The Serpent and the Rope: A Study of Rajasthani Oral Traditions

Record summary

Rajasthan has extensive traditions involving nāgas, snake-human marriages, enchanted serpents and beings that assume human appearance. A 1990s research lead should be pursued through university folklore catalogues and collections of Rajasthani oral narratives rather than treated as one named incident. It matters comparatively because desert, pastoral and agrarian communities attach different meanings to serpent transformation, fertility and protection. The exact publication or collection must be established before citation, since “Rajasthani serpent folklore” covers multiple texts and field projects.