South Asia is the birthplace of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, and it is the home of hundreds of languages. It is also a region of growing economic importance, and students, travellers, and general readers increasingly need to understand its cultures and customs. At the heart of South Asia is its rich and varied folklore. This book is a brief but thorough introduction to folklore from South Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The volume begins by overviewing the cultural background of South Asia. It then examines different types of folklore and the difficulties of defining and classifying folklore genres. The book next provides a substantial selection of legends, tales, myths, riddles, jokes, and other pieces of folklore from South Asia. This is followed by a look at research on the subject, along with an exploration of South Asian folklore in literature and popular culture. The volume closes with a glossary and a bibliography of print and electronic resources.