ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides folktales as promising seeds of silence into words of consciousness, the metaphor of Mother Earth as the crux of ecofeminist thought, definition and characteristics of ecofeminist theory, the scope of integration of nature and woman in select folktales from India. It also describes that Mother Nature has two faces, the awesome and the compassionate'. Women who live close to nature celebrate the human dependence on Mother Earth. Care for Mother Earth is central to ecofeminist praxis, according to Vandana Shiva. Karren Warren explores the connection between women, culture and nature in her ecofeminist works. The eco-critical principles reinforce the interconnections of nature and culture, which form a fundamental premise in the study. Folk texts with alternative worldviews initiate a process of understanding the benefits of sustainable living and gender equity.
