MALE – FEMALE ROLES AND BELIEFS IN ETHNIC FOLKTALES

Abstract

  The purpose of this study was to analyze the roles between males and females and the beliefs in ethnic folktales of six races of hill tribes included Pgakoenyau, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Lisu and Akha. The study was carried on 280 stories of ethnic folktales.
   The results were as follows: the most evident found that role and status of males were mostly related to family, then occupation, and education, respectively. However, the role and status of males in society and politic were not revealed in all ethnic folktales. In addition, the role and status of females were mostly concordant with family in all ethnic folktales. While the role and status of females were associated with occupation as the second. Nevertheless, the role and status of females in education, society and politic were not mentioned in all ethnic folktales.
   The analysis of beliefs among ethnic folktales explained that the beliefs in superstition, ghost, spirit and ancestors’ spirit were mostly appeared. The following were beliefs in reciprocal deeds, you’ll get what you, give whether it’s good or bad, history of human being, animals and things, hell and paradise along with past life and next life, magical things, astrology and auspicious time, prediction of dreams and future prediction, respectively. On the other hand, beliefs in herbal medicines and merits were not occurred in ethnic folktales.