The Demon Slayers And Other Stories: Bengali Folk Tales

by Sayantani DasGupta, Shamita Das Dasgupta

The 20 tales and nine poems in this anthology give the reader a fascinating insight into the oral literature and rich culture of Bengal, the region now comprising of West Bengal in India, and Bangladesh.

Genres: Folk Tales, Retellings, Bangladesh, Folklore, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1994

Reviews

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a whole lot about Bengali folk tales, so I'm not going to comment on the accuracy or translations. But I loved this! I loved how they read and just how different they were from your average Western folk tales. It only served to further my interest in mythology.

[gowri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well curated collection of stories, with an informational introduction that framed the various tales throughout the book. Have to say the poems weren't really for me, but I enjoyed the tales, if not a bit apropos of their time.

[Robin Braysher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although in an unfamiliar context, many of the characters - wicked stepmothers, bold princes, sad kings and cunning foxes - seemed quite familiar. Good retellings of some interesting folk tales.

[Nettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!
So interesting to see where the inspiration for the Kiranmala series comes from.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read featuring folk tales from Bangladesh.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently read "The Serpent's Secret," I see where many of the stories she uses in that book actually stem from Bengali tales. Fun quick read, fairy tale sort.

[Jai · Rating 2 out of 5]

20 tales from the Bengali region. Common themes are princes and princesses under spells of a rakshash (demon), quests for fantastic prizes, ghosts impersonating the living, talking animals and rebirth as flowers. An interesting similarility in some stories to western folktales. Fun and fascinating and peppered with peotry and Indian words (glossary at the end).