Repository of Human Values – A Critical Study of Select Bhojpuri Folktales

Smriti Singh; Chandan Kumar

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.66861

Repository of Human Values – A Critical Study of Select Bhojpuri Folktales

Author(s)	Prof. Dr. Smriti Singh, Mr. Chandan Kumar
Country	India
Abstract	This study critically examines selected Bhojpuri folktales as culturally embedded moral texts that transmit ethical values, shape community identity, and preserve regional knowledge systems. Drawing on insights from Indian ethical philosophy, moral psychology, and narrative theory, the research investigates how Bhojpuri oral narratives encode relational ethics rooted in dharma, karma, intention, and communal responsibility. A qualitative research design grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is employed to analyse linguistic patterns, narrative structures, and discourse features within tales collected through fieldwork in the Buxar district of Bihar. The stories such as The Pandit and His Dog, Two Sisters, Two Friends, The Hunter and His Hawk, Two Houses, and Chhatpal were selected for their cultural familiarity and prominent moral themes. The analysis reveals that Bhojpuri folktales construct moral meaning through evaluative vocabulary, character contrasts, symbolic spaces, and culturally intuitive consequences. Linguistic cues guide listeners toward interpreting virtues such as loyalty, humility, patience, compassion, devotion, and self-discipline as socially desirable traits, while framing greed, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and hostility as disruptive behaviours. Narrative patterns demonstrate karmic logic, where virtuous actions result in reward and unethical behaviour leads to loss or suffering. The tales also function as instruments of cultural socialisation, reinforcing collective identity by naturalising ethical values through emotionally resonant and culturally familiar story outcomes. The findings affirm that Bhojpuri folktales operate as active moral discourses that not only entertain but also educate, preserve cultural memory, and sustain intergenerational transmission of values within the community. This study highlights the continued relevance of regional storytelling traditions in shaping moral consciousness, especially in the context of globalisation and changing social structures. It contributes to the limited scholarly work on Bhojpuri folklore and demonstrates the importance of documenting vernacular narratives as repositories of human values and cultural knowledge.
Keywords	Bhojpuri folktales, moral values, cultural identity
Field	Sociology > Linguistic / Literature
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-01-19
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.66861

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Repository of Human Values – A Critical Study of Select Bhojpuri Folktales

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