Like every indigenous oral tradition, Rabha, a tribal outfit of North Bengal, contains its folk-lores and beliefs partaining to creation and consolidation of tribal identity in the sub-Himalayan regions. I would begin with a folk song on the origin myth of Rabhas :
রাভাঃ
আমবাড়ী জামবাড়ী-
হাসঙ্‌তােকৗ মামাবৗলা,
উয়ৗন সায়অৗউ মাকসা মাকপড়,
চৗলপাগ মাসৗউ িচকা ঝড়া,
Translation:
The earth covers with mango grove, black berry grove
Is created by the Almighty (creator)
Tiger-bears born in that place
Sustain rivers etc.
Such beliefs reveal the myth of creation and explores the tradition of “Hausuk Souru”, the custom of women-centered system running through the matriarchy which offers a rare kind of means to find out the kinsmen by discovering one’s lineage. It is a mysterious method. The “Hausuk” or lineage of matriarchy helps to find out the kinsfolk, who, it is supposed, were disconnected in past.
It is already mentioned that the Rabha indigenous tribe, descended from the Mongolian race, is matriarchal through the ages and their social life is governed by the norms of matriarchy. So, all the customs are regulated by the rules of matriarchy. Therefore, women are the chief conductors of the community life. Due to this reason, women are addressed as the ‘mistress’ of the home. The identity of lineage flourishes with the lineage of the women of the family. It is their belief that if any blood relation was lost (especially women) it was not difficult to find her out. Because, “Hausukbabay” is carried by the Rabha matriarchal lineage or the anthropological identity is used to trace an eternal connection of the people of this community. It has neither death nor decay. If any one of this community is lost, she or he will bear  “Hausuk”- like axis and it rests with him or her. With this affinity it is easy to unearth the lost kinsmen. Such an ancient story is circulated. It is given below:
রাভাঃ
হৗসুক সৗরু তারায় নাঙা িতিঙ-হৗসুক সৗরু বাসায়মৗন,
সৗরুবিন্দু িমলায়মৗন,
অৗকৗই সুক লানা নাঙ্‌ িতিঙ-----
Translation:
We meet today to explore our lineage
To confirm our homogeneous identity
Verify our relational bonding
Find our kindred out.
It is noticed that the maternal relation matters more than the relation with father, because mother’s anthropological identity “Hausuk” is responsible for the clan’s prosperity. Due to this reason, when a guest of the same indigenous group comes to their home he is asked about his “Hausuk” or lineage at the time of personal introduction. In course of introducing himself if the guest is found to be of the  similar origin,  he will be considered the chief relative. 
It is noticeable that child caring is mentioned in the folklore of every indigenous community. But the style of child caring is different and distinct in Rabha women. The knowledge of such caring comes from the basic feelings of motherhood. By following the social custom, they will make the child strong and healthy. The said rhyme is its illustration.
In Rabha oral literature examples of folk song celebrating mother and baby bonding are numerous. One instance is given below :
রাভাঃ
তিং বাবা তিং-
িনিন আওয়া বৗিসতা
কেপ্ৰাক সিং,

Translation:
tadhina dhin dhin
Your father dances
Tiny small horns,
In the same way, swiftness and mischievousness of the child are compared with the act of monkey and creates a poem on similar idea. An example :
রাভাঃ
হাঁয় িপিদং হাঁয়-
পান ফাঙায় কৌয়ৗই বৗসা’
উয়ৗইন িনিনবায়,
Translation:
hai piding hai
Monkey capers at the branches
It is your buddy,
There is not only a poem on similar ideas but rhymes on the searching of a bride for the baby. I quote a few lines below :
রাভাঃ
হাসঙ্‌ বৗিজমৗন ৈফয়ৗউ আঙ্‌-
িমিচক সাকসা মৗকতানাং িগলপুক না’নাং,
Translation:
The earth is scanned by me
To choose a bride for you
In her neck a goiter exists.
There is a different rhyming for opposite gender. If the child is a girl, for her the following rhyme will be suitable :
রাভাঃ
মাশলাঙ্গা কাঁও কাঁও-
ভূত পাকারাও,
কিলাং সাকসা চেইতানাং-
তত’গাগাড়াও,
The above poem indicates a little bit of indecency, but it is told from the innocent child’s perspective. Besides, there are so many conventional rhymes which are only related to the women of the society. Here I cite one of them
রাভাঃ
হা’পালাং পালাং
পান পালাং পালাং,
নিনি আমায় মলায়’জু-
জিতুং কাব্লাং,
Some feminine indecent words like 'perforation' or 'crackd in the buttocks' is forbidden to pronounce for the male. Mainly, neighboring aunts while pampering the child, try to confuse the child’s mother by cracking such raw jokes. In every indigenous community there exists the story of uncle moon or the old woman spinning in the moon. These stories are very appealing to the young minds. Similar stories also exist in Rabha community. But it marks a different note –
রাভাঃ
গসা তারা-অৗঙ্‌িনং তারা,
তারানি আমায় অনতি হারা,
নগৌ’জিকামায় বিলৌ,
চাগ দাকা পিললৌ,
কেন্ট্ৰাক বুদি৷
Translation:
One star two stars
Star’s mother lost her ear-rings
Glow worm behind the house
Pluck the leaves of nicotine
A shaking old woman.
The above lyric gives the child a picture of the old woman spinning on the moon. All these rhymes have not only drawn intention to fascinate the children but also to poke their grandparents. At the last period of the conjugal life, older couple gets dependent on each other. Whenever the old man goes out from the home, the old woman feels anxious. Such feelings provoke the grandchildren to taunt them by the following comments :
 রাভাঃ
লৌয়াক কৗরৗঙা তরৎ তরৎ
হ্বা’চাপা পুঁমায়,
বুদা’লেইতানা তামা হৗতাং-
বুিদহেঁপা নগুয়ায়,
Translation:
Frog crying on oiled wheels
Under the earth
Old man has gone to village market
Old wife got depressed in her hut.
There are poems or folk rhymes about the extra-marital affairs. Especially the attraction of brother-in-law towards the sister of his wife and his cherished desire to marry his sister-in-law is often found. Actually it is the conventional attitude of the society and from this mentality the brother-in-law wants to marry his sister-in-law. But the parents of the girl do not negotiate. On such occasion, we have found the following folk rhyme :
রাভাঃ
লৌয়াক কৗরৗঙা তরৎ তরৎ
হ্বা’চাপা পুঁমায়,
বুদা’লেইতানা তামা হৗতাং-
বুিদহেঁপা নগুয়ায়,
Translation:
Flying towards the sky
Parrot it is;
Brother-in-law wishes to marry me
Parents demand dowry of one twenty.
It is to be noted that in the Rabha community there is a custom of taking bride price. If any man wishes to marry a girl he promises to give bride price to the parents of the daughter. So when the brother-in-law fails to pay bride price due to his proverty, there is problem. From this poem the pangs of incompleteness are poignantly expressed.
রাভাঃ
স্বৗৰ্গৗ লৗউ লৗউ পুঁইমৗন লেইতা-
উয়ৗন ব্ৰাঁকা িটয়া,
কাবক আঙা লানা’নাপা-
কৈদি(টাকা)রুংশা পিয়া,
Translation:
Goats make knot beside the way
Chewing leaves of khoksa
You unfamiliar one
Why gaze me yup?
Khoksa is one kind of bushy plant with leaf. The goat likes to eat its leaf. The above enigma is also common in Rajbangshi community. For example:
Goats are tied at the crossing of the street
Chewing the leaves of khoksa
To me you are unknown
How dare you taunt me?
In any extra marital affair, the woman seeks opportunity of meeting her lover in seclusion for a while to exchange their feelings. The opportunity comes in the form of grazing the cattle. In the meantime if she is seen by her husband or any acquaintance what will be her fate? This is conveyed in the above riddle.
Although there is a difference in cultural practices between Rabha and Rajbangshi, the source of such thinking is same. From the comparative perspective it is seen that women-centered composition is more in poetry, proverbs or riddles. As women are considered weaker to men, so everyday’s pangs and pleasures of life are expressed through such poems, folklores etc. The literature is  manifest with humours along with the love-ridden experiences of women. Self-revelation of women is very common in Rajbangshi community. But Rabha women are purely self-centered. There are witty, sarcastic, inquisitive stories and lamentation of daily life present in their proverbs, folk songs, but the documents of extra marital affairs are absent. Their life has been monitored by the stern discipline of matriarchal system from one generation to another. Therefore, extra marital affairs have been sinful. Comparatively, the Rajbangshi women were more speculative. Actually, they relinquished the belief of animism and embraced the culture of Aryans and embrased  the convention of Vaisnavism. So Vaisnavism was propagated by them. It is assumed that for this reason the extra marital love affairs got popularity. And it also left an impression in their proverbs, riddles or folklore and enrich them with the thoughts of suffering and pain of women. Although it is quite noticeable that being self-centered, Rabha women’s age old traditional customs are well preserved in their culture. So, Rabha women are custodians of their culture. From their tradition one can trace its primitive identity. 
রাভাঃ
নািঙ েকাচা আচারেদা েতায়াসৗই-
িচকাবৗরৗই সৗই নািঙ-িচকাবৗরৗই সৗই,
উয়ৗন লায়মৗন নাঙ্‌ েকাচা-
উয়ৗন লায়মৗন নাঙচ-------
Translation:
The Koch we, have the culture of offering water
The practice of oblations of water
As we are Koch
So Koch we are.
The above folk song describes the matriarchal system in Rabha culture along with the primitive identity of this clan. The root of one clan can be found through the study of folklore. And one also gets the social picture from the women’s narrating in the poems-proverbs-folksongs. One such folk song is given below:
রাভাঃ
বাঁ’খৗিত পালাও আনাও-
বাঁ’খৗিত  পালাও,
িশর খৗিত দুকু আনাও-
িশর খৗিত দুকু,
উদুকুমৗন উপালাওমৗন-
িচকা ঝড়া হাসামায় নাকেচংিরিতয়া-
আনাও না’ েরিতয়া৷
নৗঙ্‌ দুকু নউ আনাও-
আঙ্‌ পালাও ৌলয়া,
িচকা ঝড়া হাসামায় নাকচেংরেতিয়া-
আনাও না’ েরিতয়া৷
রাসানবা দুনাংতা,িবগলাবান পুঁনাংতা৷
নায় আনাও নগুয়াং েলইয়া-
সৗই নগুয়াং েলইয়া------
Translation:
jakoi made of bamboo, sister, 
khaloi made of slim piece of bamboo, sister
Fine piece of bamboo’s khaloi
To carry this khaloi, to use this jakoi
Let’s go fishing prawn to the outlet of the river, sister.
With the setting sun, the herons fly to the nest
Sister, we should return home, must go back.

With reference to this context, in Rabha matriarchal system, the women are the chief of the family. So their society is women dominated. The rituals of religion and the liabilities of the family are executed by the women of the family. In this regard, Rabha women are hard working and patient. After so much hard work, they do not forget their tradition and responsibilities. After completing their duties in the family they used to go to the river to fish prawn with their fishing equipments jakoi and khaloi. After drying the prawn they sell them to the rural market and then buy the essential commodities like salt-sugar-oil-cooking spices for their family. But they preserve one consignment and after selling it they buy betel-leaf and happily chew them. This cultural life style is delineated through their oral culture. Especially the women’s fishing in chorus and return to home inspire the value of unity and responsibility. In this regard the Rabha women are emblem of sacrifice. The social scientists opine that the self sacrifice of Rabha women and the social service of them to the society, represent the culture of the modernity. 
Glossary:
Aang- I
Awni- my
Aangmwn- with me