Iterativity, agency, and feminism in the Hindu Tij songs of Nepal

Abstract

Tij songs of Nepal provide an opportunity to consider the interacting forces of iterativity (repetition, yet with purposive changes), agency (both social and linguistic), and women’s empowerment in Nepal (whether it falls under the label “feminism” or not). We study the iterative discursive forms of language (word choice, syntax, and semantics) and multimodal displays (as modern media spread audiovisuals in songs and dances) arising around the Nepali Hindu festival of Tij, where women gather, feast, then fast, sing, and dance to honor the union of goddess Parvati and god Shiva. Traditional Tij songs often lament women as suffering under parents, brothers, husbands, or in-laws – yet taking joy and solace in celebrating with other women, whereas newer genres of songs may focus on one’s beauty and adornment in new Tij attire available through consumer commodification. However, some recent songs and videos exploit the iterativity of language and new media to position women instead as powerful agents to choose partners (or not), pursue education and economic freedom, and join collectively to choose women’s empowerment and rebel against patriarchal religious expectations. Tij songs thus provide evolving, iterative models for feminist agency for women in Nepal and elsewhere.

Keywords

• empowerment
• discourse analysis
• multimodality
• music
• resistance