Cultural History of Bengali Proverbs - Tapa dura

Bengali proverbs are found from the earliest literary specimens down to the present day. They encompass a wide range of subjects dealing with gods and goddesses, mythical characters, folkloric figures and historical persons, social and family life, love, human body and behaviour, materials of everyday use and luxurious items, agriculture and food, nature, place-names, birds, beasts and insects, and the like. These thus reflect the gamut of Bengali society and, at times, the spirit of social revolt. The book then analyses the structure of Bengali proverbs and compares them with other forms of folk literature such as nursery rhymes and riddles, songs and ballads, matters concerning women's rituals in Bengal. It also traces the similarities of Bengali proverbs and proverbs prevalent in other parts of Indian and beyond- a testimony to the commonality of human experience and emotion., About The Author:- Sudeshna Basak, born in Kolkata in 1976 did her M.A in Bengali Language & Literature and Ph.D degree in Folklore from Calcutta University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, and member of several learned bodies in India and abroad. She has taught at a college under the Calcutta University in Kolkata for some time and is currently working on Bengali rhymes. She lives with her family in Dehradun,