Description

Eco-Folk Rhythms: A puttinai Analysis of Mavilan Songs explores the deep ecological wisdom embedded in the oral traditions of the Mavilan tribe. Dr. Abraham's pioneering work analyzes Mavilan agricultural, nuptial, and ritual songs through the unique lens of puttinai, an Indigenous theoretical framework derived from ancient Tamil tinai theory. This approach bridges traditional ecocriticism with indigenous knowledge systems. Based on extensive fieldwork, the book reveals how these songs serve as repositories of sustainable practices and environmental ethics, reflecting deep interconnections among humans, nature, and supernature. Eco-Folk Rhythms advocates for an alternative, non-Western approach to addressing contemporary environmental crises. A vital resource for ecocritical scholarship, anthropology, folklore and Indigenous studies. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and documentation of Mavilan oral traditions, this study advances puttinai as a theoretical tool that emerges from indigenous perspectives rather than Western academic frameworks. puttinai, formerly known as oikopoetics, was propounded by Nirmal Selvamony from the theory of tinai in Tolkappiyam, the ancient Tamil grammatical treatise.
The analysis demonstrates how Mavilan songs articulate environmental ethics, bioregional consciousness, and sustainable cultural practices. This pioneering work contributes significantly to ecocritical scholarship, indigenous studies, anthropology, folklore and tribal studies for further research.