Sindhi folklore Sindhi folklore () is composed of
folk traditions which have developed in
Sindh over many centuries. Sindh thus possesses a wealth of folklore, including such well-known components as the traditional
Watayo Faqir tales, the legend of
Moriro, the epic tale of
Dodo Chanesar and material relating to the hero Marui, imbuing it with its own distinctive local colour or flavour in relation to the folklore of its neighbouring states. The love story of
Sassui, who pines for her lover Punhu, is known and sung in every Sindhi settlement. Yet further examples of the folklore of Sindh include the stories of Umar Marui and Suhuni Mehar. Sindhi folk singers of both sexes have played a vital role in the preservation and transmission of Sindhi folklore. They sang the
folktales of Sindh in songs with passion in every village of Sindh. Sindhi folklore has been compiled in a series of forty volumes under
Sindhi Adabi Board's project of folklore and literature. This valuable project was accomplished by noted Sindhi scholar
Nabi Bux Khan Baloch. The material for the project has been collected both from the oral traditions village folks and the written record. This folklore series deals with many different genres within Sindhi folklore and literature, including (among others) fables, fairy-tales, pseudo-historical romances, folk-poetry, folk songs, proverbs and riddles.
Tales The most famous Sindhi folk tales are known as the
Seven Heroines () of
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. •
Umar Marui •
Sassui Punhun •
Sohni Mehar •
Lilan Chanesar •
Noori Jam Tamachi •
Sorath Rai Diyach •
Momal Rano Dance •
Ho Jamalo Baloch folklore Baloch folklore () consists of
folk traditions which have developed in
Balochistan over many centuries. The majority of such folk traditions are preserved in the
Balochi or
Brahui languages and deal with themes such as tragic love, resistance and war. The Baloch are known to respect bravery and courage, as is required under the Baloch code of
Baloch Mayur. Many Baloch tribal leaders (
Tamandar) are honoured through folk songs and ballads, notably those
Tamandar remembered for their zeal in defending the principle of
ahot (protection).
Tales •
Hani and Sheh Mureed • Kiyya and Sadu • Shahdad and Mahnaz • Lallah and Granaz • Bebarg and Granaz • Mast and Sammo • Balach and the Bulethis • Shahdad Chota – tells the tale of a Baloch mercenary who battled the Portuguese in
Makran.
Dance •
Chaap - a
Baloch style of dancing, has a curious rhythm distinguished by an inertial back sway with every forward step.
Tales • Azhdaar - a type of
Chitrali dragon, described as a large, winged serpent with a golden mane like that of a lion. Tales surrounding the azhdaar usually feature its protecting treasure and devouring warriors. Such tales often feature the motif of a warrior protecting himself from being devoured by an azhdaar by placing his sword above his head with the tip of the blade in one hand and the hilt in the other, resulting in the laceration of the dragon's fish-like mouth. • Halmasti - folk tales describe the Halmasti as a wolf-like creature the size of a horse, which spits flames out of its mouth (compare the
black dog of European folklore). According to local tradition, encountering the halmasti is a bad omen, with such sightings happening usually at night. To this day, many truck and jeep drivers from Chitral's remote valleys will claim to have seen the halmasti running alongside side their vehicles at night, just before experiencing harrowing accidents. •
Barmanu - The Chitrali equivalent of
bigfoot or the
yeti, described as large bipedal apes, which often attack livestock or attempt to abduct women, although sightings of such creatures in Chitral are extremely rare, with some claiming that the true source of tales of the barmanu lies in the
Ghizer district of
Gilgit-Baltistan. • Chatiboi - described as a creature which howls out horrible cries during flash floods and avalanches in Chitral. • Chumur Deki - described as an iron-legged creature, which roams about Chitral on snowy winter nights. • Nangini - a type of female entity rooted in the ancient folk religion of Chitral, the Nangini was believed to be the supernatural protectress of the home, and consequently held in high reverence.
Dance According to
Anjuman Taraqqi Khowar Chitral, there are several main Chitrali dances: • Shishtuwar • Nohtik • Phastok • Barwazi • Shabdaraz • Tatari Wawari • Khongora Phonik
Kashmiri folklore Kashmiri folklore () are
folk traditions that have developed in Pakistan-administered
Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Indian-administered
Jammu and Kashmir over a number of centuries. Kashmiri is rich in Persian words and has a vast number of proverbs, riddles and idiomatic sayings that are frequently employed in everyday conversation. Folk heroes and folktales reflect the social and political history of the Kashmiri people and their quest for a society based on the principles of justice and equality.
Tales • Layak Tchoor () tells the tale of a young man who was known to steal from the rich and distribute it among the poor in the Kashmir Valley. He would cover himself in oil, enter the premises of wealthy individuals through their chimneys and then escape with all their gold. Layak Tchoor is among several venerated thieves in Kashmiri folklore, including,
Usman Cacha,
Madav Lal and
Layak Singh. •
The Legend of Himal and Nagrai (Himal Nagraya) •
Shireen Farhad • Aka Nandun • Gul Noor
Dance Dances are done on all major functions and weddings in Kashmiri traditions such as birthdays, weddings, and crop harvesting. These include: • Kud • Dumhal • Rouf • Bhand Pather • Bacha Nagma • Hafiza • Bhand Jashan • Wuegi Nachun
Pashtun folklore Pashtun folklore (
Pashto: پښتون لوک) are
folk traditions which have developed in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
Afghanistan over a number of centuries. Famous Pashto romances involve a love story between
star-crossed lovers who die at the end. Among such romances are
Adam aw [and] Durkhani;
Fateh Khan aw Rabia;
Momen Khan aw Shirini;
Shanhdi Khan aw Bibu;
Turdalai aw Shahi;
Saiful Maluk aw Badri Jamaleh;
Sharif Khan aw Mabaie;
Farhad aw Shirin;
Yusuf aw Zulaika.
Tales •
Adam Khan and Durkhanai •
Yusuf Khan and Sherbano •
Khosrow and Shirin (translated from Persian) • Momin khan and Sherino • Yusuf and Zulekha
Dance •
Attan •
Khattak dance Punjabi folklore Punjabi folklore () is a tradition of
Punjabi language oral story-telling that came to
Punjab with the fusion of local people and migrants from the
Arabian peninsula and contemporary
Iran. Where
Qisse reflect an
Islamic and/or
Persian heritage of transmitting popular tales of love, valour, honour and moral integrity amongst
Muslims, they matured out of the bounds of religion into a more secular form when it reached Punjab and added the existing pre-Islamic
Punjabi culture and
folklore to its entity. The word
qissa is an
Arabic word meaning
epic legend or a
folk tale. The
Punjabi language is famous for its rich literature of
qisse, most of the which are about love, passion, betrayal, sacrifice, social values and a common man's revolt against a larger system. In the Punjabi tradition, friendship, loyalty, love and
qaul (verbal agreement or promise) are given utmost importance and most of the stories in the
qisse hinge on these critical elements.
Qisse are attributed to have inspired folk music in Punjabi and have added depth and richness to its delivery. These traditions were passed down generations in oral or written forms and were often recited, told as
bedtime stories to children or performed musically as
folk songs. Each qissa, if performed, has its unique requirements. A person able to sing or recite one may not necessarily transmit another. The
vocal ranges on the musical scale and accurate pauses, if not performed well leaves a performer breathless and unable to continue. Most of the beats used in modern Punjabi music (often misleadingly labelled
Bhangra), originated from
qissa tradition and recitations in old times.
Qisse also boast to be among the best poetry every written in Punjabi.
Waris Shah's (1722–1798)
qissa of
Heer Ranjha (formally known as
Qissa Heer) is among the most famous Qisse of all times. The effect of
Qisse on Punjabi culture is so strong that even religious leaders and revolutionaries like
Guru Gobind Singh and
Baba Farid, etc., quoted famous
Qissas in their messages. It will not be wrong to say that popularity and nearly divine status of
Qisse in Punjabi actually inspired many generations of spiritual leaders and social activists to combine the message of God with teenage love tales. This gave rise to what is known as the
Sufi movement in Punjab region. The most popular writer/poet to have written Punjabi Sufi
Qisse was
Bulleh Shah (c.1680-1758).
Tales Most of the Punjabi folktales (
qisse) were written by Muslim poets who wandered the land. •
Mirza Sahiba by
Peelu •
Heer Ranjha by
Waris Shah •
Sohni Mahiwal by Fazal Shah Syed •
Sassi Punnun by
Hasham Shah •
Shirin Farhad originally by
Nizami Ganjavi •
Pooran Bhagat by
Qadir Yar •
Dhol Sammi •
Yusuf and Zulaikha by
Hafiz Barkhurdar •
Layla Majnun by
Nizami Ganjavi •
Saiful Maluk by
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh •
Dulla Bhatti / Abdullah Bhatti == See also ==