Gender refers to this social role demarcation and perception of the roles, wishes and desires that men and women take on. However there may not be a passive acceptance of the roles imposed by society upon individuals. There may be resistance to what is thought appropriate for each gender. The relationship between biological sex and socially constructed gender is multi-layered and complex. Folklore contains many narratives of individuals coming to accept or subvert or openly question the socially genderappropriate roles prescribed for them. While we hear of Arjuna taking on the role of ‘Brihannala’, a eunuch dance-master in the Mahabharata, during the exile period of the Pandavas, it is our folk literature and culture that is rich in characterization of individuals and heroes who take on gender roles or defy them. If we look for the image of women in our folklore it would seem to arise from many tales of hurt and suffering. Yet, it is no simple single pattern regarding gender which emerges from our folklore. Rather it appears to be a complex picture embracing contraries. Two major gender paradigms can be found across the world and through ages; one is the passive submissive woman who