Defying the Divine: Rebellion against Vedic Authority in Indian Folktales

Abstract

Folktales often diverge from religious texts by challenging divine authority and foregrounding human agency This paper examines two Indian folktales The Separation of Heaven and Earth Kadar and Why the Sky Went Up Kannada that subvert notions of divine superiority and depict rebellion against gods Through a comparative reading of Rig Vedic hymns and oral traditions the study explores how these narratives reflect resistance to Brahminical Hinduism and its caste-based hierarchies The analysis highlights motifs such as the pestle used in rice pounding where domestic labor and ordinary voices symbolically displace cosmic order undermining the supremacy of deities The paper argues that such folktales serve as counter-narratives providing marginalized communities with an oral weapon against religious and social domination By situating these tales within broader debates on folklore caste and resistance literature the study contributes to an understanding of oral tradition as a vehicle for subaltern expression and cultural critique