The Power of Bhutanese Folk Literature

Oral testimony, in the form of sagas, folktales, songs, rituals, proverbs, and many other practices, provides us with a unique view of our world and a unique canon of literature. It is their legacy to the rest of humanity. Once lost, it can never be recaptured. The argument is similar to that used in relation to the conservation of species and the environment (David Crystal, 1997). ... This chapter provides an analysis of the cultural contents of some of the present English translations of Bhutanese oral literature. The analysis will focus particularly on cultural indices such as spirituality, gender, environment, conceptions of self and others, popular beliefs, world views, customs and traditions, as they manifest in the text of selected genres. The genres in English translations selected for content analysis of cultural material include stories from a book of folk tales ('rjig rlen pai' glam rgyud'), and extracts from a popular Bhutanese ballad ('blo ze'). The chapter argues that English translations of Bhutanese oral literature can function as an effective medium through which the Bhutanese people can articulate their cultural values to the outside world and to themselves. Globalization of English and the pervasive influence of the mass media in Bhutan will increasingly challenge the survival of Bhutan's rich oral literature. The loss will be heavy for the people and their culture. I suggest that efforts in research and documentation of Bhutanese oral literature and writing, and publishing it in English will help evolve a unique Bhutanese literary identity and expand the reach of Bhutanese writing in English to the international audience. These efforts will support the survival of the kingdom's unique oral legacy.