Embodiment of Values in Female Archetypes: A Reflection from the Indigenous Meitei Worldview
| Authors |
| Irom Aneela & Thokchom Shantilata Devi |
| Date of Publication: December, 2024 |
| Volume: XXIII, No.- XXVI |
| Abstract |
| Value makes mankind worthy and unique. It is an indispensable quality that defines and shapes human character, behavior, attitudes, and personality; affirming and sustaining our being. Delving into the cultural ethos of the meiteis, the paper attempts to explore the values embodied in the female archetypes as manifested in goddesses and mythological figures of indigenous meitei worldview, particularly with reference to goddess Ema Imoinu Ahongbi, goddess Panthoibi and legendary figure Khamnu, that are believed to represent different values embodied in a meitei woman. The paper further argues that the values embodied in these three female archetypes are not just mythological in nature but they symbolize fundamental and core values that make them pivotal figures of the meitei mythology and literature. They also exemplify values that can serve as ethical and philosophical yardsticks for the meitei woman, thus ensuring cultural continuity and fostering the unique identity of the meitei woman within the indigenous meitei worldview. |
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