Primitive Poetry As Love and Prayer (An Old and Rare Book)

Preface I am grateful to the Prasaranga and the Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore for inviting me to lecture on a topic which is situated in the border-lands of Poetry and social anthropology and which is very dear to my heart. As a matter of fact for nearly fifteen years I have worked in this area of oral traditions and literatures of the Indian tribes, on a Homi Bhabha Fellowship and in my official capacities that have taken to me to these areas of tribal society. In India we are yet to be fully aware of the urgent need for systematic documentation and analysis of this literature which is facing rapid distortion/death under the impact of change and modernization. Nor is there adequate awareness yet of the value of this literature both for understanding these ethnic minority communities and their cultures and through that, our own cultures.

I am grateful to the Chairman of the Institute of Kannada Studies Prof. H. M. Nayak and the Director, Prasaranga Sri K. T. Veerappa, for giving me this opportunity of sharing some thoughts with the members of the different faculties of Mysore University and the City's intelligentsia.

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