Echoes of the East: British Writers’ Retelling of Indian Folk Tales

Abstract

Due to the richness of culture, religion and language, Indian folk tales have always attracted authors worldwide. Not only do they entertain people across the globe, but they also embody India's ethical values. These narratives are replete with contemporary belief systems, cultural values, moral lessons, and the writers' life experiences. In a very entertaining manner, they provide the knowledge about society, social norms, cultural beliefs and taboos. During the period of British colonial rule, Indian folk tales attracted British writers and influenced their work, leading them to incorporate this storytelling tradition into their writings. This paper examines how British writers incorporated the theme of folk tales in their works and how they adapted and represented Indian folk tales from the late nineteenth century to the post-colonial period. The chapter focuses on the use of Indian folk narratives in the works of Rudyard Kipling, Flora Annie Steel, T.S. Eliot, Mark Tully, Helen Bannerman, Joseph Campbell, Neil Gaiman, Jamila Gavin, Sir Richard Burton, Salman Rushdie and Mary Frere. Though all these writers were influenced by the rich culture of Indian folk tales, they represented it in entirely different ways. Some found it philosophical and self-satisfying; some were curious; some admired it; and some documented and adopted it with the intention of preserving it. Although these writers adopted this folk tradition for different reasons, there is no doubt that they also helped carry it forward.