Introduction
Folklore is the collective knowledge, practices, and cultural expressions passed down through generations in a community. Over time, scholars have interpreted folklore through different theoretical lenses. Two important yet contrasting perspectives are the evolutionary and devolutionary ideas. These ideas significantly influenced the development of folklore studies in both the West and India. This answer discusses the meaning of these concepts and their impact on the way folklore is viewed and studied.
Understanding Evolutionary Ideas in Folklore
The evolutionary approach to folklore was influenced by 19th-century social science, especially by thinkers like Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer.
Key Concepts:
- Societies evolve from simple to complex forms.
- Folklore represents an early, “primitive” stage in human development.
- As society modernizes, folklore is expected to decline or disappear.
Impact on Folklore Studies:
- Folklore was seen as a leftover from the past—an outdated cultural form.
- Scholars collected folklore with the aim of preserving it before it vanished.
- Emphasis was placed on archiving, cataloging, and comparing folktales across cultures.
- This created a sense of urgency to ‘rescue’ folklore from extinction.
Criticism:
- Oversimplified cultures as either ‘primitive’ or ‘advanced’.
- Ignored the fact that folklore adapts and evolves with time.
Understanding Devolutionary Ideas in Folklore
The devolutionary theory is the opposite of the evolutionary approach. It suggests that folklore is not a sign of progress but of cultural degradation from a once high civilization.
Key Concepts:
- Folklore is seen as a distorted or simplified version of elite or classical culture.
- Folk traditions emerge when people forget the original meanings of rituals or texts.
- For example, a folk ritual may be a degraded form of a once-structured Vedic ritual.
Impact on Folklore Studies:
- Encouraged comparison between classical and folk traditions.
- Led to the view that folklore is a ‘little tradition’ derived from a ‘great tradition’.
- Supported the Sanskritization theory, which shows how local communities imitate elite practices.
Criticism:
- Looked down on folk traditions as ‘lower’ forms.
- Failed to recognize the creative and independent nature of folk communities.
Combined Influence in Indian Context
- In India, both evolutionary and devolutionary models influenced early folklore research during the colonial period.
- British officials saw Indian folklore as a survival of primitive beliefs.
- Indian scholars often compared folk traditions with Sanskrit texts to trace their origin or ‘devolution’.
Modern Perspectives
Today, both these ideas are considered outdated or limited. Modern folklore studies use a more balanced approach:
- Recognize that folklore is dynamic and constantly evolving.
- Value the creativity and resilience of folk communities.
- Folklore is not backward—it is a living, adaptive part of society.
Conclusion
The evolutionary and devolutionary theories played a major role in shaping early folklore research. While they helped in documenting and preserving folk traditions, they also led to narrow interpretations. Modern scholarship now rejects these binary ideas and sees folklore as a powerful, ongoing cultural process that deserves respect in its own right.