Sneha Das
Independent Researcher
West Bengal, India
Abstract
Proverbs—succinct, metaphorical expressions distilled from generations of lived experience—play a vital role in many societies as vehicles for transmitting accumulated wisdom. In the agrarian context of Tamil Nadu, these folk sayings encapsulate environmental observations, moral teachings, and practical guidance essential to farming life. This expanded study delves into the oral transmission of agricultural proverbs across five ecologically distinct districts of Tamil Nadu (Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Erode, Salem, and Coimbatore), examining how they inform and reinforce the agrarian identity of local communities. Over six months of immersive ethnographic fieldwork, the researcher engaged in participant observation during farming activities, conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of sixty farmers and village elders, and facilitated ten focus group discussions. The data were transcribed, translated, and coded using thematic analysis to identify key domains of proverb content, patterns of transmission, and functions in social cohesion and ecological knowledge sharing. Findings reveal a multifaceted role for proverbs: first, as repositories of indigenous ecological intelligence, wherein weather-related sayings—such as those predicting monsoon onset from specific cloud formations or animal behaviors—serve as informal forecasting tools; second, as conveyors of agronomic best practices, advising on crop rotation, soil management, and water conservation in memorable, metaphorical form; third, as bearers of moral and social norms that regulate labor ethics, community cooperation, and respect for land and elders. The study further documents the contexts in which proverbs circulate—field-side banter during planting and harvesting, ritualized recitations during festivals like Pongal, and informal storytelling in household gatherings—underscoring the dynamic, context-sensitive nature of oral transmission.
Keywords
Proverbs, Oral Transmission, Tamil Nadu, Agrarian Identity, Folk Wisdom
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