Chapter 11: The Power of Bhutanese Folk Literature

Oral testimony, in the form of sagas, folktales, songs, rituals, proverbs, and many other practices, provides us with a unique view of our world and a unique canon of literature. It is their legacy to the rest of humanity. Once lost, it can never be recaptured. The argument is similar to that used in relation to the conservation of species and the environment (David Crys-tal, 1997).

The kingdom of Bhutan is a multi-lingual society. There are nineteen languages spoken in the country. Although Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan, the Bhutanese government recognizes the need to inventory and record the country’s rich “oral traditions that face the danger of dis-appearing” (RGOB, 1999, p. 66). These oral traditions exist both in the national language as well as in the other languages and dialects.