"Resilience" in Asian and European Folktales

"Resilience" is culturally relative concept. Folktales from various societies depict its different faces.

Stories passing down orally from generation to generation, folktales have the power to foster resilience and inspire positivity where there was once only despair. In the past, folktales were used to help people develop a sense of moral behavior in society. Nowadays, folktales are becoming a widely-accessible tool for educators, caregivers, service providers as a cost-effective and ready-made tool to help people working in socio-economically challenged environments to empower children who face adversity in life. Many studies have shown that by engaging students with folktales can improve important academic skills of the students while teachers can also fulfil both academic and pastoral roles without feeling overburdened (Mayaba &Lesley Wood, 2015). In South Africa, folktales about resilience are used to increase orphaned children’s awareness on where they can find caregiving resources. Qualitative data also shows that young children orphaned by AIDS have reaffirm faith in themselves and boost the positive adjustment in the children.

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

Based on a Middle Dutch tale Mariken of Nieumeghen, Helen from the Netherlands indicated that its protagonist Mariken shows resilience at various moments:

"... when after seven years she realizes what she has done. How difficult it must have been to return to her uncle! And then she has to pray for years to be forgiven, but she perseveres. To persevere, despite everything, is a sign of resilience for me."

---

Another ASEM Folktales teammate, Kimsivgech from Cambodia, pointed out that the Khmer tales also reflect resilience in form of preseverence along with other dimensions:

"In Khmer, there is no direct translation for resilience, but it can refer to patience or how tolerant we are in a given situation.

A story Four-Footed Doctor depicts the patience of Komphak Komar (Four-footed doctor) despite his disability since childhood. Despite his real parents' abandonment, he could pursue high education in literacy and medicine with the Brahman's support and encouragement. Furthermore, he received the king's honor and became well-known for achieving a first place as a medical doctor as a result of the perseverance that his adopted father fostered in him. The story, in my opinion, demonstrates how resilient the character is despite having a tough childhood and a disability.

Whereas, in another tale the Wolf and Shrimps, The shrimp's patience with the wicked wolf who intended to eat them all alive is portrayed in the story. Despite their small size, they planned a strategy to divert the wolf's attention away The story, in my view, is about how clever and resilient the shrimp was in the face of danger."

---

Meanwhile, Stephanie from Germany commented about resilience on a German tale How the name Munich originated that:

"... this story shows how important resilience is in order to maybe get hurt in the beginning but afterwards being able to create something new. Just like the monks, we should try to not force others to do something they don’t want to do even though you might be right. The resilience of the monks that stayed in the monastery, even though they didn’t have a chance of surviving, and the resilience of the monks that went and returned home finding their beloved ones dead and still rebuilding the monastery, is in my opinion a very good example to show how resilience can be found in this stories having a positive outcome in the end."

---

Interestingly, an Asian tale narrated in the central and the southern part of Thailand the Great Boon-khun of Pho Sop (Rice Goddess) unfolds very different perspective on resilience, Voradon from Thailand said:

"It should be noted that there is no direct translation of the word “resilience” in Thai language. However, if resilience is defined as the quality of being able to return to previous good condition after difficulties, two interesting points about the culture of resilience come on from the tale to the surface.

First, such ability is determined by one’s preceding thought and behavior. The more one internalizes and follows the moralistic values of Thai culture, the more one is resilient. Some examples of these values are boon-khun and kreng jai. The latter has three literal meanings: “respect;” “afraid that other people would feel unsatisfied;” and “afraid that what has happened might bother others.” In the early stage of the tale, the folks did not enough realize boon-khun of and express kreng jai to Pho Sop. As a result, they could not deal with and restore from the difficulties. Meanwhile, when they did, they became more resilient. Indeed, both values are relationship-oriented. In this sense, resilience is shaped and shoved by the way how the entity-in-relationship conducts relationship with others.

Second, boon-khun and kreng jai also influence how resilience is exercised. On the one hand, people with higher native, age, professional and/or capability status – who usually receive appreciation of boon-khun and kreng jai, like Lun Tho – have superior authority to be consulted and make a decision. On the other hand, any thought and actions are always collectivist. As the tale indicates, no individual independently thought or acted."

---

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX