Retelling Rongmei Folktale in Animation: Legend of Gairiamnang
| Author |
| David Jiangamlung Kamei & Loiya Leima Oinam |
| Date of Publication: June, 2026 |
| Volume: XXVI, No.- XXIX |
| DOI:10.65734/tgi.ssei.avp.ijcsss.ti.26.29.12 |
| Abstract |
| Folktales have been orally transmitted across generations and cultures. With technological advancement, there has been a paradigm shift in the medium of transmission of folkloric materials. With folktales travelling through the oral-digital trajectory, traditional tales have been reimagined and retold in digital spaces such as YouTube. This paper is a study of this shift, i.e., from oral to digital, within the Rongmei folk tradition. It looks at the animated film Legend of Gairiamnang (2025), which is based on one of the greatest Rongmei folktales—Gairiamnang le Guiliannei (Gairiamnang and Guiliannei). The paper highlights how the animated tale, available on Bingson TV on YouTube, presents Rongmei traditional beliefs and culture to not just the community’s audience but globally. In modern times, traditional storytelling is being largely substituted by digital storytelling such as animation, in which digital media is used to tell stories by integrating text, images, audio, video and interactive elements. The cultural essence embedded in the Rongmei folktales is now transmitted through digitally enriched retellings than through conventional narrative methods. Thus, the paper argues that animated folktales like Legend of Gairiamnang play a vital role in preserving culturally rich stories, thus allaying concerns about possible oblivion of traditional knowledge and narratives in a technological era. |
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