Of myth and mantra: The slippery taxonomy of printed and oral Vrat Kathas

Abstract

This paper examines how printed vrat kathas (stories associated with Hindu women's domestic rituals) present categories of myth, mantra and their internal "oral logic." The paper will articulate three things: (1) that vrat kathas deserve to be included in the more elevated category of "myth" because of the way they function within the Hindu women's ritual structure and world-view; (2) these stories are modeled on an understanding of mantra as a speech act; and (3) even when printed, these stories maintain an "oral logic" in structure, presentation of narrative and intention. Thus, printed pamphlets can also qualify, ironically, as "speech" acts. All of this indicates the difficulty inherent in creating a water-tight taxonomy of genres and suggests that a more appropriate understanding is as localities on a continuum.