The Man Village is the setting from Disney's 1967 animated feature film The Jungle Book, its 2003 sequel, and its 2016 remake.
Background[]
The Man Village is a small human settlement located at the edge of the Seoni jungle in the Madhya Pradesh region of India, during the British Raj. Not much is known about the village itself or its history, but it is implied that it was built not too long before Mowgli was discovered by Bagheera, as humans are a very rare sight in the jungle. As The Jungle Book takes place in 1894, all the buildings are made of stone and with thatched roofs, as was with most rural 19th century Indian villages that were untouched by the British Empire.
The Man Village is depicted as a humble community led by Ranjan's Father and populated mainly by peasants, woodcutters, and hunters, and relies mainly on agriculture. The village appears to have gender roles, as women are expected to maintain households while men provide for their families and protect the village from wild animals. Despite that, the village does not appear to be a complete patriarchy, most likely due to the meekness of the community, as there is little to no cultural preference for sons over daughters and women were allowed to join the search party when Mowgli, Shanti, and Ranjan were lost in the jungle in The Jungle Book 2. Unlike many Indian communities at the time, the Man Village does not emphasize on arranged marriages. This is evidenced by Messua and Ranjan's father admitting that they married for love and despite Mowgli's higher social status as the son of the village leader, his family approves of his love for Shanti, despite her status a peasant girl.
Because the Man Village lacks formal education, the children are mainly laborers and are educated by their parents with the skills and knowledge they need to know. Unlike the adults, the children are not subjected to gender roles when it comes to chores, as evidenced by Mowgli and Shanti doing the same chores and Shanti being tasked with helping Mowgli learning work ethics and guiding him through the work hours shortly after he arrived at the village.
The fashion in the village resembles that of typical rural communities of south and central India (and southern Asia). The men often wear turbans, kurdas, dhoti, and sandals. There are also some men who simply wear dhoti pants and sandals. The women are dressed very modestly, usually wearing saris and headscarfs and wealthy women, such as Messua, often wear jewelry. The children wear simpler clothing. Girls usually wear lehenga skirts and choli tops and often with red bindi on their foreheads, a symbol of their Hindu faith. While boys commonly wear dhotis and kurdas, though many simply wear dhotis, langots, or other types of loincloth.
Unlike in the books, where many villagers were superstitious, the Man Village in the films is accepting of newcomers, as evidenced by their willingness to take in Mowgli, even though he was not born in the village.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Despite the Man Village being shown in "The Jungle Book" film series, Mowgli and Shanti were the only humans to appear in the original film. However, that changed when numerous humans appeared in the sequel.
- In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, players can access textureless maps of the Jungle Book world through the use of a cheat device, including King Louie's throne room (which is the only one with textures).
- There appear to be large hills or mountains behind the village.
- In the book, the Man Village is the first village Mowgli goes to after his banishment from the wolf pack. He is taken in by Messua and her husband, who believe Mowgli to be their long-lost son Nathoo. However, after seeing Mowgli interact with Bagheera, the superstitious hunter Buldeo concludes that Mowgli is an evil sorcerer and turns the villagers against him. Messua and her husband are sentenced to execution for sheltering Mowgli, who enlists the elephants to destroy the village in order to save his foster parents.
