TRANSLATING FOLKLORE: CULTURAL TRANSMISSION, IDENTITY AND THE CHALLENGES OF RECREATING THE ORAL TRADITION IN TRANSLATION

Translation and folklore share a deep interconnection rooted in the transmission of culture, tradition, and collective memory across time and space. Folklore embodies the soul of a community through its oral narratives, myths, songs, proverbs, ballads, rituals, and legends, all of which are shaped by specific linguistic, cultural, and social contexts. The act of translating folklore, therefore, is not a mere linguistic substitution but a profound cultural negotiation. This research paper examines the relationship between translation and folklore by exploring how translators mediate between the source and target cultures while preserving the essence of oral tradition. It discusses the historical development of folklore translation, theoretical frameworks, and the challenges translators face in rendering idiomatic expressions, performative elements, local worldviews, and oral stylistics. The paper further analyses the role of translation in preserving endangered traditions, constructing national identity, and fostering intercultural dialogue. Through examples from Indian, African, and European folklore traditions, it highlights the tension between fidelity and adaptation, tradition and modernity, and orality and literacy. Ultimately, it argues that translation serves as a bridge that not only transmits folklore across linguistic boundaries but also revitalizes it for new audiences, reaffirming its role in cultural continuity and transformation.