Transformation, Protection, and Symbolism: a Study of Human and Tree Relationships in Selected Bengali Folktales

Priyanka Das

PhD Research Scholar,

Department of Folklore Studies, Gauhati University

Email id: daspriyanka1216@gmail.com

This paper examines the symbolic, protective, and transformative roles of trees in selected Bangla folktales from Thakurma’r Jhuli and Bangla’r Upokotha. The study explores how trees and plants become more than just background, rather they are companions, guardians, and sites of metamorphosis for human characters. Through a qualitative, ecocritical approach using close reading and motif analysis, the paper highlights episodes where trees offer refuge to exiled children, intervene in destiny, embody innocence, and serve as spaces for renewal after suffering or loss. The analysis connects these narrative features to wider Indian cultural meanings, showing that specific trees such as champa, mango, or pomegranate symbolize fertility, protection, and rebirth. The findings suggest that these folktales present an ecocentric worldview, where human lives intertwine with the natural world in a field of mutual care, ethics, and agency. By interpreting Bangla grandma stories through an environmental humanities lens, the paper uncovers layers of ecological wisdom embedded in oral tradition and emphasizes the value of storytelling as a means for reflecting on human–tree relationships.

Key Words (5-7)

Folktales, Tree symbolism, Ecocentrism, Transformation, Bengali narratives

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