Sharon Coddington interview with S. P. Sharma

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This interview begins with S. P. Sharma talking about two books that contain stories from India, Hitopdesha and Panchtantra. At 02:58, he tells the story about a lion terrorizing the jungle creatures and how the jungle creatures stopped him. At 07:55, he tells a story about a washermans donkey and dog. At 13:08, he talks about storytelling and its importance to families in India. He talks about what kind of stories were told and what the origin of the stories are. The origins of the stories range from Arabian Nights to the Puranas, traditional religious texts from Hinduism. He talks about the key principles of Hinduism. At 24:24, he talks about his views on other religions and their overlapping philosophies. At 26:34, he tells the story about four small deities and how Vijaij and Jiaj were sent back to earth by God. At 35:43, he tells a story about one of Vijaijs reincarnations and his interaction with Brahma. In this story, he also explains how God is split into different deities. He tells Coddington about what happened to Vijaij and Jiaj after they went through their three reincarnations. At 56:26, he talks about the Brahmin, the elite social caste in India. He explains what the caste system is, what people and professions are typical at each level, and his opinions on the caste system. At 1:03:33, he talks about the moral goal of a Brahmin and the story of Chanayake. At 1:26:00, he and Coddington talk about the existence of other animal stories and their significance. S. P. Sharma was born in the province of Haryana in northern India. He was a professor at Kuruksheta University. His family moved to the United States in approximately 1974. He was a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Additional biographical information about S. P. Sharma has not been determined. brahma; hindu stories; vijaij; jiaj; reincarnation; chanayake A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us in a position to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials accurately. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created. Additionally, our work to use reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete is ongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.