V2I10P70

Oral Traditions as Texts: An Anthropological and Ethnographic Reading of Banjara Literature in English Studies.

Dr. Badavath Veeru^1*

Abstract

The study of literature has traditionally privileged the written word, marginalizing oral traditions that carry centuries of cultural memory and collective identity. In the Indian context, tribal oral literature occupies a critical yet underrepresented position in academic discourse. This paper explores the oral traditions of the Banjara community through the combined lenses of anthropology and ethnography, situating their songs, stories, and rituals as texts worthy of literary inquiry within English Studies. Drawing on field-based interpretations, this study emphasizes the thematic richness of Banjara oral traditions ranging from migration histories, ritual chants, and marriage laments to agricultural celebrations and entertainment songs. These oral forms not only encode indigenous knowledge systems but also articulate resistance to cultural erasure and socio-political marginalization. By foregrounding ethnographic translation as a methodological tool, the paper argues for the recognition of oral traditions as dynamic texts that challenge the colonial hierarchy of written versus oral literature. The analysis demonstrates how Banjara orature can be read alongside postcolonial and decolonial frameworks, positioning it within global debates on indigenous knowledge preservation, cultural identity, and linguistic plurality. Ultimately, the paper proposes that integrating oral traditions into English Studies offers a critical pathway for decolonizing literary pedagogy and for validating the voices of marginalized communities in the broader narrative of world literature.

Keywords:

Banjara Oral Literature, Ethnography, Anthropology, Orature, English Studies, Cultural Identity, Translation Studies, Marginal Voices.