Czech Indologist Dusan Zbavitel's Study Affirms Authenticity of Mymensingh Folk Ballads

Czech Indologist Dusan Zbavitel conducted a seminal study, "Bengali Folk-Ballads From Mymensingh And The Problem Of Their Authenticity," published by the University of Calcutta in 1963. This work is considered the first literary study to examine and affirm the originality of the folk ballads from Mymensingh.

The ballads, known as Maimansimha-gitika, were originally collected in 1923 by literary activist Chandra Kumar De from the Mymensingh District of Eastern Bengal. Rai Bahadur Dineshchandra Sen edited the initial volume of these epic songs, publishing three more volumes in subsequent years. Despite receiving international admiration, some scholars questioned the antiquity and authenticity of these ballads.

Dusan Zbavitel undertook his study to address these uncertainties and establish the ballads' rightful place within Bengali literature. He analyzed 41 Mymensingh ballads, encompassing over 21,000 verses, to prove their originality. A key argument for their authenticity was the presence of identical images, similar artistic approaches, and a common inventory of similes and metaphors across ballads collected by multiple individuals, suggesting they were not the creation of a single modern poet.

Zbavitel identified a significant characteristic of these folk ballads as their lack of explicit religious implications. They often depicted harmonious coexistence between Hindu and Muslim communities, without religious bias. He noted that many Hindu ballads were collected from Muslim singers, indicating their broad appeal across communities. This secular outlook contrasted sharply with classical Bangla literary texts, which often carried explicit religious connotations.

The study also delved into the ideological and artistic methods of the ballad writers, including verse and rhyme techniques, and the use of similes and metaphors. Love was identified as the predominant motif, even in historical and heroic epics. The ballad writers, true to folk epic characteristics, preferred traditional poetic means over innovation, focusing on simple, touching storytelling infused with rural scenes and sentiments.

Zbavitel further discussed the oral preservation of these ballads, often in fragmented forms. He observed that 'original' ballads were sometimes freely rewritten by other folk poets, with portions or entire verses replaced, and stories occasionally altered, in an effort to present a 'better' narrative to listeners. This oral tradition made proving originality challenging.

Rabindranath Tagore praised the Maimansimha-gitika, describing it as a "source of exuberance from the deepest level of the heart of rural Bengal, a clear stream of genuine pain," contrasting it with classical literary texts as a spontaneous expression of aesthetic joy.

According to The Daily Star (BD), Zbavitel's book remains an invaluable guide for studying the folklore of Bangladesh.