Hanuman's Tale
The tale of Hanuman
Hanuman, a mighty devotee ape of lord Rama and an incarnation of Lord Shiva, is one of the most interesting deities in the Hindu culture. The tales of Hanuman dates back to the time of Ramayana. Fairy tales from India are mostly based on the Hindu religion and the mythical characters associated with it. One has to thoroughly understand Indian culture to be able to identify with the culture’s tales. The values and beliefs presented in Hanuman cater to what is important to individuals of the Indian community. Heroism, bravery, devotion, and musical talents are greatly valued in the Indian culture and most of the stories allude to these characteristics in the protagonist. The story of Hanuman is based on the mythical book Ramayana. Hanuman is the monkey deity in the Ramayana and there are many tales about his adventures. Hanuman is regarded as the eleventh incarnation of Shiva (Bulcke 1960:399) because in the early text of Ramayana, it was mentioned that Hanuman’s mother Anjana was impregnated by Shiva’s seed. Hanuman was born to the humanoid created called the Vanaras (Monkey). His mother Anjana was born on earth as a female Vanara(Monkey) due to a curse. She redeemed herself from this curse on her giving birth to a son. Hanuman is often recognized as the son of deity Vayu (Air). Many of incidents from Hanuman’s childhood foreshadowed his great heroism and strength. As a child, Hanuman tried to eat the sun thinking it was a ripe mango. He later in this childhood attempted and succeeded in lifting a mountain to use it to protect his village from the extreme rainfall. Thus, Hanuman was considered a born Hero by his villagers because of his unusual childhood endeavors.
Unlike in most of fairy tales, most of tales from the Indian culture do not have an element of magic. For the most part, it involves worldly beings with supernatural powers. The tale of Hanuman is the prime example of an Indian Fairy Tale. One of the
Hanuman, a mighty devotee ape of lord Rama and an incarnation of Lord Shiva, is one of the most interesting deities in the Hindu culture. The tales of Hanuman dates back to the time of Ramayana. Fairy tales from India are mostly based on the Hindu religion and the mythical characters associated with it. One has to thoroughly understand Indian culture to be able to identify with the culture’s tales. The values and beliefs presented in Hanuman cater to what is important to individuals of the Indian community. Heroism, bravery, devotion, and musical talents are greatly valued in the Indian culture and most of the stories allude to these characteristics in the protagonist. The story of Hanuman is based on the mythical book Ramayana. Hanuman is the monkey deity in the Ramayana and there are many tales about his adventures. Hanuman is regarded as the eleventh incarnation of Shiva (Bulcke 1960:399) because in the early text of Ramayana, it was mentioned that Hanuman’s mother Anjana was impregnated by Shiva’s seed. Hanuman was born to the humanoid created called the Vanaras (Monkey). His mother Anjana was born on earth as a female Vanara(Monkey) due to a curse. She redeemed herself from this curse on her giving birth to a son. Hanuman is often recognized as the son of deity Vayu (Air). Many of incidents from Hanuman’s childhood foreshadowed his great heroism and strength. As a child, Hanuman tried to eat the sun thinking it was a ripe mango. He later in this childhood attempted and succeeded in lifting a mountain to use it to protect his village from the extreme rainfall. Thus, Hanuman was considered a born Hero by his villagers because of his unusual childhood endeavors.
Unlike in most of fairy tales, most of tales from the Indian culture do not have an element of magic. For the most part, it involves worldly beings with supernatural powers. The tale of Hanuman is the prime example of an Indian Fairy Tale. One of the
Cited: 1. Bulcke, C.1960 “The Characterization of Hanuman.” Journal of the Royal Oriental Institute 10, no. 4: 393–402 2. The Bhagavad-Gita, Translated by Sir Edwin Arnold. Vol. XLV, Part 4. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. 3. Philip Lutgendorf (11 January 2007). Hanuman 's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey. Oxford University Press. pp. 31–32. 4. Goldman, Robert P. (Introduction, translation and annotation) (1996). The Ramayana of Valmiki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume V: Sundarakanda. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. 0691066620. pp. 45-47.