This study explores the dynamic relationship between tribal folklore and mainstream Assamese literature through a comparative literary and cultural perspective. Assam is recognised for its multilingual and multicultural social fabric, where tribal communities have preserved rich oral traditions in the form of folk narratives, myths, legends, songs, rituals, and performance practices. These traditions carry collective memory, indigenous knowledge, ecological consciousness, social values, and community identity. Mainstream Assamese literature, on the other hand, has evolved through written literary traditions while continuously interacting with regional cultural expressions. The present study examines points of convergence and divergence between these two literary streams with special attention to themes, narrative patterns, symbolic structures, language use, representation of nature, and socio-cultural values. The paper also analyses how tribal folklore has contributed to enriching Assamese literary imagination and how literary incorporation influences the visibility and preservation of indigenous traditions. Adopting a qualitative and comparative approach based on textual and contextual analysis, the study highlights that tribal folklore is not peripheral to Assamese literary development but constitutes an important cultural foundation that broadens literary discourse and promotes inclusive cultural understanding. The findings suggest that recognising indigenous oral traditions within academic and literary spaces strengthens cultural continuity, encourages interdisciplinary scholarship, and supports the preservation of Assam’s diverse heritage in contemporary times.
Dr. Mulluck Chan Babu (Sun,) studied this question.