ஆழி சூழ் உலகு நாவலில் நாட்டுப்புறப் பாடல்கள்: Folk Songs in the Novel 'Aazhi Soozh Ulagu'

Abstract

Literature serves as a mirror reflecting the social changes of its era alongside the internal and external lives of its people. Modern novels that document the lives of marginalized communities are particularly significant, as they encapsulate oral histories and cultural elements within their narrative. Joe D'Cruz's novel, 'Aazhi Soozh Ulagu' (Ocean-Ringed World), stands as a profound social document recording fifty-two years (1933–1985) of the life and culture of the Parathavar community living in the southern coastal regions of Tamil Nadu.

The folk songs featured in this novel are not merely musical forms; they function as mediums expressing the labor, pain, rituals, family dynamics, and philosophical understandings of death held by the working class. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the lullabies, game songs, occupational songs (Amba), ritual hymns, and elegies (Oppari) found in the novel, utilizing the frameworks of folkloristic theories. Furthermore, this study demonstrates, through various evidences, how the novel serves as a specific ethnographic record and a significant work of cultural ecology.

Keywords

• Aazhi Soozh Ulagu
• Joe D'Cruz
• Folk Songs
• Parathavar Life
• Neithal Landscape (Coastal Land)
• Amba Songs
• Oppari (Elegy)
• Cultural Ecology
• Oral History
• Fisherfolk Community