Eco-Folk Rhythms - (Ecocritical Theory and Practice) by Lillykutty Abraham (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book explores the oral traditions of the Mavilan tribe through the lens of puttinai, an indigenous ecocritical framework. Analyzing agricultural, nuptial, and ritual songs, it reveals how Mavilan traditions encode ecological wisdom and offer an alternative paradigm for addressing modern environmental challenges.

Book Synopsis

Eco-Folk Rhythms: A puttinai Analysis of Mavilan Songs explores the deep ecological wisdom embedded in the oral traditions of the Mavilan tribe. Dr. Abraham's pioneering work analyzes Mavilan agricultural, nuptial, and ritual songs through the unique lens of puttinai, an Indigenous theoretical framework derived from ancient Tamil tinai theory. This approach bridges traditional ecocriticism with Indigenous knowledge systems. Based on extensive fieldwork, the book reveals how these songs serve as repositories of sustainable practices and environmental ethics, reflecting deep interconnections among humans, nature, and supernature. Eco-Folk Rhythms advocates for an alternative, non-Western approach to addressing contemporary environmental crises. A vital resource for ecocritical scholarship, anthropology, folklore, and Indigenous studies.

Review Quotes

""Lillykutty Abraham is remarkable for braving many firsts -- for compiling the first ever anthology of the songs of the Mavilan tinai (Adivasi) community in the Western Ghats, the first to unveil the integrative tinai (the pre-state lifeway) embodied in their songs, and also to author the first full book applying puttinai theory. Abraham's work is a reaffirmation of the urgent need and momentousness to birth a brave new tinai world, and has the political muscle needed to persuade any conscientious powers-that-be to end the present Anthropocene and usher in the Neotinaicene."" --Nirmal Selvamony, author of Tinai Philosophy: The Indigenous Lifeway for the Anthropocene

""This is a splendid book: an informed, engaging study of the oral traditions of the Mavilan tribe that highlights their deep ecological wisdom and cultural fortitude. It locates Indigenous knowledge within a deeply textured eco-critical frame through puttinai, as it becomes the narrative point of intersection between theory and lived experience. With the help of extremely detailed field research, the author succeeds in capturing details of not only agricultural, nuptial, and ritual songs but also how these practices have perfected a symbiotic relationship with nature. It symbolizes the resilience of Indian Knowledge Systems in interpreting human-environment interlinkages. Required reading for folklorists, ecocritics, and scholars of Indigenous literatures alike, it paints an engaging picture of the continued relevance of Mavilan oral culture."" --Anupama Nayar, Christ University

About the Author

Lillykutty Abraham is an Assistant Professor at St. Joseph's University, Bangalore, where she also serves as a Research Guide.