Popular folk lore of the Tai-Khamptis: a general analysis

Legends, proverbs and popular sayings, jokes, stories, oral history, music, popular beliefs and customs included in the traditions of a culture all come together to create the folklore of that culture. It also embraces within its fold the set practices through which these expressions are shared among the members of a cultural group. The Khamti, or Tai-Khampti, as they are also referred to, are a sub group of the Shan people found in the Sagaing Division, Hkamti district in northwestern Burma as well as in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Smaller numbers can be found in parts of Upper Assam and also in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. As an offshoot of the great Tai family of South East Asia, the Tai-Khamptis possess a rich culture and tradition. Their illustrious history is furnished with a rich literature replete with legends, myths, fables, folk-tales, proverbs and poems. The folk-tales which are mostly transmitted orally from one generation to the next have undoubtedly enriched the folk literature and culture of the Tai-Khamptis. Here we have endeavoured to make a general analysis of the folklore of the Tai-Khamptis.