From oral tradition to written form: a narrative structural and thematic analysis of Chakma folktales

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to introduce Chakma oral tradition through an analysis of their oral folktales, focusing on their structure and themes. This thesis highlights the contemporary condition of Chakma oral storytelling in Bangladesh. The Chakmas are an indigenous group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. They have a rich literary background that has been passed on orally. The thesis examines fifteen Chakma folktales, with a focus on themes of love, sacrifice, and intellectual and spiritual correspondence between human beings and nature. It discusses how folktales are applied in the preservation of cultural heritage and provides an explanation of the Chakma worldview and social structure. Moreover, the thesis identifies key narrative structures of some selected Chakma folktales through following the equilibrium model by Tzvetan Todorov. The thesis further highlights the strategies of preserving and revitalising Chakma folktales as a community practice, systematic recording, and integrating oral traditions into education.