Female Desire, Symbolic Expression, and Psychoanalytic Imagery in Bhawaiya Folk Songs of the Koch–Rajbanshi Community

Abstract

Human sexual instincts were built into the body 315,000 years ago. Instincts served as the foundation for sexual changes, ranging from the basic need to reproduce to the intermittent desire to masturbate, and they evolved significantly as culture and tradition changed. Culture impacted human sexual behaviour more swiftly than instincts. In this context, tribal folk songs have arisen as a fascinating subject of study. In patriarchal societies where open discussion of female desire was prohibited, songs served as a type of coded speech, allowing women to communicate longing, bodily experience, and even sexual frustration in metaphorical or collective language. This article examines how the Koch-Rajbanshi tribe and Rajbanshi society depict female sexuality and desire in their folk songs. Bhawaiya songs from the Rajbanshi community in Bengal and Assam will be included. This study will also discuss how folk songs use metaphors and code words to ease sensual yearning and sexual tension. The erotic lyrics of folk songs will be explored using psychoanalytic theory, with a focus on how they express, conceal, or sublimate female sexual desire. This method, based on Freudian and post-Freudian philosophy, investigates cultural taboos, symbolic language, and unconscious impulses concerning sex and gender roles. It will also look at how indigenous women utilize folk songs to express their sexual agency and desire in fresh and liberating ways.