Folk Goddesses and Local Legends: Mythology Beyond the Epics

Kritika Bhatia
Mar 15
4 min read

The adoration and recognition of female mythological figures that has been penned down in the epics belonging to Indian culture is extensively prevalent. From Sita (The female protagonist in the epic of Ramayana) to Laxmi (The Goddess of wealth in Hinduism), most female mythological figures are universally acclaimed, but that's not the case in regards to female folk figures. They are evidently unsung and ignored despite their exorbitant role in shaping cultural and traditional roots. Many folk-heroines and goddesses that could've been quoted in an exemplary stature, received no media attention. Today, in an effort to bridge you closer to our rich folklore, we bring to you extensively researched tales of folk-heroines and goddesses below.

Draupadi Amman

Draupadi Amman is a South Indian Tamil goddess. Amman means mother, and she is the mother of fire. Corresponded by other fierce female deities, namely, Mariamman, Gengaiamman, and Angalamman, she ensures the security and welfare of Mother Earth, humans, and animals.

According to Diesel, this virgin Dravidian goddess represents the values of loyalty and morality, yet she suffered due to patriarchal traditions. In many parts of the world, where people are devotees of Amman, there is a special festival dedicated to her. Many devotees of Amman walk on the hot coal-laden path to reflect their bravery cited from their goddess. This colorful and enthralling festival is remarkably popular among South African Tamil Hindus.

The virgin status of Dravidian goddesses represents their liberty, self-reliance, and freedom from male dominance. Their core power stems from this independence and sovereignty. Tapas (meditation) is also their prominent tool to challenge patriarchy and to establish an authority over their sexuality (Diesel, 2005).

These vigorous Dravidian goddesses are often compared to Sita, Parvati, and Laxmi, consorts of male gods, Rama, Shiva, and Vishnu, respectively, who are widely known for their mellow nature. But due to their wild and autonomous personalities, they are considered to be bad role models for women.

The Dravidian Amman goddesses are the true epitome of authority and empowerment, representing the healing virtue along with a destructive character.

Goddess Kanyakumari

Goddess Kanyakumari is a manifestation of Goddess Parashakthi who set foot on earth to demolish the terror of a demon, Banasura, due to the constant pleas of gods.

On Earth, she fell in love with Lord Shiva; she admired and adored him endlessly. Everything was going in her favour; she was prepared to be wedded to him. The wedding ceremony was hours away, colourful rice meant to mark the celebration of a pious occasion was cooked, but a condition became the hindrance in her love affair.

In order to fulfil her mortal mission and kill Banasura, she was required to be a virgin. The gods, to stop the wedding ceremony, sent Narada (sage-divinity, a traveling musician and storyteller, and a devotee of Lord Vishnu). Both the bride and the groom were eager to tie the knot dreaming about love, but were unaware of the ill fate meant to befall them. Narada planned to make Shiva think that he missed the auspicious hours of the marriage ceremony. Narada crowed like a rooster, marking the start of a new day, and Shiva woke up from his dreamlike state thinking he skipped the propitious day. Kanyakumari kept waiting for Shiva to arrive, but he didn't, and in anger she threw the colorful rice on the beach which is believed to be the cause of the multi-shaded sand of the beach found even today.

In the end, she remained unmarried and a virgin. She further wrecked Banasura to ensure peace in the world. In Suchindram, a place in Kanyakumari, she has her own dedicated temple.

Bonbibi

Bonbibi is a Hindu- Islamic Bengali folklore goddess who protects the Sundarbans regions. Bonbibi is the “forest goddess” that has shaped the norms and rules ensuring the betterment of the forests. (Sen, 2020).

Her birth is described in the texts of Johuranama, which includes her fight with Brahmin priest Dandabakhya’s wife, Narayani, that erupted in order to establish dominion over the mangrove forests of Sundarbans. In the Johuranama, the brave acts of Bonbibi are recorded to show her saving the life of a little kid named Dukhe from the hands of the son of Narayani.

Due to this incident, the forest workers, till date call themselves “dukhe” in order to be protected by Goddess Bonbibi from tigers and other dangers. She is worshipped through various rituals and prayers, one of the prayers which is highly popular and used by the forest workers, is “Bon Bibir Pala Gaan”. Her approach and ideology represent her love for the forests; she fosters a harmonious relationship between humans and the residents of forests.

Despite the prevalence of orthodox customs and practices in Hindu and Muslim religions, people of the sentiments harmoniously worship the goddess with the same prayers. This harmony has sprouted from the shared need and struggle to make a livelihood (Roy, 2017).

Conclusion

These folk-heroines are truly remarkable; their stories reflect the daily life struggles of women. Their lives demonstrate their endless sacrifices, the societal and patriarchal expectations to be mild yet be able to protect; all while receiving no recognition. These folk-heroines are no different from the reality of women even today. Folktales are an empowering chamber of women’s upliftment. While society pushes the “act submissive, be motherly” narrative to women, these tales show the true potential of women. But because of the dynamic nature of many female folk figures, folk figures are unable to step out from their local regions.