Tales from Gaili: A Selection of the Zeliang Tribe’s Folklore and Children’s Tales

The paper is an attempt to present the diverse oral narratives of the Zeliang community in Nagaland. These folktales from the village of Gaili in Nagaland have been passed on for generations by the elders and storytellers of the Zeliang tribe. The children’s tales included in this collection aim to give readers a look at the culture and tradition of the Zeliang people, while also introducing them to their vivid and unique literary imagination. These stories include myths and legends which highlight heroic figures and warriors from the village, while other fables show the organic relationship the community shared with nature and the environment. In many of the stories, we see strong women characters who take bold decisions but at the same time show deference to the conventions of the community. Therefore, the following folk tales also provide a way of looking into the relationship between labour and gender roles, cultural understanding of masculinity and femininity, and how desirability and romantic relationships, etc. are shaped within Zeliang society.