South Asian Folklore -- An Encyclopedia

Gain valuable insights into the folkways of one of the world's most complex and rapidly developing regions.

Edited by Peter Claus, Sarah Diamond, and Margaret Mills

An A–Z exploration of folk culture in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with additional coverage of Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and various diaspora communities.

Featuring contributions from leading scholars in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as well as work from US and European specialists, this A–Z reference is the first to provide comprehensive coverage of folklore in south Asia.

With over 500 signed entries ranging from Bangani Ball Games to Nepalese Witches, this unique new resource sheds light on the folkways of countries, ethnic groups, and religions that in the past were often left unexplored by western students. The articles examine Hindu and Muslim religious practices; pastimes such as toys, TV, and comic books; holidays and festivals; rituals and rites of passage; foods and domestic design; artistic pursuits — including dancing, tile-making, tattooing, puppetry, and street theater; other folk activities like firewalking, processions, riddle contests, wedding videos; and much more.

The focus on south Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with survey articles on Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and various diaspora communities. A valuable bibliography of suggested further readings follows each major entry, while a thematic contents list, comprehensive index, and cross-references help even the beginning folklorist to navigate. Some 75 black and white photographs illustrate the folkways described in the text.

This encyclopedia will enrich collections at all academic libraries, public libraries, and any library serving a South Asian community.

Comprehensive coverage of the folkways of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with survey articles on Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and diaspora communities

Over 500 signed entries, with contributions from a global team of leading academics

First encyclopedic treatment of the vital cultures native to a region that has become an international focal point

Thematic contents list, cross-references, suggestions for further reading, comprehensive analytic index

Peter Claus is Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at California State University, Hayward. In addition to a wide range of journal articles, he is also author of Folkloristics and Indian Folklore (jointly written with Frank J. Korom).

Sarah Diamond, a Ph.D in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, has taught at Bryn Mawr College and Lafayette College, and is currently a Research Associate at the Institute for Community Research in Hartford, Connecticut.

Margaret Mills is Chair of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at The Ohio State University. She is a well-known specialist in Afghan folklore, and author of Gender, Genre, and Power in South Asian Expressive Traditions.

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