Continuity and Change of Folklore among Irulas of Kerala: Discourse Analysis of Tribal Folk Songs from the South Indian State of India

Abstract

This article focuses on an interpretive approach to interpret the lyrics of Irulas of Attapadi, Kerala, India. India is a country that has a rich diversity of culture and folklore. Folklore occupied a pivotal place in the life and culture of people in India. Most of the tribal communities have their folk forms and songs. The knowledge and life experiences related to nature, myth, history, morals, rituals, taboos, etc, are conveyed through these songs. An attempt is made in the article to interpret the lyrics of Irula songs which they believe that the soul of the song lies in the lyrics. Further, an ethnographic attempt is made in the article to explore and analyse the lyrics of folk songs of the Irulas, how Irula maintained the bond with nature, through folklore tradition and to enquire what the contemporary existence, continuity and change of this folkloric tradition on the life and lore of Irula tribe of Kerala by using discourse analysis. For this article, we used both primary and secondary sources of data.