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<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">global-journal-of-human-social-science-a-arts-humanities</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>Global Journal of Human-Social Science - A: Arts &amp; Humanities</journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn publication-format="print">0975-587X</issn>
<issn publication-format="electronic">2249-460X</issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Global Journals Publishing Group Incorporated</publisher-name></publisher>
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<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.34257/GJHSS145515</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">145515</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Defying the Divine: Rebellion against Vedic Authority in Indian Folktales</article-title>
<subtitle>Indian Folktales and Resistance to Divine Hierarchy</subtitle>
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<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Ann</surname><given-names>Ms. P. Deborah</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1" />
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Davis</surname><given-names>Dr. Stephen Foster</given-names></name></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Shirly</surname><given-names>Dr. Sidney</given-names></name></contrib>
</contrib-group>
<aff id="aff1">INDIA</aff>
<pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2025-09-15">
<day>15</day>
<month>09</month>
<year>2025</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>25</volume>
<issue>A5</issue>
<fpage>45</fpage>
<lpage>48</lpage>
<abstract><p>Folktales often diverge from religious texts by challenging divine authority and foregrounding human agency. This paper examines two Indian folktalesâ€”â€œThe Separation of Heaven and Earthâ€ (Kadar) and â€œWhy the Sky Went Upâ€ (Kannada)â€”that subvert notions of divine superiority and depict rebellion against gods. Through a comparative reading of Rig Vedic hymns and oral traditions, the study explores how these narratives reflect resistance to Brahminical Hinduism and its caste-based hierarchies. The analysis highlights motifs such as the pestle used in rice pounding, where domestic labor and ordinary voices symbolically displace cosmic order, undermining the supremacy of deities. The paper argues that such folktales serve as counter-narratives, providing marginalized communities with an oral weapon against religious and social domination. By situating these tales within broader debates on folklore, caste, and resistance literature, the study contributes to an understanding of oral tradition as a vehicle for subaltern expression and cultural critique.</p></abstract>
<kwd-group kwd-group-type="author-generated">
<kwd>brahminical hinduism</kwd>
<kwd>caste</kwd>
<kwd>rebellion</kwd>
<kwd>rig veda</kwd>
<kwd>folktales</kwd>
<kwd>oral tradition</kwd>
<kwd>humanism.</kwd>
</kwd-group>
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<p>Folktales often diverge from religious texts by challenging divine authority and foregrounding human agency. This paper examines two Indian folktalesâ€”â€œThe Separation of Heaven and Earthâ€ (Kadar) and â€œWhy the Sky Went Upâ€ (Kannada)â€”that subvert notions of divine superiority and depict rebellion against gods. Through a comparative reading of Rig Vedic hymns and oral traditions, the study explores how these narratives reflect resistance to Brahminical Hinduism and its caste-based hierarchies. The analysis highlights motifs such as the pestle used in rice pounding, where domestic labor and ordinary voices symbolically displace cosmic order, undermining the supremacy of deities. The paper argues that such folktales serve as counter-narratives, providing marginalized communities with an oral weapon against religious and social domination. By situating these tales within broader debates on folklore, caste, and resistance literature, the study contributes to an understanding of oral tradition as a vehicle for subaltern expression and cultural critique.</p>
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