Indigenous History versus Mythic Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Narrative Legitimacy and Cultural Representation in South Asia

This essay will examine the nexus between the mythological and historic tales in presenting the history of the Indigenous (Adibasi) communities of South Asia. This essay will interrogate the academic convention of considering recorded history far more authoritative than the Epics, Rites, or Songs. These mythological expressions of history, this essay will propose, are not 'incorrect' histories, but merely an alternate form of knowledge that complements recorded history. The main analysis compares two approaches to the same Kirat Limbu story. One is an academic analysis from Subba (2022), and the other is a text based on oral tradition from Tumbapo (2015). This style of analysis is also helpful for communities in gaining recognition in broader discourses of academies and society. The mythic style of analysis also sustains the spiritual and cultural knowledge of the community and hence is associated with identity and mental health. Acceptance of the significance of both history and myth can result in positive outcomes for academies, mental health, and harmony in South Asia.