Environmental Humanities in Folktales: Theory and Pratice

This work throws light on the areas of space and time, nature and culture, spirit and matter in the folktales that nurture systemic thinking. It identifies and explores motifs and patterns in select folktales that promote interconnectedness, interdependence, holism, synthesis, and circular pattern of life and examines the ecological relevance of folktales in fostering a systematic view of life. The volume discusses why it is important to critically analyze alternative worldviews in order to find holistic solutions to contemporary global ecological issues. It sheds light upon Ecofemiotics as a discipline, a portmanteau of Ecofeminist Semiotics, and through a re-reading of folktales, it puts forward an innovative folktale typology which connects women with environment. The book discusses an ecofemiotics cyclical praxis at three levels, Promoting theory to practice through the analysis of folktales as Gaia Care Narratives using the Ecofemiotic framework.