The Goddesses' Henchmen - Gender in Indian Hero Worship (Paperback, New)

The Rajputs ruled the vast majority of the kingdoms that were joined together after Indian Independence to form the state Rajasthan, "Land of Kings." An important part of Rajput religion is the worship of "heroes" who have died in battle. In this book, Harlan explores the idea of the Rajput hero. She is particularly interested in the role played by gender in stories about heroes and their worship. She looks at the differences between female and male storytellers, the relationships of the hero to the woman in his tale, and the relationship of the hero to the goddess for whom he is both a sacrifice and henchman. She obtains her materials from interviews with Rajput families and their servants, from songfests, from bystanders at shrines, from ritual specialists. Ultimately she shows how heroic traditions encapsulate and express ideals of perfection and masculinity, defied most visibly against the backdrop of domesticity and femininity. More broadly she argues that heroes reflect ever-changing valuations of history, and serve as sources of inspiration for facing contemporary challenges (domestic, communal, national) and concerns about the future.

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	June 2003
First published:	June 2003
Authors:	Lindsey Harlan (Professor of Religious Studies)
Dimensions:	235 x 155 x 17mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	272
Edition:	New
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-515426-9
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > General Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Hinduism Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > Customs & folklore > Customs Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Hinduism Promotions
LSN:	0-19-515426-6
Barcode:	9780195154269

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