ma poha dagale de…

Tave tee hout akhe,

Mama …ra,,,,ma. ta pohaluj dovad

Ra…mama.. ta pohaluj dovad.

Pase govala ayo giyi, tee akhe,


Ma poha pavari …de.. Ma poha dagale de…

Baki tee hout akhe,

Fuchi….. va…fuchi….ta pohaluj dovad

Va…fuchi…. Ta pohaluj dovad

Pase tya govala baha giyo ne akhe,

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Ma baha pavari de…Ma baha dagale de…

Baki tee hout akhe,

Bavalaha Ra… bavalaha….ta bahaluj dovad.

Ra..bavalaha…. ta pohaluj dovad

Ek pas eek bade hagen hout pahe yeyne govala dagale ne pavari mange, baki tee ba

govaluj da. Pase govaluj yeno ne akhe,


Ma pavari de…. Ma dagale de…

Tave tee kabati akhe,

Goval ra… goval.. velse ye ..ra.

Goval velse... ye..

Goval jehe jehe upe chadato jay tehe tehe tee hout upe ne upe j chadati jay ne govalal

upe j hadati goy. Pase sek upe chadi giyo tave tya govalal pankhadaha main leyne udavi

ley goy. (Rataniben Gamit, Kelkutch village, Age. 78 years)

Mynah and Cowherd

Long ago there lived a cowherd. He used to take cattle of the village for grazing

on the side of the riverbank. When the cattle would gather under the shadowy trees after

grazing, he would play on his flute beautifully. One Goddess was residing in the nearby

forest. She liked this cowherd's flute playing very much.

One day when the cowherd went for bathing in the river, the Goddess took the

form of a mynah and took the flute and the clothes of the cowherd and perched on the

highest branch of the tree. Cowherd went home and said that a mynah had flown away

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with his flute and the clothes and he wanted them back. He sent his father to take his

belongings back. Father went under the tree and said,

Mynah O Mynah!

Give my son's flute back

Give my sons clothes back

The mynah replied,

Mama O mama!*

Send your son only

I will give him his flute

I will give him his clothes.

* (Mother's brother, Father-in-law)

She did not give him his son's things. Then the cowherd sent his mother. She came under

the tree and requested mynah to give back his son's flute and clothes. Mynah said to her,

Fuchi O Fuchi!*

Send your son only


I will give him his clothes

* (Father's sister, Mother-in-law)

Then the elder brother of the cowherd went to the mynah and demanded to give his

brother's belongings. Mynah replied to him,

Bavlaha O Bavlaha!*

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Send your brother only

* (Husband's elder brother)

Then, sister followed, whom mynah said,

Nandihi O Nandihi!*

Send your brother only


I will give him his clothes.

* (Husband's sister)

One by one all the family members of the cowherd went to Mynah but they returned

empty handed, because mynah insisted to give the flute and clothes to the owner himself

and to nobody else. Finally, the cowherd went himself and said,

Mynah O Mynah!

Give me my flute back

Give me my clothes back

Mynah was sitting on the highest branch of the tree and said to the cowherd,

O cowherd!

Climb the tree

And come closer

Mynah went on calling the cowherd closer and closer and he climbed on and on. When

the cowherd reached at the top where mynah was waiting, she took the boy into her

wings and flew far … far away.

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●●●●●

Analyais: As Aarne Thompson motif index, this tale can be placed in the classification of

· A - 188 - Gods in love with human

· 552 - Animals and in-laws

· 527- Other stories of supernatural 700 - 749

It is interesting to note that Mynah addresses cowherd's father as 'Mama' and

mother as 'Fuchi'. In Gamit community, father-in-law is addressed as Mama and Mother-

in-law as Fuchi by the daughter-in-law or Son-in-law. This suggests the social practice of

cross-cousins marriage in the community. Addressing one by one relatives of husband or

wife, is an important feature of tale or folk song. This also serves as the memory

technique as these tales and songs were meant for oral transmission.

Cowherd is worshipped by the Gamit community as 'Goval Dev'- local deity, as the guard

of the chief deity. His place is at the footstep of hillock or at some distance from the chief

deity. It is interesting to note that myna or mynah is the term derived from mãina, from

Sanskrit Madanã which stands for passion or God of Love.

3. KHAIRA KHUNT (Gamit Transcription)

Ek dihi baha noiye angala giyo, tan tye lamba, hajjad nimbala dekhya, lamba ne

lethth nimbala! Baha te noiye re nimbala isi layno ne ga yey ne ajjejel akhe, “Ye nichkiye

are j vorad kauu vo!” To te ga-a yeno ne ajjehe- abbahal yey ne akhe, “man yi puhi hodi

dya, ne te ain ma-ee jahin.” Tye pohe te khaina piyana chhodi dena. Ajjoho badi puhie

are nimbala mapi mapine thaki goy baki badi puhie kaato to nimbalo lambo.Ami ba-a-

hin noye angla ne talapa dova giye tave tye nimbala ray giyala Tye bo hajjad nimbala

ata.. Ganva mahani kadi nichakie roka nai ata. Ek dihi ayoho puhiel talapa okhavi daaun

ati tave puhie nimbala are mapi eayan te nichakie j nimbalo! Ajjehe te bahal hamjadyo ,

abbehe hago hamjadyo baki baha nai manyo. To te akhe ‘ain te maee j jahin.’ Pase ga-

a-me bade vorada tiyari ka –a-ran mandye. Baanhiel hagi khabar padi goy. Tee baha are

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nay vorad kaara kae. Pase tite ga-a pahe ek khera khuntadan atan tya ve chadi goy. Tye

pahala garye bade tyel hamjada chadye.Baki puhi te upe ne upe j chadati jai ne akhati

jai,

‘Vad ra vad, khaira khunt

Pailo ato ma baha ato, ami jayo, ma matado jayo.

Khaira khunt te uncho ne uncho vadato jai ne puhi hagi upe ne upe chadati jai.

Pase ajjoho khuntave hamjada chadi, te puhi akhe,

Vad ra vad khaira khunt, paili ati man ayo ati, ami man hahu jaee.

Badde hage hamjada chadye baki puhi te upe ne upe chadati goy ne khaira khunt

hago vadato j giyo, vadato j giyo ne tyel devlohain upe j ley ledi!

(Somaliben Gamit. Kelkutch village. Age 82 years)

Katechu Tree

Once, brother went to the river for bathing. He found long, beautiful hair on the

riverbank. He came home and told his parents that he wanted to marry only that girl who

had such beautiful hair.His mother tried to find out the girl from the whole village but she

could not find such girl in the village. One day, while doing the hair of her daughter, she

found that it was her daughter’s hair. The mother tried to dissuade the son but he was not

counseled. He obstinately demanded with his parents that if his sister was not wedded to

him, he would commit suicide. His parents and elders tried to counsel him but of no use.

Giving in before the son’s demand, the family members began the preparation for the

wedding. When his sister came to know that she would be the bride to her own brother,

she escaped and climbed up on the khair tree.

The family members chased her and tried to explain her, coaxed her to come

down. Traumatic sister went climbing higher and higher, praying the Khair tree to stretch

higher and higher. She was also expressing her feelings through tears and in an agonized

song,

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Go higher and higher, Khaira Khunt,

Who happened to be my father,

Is going to become my father–in–law.

Likewise,


Who happened to be my mother

Is going to be my mother – in – law

and,


Who happened to be my brother, Is going to be my husband.

In the end, the Khair tree did not stop stretching higher until the heaven and the sister

took flight in to the devlok.

●●●●●

Analysis: This tale can be placed under the motif classification of:

· Volksmarchen no.28, Type 313E * Brother wants to marry his sister

(www.furerteutenicus.eu)

Another version of this tale is from Tripura having the same storyline. Only

difference is that in the object of escape. In this tale, the sister climbs upon the Chhatim

tree also known as Saptparna, Yaksippala or devil tree. In the end, brother is sacrificed

who turns into chameleon and chases the sister but she reaches to the heaven.One more

veriant the researcher found from the lady who hails from Rajput community of

Banaskantha region. Only variation is that the brother takes his horse to river to quench

its thirst, where he finds a golden hair floating upon the water. He decides to marry the

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girl with a golden hair who happens to be his sister. Here too, the sister takes refuge on

the Khair tree and finally saves herself reaching to the heaven by the extended help of the

tree. It would be apt to mention here that Khair or Acacia, Catechu is used for dying and

hide animal skin by soaking in its brown substance.

Another variant is from Santal Pargana. In this tale the sister violates the taboo as

she was not supposed to pluck the flower of a fragrant plant which was meant to be

plucked by the other girls who would marry the brother. But as the sister had violated the

taboo, she would have to get married with her own brother. Here, the girl takes shelter on

the palm tree.Tormented by wind and rain, she comes down and she had to take shelter at

her brother’s house where he had lighted the fire and as, no other person of the village

would allow her entry. But in the end, both of them commit suicide.Their blood flows in

different direction and even the smoke that arises from their death pyres goes in opposite

directions. There are many folktales found among tribals, dealing with the motif of

violation of taboo or ‘Incest tales’ –motivation to commit incest with blood relations.The

examples are of a trickster hero sleeping with his mother –in-law and father desires his

own daughter. The general tendencies of the individuals having incestuous phantasies are

implied in the Oedipus Complex too. But, tone of Sophocles play is tragic while the

versions of brother-sister tales are of didactic tone of looking at the violation of the social

taboo as bringing disorder in the natural course of life.There are many such examples

where the social taboo is violated unknowingly. In some of the tales the female

protagonist gets impregnated by sweat, tear, used water or through indirect contact of

urine of the male protagonist. Our oral literature is full of such episodes including Jaina

Tales.

Fundamental difference in such folktales and Oedipal is that it is not Fate but the

destruction of kinship diagram, such as clear cut kinship relation would be devastating to

a child which would make a shambles of his ordered family world. Folktales depicting

incest among blood relation can be considered as the warning bells against the terror of

incest . As Iravati Karve remarks. “ Many of the incest tales (like Jaina), are told as

illustrations of the sinfulness of all worldly relations or as conundrums and guessing

games- not as deeply tragic tales.” often such tales are also used as the riddles.Great

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masters like Shakespeare in ‘Hamlet’ and Webster in‘Duchess of Malfi’ had touched this

abhorrent subject. Example can be cited of our time’s Booker Prize winning novel, ‘The

God of Small Things’ too.

Freud propagated that Oedipus desire is a universal phenomenon, innate to human

beings and the cause of much unconscious guilt. He considered a girl’s negative complex

to be more emotionally intense than that of a boy resulting potentially in a woman of

submissive insecure personality. Such Taboo tales are part of world literature, oral and

written.The world folklore is full of Incest Tales. Let us conclude this topic citing two

lullabies; the first from Kannada,

Sleep

O son

O grand son

O brother to my husband

Sleep o sleep

Sleep well (Ramanujan 379)

It is very surprising to note stark similarities between the Kannada and Albanian

lullabies.

Hush thee hush thee, son!

Son of my son !

Son of my daughter-in-law !

Born to thy father-in law!

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4. PAVARI BA-A–HIN (Gamit Transcription)

Ek gaanvamany hat baha ranv ata. Tyaha ekuj baanhi ati.Hat baahaha hat ale

chale. Ek dihi ale bhony many guti giye ne bah abo mathya teru ninge nai.Baha te gabrai

giya. Pase bahate devha pahe bada thova giya. Tyanhay tekukada bada mani, teru hal

nai chale, bokda bada mani teru ala nai chale, pada bada rakhi teru ala nai chale.

Pase… tihany te baanhie bada thovhun ahadi bada mani te ale chala mandye. Ami vahno

baha ato, hatamo tiyal ahadan nai game baki tiyal kai bolay nain. Baahayte baahinel

akhyan,” Bayu, devha bada thova ale tiyari kaaya.“Baanhi te chhada bathi ne vahno

baha akhe.”

Bayu, tu chhadatihi baki taj varo hey.

Pase baanhi te dala bathi tave hago baha akhe,

Bayu, tu dalatihi baki taj varo hey.

Baki baanhi kay hamaje nai. Bahahany te baanhie bali dani ne,bada chhodine

bada kha batha. Bada baahahany khadan baki vahno baha nai khai,tyen te chajhanan

beyhalamany taki denan ne patara are bakhe lavi lavine khai ledan.Vahne bahe jes

chakhana bethalamany taki denel tesbethalamahre vanhadi peda jai.Ek jogi tahre janv

ato tye pavari banara vanhadi vadi ledi ne pavari banadi. Jogi te pavari vajadto vajadto

mangto fie. Jogi te pavari vajadto vajadto mangto mangto matha bahha ihi yano, te

pavari bole,

Papi baha hey ra jogi hupadan baine leje.

Jogi te bada bahaha tan manga giyo te pavari ehen j bole,

Papi baha hey ra jogi, hupadan baaine leje.

Pase jogi tya vahna baha pahe manga yeno te pavari bole,

Darami baha hey ra jogi muth baaene leje.

Vahno baha akhe, ‘Pavari hajjad vanavahe, tu man dey de, tu biji banavi leje.”

Pase vahne bahe te jogyal khibe ne khoba baine chokha dana ne pavari ley ledi ne mala

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ve thovi deni.Ami baha akho dihi ranamin ala chalada jay ne vakhathe yey tve badan

kam ovi goylan ray,dalana, chhadana, randana badaj.Baha vichar ke ka ku ma gamany

pedyanhan, dakan, sakan, boot ka devi? Vahano baha te ek dihi dubi ryo ne badan eaya

kae. Banhye te bada kam kaee takyan ne pasi pavarie many uraya jai tave j daee ledi ne

puchhayan, ‘Tun kun heti? “Te banhi akhe,” Baba aany ta baanhi hetyanv. Tave j maan

are daya dekhadine maan nai khade ne bethalamaany taki dene, tya mahre vanhdi ovine

pavari banine taj gaanmany yani.” Pase baha ne baanhi ekthe ovi giyen pala chha baha

bo pastaya. (Somaliben Gamit, Kelkutch village)

Flute Sister

There were seven brothers. They had only one sister. One day while brothes were

cultivating their farms, their ploughs got stuck in the soil. Brothers tried very hard but

they could not move their ploughs. Then, worried, brothers committed to give chicken as

offering to deity, but their ploughs did not move. Brothers decided to sacrifice the goat,

though their ploughs did not move, and then they committed to offer the he-buffalo,

though they could not move their ploughs. Somebody suggested that they should offer

their only sister. So, the brothers committed to offer their sister if their ploughs got free.

And their ploughs were free and so they could complete their farming activities. After

some time, brothers started preparation for their sister’s sacrifice. The youngest brother

did not like to give his sister as human sacrifice, but he could not go against his elder

brothes’ wish.When sister was pounding the grains the youngest brother tried to warn her

saying,

Sister you are pounding the grain,

But is is your turn sister, it is your turn

But sister did not understand. Then, the sister set for grinding, the brother said,

Sister you are grinding the grain

But, is is your turn sister, it is your turn

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Though, the sister did not understand her brothers’ intention. After all the

preparations were done, brothers sacrificed their only sister. After the worshipping was

over, the brothers set to have sacrificial meat. The younges brother did not eat the meat

of his sister and slipped it into the crack of the soil. After some time a beautiful bamoo

plant grew from the soil where the brother had slipped his sister’s meat. A jogi, who

happened to pass from there saw this bamboo plant, cut it and made a Pavari- a flute.

Jogi would play upon his flute and begged from the people. When this jogi came to beg

at the six brothers house, the pavari sang,

This is my cruel brother’s house

Take basketful of grain, Jogi!

Pavari sang in the same tune at the houses of all six brothers, but when Jogi came to the

youngest brother’s house, the pavari sang,

This is my kind brother’s house

Take only handful of grain, Jogi!

The youngest brother liked playing of this flute very much so, he bartered the

flute from Jogi giving him much grains. Brother stuck the flute under the roof of the attic.

Next day, when brother returned from his farms, all the chores of the house was done;

pounding, grinding, cooking and cleaning. Everyday, someone would do all the work.

One day brother kept himself hidden. Then, a girl got out of the flute. She had bath, did

her hair and she started doing all the work in the brother’s house. She cooked, also had

food and kept for her brother. When she was about to enter into the flute, brother caught

her and asked “Who are you, a witch or a spirit?” Then the sister replied that she was his

sister who was sacrificed, she was residing in the flute and thus living with her kind

brother. Brother was very happy and he let his sister live with him forever.

●●●●●

Analysis: The sacrifice of the innocent sister is a wellknown motif of folktales. Sacrifce

of the sister and eating her meat suggests sheer cannibalistic creed of the brothers. This

Gamit folktale has the theme of sibling rivalry which might have resulted from the

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brothers’ gealousy for sister’s future husband as the sharer of their ancestral property. In

Gamit community often, parents get khandhadiyo son-in-law for only daughter. As Arne

Thompson motif index, this tale can be placed in the classification:

· AT Type 780 The Singing Bone

· H150. Circumstances of recognition (S. Thompson motif-Index)

· ‘The Singing Bones ‘formula, (cf Eng. Fairy Tales, No.ix.) (Jacobs 266)

There are many variants of this tale ‘Flute Sister’ in the regional languages. What is

surprising is the ‘ditto’ description of the events found in other variants. For example,

mark the similarities in the folktale collected by A. Campbell in Santal Folk Tales

(1892),entitled ‘Magic Fiddle’, “ Having completed her toilet, she cooked the meal of

rice as usual, and having eaten some herself, she placed the youngman’s portion under his

bed, as before, and was about to enter the fiddle again…” (Jacobs 53)

Another variant is from Folk-tales of Mahakosal (1944) by Varrier Elvin given in

the category of tales of ‘Brothers and Sisters.’ “But the younger boy sat near a crack in

the ground and put all his meat into it”, or “He reached in his house and stuck the flute in

to the roof” (241). Many similarities can be cited from these stories. It has found

parallels in the stories of other regions across the nation as well.

Same story is also found in Chaudhari community of South Gujarat who are culturally

quite similar to the Gamits.

* Note: While editing the story, I thought not to mention the narration of, ‘…sister completed bath, did

her hair…’ considering as not so important to the plot of the tale, but same narration was found in other

variants and then I realized the significance of ‘ meta- motifs’ of the folk tales.

5. DOLLO (Gamit Transcription)

Ek da baha ne ba-a-hi noye angla giye. Ba-a-hin angala giyi te tye dollo povlo

ato to kadi thovyo ne tee talapan dova goy, ne bahal e-a-ra akhi goy. Tahada main ta ek

dedako yano ne to dollo esi leyne jato rayo. Bahate rada mandyo ne ba-a-hiyel hadi ne

akhyan ka alie dollo dedako leyne jato rayo. Ba-a-hin noyada mere ubi rayne

akhe,

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De…ra…dedaka…ma...dollo de…

Tave dedko akhe,

Patalie ale pa-in-ye ye …va… batkal

Ta dollo … dav…

Tee puhi patli bude ale painye goy ne tye dollo mange,

Patalie ale pa-in-ye hagi yeni ra dedaka…

Ma dollo … de…

To dedako pase tye puhiel paso akhe,

Mandye ale painye ye va… batakal…

Ta dollo…dav…

Pase mandye ale painye giyi tave kadye ale painye hadi,

Kadye ale pa-in-ye ye …va…batkal…

Ta dollo … dav...

Pase ajun unde painye hadi, dedako akhe ka satye ale painye yey tave j dollo dav.

Satye ale pa-in-ye hagi yeni ra dedaka…

Ma dollo … de…

Pase tee ba-a-hin tala unda painya main goy tave tye dedake tyel budavi j ledi.

Ese baha ehkloj ray giyo.To tovali vajadine tya pet ba-e. Pase ek da to baha tovali

vajadto vajadato ba-a-hinye ga-a j yeno ne akhe,

Bataku rotalo ap… zolima mel… zolima mel…

Dovadi gathu ap… tumbadima red... tumbadima… red..

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Ba-a-hin tee vanay ne akhe, ‘haraj jehe vanavahe...baba paso akhne’. Tave baha akhe,

Bataku rotalo ap… zolima mel... zolima mel…

Dovadi gathu ap… tumbadima red...tumbadima… red...

Ba-a-hniye te bahal olakhi j kadyo ne pase baha jogia ves kadi takyo, anglavyo,

khavadyan ne tyal ektho j ka-ee ledo.

(Somaliben Gamit. Kelkutch village)

ANKLET

Once, brother and sister went to river. Sister removed her anklet called ‘dollo’ and

went to wash her hair. Brother was looking after her ornaments. Meanwhile a frog

appeared there from somewhere, took the anklet of the girl and disappeared into the

water. Brother told his sister about the frog who had disappeared with her anklet. Sister

went to take her anklet she called the frog saying,

Give me my anklet…O...Frog! give me my anklet…(2)

Then, the frog replied from inside the water,

O…Girl! enter into knee- deep water…

then I will give you your anklet…

The girl went into knee-deep water and said,

I have come into khee-deep water,

O frog!… give me my anklet back…(2)

Then, the frog called her waist – deep water, and when she went waist – deep water, frog

called her chest –deep water.

O...Girl!... enter into chest- deep water…

Then, I will give you your anklet…

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The girl entered into chest-deep water, and said,

I have come into chest-deep water,

O frog!… give me my anklet back. (2)

When she went into chest-deep water, the frog fully submerged her into the water.

Brother wailed on the riverbank as his only sister was drowned into the river. He was left

alone. He made Tovali*, musical instrument and earned his living playing upon his tovali.

One day, the brother came to his sister’s house and he sang,

My only sister was taken away from me by a frog..

O…sister...give a bite of chapatti, put it into my sling

Give me cup-ful of, gatho* pour it into my tmbadi*

Sister heard this and she identified her brother and always kept him with her.

*Tovali- stringed musical instrument made of gourd

*Gatho- potion made of flour, water adding salt,

*Tumbadi- pot like utensil made of gourd,

●●●●●

Analysis: As Aarne Thompson Uther classification of of folk tales, this tale falls into the

category of:

· A 420 God of Water

· B 604.5 Marriage to Frog

· H12. Recocnition by song (music)

There are lots of examples of residing some supernatural phenomenon attached to the

particular place on the riverbank. People and mostly women do not go to river after

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sunset. If there is an incest tale depicting brother’s sensuous desire for his own sister,

murderer brothers sacrificing their only sister and eating her meat, there is also the stories

depicting brother-sister’s innocent love as we have in the present story. Purpose of the

story seems to check the children from going into deep water. But the message served

here is not to scare the children but to show that deep waters are meant for some other

elements and it’s better not to confront with them.

6. KOVALAN ( Gamit Transcription)

Ek doho ne dohali aten. Tiha koi parivar nay ato. Ek da chomhamain tihay

chibade-kovalne ropyen. Tave tiha ga-a ek vela ve mathth kovan lagyan. Kovan pakan

jayan ne tye toda giye te kovalan akhe, ‘Man padte rakha.’ Kovalal boltan vanayne

tiyahalte navai lagi. Baki kovalante bade kam kae ne dobe hagae chara jay. Pase

thodak vakhat giyo ne kovalan akhe,“Aba, Aya, Man bag vovadi liya.” Ami, abbohote

vovadi era giyo ne ekpuhie are vorad nakhki kayan.Vvorada dihi dohe ne dohli e te

kovalan layne ukhale thovyan. Bade manhe akhe kovalan are te kehe ka-ine vorad ka-e?

Bakhi pachhan firi nay javay etle kovlan are vorad ka-ayan ne puhite kovalan are ran

yeni. Bakhi tee the-ae-yel kovalan matado nay game ne tee kada are harakhi bole nay.

Thoda dihi giya ne doho ne dohli akhet, vovlihi!, tumhe ga-a thoda dihi phiri yeya.

Kovalan ne tee the-ae ba tye puhie ga-a gavaren giye. Tan ba hob amba lagla ata. Tee

the- ae akhe, ‘Matado ray te to ambe todi khavade, kovalan kehe ka –ine khavade?

Kvalan akhe, ‘Man upe thov. Tye te kovalal upe thovyan ne tin te dalkhye dalkhye

kudi kudine hob amba padya ne pase utadati vakhate teye te dena afli! Bakhi kovalan

mahre matado ningyo. Tye pase kovala ga-a giyen. Tye the-aye te mamhal ne fuchiel badi

vat akhi ne akhyan,” Tumhe kovalan, ma matado jayo!

(Somaliben Gamit, Kelkutch village)

PUMPKIN – HUSBAND

There was an old couple. They did not have children. In the monsoon season, they

sowed creepers of various vegetables, including pumpkin seeds. One pumpkin creeper

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bore only one pumpkin fruit. It grew day-by-day. When it became ripe, old man and

woman went to pluck it. But lo! The pumpkin said in a human voice, “I am your son; you

take me home carefully, do not let me fall.” The old couple took the pumpkin home.

Pumpkin would do all the work of the house and would also go to graze the cattle. Old

couple was very happy. After some time the pumpkin – son told to his parents to find a

‘vovadi’- bride- for him. The old couple found a suitable girl for him. During marriage

procession, the couple put a pumpkin before the bride at the pounding place. The bride

did not like the bridegroom at all but the marriage could not be broken so she got married

with the pumpkin bridegroom. The bride was neither happy with her husband nor was she

happy with her Mamo and Fuchi for getting her married with a pumpkin. After some time

the bride expressed her desire to see her parents. The pumpkin-husband and his wife both

went to see his in-laws. It was the season of mangoes and there were lot of mangoes on

the trees at the bride’s house. One day, when the pumpkin-husband and his wife were

alone, the wife said “If my husband would be a man, he would have plucked mangoes for

me; how can a pumpkin pluck the mangoes for me?” Then, pumpkin said “You put me

on the mango-branch and I will pluck mangoes for you”. Pumpkin plucked mangoes for

his wife jumping from branch to branch. When it was time to bring the pumpkin down,

the wife deliberately threw the pumpkin on the ground with great thud and a handsome

young man stood up from the pumpkin. The wife became very happy and happily they

both went to the young man’s parents. The wife told her in-laws, “Your pumpkin son

became my husband”.

●●●●●

Analysis: According to Arne Thompson Motif Classification, this folktale can be placed

under the category of:

· AT 1960.D The Giant Vegetable

Verrier Elvin has documented the parallel tale, from the Chitrakoot region of Bastar

district, a Kuruk story, entitled, ‘Fisher Girl and the Crab’. In this story, crab - son is born

out of the gourd to the old couple, they get him married to a beautifu girl, who is not

happy with her crab husband and she ill-treats him. In the end, the crab- son turns out to

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be a handsome man. Changing of skin or ‘skin-dress’ motif is the very important feature

of the folklore and this has been exploited repeatedly by the transmitters of the folktales.

In some rituals pumpkin is used as the sacrificial offering suggesting the primitive belief

which finds similarities between human head and pumpkin. Image of pumpkin seems

quite handy for the narrator of the tales. In European tale, fairy God – mother transforms

pumpkin into Cinderella’s carriage, which helps the protagonist reach to the fulfillment

of her wish.

7. PASALI (Gamit Transcription)

Ek doho ne dohali aten. Tyaha ben pohen aten. Dohli ben pohe takine ma-ee goy

te doho biji dohli hoda giyo. Vatemain ek dohali chhane esu ati. tee puchhe, ‘ Kes ra

jahto, doha?’ Te doho akhe, ‘Dohali hoda jathaun vo.’ Tave tee akhe, ‘Ain ba nay gamu

ka?’ Doho akhe ‘Tu hagi gamtihi baki man agala hoda jan de’. To doho agla giyo te

dohali te pasi agla firi voli ne puchhe. ‘Ain ba nai gamu ka?’ Doh akhe ‘Chal pase, tuj

ma dohali.’ Doho ne dohali ga-a yane. Pase doho akhe,’ Eya… dala tale grye deve heten,

tu ugadine e-a-ti rakhe, ale ba bo luchche heten.’ Doho te dala pahe j kha bahe ne

nichakahal dala tale khayana dey dey. Ehe ka-ine bo dihi e-ee giya. Ek dihi doho majare

akha giyo, te dohali akhe. ‘Aje te man devhal e-a-ran de.’ Tye te angali ledan, ne dalo

ugadine e-a-yan te nichaken ! Pase doho ga-a yano tave dohali akhe ka tu man thagu

ato. Tu ami ne ami j nichakahal thovi ye ne te ain jati rahin. Pase bije dihi dohalie te

bakhe ne tuvie dal banavi deni ne doho nichakal thova nigi padyo. Pase diggi jadie main

thovi ne nahi yeno. Nichkahain te bakhe khavay tali khadi ne pase buhke jaye te rada

mandye. Tahadamain kudarat jehe tyaha pahe yeno ne tyahal gajavamahre chibada

minjade kadine dene ne akhyan ka chibade khayne raja. Nichake te chibade khayne ra

mandye pase dohalie dohal pachho dovadyo ka nichke jivtehe ka ma-ee giye e-ee ye.

Doho te yano te nichake te lethth! chibade khayne mati rayle. Nichkahay te dohal hage

chibade khvadyen. Dohal hajjad lagye, tye te thodek dohalie bag ley lede ne nichkahal

thagine paso jato rayo. Te dohali akhe ka tu chibadaha vele upadi ye ne te ain jati

rahin.Doho te giyo ne chibada velo upadi yeno. Bukh lagi te nichake te pase rada

mandye. Kudarat paso yeno ne tyahal ek gavadi dey giyo ne akhyan ka gavadie dud pine

raja. Nichke te dud pine ra mandye. Thoda dihi pase pachcho doho e-a-ra yano ne

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dohalye bag dadyamain dud ley giyo. Te dohali akhe ka tu gavadyel main takad nete ain

jati rahin. Pase doho te bilkahal leyne giyo ne gavadyel main takadi. Nichake te pase

rada mandye te kudarat yano ne akhe ka gavadye adke barabar gothavi dya. Nichakain

te tahad j ka-ayan, ne pase hakale uthaye tave te tan maththo bungalow bani gilo ne

khyna, pain ne badi sagvad ati. Thoda dihi pase dohalie dohal pachcho e-a-ran dovadyo

ka nichke jivatehe ka ma-ee giyen. Doho yeno te nichake te khy-piy ne maththa

bungalamain rathe. Eeyee da baki doho nichakaha pahe j ray padyo ne dohalie pahe

giyo j nain!


STEP-MOTHER

Once there lived a couple. They had two children. The woman died and the man

went in search of a new wife. A woman met him on the way and asked him where he was

going. The man said that he was going in search of a wife. Then again that lady asked,

‘Don’t you like me?’ The man replied, “yes, I like you but let me search for some more.’

The lady went ahead and again asked the man whether he liked her or not. Old man said,

“Ok, let it be, now onwards, you will be my wife.” That lady went to patel’s house and

cooked toor-dal and hurriedly prepared coarse chapattis and exchanged it with the old

man’s and said that she had cooked it for him. He became happy and took the woman

with him. There was a big basket turned up side down in the house. He warned his new

wife not to open that basket as the home deities were residing there and they were very

mischievous and get angry if they were disturbed. The man would sit to have food near

that big basket and used to give food to his children stealthily from his new wife. One day

the man went out for some farming related work, so that old lady became curious. She

said to herself, “Let me see the deities today.” She had bath and opened the basket and

she saw children. She realized the situation and when the old man returned she said,

“You have been cheating on me, you get rid of the children or else I would leave you.’

She cooked the chapattis and dal to be eaten by the children and the man took the

children into the forest. He left them in the dense forest under some excuse. Children

survived on the stale chapattis for some days and after they started crying bitterly out of

hunger and fear. God appeared there and gave them seeds of the creepers and advised

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them to survive on that. Children survived and were living happily. The lady sent the man

to see whether the children have survived or dead. Children gave some of the gourds to

their father. The old man again put the children into the forest but took gourd for his wife.

The woman said, ‘You pluck the creepers of the gourds or else I will ditch you.’ The man

went into the forest and he uprooted the gourd creepers. Children again started crying.

So, this time God gave them a cow. Children were drinking cow’s milk and they survived

and became strong too. The old man came to see the children and took the cow milk for

his wife in the leaf cup. His wife said, “You get the cow killed, otherwise I will leave

you.” Old man took the Bhils with him the next day and got the cow killed. Children

again started crying. God again appeared before them and told them to put properly the

bones and head of the cow. Children did as they were told and next day when they woke

up there was a big bungalow and all the facilities were available in it. Brother and sister

were living happily in the big house. Some days passed, their father again came to visit

them and to know whether the children were dead or living. But this time the man ditched

his wife and stayed with his children.

●●●●●

Analysis: This folktale can be placed under Motif classification of:

· S 31.Cruel Stepmother

· S 352. Abandoned Child(ren)

Step mother in this and other tribal tales shares the common attribute of hatred

towards the children of the former wife. Closely observing the social structure of the

time, we find that the condition of the motherless children was pathetic. In all the tales,

they are sent out of the society under some pretext and they take shelter into attic, forest

or in some object as the Flute Sister does. Land was the only wealth of the tribals and fear

of division in the ancestral land makes the step mothers cruel. In the beginning, the

innocence has to suffer but its plea never goes unheard and they are provided help

through divine intervention. The characters like ‘the youngest son, and, ‘step mother’ are

motifs found in European folktales too. Because of such examples of ill –treatment by the

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step mother all across the globe, the proverb might have come into existence ‘Ear-

piercing is done by the stepmother.’

There are many women centric tales in India. A. K. Ramanujan calls stepmothers as

the malevolent forms of the goddesses. Many of European tales about cruel stepmothers

tend to appear in India as mother-in- law tales. Yet, there is no tale found where step

father appers as one of the characters.

8. PADO (Gamit T ranscription)

Ek ba Patalaihi ek Pohlyo goval ato. To roj doben cha-a-ra jay. Patlani balali ati,

tee roj Pohlyal batara bakhe ne toovie dale ne chhalte randhi dey. Nichakan bicharan

khai nai hake ne batah-batha rade. Ami tya dobahamay ek pado ato tya pahe ahadi devi

shakti ati. Tyen yeyne Pohlyal akhyan ka tu ma ek higda main thokhe te ladva nigri ne ek

hingdamay thokhe te pain nigri. Pohlye te bo dihi pase pet baine khadan ne baki tyen

vadala ladva ata tya bandi leda ne ga-a ley giyo. Patlaniel ladva gandhay giya ne

polhyal puhhye te khabar padi ka tyal eya ladva ne pain pada pahethi milhe. Patlani te

Patlal ake ka kale kotvalyahal ne Kolchahal hadadine padal main takada. Pado badan

vanay giyo ne Pohlya akhe ka ma puchhado da-ee le ne to bada dobahal udavi ne

jangalmian du-oo leyne jato rayo. Ta dobe ne goval haririte ran mandye. Tan goval

ekhlo j ato, ale to roj pavari vajade. Tya jangalmain hat devio rav ati. Tyo pavarie tale

nacha ya mandi. Goval roj pavari vajade ne devio roj nacha yet. Ek dihi pade Pohlyal

hikhavi thovyan. Tadahi devio nacha yani te , baki goval akhe any nay vajadu. Devie bo

kalavala ka-aya te goval akhe, ‘ek sarata ve vajadu ka tuma tumhe vahani ba-a-hi man

diya’. Devio akhe, ‘Ama kale amhe ba-a-hiel tiyar kaine ley yahu ne tul dahun’. Bije dihi

te tihe vahani ba-a-h-el kutari banavi dani ne bhanra lakdal puhie roke fadke povadine

vachmany ghaline laynyo ne Pohlayl ache, Amhe ba-ahi amhethi judi padhe etle aliel nay

game’. Ale Pohlyo akhe. ‘Tumhe ba-ahinyel nay game te kay nay, tuma ehe ka-a-ya, man

ali kutari dey dya, man dobe cha-a-ne te man ari yi ne man bag hohle –bohle main di’.

Deviyo te bakai giyli etle tya govalal kutari dey dani. Tee kutari te ratrihi kutra chamda

mayre nigine Ba-a-hinyel mila jay. Ek dihi govale tye kutrye chamdamany kane ka-I

thove. Ami tye deviel tye hacha rupamany yan padyan. Pase tee tya govalabhag roj

batara bakhe ne tuvie dala chhale randi thove, baki to goval tyel kay nay akhe. Pase tee

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devi govala are hari rite ran mandi. Pase thoda dihi jaya ne tee devi akhe, Chala bo dihi

jayha, ba-a-h-nyel mili yete. ‘Pado govalal akhe,’ hachvine raje ne ba-a-hye ve visvas

rakhe ka-a-he.’ Goval yeno te te mathi ba-a-hinyel nis nay gamyan baki teru tyehey

haran haran kayan ne gavarhal khavadyan. Pas eek dihi mathi ba-a-hin ache jane

ghodal pain dekhadi ya’: etle goval te giyo te ghodo te ekdaj upe udyo ne vadla are jay

thokayo.Tave goval ghoda niche yeto rayo. Pase ghodo ekda udyo te painya main jai

padyo, baki goval ghoda ve bahi giyo etle to te bachi giyo. Pase ek ba-an-hye tyal ghodal

noye pijada ley ja akjua. Goval te ghoda leyne noye gye te ta ekki hamata noyadan yey

giyan. Baki goval ghoda gogiye many barabar da-I rayalo te painya many nay vivi

giyo.Govalne ba-a-hi tea mi tya ha ga-a yan ka-et. Pas eek dihi tye deviye ba-ahyel panin

la dovadi ne govala kha bahadyo.Tyehe te khayana main ajgara ankhve bhegi danlae.

Goval khanv ato tave j vahani ba-ahi yay giy ne govala gogiye ve jorthi thokye te tye

khayna badan oki kadyan baki hakhva hitan khavay gi lan. Pase vahni devi ne goval te

tave ne j ga-a yan nigi padye baki vatye goval ajgar bana mandyo, tave pali devie te had

had tye viti ajgara puchhadamany povadi deni. Pase govalte puro ajgar bani giyo te

daramany uray giyo. Vahani devi te rada mandi ahada many tae k guru yano ne tye

tovali vajada mandi te bade hapade ba-a nigiy yene. Tyahamayn to puchhadye ve viti

povli ajagar hago ato. Guruve te manra ka-aine tya ajgaral paso goval banavi deno ne

pase tye ga-a yey giye ne haran kaine ran mandye.

(Dhansukhbhai Gamit, Kelkutch village)

MAGICAL BUFFALO

There was a cowherd in Patel’s house. He was Pohlyo- orphan. Eveyday he would

go to graze the cattle of Patel but Patlani did not give him good food. Pohlyo would weep

as for many days he ate only coarse chapattis and toor-dal. He had one male buffalo. The

cowherd came to know about the magical power of the buffalo. Knocking at one of its

horn cowherd used to get food and knocking at other, water. One day the cowherd took

the remaining of the food at home. When Patlani came to know this, she told the Patel to

get rid of the buffalo, to be killed by the Kotvaliyas. Buffalo heard this and told Pohlay to

hold its tail and with them all the cattle of the village flew to another part of the forest.

Cattle and Pohlyo were living happily there. Since, Pohlyo – cowherd was alone he

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would play beautifully upon his Pavari, flute. Seven deities were residing into this forest.

These deity- sisters were enchanted by this spell of flute and would everyday come and

dance at the flute tune. One day when the deity sisters came to dance, the cowherd

refused to play on the flute. Seven sisters appealed him again and again but he would not

play flute. Then, he put one condition that if they give him one of their sisters, he would

play on his flute. Deities agreed to give their youngest sisters to the cowherd on the next

day. Next day, when the deities appeared, they had changed their sister into a dog and

had clothed a wood of bhangro like their sister. They said to the cowherd that their sister

is so unhappy to get separated from them that she is not able to walk. Cowherd knew

every thing, so he said to them, “If your sister is so upset to be separated from you, then I

will not take her. You give me that dog instead of your sister. It would prove useful to me

and even hunt rabbits for me.” Deities were bound by the promise, so they did not have

any option except to give the dog. The youngest deity sister everyday used to live in the

dog’s skin and would go to meet her sisters at night. One night cowherd made holes into

the dog-skin. Next day the deity had to appear in the form of a woman. Everyday she

prepared the chapattis of rice and vegetable of toor dal - skin for cowherd, but he praised

the food prepared by the deity. Actually, he used to have food from his magical buffalo.

Gradually, the deity came to be in terms with the cowherd. She started living with him

happily. One day she expressed her desire to see her sisters. Buffalo warned the cowherd

not to go but he won’t believe. So, the buffalo advised him to be cautious. When they

both went to the see deity sisters, they were not happy. However, they welcomed them

and did good hospitality. One day the eldest sister gave one horse to the cowherd and told

him to take the horse for bath into the sea water. When the cowherd took the horse to the

sea, suddenly it flew very high and collided with sky, but cowherd stuck under the horse

and then the horse suddenly fell into the sea, but then he rode on it and thus he was saved.

Next day, second sister sent him to take the horse to river. When cowherd went to river,

suddenly, the river was swollen with the flood but he tightly stuck to the neck of the

horse and he was saved. Six sisters employed various strategies to get rid of cowherd but

he was saved. Deities got more angry when they knew that even their sister had gone to

his side. One day they sent their sister away to fetch water and served the food to

cowherd, when the cowherd and the deity were to return home. Deities had mixed python

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eggs into his food. The cowherd was having food when his wife came back. She knew

about her sisters’ plan so she struck loudly on his neck. Cowherd vomited the food,

though he had swallowed the yolk of the python egg. While the cowherd and deity were

returning, he started changing into a python. Deity slipped her finger ring on the tail of

the python to identify cowherd before he completely changed into a python and slipped

into a hole. Deity got guru who had secret power. He played on his bin and all the snakes

and pythons came out of their holes. Deity indentified cowherd from the ring on its tail

and again brought him into the form of the cowherd with the help of charm of the guru.

Deity gave lots of gifts to the guru and they came back at cowherd’s house. And they

lived happily.

●●●●●

Analysis: Arne Thompson Maotif classification of this story is:

· B 100-199 Magic animals

· B 300-349 Helpful animals

There are so many tales found about ‘Goval’ in Gamit community and other tribal

societies. The significance attached to goval suggests the pastoral way of living of the

people in former days. In Gamit community, mostly the cattle-grazing is done by pohlyo-

an orphan male child. He leaves village early in the morning with cattle and returns at

sunset. His time is spent with his cattle.Wandering into the wilderness, his gang of boys

provide him with unlimited spheres of adventure. He can go on romantic errands with the

girl cattle grazers. There is no one to check him. His leisure hours are filled with hunting,

catching fish, bathing in the river and playing upon his flute. A Gamit father would very

proudly tell other person that his son has become goval; meaning a young man. Goval in

Gamit community is no different than Krishna. Because of tribal belief in animism,

animal talea are considered as the oldest genre of folktale. ‘No Hindu would doubt the

fact of animal speaking or of man transformed into plants and animals. There are lots of

songs available relating to goval in Gamit community. The world of goval is closer to the

world of make-belief. His place is at such horizon where the natural and supernatural

blend is experienced more realistically. As a child I have heard lot of tales about goval’s

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prayint to local deity, not to allow the cart or the marriage procession to go until they

‘pay some big offering’ to the deity which would be consumed by the goval after offering

a part of it to the deity.

9. Aanhali Mor (Gamit Transcription)

Ek gaanvamay ek matho khatedar Mor ranv ato. To ba ek puhie are vorad kaaran

ke. Tye puhie havaki ayo ati. Tee tye hagi puhyel tya Mora are rakhada kae.Pase ek dihi

mathi puhyel pane bara dovadi ne veyamany j dekli danee. Pase, Aahalimor vovdi hode

baki tyal vovdi j nay jadi, etle to aandalyel leyno. Aandhali randi thove ne bande kaam

kaene to majaren aakha jaayaa kae. Aandali angalan jay tyan ek dihi kanvlaa fuunle

dechyan. Aandli lyaa jay te doou ne doou ba jay ne aahali mor lan geeyo te upe upe yey.

Ek dihee aahali mor fulan pendee leyano ne beentada ve laavee dena ne tyaaluj eayaa

kae. Khaato jay ne aeato jay. Te aandalyel kheej chadee. Tee baa mandee ne te kanvala

fuln ukade j take yaanee. Taan ek dolako peda jayo. More te tiya dolkal uchharee

kaadyone dolako laagyo. Teeye te todeene cheeyen ne aandalyel raanda dei geeyo ne to

majaren aakha geyo. Dolakaha cheerande aandalye ten randa thovye. Tye tapalaan

maanhare bole,

“Aandhyeaadaken gad… gad...

Aandhye aadaken gad… gad…”

Aandaleete mandee te tapalan leine ukde khekharee yenee. (yaanee) Mor ga yano ne

poochyan, “Dolako nain randhyo?” Te aandalee aakhe,“marakhee yey tyaan patala

kootaral, gaamain urai ne tapaleh j lai Nathan.” Jese dolake takee denle tan kaalaha

velo udyo. More te teeyal hago uchaareekaadyone kaaalen lagye tyaa cheerade kaene

majare aakhaa geeyo ne aandalyel raandaa aakhee geeyo. Aandalye te taavo thoyone

kaaale randan baakee kaaale bole,

“Aandhye aadaken gad... gad

“Aandhye aadaken gad….. gad

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Aandalee te pache kaaale ukde khekharee yaanee. Mor te yayne pooche,“tve kaalen nai

randyen?” , tva andali akhe ‘laaggee yey tyaa patla ihna kootaral, tavo j lei naatha’.

More te kaai naiaakhyan. Ukden aambo udee neegyo. Aahali more te to hago uchharee

kaadyo ne neecho j teru aambaa lagyaa. Aakha gavanmany aambaa denaa baakee

pohlyayaaluj nai dena. Pohlyo akhe, “majare akha anyu j janv ato , ne badahal aamba

dena bakee manuj nai denaa”. To te aamba tale geeyo te ekuj aambo ray geelo aato.

Tyen te dagdatee dagdateene aambo padyo te agyamaahy jay padyo! Pohlyete paage

page kaine luchee takyone dovi takyone batamany thovee danone aakhe,

“Aambo pakaree tave aaye aare choleene, vaateene khaahuh”.

Pohalyo te roj dihee kame jay. Ese ambamahreek batakaal nige. Teete aangalee leine

talap- balap okhaveene, gan baaine raandee thove.Ahada char-ek dihee jayane pohalyo

mala ve chadee rayo.Kaame nai geeyo. To te bad eaya kae paase pale batkal badan kam

kaine aambaamany urayaa goy tave tye chotlo j daee ledone aakhe,“Tu boot hetee ka

choot hetee? Tuh alaa dihee thee randee thove, bakee aaje tul nai jandaun.” Palee

batkaal aakhe,“Aain te kaala mathanan mahjh hetyaahv ne aambamany rahuh. Aany ta

badh kaam kahee baakee tuh maan tah ihee ravde”.

Pohlye te tyel rakhee. Ek dihi Mor majre ankha yeno ne to pohlyal aakhe, “Tumhe

taahnee batkaal lethth dekhaahe, tee maa ihee kamaree nai yeya ka? Pohlyo aakhe, “yey

j ra! “Pase batkal te Pohlya are kame jan lagi. Ek dihi Pohlyal batkal akhe,” aany tula

ek goth akhhu, tu o babai ehe akhje.” Pase batkal te goth akhan mandi, geete lavti akhe,

“Andhlyel dekhine man booli geeyon…..nee ra Pohla …

Dolkal ukde takyo nekala kutaral khavadya…..nee ra Pohla…

Ehe kaine tye te akhi goth geeta main akhi, Tve Aanhali Mor ranamany j ato. T obad

vanayun j ato. Pase More te hupadan baine rupiya Pohlyal dana, amba haga dana ne tye

batkalyelu j rakhi!


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Peacock Husband

In a village, there lived a Peacock. He had much land. He wanted to marry a girl,

but the girl’s step mother wanted her own daughter to get married with the peacock. One

day that lady sent the girl to fetch water and she pushed her from behind in to the river.

The girl was drowned. After some time, peacock again started the search of a wife, but he

did not get any, so finally, he got married to the blind girl, the daughter of that woman.

That blind lady would do all household work including cooking. Peacock would take

care of his farming. One day, when the blind woman went for bathing, she saw a lotus

flower in water. When blind lady tried to reach it, the flower seemed to move far and far

away. When the peacock went for bathing, the lotus flower approached closer and closer.

He brought the flower home and stuck it on the wall and kept it watching all the time. He

would stare at the flower even while having food. So, his wife got angry and plucked the

flower and threw it at the heap of the cowdung, dump-yard. A creeper of gourd grew up

there, peacock nursed it and very soon a gourd creeper bore the fruit. Peacock plucked it,

gave it to his wife for cooking and went to call the labourers. Blind woman cut the gourd

into pieces and put them in the pan to cook when vegetable was being cooked, it made

the sound,

“Blind lady’s bones are boiling…ga…da….ga…da….

Blind lady’s bones are boiling…..ga…da…ga...da…”

The blind woman got angry and she dumped away all the vegetable at the cowdung dump

yard. When the peacock came and inquired about the vegetable she said,“May hell befall

upon that dog of the patel’s house, it entered into the kitchen and ate up all the

vegetable.”

Where the gourd was dumped, a creeper of bitter gourd grew up there. Peacock

nursed it well and when the creeper started to bear bitter gourds, he plucked them, cut

them into pieces and gave them to his wife to cook. Blind lady put them into the pan to

cook and again she heard the sound,

“Blind lady’s bones are boiling…ga…da….ga…da….

175

Blind lady’s bones are boiling…..ga…da…ga...da.”

She took the whole pan and dumped the vegetable. When peacock inquired, she

said, ‘Damn that dog of patel’s house, it ran away with the whole pan’. Now, there grew

a mango tree where the vegetable was dumped. Peacock took good care of the plant and

soon it started bearing mango fruits. Blind lady gave mangoes to all the people of village

but she did not give to the farmhand ‘pohlyo’ who used to work in their farms. He

became sad, though he went under the tree and saw only one fruit which was left out. So,

he hurled the stones and fell the fruit down. Though, it fell in the shit he took it, clean it

and put it in to the hay to ripe and he said to his mother that they would relish mango fruit

when it got ripe. Now, this farmhand was going to work in the peacock’s farms. When

the farmhand would go out for work, then a beautiful girl would appear from the mango,

would bath, get ready and would cook the food for the farmhand and for his mother. The

farmhand was surprised and one day did not go for work and kept hiding. The lady came

out of the mango, cooked the food and as she was about to enter in to the mango, he

caught her by her tresses and asked her,” Are you a spirit or a witch? The woman said

that she was only a human being and requested him to let her stay with him and help her.

When the peacock came to call the farmhand and said that the girl at pohlya’s house was

very beautiful, why he was not sending her to work in his farms. One day when these two

were working in the field, the girl said, “I tell you my story, you just listen to it”. Then

she sang,

‘Watching the blind woman you forgot me,

Nee ….ra..pohla…

I was pushed into river….ne ra pohla…

You dumped sweet gourd and threw bitter gourd to dog

Nee, ra, pohla…

And thus she told her story through a song. Peacock heard this story and he came to

know about the girl and her tragic death. He gave money and also mangoes to pohlya

and he married the girl.

176

●●●●●

Analysis: Aarne Thompson Motif classification of this tale is:

· AT Type 780 The Singing Bone

· ‘The Singing Bones’ formula, (cf Eng. Fairy Tales, No.ix.) (Jacobs 266)

There are two stories in which motif of ‘step mother’ is used and in both these tales

they remain true to their nature. One stepmother tried to kill the step children while the

stepmother in this story killed her step daughter, so that her daughter would marry a

wealthy peacock. This story suggests about village politics wherein a competition takes

place among unmarried girls to get a prosperous husband. Some would also resort to

witchcraft to fulfil their ambition. Peacock in the present folktale doesn’t show any bird

like qualities or behave like a supernatural being like ‘mynah’. He is purely human, rather

he behaves like a responsible farmer who is always busy with agricultural activities.

In many Gamit and tribal folktales, Pohlyo plays very important role though he

stays out of the central social structure of the society. His house proves to be a shelter for

the tormented souls like protagonist in the tale. ‘Person appearing from mango’, such

narratives are found in the ‘Folktales of Mahakosal’ as well. Motif of rebirth is found

here. Though trying hard, stepmother never suseeds in her plan. This tale had variants in

the countries like, The Blue Lily (Spain), The Singing Bones (French Louisiana), Under

the Green Old Oak Tree (Antigua), The Griffin (Italy) etc.

10. BAGALO – LAVAND (Gamit Transcription)

Ek Raja puhi ati. Tave ek bagalo akhe ka ainy ali raja londye are vorad ka-a-ran.

Baki bagala are kehe ka-i-ne vorad ka-e, ale tyahay ek sarat thovi ka bagalo raja bungla

jalo j khambo banavi dey te tye nichkie vorad bagala are ka-ari. Bagalo te khambo

banada mandyo ne banavi kadyo, baki tee puhi akhe ka bagala are nay vorad ka-un.

Pase bagale te tya ganva main pain band ka-ee dan-a. ne ghodan ne chidan bade ma-a-

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ran mandye. Pase rani akhe ka ali puhiel arada raj diya, nokar –chakar diya, ne tiyar

ka-ine bagala pahe thovi ya. Pase tee raja puhi akhe,

Khamba parna bagala…. (2)

Pani varu chhod re…tu...pani varu...chhod

But the crane replied,

Gadi parni londi (2) tu ori avti ja….

Pani kadi na chhodnar re...pani kadi na chhodnar..

Raja puhi bagala pahene pahe jati goy pase tye bagale te tee puhiel hagi ley ledi ne

arada raj unche thovi dana ne ekk hatya pain chhodyan nay chhodyan ka raja ne rani ne

raj ne bad vovadi ley giyan.


CRANE AND THE PRINCESS

There was a princess. A crane wanted to marry her, but the princess would not agree to

marry the crane. So, she put a condition that if the crane makes a pole as high as her

father’s palace, she would marry him. So, the crane started to make the pole and finished

its construction and chirped on the pole. Though, princess refused to marry the crane. So,

the crane stopped the flow of the water into their kingdom, animals and birds started

dying. The king gave half of his kingdom, animals and everything to the princess and

commanded the queen to send the princess to the crane in the palanquin. The princess

sang,

‘O crane…. sitting so high on the pole,

Please, release the water’

But the crane said,

‘O princess…. riding in the palanquin

178

Would not release the water

Unless you come to me’

The princess went closer and closer to the crane. Then, the crane took the princess,

kingdom, placed them safely and so suddenly released the water that all the kingdom and

animals were washed away with the flow of water.

●●●●●

Analysis: As per classification of Thompson, this tale’s type is:

· B602.5 Marriage to Crane. India : Thompson-Balys

· B623.1 Crane as Wooer. India : Thompson-Balys

Marriage is very important theme that is found in most of the Gamit tales. But, the

marriages take place in folktales are the type of forced marriage as we found in the tales

of Menhout, Anklet, Pumpkin-huband, in Step-mother or in Peacock Husband. Marriages

in these most of the folktales are made not in heaven but in the supernatural world.

Suitor for the bride can be a crab, frog, pumpkin or a crane as in the present tale.

In the presnt story, flood reminds us of the mythological Great Flood, which is

caused as the divine retribution. Kanjibhai Patel observes in the tribal folktale collection

‘Goth,’ that the Creation Myth does exist in Gamit community and they believe that land

was created from water.

It is very important to note that before bringing the flood, the crane finds a

mate for him, puts half of the kingdom safely which was given to him as the ‘bride-

money.’ Gamit people worship ‘Bagala Dev or’ ‘Bagala Bhoot’, a white deity who

possesses both benevolent and malevolent powers.

The use of the word ‘lavandi’ or ‘londi’ stands for ‘Laundiya’ which is the Hindi

slang for an unmarried girl. The image of the characters identifying them as the royalties

is not very familiar in Gamit milieu. This folktale has the hint of sacrifice motif. To

appease the deity or to save the people, offering human sacrifice, is a very familiar motif

of Indian folktales.

179

11. KAVALAN FULAN (Gamit Transcription)

Ajjoho ne puhi ek dihi noye dagle dova giyen. Tan puhiye ek kavala fulan dekhyan

ne ayhel akhe, “Aya, man fulan ley de.” Fulan panya main udalan atan. Ayo fulan la goi

baki fulan nay vavday. Tave tee geetan lavine puhyel akhe,

‘Mondye ale painye hagi yeni va …bayu…

kavalan fulan nay vavday…’

Baki puhi akhe, “mante fulan j jujhe.” Tave ayo pachi unde fulan lan goi, ne akhhe,

‘Kadye ale painye hagi yeni va…bayu….

Kavalan fulan nai vavday…’

Ajjho jale fulan la jahe, fulan unde ne unde jatan jahe. Puhi fulan lan akhe. Pase chhatye

ale painye goi. Ajjoho akhe,

‘Chhatye ale painye hagi yeni va……bayu,…

. Kavalan fulan nay vavday…’

Baki tee nichaki te ath ley ne bathali, tyel fulan j juje. Ajjoho anju ba unde fulan lan goi

ne tee budi j goi ne nichaki radati j ray goy.

(Rataniben Gamit, Kelkutch village)

LOTUS FLOWER

Mother and daughter went to the river to wash the clothes. Daughter saw a lotus

flower floating upon the water and she said to her mother, “Mother! Get me the lotus

flower.” Mother went to pluck the flower but she could not reach it, so she said to her

daughter,

‘I’ve come into knee deep water…. dear

But can’t reach lotus flower’

But the daughter wanted the lotus flower. And mother went further into deep water but

she could not reach the flower; so she said to her daughter,

‘I’ve come into the waist-deep water ... dear

180

Though, I can’t reach the lotus flower’

The mother was going to reach the lotus flower, and it was moving into deeper and

deeper water, but the daughter wanted nothing except the flower. Then, the mother went

into still deeper water and she said,

‘I’ve come into the chest- deep water... dear

Though, I can not reach the flower’

But, the daughter was obstinate, she would not be persuaded. Then, the mother went into

still deeper water and she was drowned in to water. The daughter would not stop crying.

●●●●●

Analysis: Aarne –Thompson Motif Index of this tale is:

· A 420 God of water

The tale can also be classified into a moral tale. Demanding something beyond the reach

can result into permanent loss. The use of showing different water level comparing with

various human limbs is the archetype feature of folktale found across the globe. Among

the primitive societies, when the unit of deapth was not known, people would use their

limbs to measure. Joseph Jecobs has given a story which he quoted from Santal Folktales

collected by A. Campbell. The protagonist in the tale cried to her brother,

‘Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my neck,

Still, oh! My brother, the pitcher will not dip.’

12. VENTYO (Gamit Transcription)

Ek ganva main hat baha rav ata, tyaha mainre ek vahano baha ventiyo ato. Eya

baha ba chor ata baki tya ventyal nay ley jay. Ek dihi chh bahahain nakki ka-ayan ka

patla ihin chori ka-a-ra jainan. To ventiyo akhe ka man bu ley jaya baki tya akhe ‘tu ba

ventiyo heto, tan ta kay kam?’ Ventiyo akhe’, varu’. Pase ventiyo te kavalo patala ihi

giyo te dubi rayo. Nichakal jolie main takine patala vovlihi ba bakhe banavu ati. Tee

vahana nichakal huvadti jay ne bakhe banavti jay. Ventiyo mandyo ne te vahana pohal

181

ba vayuk chimati denan ne nichakan rada mandyan.To pase nichakal uchakine ukade

thovi yeno. Nicahaka boj rada mandyan tave patala vovlihi ache ,‘Bayu, payaha kes kes

thoviaha ain tee tila akhahun baki tu radto rakhe. Pase patala ihni vovlihe nichakan

vanaya aga ray giyan ehen hamajine badan akha mandi. Pase badan vanayne ventiya te

chanaha kothadie main kudi padyo ne dubi rayo. Pase barabar rat padi ne pala bahate

patala ihi chori ka-a-r yena ne khado khodine ga-a-me uraya baki tyahal kai nay jadyan.

Tave tyahay pala ventiya bahal kothadie many dekhyo. Tave baha puchhet. ‘Arrr…. tu

kayla yano ra?’ Baki to ventiyo ache. ‘Man ba-aa kada ne te bamli dihi vo.’ Pase pala

bah ate ventiyal ba-aa kadi ley natha. Tya akhya parmane kothadi hagi tyal chadavi

deni.Tya ek jada ve payha thovun ata. To baha tyahal da-a-vadi dee ehe ka-ai-ne tya

bahahany te tya vettiyal hago kothadi are upe chadavi deno ne tya bada payha ley ne jata

raya. Ese ujalan jayun, pase ekte ese raja dhad jaun ati, tya bada ghodawala ek pas eek

ghoda ve chadine jau ata. Jave chhella goda valo yeno ne tave tye ventiye te butadi j deni

afali! To godo te ma-ee j giyo ne palo godavalo upere kay padyan ehe ka-ee-ne gabrayne

nahi giyo. Pase tyen ventiye te kay ka-a-yan terse chana ek chhodvo upadine goda

muanmain thovi dano. Pase tya chana kiyada malik yeno tave to ventiyo akhe,’ Tuen ba

ma godo main takyo ami ain rajal fariyad ka-hine tila da-a-vadi dihin. To akhe ka ehe

rakhe ka-a-to, ain tul hupadan ba-ee-ne payaha dahun. To te payaha ley ne paso jada

tale yano te tya ghodal bade govade khaya ka-et. Godal kha bade govade andar hage

uray giyle. Tye ventiye te kay ka-yan, goda mu-u-n j duki dan ne govade uda nandye te to

godo hago udan mandyo. Tahada main bijo godavalo yeno to akhe, ‘Ayaya… ta godo te

udhe to ra…Tu ta godo man dey de ne ain man godo tul dey dahun’. Tye te ventiya are

godo badali ledo pase ventiya akhe ka ek da godo unche udari pase tu ala goda mu-un

duklan hey ti kadi takje. Palo unche udyo ne godavale goda mu-un dukalan atan tee kadi

takyan te bade govde udi nathe ne to ghodavalo niche padine ma-ee giyo. Pase to ventiyo

te bada payha leyne ga-a giyo ne bahahal akhe, ‘Tuman man takine nahim yenla ele ain

tumhal kay nai daun.’ Pase to ventiyo te sukhethi rayo.

(Ratanibeb Gamit, Kelkutch village)

DWARF

182

There were seven brothers. Of these seven brothers, the youngest was the dwarf. These

brothers were thieves but they did not take their dwarf brother with them. One day these

thieves made a plan to steal at the patel’s house and they said the dwarf that they would

not take him as he was of no use to them. The dwarf reached patel’s house earlier than his

brothers.Patel’s daughter-in-law was making chapattis for dinner and her child was

sleeping in the cradle. Dwarf pinched the child and the child started crying loudly.

Child’s mother said ‘Do not cry, I tell you where your father and grandfather has hidden

the money’. Dwarf took the child and put it at the cow-dung dump-yard and he slept into

the cradle. The child’s mother thought that her child was interested to know where the

money was hidden, so she told about all the places where money was hidden. Then, the

dwarf again put the child into the cradle and he hid himself in to a kothi of peas. When

his brothers came, he showed them all the places where money was hidden and he said

them that if they did not take him with them, he would awake the whole household. So,

the six brothers took him with them, they divided money but did not give anything to the

dwarf. The dwarf said, ‘You put me up on the tree with this kothi or else I will call the

people.’ Day broke and a group of soldiers was passing from there. Then, the dwarf

threw the kothi on the last horse rider. The horse died on the spot and its rider ran away.

The dwarf came down, put some pea-plants from the near by farms and put inside the

mouth of the dead horse. When the owner of the farm came, he said ‘You killed Raja’s

horse, now I will complain and you will go to jail.’ Owner of the farm appealed the dwarf

not to complain, instead he would give him a basket full of money. The dwarf agreed.

When the dwarf returned, eagles were feasting the carcass of the horse from inside. So,

the dwarf blocked the hole and the eagles flew in to the air inside the skin of the horse.

Meanwhile another horse-rider came there, he was very much surprised by the flying

horse and he gave a proposal for the exchange of horse, offering the dwarf more money.

The dwarf agreed and he said the rider to remove the blockage of the horse when it

reached up high. The rider did the same but with the removing of the blockage, all the

eagles came out of horse’s carcass and flew away. The horse rider fell down with a big

thud and died on the spot. The dwarf went home with lot of money but he did not give

even a single coin to his six brothers.

●●●●●

183

Analysis: Aarne Thompson Motif classification of folktale is:

· AT 1535 The Rich and the Poor Peasants

· + 956 B The Clever Maiden at Home

· 1653 R- The Robbers Under the Tree

Use of numericals three, seven is very common formula of folk tale. The youngest

sibling enjoyes special affection in the family which gives rise to the feeling of sibling

rivalry. Joking relation with the sister –in-law and in case of elder brother’s death, fear of

future suitor of his wife results into hatred of the elder brothers for the younger one. In

several stories a youth achieves his porpose in this way; he climbs a tree and when some

travelers comes below, he/she drops something upon them which frightens them away.

He/She descends and takes their property. All the characters in the story are humans

though, the dwarf is not considered as the normal human being. He is always considered

below normalcy but in the end with his wit and by fate, this underdog, suddenly reaches

to riches, from weakness to powers.

13. PANOTI (Gamit Transliteration)

Ek raj –rajwadan atan. Raja, rani ne tyaha ben poha ata. Tya raja ihin ek sadu

mangan yanv ato. Raja tyal khob khayanan dey devade ka jyathi tyal roj khayan nay lan

yan pade. Teru sadu te roj khob khayana ley jay. Ek dihi raja sadua ga-a jayne dubi

rayo. Sadu te mangi leyne yano baki talhamain ek the-e yani ne badda khayan leyne chal

padi ne sadua bag vaykuj thovyan. Raje te tee the-el da-ee ledine akhyan ka tu kaykan

sadua khyanan kadi ley jatahi. Tave tee the-e akhe. ‘Ain Panoti hetyav ne sadua are

rahun.’ Tve raja akhe ka ami tu maa are raje. Panoti te raja ga-a ran yani. Dire, dire

raja baddan dan gata mandyan ne puran ovi giyan. Pase tyen bija rajmain ran jate

rayen. Raja ne pohal te kodan kam nay avde ale rani gahayan pikhi ley ne ehe ka-ine

tyen arade bukhe rayne pet baet. Pase ranie ath gahya kaine bo vaday giya. Tave tye n

ajjoho abboho bukhe rayne orsi leyne. Ami, rani vadare charan vadi lay ne dala vanjara

ihi goy te vanjaro tyel leyne ratorat jato rayo. Ese, raja ne poha vat aee aee ne thaki giya

pase tya haga akhe ka apa haga ihithi jata rata. Tya jaun ata tave vatemain noy yani ne

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barabar noyadan yenlan atan. Raja ek pohal ley ne jan hoden baki beni poha are j laget,

tyahal ehen ka abboho tyahal taki jairee. Pase, raja te ek pohal ese bandine thovi giyo ne

ekal leyne giyo. Tya pohal tes thovine, bandine bija pohal lan yeno. Noyadamain magadi

ati tee magadi rajal gili goy. Beni poha radataj raya. Noyade dubalen ynen, tyen beni

pohahal ley giyen ne hari rite rakhya ne banavya. Ese, jee magadi rajal gili goyli, tyel

machhimarahain da-ee ledi ne chee-ee, tave tye mahare adami ningyo. To jve banmain

yeno tave tyen badi vat machhimarhal ka-ee. Tya , rajmain raja nain ato, ale tyahain tya

rajal raja banadyo. Ami vanjaro hago tya j rajmain ato. Tya ihi chori jaee, ale tye rajal

fariyad deni. Raje pala ben sipadhal vanjara ihi di rakha thovya. Ratrihi eya ben

sipadhal bo nind yey ale tyen tyaha vat ka-a-ra mandya ka, tya raja poha ata ne tyaha

ajjoho kehek jati ray ahe. Ami vanjara the-e een badan vanati jay ne radati jay baki tyel

kayn bolay nain. Bije dihi raje badhal hadi dovadye ne puchhyan ka beni sipaden

barabar choki kahun aten ka nay. Vanjara the-e akhe ka beni sipaden hage nain huvalen

ne tee hagi nay huvye; kahaka tee tyaha vat vanayun ati ne tya tyej poha heta. Raje te

sipadhal hadya ne puchhyan tave tyen baddi vat ka-ee ka tyaha ajjoho ne abboho kehenk

chhuten padi giyen. Tave raja akhe ka magadi gili giye tote ain j, maa poha chhuta padi

giyala ne ma rani takay giye. Bade ekthe ovee giyen. Raje tya vanzaral tangadi kadyo.

Tyaha panoti puri ovee gee.

(Rataniben Gamit, Kelkutch village)

PANOTI

There was a king, queen and they had two sons. A sadhu used to beg to king’s

palace everyday. The king would give him lot of food and food items so that the sadhu

did not have to come everyday. However, the sadhu came everyday. One day king went

to see at sadhus’ place and hid himself. Then, a woman came over there and took most of

the food from sadhu’s hut leaving just handful for him. The king caught the woman and

asked who she was. She said that she was Panoti and she consumed everything Sadhu

had. King told her to come with him and stay at his palace. After Panoti came to live at

the king’s palace, everyday his wealth went on reducing and one day king became very

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poor. So, the king and his family left the kingdom. They did not know any work, so

queen would go and bring some grass snatching with her hands, would sell and thus they

were living. Then, queen’s hands were so bruised that she was not able to pluck grass and

they decided to bring sickle to cut grass. To buy the sickle, king and queen went without

food. Now, queen would bring more grass, so they had proper food. One day queen went

to grind the food grain at Vanzara’s place, where he captured her and left the place. King

and his sons waited for the queen for many days and when she did not return, they

decided to live that place. When they were leaving, there was a flood in the river. Now,

both the sons were very young and were not ready to leave their father. The king left

younger son on opposite side of the river, tied him up and came to take the another son.

But, into the water, a crocodile swallowed him and both sons cried very much but they

could not do anything since they were tied up on each river bank. People of dubala

community came there and they took both the princes with them. The crocodile was

captured by the fishermen, When, crocodile was caught by the fishermen, they cut open it

and found the living man inside who was unconscious. When the king, came to his

senses, he told his pathetic tale to the fishermen. There was no king into their kingdom,

so he was made king of their kingdom. By coincidence, Vanzara, who had captured the

queen, also came to live in the same kingdom. The two sons had grown up and the dublas

had made them soldiers in the king’s palace. One day, thieves broke into the vanzara’s

place and he reported of the theft in the office of the king. King provided the protection

of the soldiers to vanzara. At night, the soldiers told their story to one another so that

they might not fall asleep. The queen, their mother was also listening to the soldiers’ life

story, but she could not speak to them because of the fear of vanzara. Next day, vanzara

and his wife were called into the court and king asked them whether the soldiers were

awake all the night or not. The queen replied that neither the soldiers had slept nor could

she sleep as she was weeping whole night listening to these soldiers’ story. Then,

vanzara’s wife told the king about how she got separated from her husband and her two

sons. Then, the soldiers too, told the king about how they got separated from their king

father. Listening to this story the king said that he himself was the father of the princes

and husband of the queen. The king punished vanzara and the king’s family once again

came together and thus their panoti was removed.

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(Rataniben Gamit. Kelkutch village)

Analysis: AT Motif classification of the tale is:

· L. Reversal of Fortune

· N. 130. Changing of Luck or Fate

· N.250.Persistent Badluck

This tale seems to be migrated from the Hindu religious stories. Episodes like,

offering help at the risk of harming self and the protagonist’s innocent family’s

suffering, separation of all the family members, abduction of the woman by a lecherous

gypsy, all these aspects make this tale non-tribal. Though, the image of queene cutting

grass, selling it, grinding, make it rooted in tribal milieu. All the characters are pure

human and they suffer the reversal of the fate. After suffering, their badluck was

removed and once again the family came together.

Close examination of these folktales reveal the following folk traits:

· Journey through dark forest

· Enchanted transformation

· Magical curse or other spells

· Encounter with helpful animals or mysterious creatures

· Transformation of human to animal/ Animal to human

· Cruel step mother

· Gods in love with human

Listeners and readers might be awe- struck through the intervention and spell of

supernatural but the tribals take it as the matter of factness and acknowhedge magic as a

part of life without surprise or disbelief. This stylistic feature distances the folk elements

from reality and it provides an important distinction between folk literature and modern

literary fantasy. Boundaries between human world and animal world are less sharply

drawn and change form freely.

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The diversity of India’s culture ensures a wide and complex range of tales which

help to maintain traditional language and customs from different regions, religious and

social groups and tribes. Folktales exercise a powerful influence over the popular

imagination. The most remarkable thing about the folktales is their fluidity. In the preface

to Folk Tales from India, wellknown folklorist A.K. Ramanujan says, “No selection can

truly represent the multiple and changing lives of Indian tales (Ramanujan preface). Each

of the tales found in one culture has the variant in other regions”. In this sense, folktales

are the ‘native documents’.

Perhaps the oldest and some of the best known Indian folktales are about animals,

which go as far back in written texts as the Jatakas (300BCE-400 AD) and the

Panchtantra.. (1200BCE – 300BCE) Intended especially for children, they enable their

young audience to feel powerful when their counterparts in the stories, small animals,

like crow or Hiraman the parrot- defeat stronger animals like tigers. Animal tales assume

a variety of literary forms, including fables, pourquoi tales, beast tales and animal bride

stories, such as the crab, tortoise and the hare are characedrized by their focus on moral.

The Index of Types of folk tales is the classic catalogue devised by ‘Aarne-

Thompson Tale Type Index’. In this Index, animal tales are categorically assigned Type-

1 to 299 numbers, which shows the spread of animal tales across the world.

Transformation technique falls into perhaps the most powerful of the animal tales. These

stories represent human’s bestial nature and reflect a conflict that accompanies the

integration and acceptance of sexual desires and behavior into the personality.

Apart from the established features of folktales which are characters, settings,

plot, and theme, transformation is also one of the significant traits of folktale. It can also

be identified with the disguise, metamorphosis or therianthropy. In mythology, folklore

and speculative fiction, shape shifting is the ability of a being or of a creature to

transform its physical form or shape. This idea persisted through Middle Ages. Usually,

the agency causing shape shifting is used by a sorcerer or witches. Seemingly, all the

Greek and Roman gods were shape shifters, although some of them enjoyed changing

their forms more than others and more than once. The idea of shape shifting is present in

the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism as well as the oldest exist literature and epic

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poems like Iliad and Odyssey. Shape shifting is usually induced by the act of deity or

demi- god. Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are replete with the

examples of shape shifting. It remains a common trait in modern fantasy, children’s

literature and works of popular literature. The most common form of shape shifting in the

myth is that of therianthropy which is the transformation of human beings in to an animal

(werewolves) or conversely, of an animal into human form. Legends too, have the themes

of transformation of another human countenance.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ is one of the most popular of archetype folktales that

appears in every culture in some form or another and is always greeted with delight.

Variants of this tale include monster husband, snake-husband, crocodile- husband, dog-

husband and almost all imaginable animals - all under a spell- all ultimately transformed

by the love and steadfastness of the heroine. In some versions, the animal husband is a

supernatural being who can in either shape; he may be a human or a nature spirit such as

in North American tribal tales of woman marrying fish deities or bear spirits.

Norton (2009) describes transformation stories as threshold tales in which

characters move in and out of animal world and typically show the bond between human

and animals. In these transformation tales, how the relationship is portrayed, is heavily

influenced by the culture in which the tale is originated. Readers and listeners of stories

that feature animals can learn much about humanity and its place alongside its animal

kin. There are lots of Indian fables where animals figure in with their human

counterparts. Bompas collected the tales of Santhal Pargana where the dog features in as

the bride with whom a buffalo- herder falls in love.

Therianthropy, basically the term of Anthropology, is the mythological ability of

human beings to metamorphosis into other animals by means of shape – shifting. The

most well known form of therianthropy is found in stories concerning werewolves. These

stories are still adapted in to the movies and they fascinate the spectators today in the

same manner as they used to be long long ago. The box office success of Hollywood

‘Twilight’ movies is the example of it. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Ironman are the

modern versions of therianthropy.

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Tribal folk tales that have been collected during the field visist and documented in

the study, majority are the animal tales. In these stories crab, crane, peacock, mynah,

frog, python and even pumpkin, flowers, trees and creepers feature as the spouses of their

human counterparts. Amphibians like crab, python and frog may seem less romantic than

dog bride or wolf husband. One reason for the popularity of such tales may be the idea of

the small and seemingly helpless actually having powers even over the high and mighty.

Another reason for this may be the tribal faith in animism; their belief in the distinct

spiritual essence in physical objects, places and creatures. Supporting this belief Verrier

Elvin says, ‘The skin dress- motif is an old Hindu motif; the changing of clothes,

masques, personae and even bodies’.

In some of the stories like ‘Crab and Three Sisters’, ‘Crane and The Princess’,

shape shifting do not take place, but they use their charm to win over their human

counterparts. Changing of form was one of the qualities out of thirty two qualities of the

ideal king. King Vikram of Ujjain often resorted to ‘parkaya praves mantra’ to help his

subjects.

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Respondents:

Charavi village, Vansada taluka, Navasari district.

Kelkutch village, Vansada taluka, Navasari district.

Unai town, Vansada taluka, Navasari district.

WORKS CITED

Aarne, Antti, and Stith Thompson. The types of the Folktales. Academia Scientiarum

Fennica, 1961. books.google.co.in books

Degh, Linda. “Folk Narrative”. Folklore and Folklife An Introduction. Ed. Richard

Dorson, The University of Chicago Press, 1972.

Devy, Ganesh, and Kanaji Patel eds. Bharatiya Bhasha Lok Survekshan: Gujarat, Diu-

Daman Ane Dadara-Nagar Havelini Bhasha. Vol. 9. Part.3, Orient Blackswan,2016.

Forbes, James. Oriental Memories: A Narrative of Seventeen Years Residence in India.

Vol. 13. Richard Bentley, 1834.

Grierson, G.A. Linguistic Survey of India: Indo-Aryan Family Central Group. The Bhil

Languages. Vol.9. Office of the Superintendent of Digital South Asia Library, 1907.

archive.org details in

Jacobs, Joseph. Indian Fairy Tales. David Nutt, 1912.

Jadav, Kishore. Folklore and its Motif in Modern Literature. Manas Publications, 2013.

Patel, Kanaji, ed. Goth. Adivasi Akadami. Tejgadh founded by Bhasha, 1996.

www.bhasharesearch.orgPdf

Ramanujan, A K., A Flowering Tree and other folk tales from India. Stuart Blackburn

and Alan Dundes ,ed. Penguin Books . 1997.

---.ed. Folk Tales from India. Pantheon Books.1991.

Chapter 4 Folktales of Gamit Community

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