Santal Folk Tales

by A. Campbell

Santal Folk Tales is a book compiled and translated by A. Campbell in 1891. The book is a collection of traditional folk tales from the Santal people, an indigenous tribe from the Indian subcontinent. The tales are presented in English and provide a glimpse into the Santal culture and their beliefs. The book includes stories of gods and goddesses, animals, and humans, and their interactions with each other. The tales are full of moral lessons and provide insight into the Santal way of life. The book is an important contribution to the field of anthropology and is still studied by scholars today. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the folklore and traditions of the Santal people.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1891

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

We tend to think of the Panchatantra tales as being the definitive folk tales from India, but the Santal folk tales are very different from them. While there are talking animals, most of the tales in this collection featured human beings and spectral forms. But the critical difference is that these don’t necessarily have a moral. Good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people- it doesn’t always balance out.
The narrative techniques are similar and many of the stories are similar to others. But overall an enjoyable collection.

Though I read it as a part of the #2025indiantranslationreadathon, this collection was transcribed into English directly from the oral tradition.

[Rehana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally realise why we say that we are all connected by stories though we all belong to different geopolitical, demographic, and socioeconomic sections. Because all the folk tales translated from Santali in this book feel like stories I have been told about as a child, only with unconventional endings. A few of them are very original to the Santals, and a few are modified and revised tales that reflect their customs and practices.

These tales are all very loosely written, they don't follow any code of discipline or morals or religious preaching. They are just stories written for fun and they should be read for the same value and nothing else. Some I liked, some not much, some I would recommend, some I would rather not. It's neither too great nor too bad. It was okayish and read it if you have the time for it.

[caracal-eyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some three stories featuring a girl who is drowned/eaten/etc and then 'lives' in a musical instrument which a beggar makes from a plant which grows nearby...and the stories get more similar as they go on. Still, it was somewhat interesting to see the variations, and anyway I like to see variants of this story, which exists in many forms, such as the 'Singing Bone' tales, as well in several folksong variations.

Anyway, though it seemed that there was a deal of repetition in the stories of this book, they were still interesting, and entertaining enough to read.