Levity during the Mahilā holī oral narratives: Notes for a literary and mediatic analysis

Abstract

This article investigates, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the aesthetic and socio-cultural values incorporated by the oral narratives performed during the Mahilā Holī-s in Kumaon. These are celebrations of a playful and sometimes humorous nature generally performed in this region by women and for a women-oriented audience. The study proposes to investigate these narratives primarily through a critical and literary survey of the recited oral texts. It also draws inspiration from data gathered during fieldwork in Almora and other urban and peri-urban settings in Kumaon, which included the author’s observation of a few performances. Inspired by studies about the forms of “emotional refuge” (Reddy 2001) found in different cultural contexts, in the presence of a certain “emotional community” (Rosenwein 2006), the research combines these views with theoretical models derived from Humour studies and Feminist approaches to media. The objective of the article is to analyse the values embodied by these narratives within the broader characteristics of the emotional community of Kumaoni Holī performances.