Introduction

Hello and welcome to the animals of Indian Mythology!

For my anthology style story-book I am going to be talking about the different animals of Indian mythology and how they are represented. I first fell in love with the topic of animal mythology from last semester in the Mythology/Folklore section of the course, where I did the Cultural Depiction of Dogs through the lens of Aesop's fables. I knew that I wanted to do something a little bit different this semester, however. Last semester was more focused on the whimsical depictions of specifically dogs, and this semester I want to focus on the root motifs of animals in Indian folklore.

Animals can be seen everywhere in literature. They are a part of every culture's folklore and mythology, are used to teach lessons, and can serve as vehicles to tell a story from an alternative perspective.

Animals can be symbols or metaphors and can have different meanings just based on their history and origin. In Indian mythology animals can be signs of courage, of fear, of strength, or intelligence. My goal through this anthology style storybook is to showcase the different animals of Indian mythology and what they may symbolize. Of course, everyone knows how animals can be used as tools to tell a story, but I want to expand on that and put my own spin on things with how I am going to incorporate animals in my story retelling.

One of the stories that I know I am going to include is a take on The Foolish, Timid Rabbit, which is a Buddhist folktale. Rabbits are easily my favorite animals and I would love to be able to incorporate a "the sky is falling" sort of story in my website. Laura led me to a story about women turning into crocodiles called Arjuna and the Arpsaras, and I am also heavily considering adding it into my storybook. I am still open to ideas, as there are many animals to choose from. If you have any suggestions as to an animal you would like to see featured on this site, let me know! I am flexible, of course.

For my first story I have written about a rather loyal mongoose, based off Yudhishthira and the Mongoose. I was inspired by the mongooses depiction throughout the lore, as well as their real-life history. Did you know that it is illegal to import mongoose into the U.S.? They were brought to the west-indies to kill rodents but ended up destroying a lot of the natural agriculture. Because of the mongooses destructive nature, you wont even be able to find one of these curious creatures in a zoo. The type of mongoose I am writing about in this story is a much better pet, however. This little guy is a great companion and garners much sympathy from locals. While researching the mongoose I found out that they have extremely high metabolisms and require a lot of food. It is no wonder that in my story Kartik is always having to give his share of food to his furry friend!

For my second story I have written about Arjuna and the Arpsaras, where prince Arjuna unknowingly lifts the curse of one the Apsara's, turning her from a crocodile back into a woman. My version of the story details the perspective of one of the Apsara's who is finally freed by the prince. My motivation behind this story was to give a voice to the misunderstood. In the original version the reader does not know that this is someone bound by a curse, but rather a blood-thirsty crocodile. I wanted to make my readers root for the Apsara, and to feel empathy for her condition. I hope you enjoy this story and find some value in it!

I hope that you enjoy skimming through my storybook, feel free to head to my comment wall and let me know what you think!

Image information: Madhubani painting, "Harmony I"