Wingless Bird: Femininity, Violence, and Disempowerment in a South Asian Fairy Tale

Key Points

Violence is depicted through cannibalism within the tale's symbolic structure, highlighting cultural nuances.
In this narrative, the notion of femininity intertwines with themes of justice and power dynamics across iterations.
Critical analysis focuses on the kingdom's reestablishment and the destruction of threats posed by antagonistic figures.
Such tales reflect deeper cultural codes shaping gender perceptions and societal attitudes toward authority.

Abstract

Abstract: In some South Asian fairy tales, an ogre’s or witch’s “life” resides in the body of a bird. This article discusses the significance of the bird motif in “The Outcast Queens and the Ogress Queen.” While the story changes across its multiple iterations, in each instance, the reestablishment of order in the kingdom requires the destruction of a bird that holds the life of the antagonist. Through a critical analysis of the bird motif and other symbols of danger such as cannibalism and similar perversions of appetite, I argue that the tale offered a set of codes about gender-appropriate attitudes to power and justice within the cultures in which it circulated.

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