Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India

Flying palanquin.—The words used for this were indifferently dolâ, a bridal palanquin, and burj, a common word for a balloon.

THE LAMBIKIN

Lambikin.—The words used were Panjâbî, lelâ, lerâ, lekrâ, and lelkarâ, a small or young lamb.

Lambikin's Songs.—Of the first the words were Panjâbî—

Nânî kol jâwângû: Motâ tâjâ âwângâ Pher tûn main nûn khâwângâ.

Of the second song—

Wan piâ lelkarâ: wan pî tû. Chal dhamkiriâ! Dham! Kâ! Dhû!

These the rhymes render exactly. The words dham, kâ, dhû are pronounced sharply, so as to imitate the beats on a drum.

Drumikin.—The dhamkîriâ or dhamkirî in Panjâbî is a small drum made by stretching leather across a wide-mouthed earthen cup (piyâlâ). The Jatts make it of a piece of hollow wood, 6 inches by 3 inches, with its ends covered with leather.

BOPOLUCHI

Bopolûchî.—Means Trickster.

Uncle: uncle-in-law.—The words used were mâmû, mother's brother, and patiauhrâ, husband's (or father-in-law's) younger brother.

Pedlar.—Wanjârâ or banjârâ (from wanaj or banaj, a bargain), a class of wandering pedlars who sell spices, etc.

Robber.—The word used was thag, lit. a deceiver. The Thags are a class but too well known in India as those who make their living by deceiving and strangling travellers. Meadows Taylor's somewhat sensational book, The Confessions of a Thug, has made their doings familiar enough, too, in England. In the Indian Penal Code a thag is defined as a person habitually associated with others for the purpose of committing robbery or child-stealing by means of murder.

Crow's, etc., verses,.—The original words were—

Bopo Lûchi! Aqlon ghuthî, Thag nâl thagî gai.Bopo Lûchi!You have lost your wits,And have been deceived by a thag.

Bridal scarlet.—Every Panjâbî bride, however poor, wears a dress of scarlet and gold for six months, and if rich, for two years.

PRINCESS AUBERGINE

Princess Aubergine,—The vernacular name for the story is Baingan Bâdshâhzâdî. The Baingan, baigan, begun, or bhântâ is the Solanum melongena, i.e. the egg-plant, or aubergine. Europeans in India know it by the name of brinjâl; it is a very common and popular vegetable in the rains.

Exchanging veils,—To exchange veils among women, and to exchange turbans among men, is a common way of swearing friendship among Panjâbîs. The women also drink milk out of the same cup on such occasions.

Nine-lakh necklace,—The introduction of the Nau-lakkhâ hâr, or nine-lâkh necklace, is a favourite incident in Indian folk-tales. Nau-lakkhâ means worth nine lâkhs, or nine hundred thousand rupees. Frequently magic powers are ascribed to this necklace, but the term nau-lakkhâ has come also to be often used conventionally for 'very valuable,' and so is applied to gardens, palaces, etc. Probably all rich Rajas have a hankering to really possess such a necklace, and the last Mahârâjâ of Patiâlâ, about fifteen years ago, bought a real one of huge diamonds, including the Sansy, for Rupees 900,000. It is on show always at the palace in the fort at Patiâlâ.

VALIANT VICKY

Valiant Vicky, the Brave Weaver,—In the original the title is 'Fatteh Khân, the valiant weaver.' Victor Prince is a very fair translation of the name Fatteh Khân. The original says his nickname or familiar name was Fattû, which would answer exactly to Vicky for Victor. Fattû is a familiar (diminutive form) of the full name Fatteh Khân. See Proper Names of Panjâbîs, passim, for the explanation of this.

THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS

For a long and interesting variant of this tale see Indian

Antiquary, vol. x. p. 151 ff.

Fakîr,—Properly faqîr, is a Muhammadan devotee, but in modern India the term is used for any kind of holy man, whatever be his religion. For instance, the 'Salvation Army' were styled at Lahore, at a meeting of natives, by a Sikh gentleman of standing, as Vilâyatî fuqrâ, European faqîrs. The power of granting children to barren women is ascribed in story to all saints and holy personages of fame.

Witch—The word used was dâyan. In the Panjâb a woman with the evil eye (which by the way is not necessarily in India possessed by the wicked only, see Panjâb Notes and Queries, 1883-84, passim), who knows the dâyan kâ mantar, or charm for destroying life by taking out the heart. The word in its various modern forms is derived from the classical dâkinî, the female demon attendant on Kali, the goddess of destruction.

Jôgi's wonderful cow—The jôgi is a Hindu ascetic, but like the word faqîr, jôgi is often used for any kind of holy man, as here. Supernatural powers are very commonly ascribed to them, as well as the universal attribute of granting sons. Classically the yôgi is the devotee seeking yoga, the union of the living with the sublime soul. The wonderful cow is the modern fabulously productive cow Kâmdhain, representing the classical Kâmdhenu, the cow of Indra that granted all desires. Hence, probably, the dragging in here of Indra for the master of the jôgi of the tale. Kâmdhain and Kâmdhenu are both common terms to the present day for cows that give a large quantity of milk.

Eighteen thousand demons—No doubt the modern representatives—the specific number given being, as is often the case, merely conventionally—of the guards of Indra, who were in ancient days the Maruts or Winds, and are in modern times his Court. See note.

THE SPARROW AND THE CROW

The Song.—The form of words in the original is important. The following gives the variants and the strict translation—

Tû Chhappar Dâs, Main Kâng Dâs, Deo paneriyâ, Dhoven chucheriyâ, Khâwen khijeriyâ, Dekh chiriyâ kâ chûchlâ, Main kâng sapariyâ.You are Mr. Tank,I am Mr. Crow,Give me water,That I may wash my beak,And eat my khichrî,See the bird's playfulness,I am a clean crow.Tû Lohâr Dâs, Main Kâng Dâs, Tû deo pharwâ, Main khodûn ghasarwâ, Khilâwen bhainsarwâ, Chowen dûdharwâ, Pilâwen hirnarwâ, Toren singarwâ, Khôden chalarwâ, Nikâlen panarwâ, Dhoven chunjarwâ, Khâwen khijarwâ, Dehk chiriyâ kâ chûchlâ, Main kâng saparwâ.You are Mr. Blacksmith,I am Mr. Crow,You give me a spade,And I will dig the grass,That I may give it the buffalo to eat,And take her milk,And give it the deer to drink,And break his horn,And dig the hole,And take out the water,And wash my beak,And eat my khichrî,See the bird's playfulness,I am a clean crow.

THE BRAHMAN AND THE TIGER

The Tiger, the Brâhman, and the Jackal. A very common and popular Indian tale. Under various forms it is to be found in most collections. Variants exist in the Bhâgavata Purâna and the Gul Bakâolâ, and in the Amvâr-i-Suhelî. A variant is also given in the Indian Antiquary, vol. xii. p. 177.

Buffalo's complaint.—The work of the buffalo in the oil-press is the synonym all India over—and with good reason—for hard and thankless toil for another's benefit.

As miserable as a fish out of water.—In the original the allusion is to a well-known proverb—mandâ hâl wâng Jatt jharî de—as miserable as a Jatt in a shower. Any one who has seen the appearance of the Panjâbî cultivator attempting to go to his fields on a wet, bleak February morning, with his scant clothing sticking to his limp and shivering figure, while the biting wind blows through him, will well understand the force of the proverb.

THE KING OF THE CROCODILES

King of the Crocodiles—In the original the title is Bâdshâh Ghariâl.

Lying amid the crops—It is commonly said in the Panjâb that crocodiles do so.

Demons of crocodiles.—The word used for demon here was jinn, which is remarkable in this connection.

Henna—Mehndî or hinâ is the Lawsonia alba, used for staining the finger and toe nails of the bride red. The ceremony of sanchit, or conveying the henna to the bride by a party of the bride's friends, is the one alluded to.

LITTLE ANKLEBONE

Little Anklebone—This tale appears to be unique among Indian folk-tales, and is comparable with Grimm's Singing Bone. It is current in the Bâr or wilds of the Gujrânwâlâ District, among the cattle-drovers' children. Wolves are very common there, and the story seems to point to a belief in some invisible shepherd, a sort of Spirit of the Bâr, whose pipe may be heard. The word used for 'Little Ankle-bone' was Gîrî, a diminutive form of the common word gittâ. In the course of the story in the original, Little Anklebone calls himself Giteta Ram, an interesting instance of the process of the formation of Panjâbî proper names.

Auntie—Mâsî, maternal aunt.

Tree that weeps over yonder pond—Ban, i.e. Salvadora oleoides, a common tree of the Panjâb forests.

Jackal howled—A common evil omen.

Marble basins—The word used was daurâ, a wide-mouthed earthen vessel, and also in palaces a marble drinking-trough for animals.

The verses,—The original and literal translation are as follows—

Kyûn garjâe badalâ garkanâe?  Gaj karak sâre des; Ohnân hirnîân de than pasmâe: Gitetâ Râm gîâ pardes!Why echo, O thundering clouds?Roar and echo through all the land;The teats of the does yonder are full of milk:Gitetâ Râm has gone abroad!

THE CLOSE ALLIANCE

Providence—Khudâ and Allah were the words for Providence or God in this tale, it being a Muhammadan one.

Kabâbs—Small pieces of meat roasted or fried on skewers with onions and eggs: a favourite Muhammadan dish throughout the East.

His own jackal—From time immemorial the tiger has been supposed to be accompanied by a jackal who shows him his game and gets the leavings as his wages. Hence the Sanskrit title of vyâghra-nâyaka or tiger-leader for the jackal.

Pigtail—The Kashmîrî woman's hair is drawn to the back of the head and finely braided. The braids are then gathered together and, being mixed with coarse woollen thread, are worked into a very long plait terminated by a thick tassel, which reaches almost down to the ankles. It is highly suggestive of the Chinese pigtail, but it is far more graceful.

THE TWO BROTHERS

Barley meal instead of wheaten cakes—Jau kî roti, barley bread, is the poor man's food, as opposed to gihûn kî rotî, wheaten bread, the rich man's food. Barley bread is apt to produce flatulence.

With empty stomachs, etc.—The saying is well known and runs thus—

Kahîn mat jâo khâlî pet. Hove mâgh yâ hove jeth.Go nowhere on an empty stomach,Be it winter or be it summer.

Very necessary and salutary advice in a feverish country like India.

If any man eats me, etc.—Apparent allusion to the saying rendered in the following verse—

Jo nar totâ mârkar khâve per ke heth, Kuchh sansâ man na dhare, woh hogâ râjâ jeth. Jo mainâ ko mâr khâ, man men rakhe dhîr; Kuchh chintâ man na kare, woh sadâ rahegâ wazîr.Who kills a parrot and eats him under a tree,Should have no doubt in his mind, he will be a great king.Who kills and eats a starling, let him be patient:Let him not be troubled in his mind, he will be minister for life.

Snake-demon—The word was isdâr, which represents the Persian izhdahâ, izhdâr, or izhdar, a large serpent, python.

Sacred elephant.—The reference here is to the legend of the safed hâthî or dhaulâ gaj, the white elephant. He is the elephant-headed God Ganesa, and as such is, or rather was formerly, kept by Râjâs as a pet, and fed to surfeit every Tuesday (Mangalwâr) with sweet cakes (chûrîs). After which he was taught to go down on his knees to the Râjâ and swing his trunk to and fro, and this was taken as sign that he acknowledged his royalty. He was never ridden except occasionally by the Râjâ himself. Two sayings, common to the present day, illustrate these ideas—'Woh to Mahârâjâ hai, dhaule gaj par sowâr: he is indeed king, for he rides the white elephant.' And 'Mahârâjâ dhaulâ gajpati kidohâî: (I claim the) protection of the great king, the lord of the white elephant.' The idea appears to be a very old one, for Ælian (Hist. Anim. vol. iii. p. 46), quoting Megasthenes, mentions the white elephant. See M'Crindle, India as described by Megasthenes and Arrian, pp. 118, 119; Indian Antiquary, vol. vi. p. 333 and footnote.

Brass drinking bowl.—The lotâ, universal throughout India.

Ogre.—In the original râkhas = the Sanskrit râkhasa, translated ogre advisedly for the following reasons:—The râkhasa (râkhas, an injury) is universal in Hindu mythology as a superhuman malignant fiend inimical to man, on whom he preys, and that is his character, too, throughout Indian folk-tales. He is elaborately described in many an orthodox legend, but very little reading between the lines in these shows him to have been an alien enemy on the borders of Aryan tribes. The really human character of the râkhasa is abundantly evident from the stories about him and his doings. He occupies almost exactly the position in Indian tales that the ogre does in European story, and for the same reason, as he represents the memory of the savage tribes along the old Aryan borders. The ogre, no doubt, is the Uighur Tâtar magnified by fear into a malignant demon. For the râkhasa see the Dictionaries of Dowson, Garrett, and Monier Williams, in verbo; Muir's Sanskrit Texts, vol. ii. p. 420, etc.: and for the ogre see Panjâb Notes and Queries, vol. i., in verbo.

Goat.—The ogre's eating a goat is curious: cf. the Sanskrit name ajagara, goat-eater, for the python (nowadays ajgar), which corresponds to the izhdahâ or serpent-demon on p. 131.

THE JACKAL AND THE LIZARD

The verses.—In the original they are—

Chândî dâ merâ chauntrâ, koî sonâ lipâî!Kâne men merâ gûkrû, shâhzâdâ baithâ hai!My platform is of silver, plastered with gold!Jewels are in my ears, I sit here a prince!

The verses.—In the original they are—

Hadî dâ terâ chauntrâ, koî gobar lipaî!  Kâne men terî jûtî; koî gîdar baithâ hai!Thy platform is of bones, plastered with cow-dung!Shoes are in thy ears; some jackal sits there!

THE SPARROW'S MISFORTUNE

Verses.—In the original these are—

Saukan rangan men charhî,  Main bhî rangan men parî,My co-wife got dyed,I too fell into the vat.

Verses.—In the original—

Ik sarî, ik balî;  Ik hinak mode charhî,One is vexed and one grieved;And one is carried laughing on the shoulder.

The allusion here is to a common tale. The story goes that a man who had two wives wanted to cross a river. Both wives wanted to go across first with him, so in the end, leaving the elder to walk, he took the younger on his shoulder, who mocked the elder with the words—

Ik sarî, dûî balî;  Dûî jâî mûnde charhî.First she was vexed, next she grieved;While the other went across on the shoulder.

Hence the sting of the old sparrow's taunt.

Verses.—In the original—

Ik chamkhat hûî;  Chirî rangan charhî;  Chirâ bedan karî;  Pîpal patte jharî;  Mahîn sing jharî;  Naîn bahí khârî;  Koïl hûî kânî;  Bhagtû diwanî;  Bandî padnî;  Rânî nâchnî;  Putr dholkî bajânî;  Râjâ sargî bajânî;One hen painted,And the other was dyed,And the cock loved her,So the pîpal shed its leaves,And the buffalo her horns,So the river became salt,And the cuckoo lost an eye,So Bhagtû went mad,And the maid took to swearing,So the Queen took to dancing,And the Prince took to drumming,And the King took to thrumming.

THE PRINCESS PEPPERINA

Princess Pepperina.—In the original Shâhzâdî Mirchâ or Filfil Shâhzâdî: mirch is the Capsicum annuum or common chilli, green and red.

Sheldrakes.—The chakwâ, male, and chakwî, female, is the ruddy goose or sheldrake, known to Europeans as the Brâhmanî duck, Anas casarca or Casarca rutila. It is found all over India in the winter, and its plaintive night cry has given rise to a very pretty legend. Two lovers are said to have been for some indiscretion turned into Brâhmanî ducks, and condemned to pass the night apart from each other, on the opposite sides of a river. All night long each asks the other in turn if it shall join its mate, and the answer is always 'no.' The words supposed to be said are—

Chakwâ, main âwân? Nâ, Chakwî!Chakwî, main âwân? Nâ, Chakwâ!Chakwâ, shall I come? No, Chakwî!Chakwî, shall I come? No, Chakwâ!

PEASIE AND BEANSIE

Peasie and Beansie, p. 167.—In the original Motho and Mûngo. Motho is a vetch, Phaseolus aconitifolius; and mûng is a variety of pulse, Phaseolus mungo. Peasie and Beansie are very fair translations of the above.

Plum-tree, p. 167.—Ber, Zizyphus jujuba.

THE SNAKE-WOMAN

King 'Ali Mardân—'Ali Mardân Khân belongs to modern history, having been Governor (not King, as the tale has it) of Kashmîr, under the Emperor Shâh Jahân, about A.D. 1650, and very famous in India in many ways. He was one of the most magnificent governors Kashmîr ever had, and is now the best-remembered.

Snake-Woman—In the original Lamiâ, said in Kashmîr to be a snake 200 years old, and to possess the power of becoming a woman. In India, especially in the hill districts, it is called Yahawwâ. In this tale the Lamiâ is described as being a Wâsdeo, a mythical serpent. Wâsdeo is the same as Vâsudeva, a descendant of Vasudeva. Vasudeva was the earthly father of Krishna and of his elder brother Balarâma, so Balarâma was a Vâsudeva. Balarâma in the classics is constantly mixed up with Sèsha (now Sesh Nâg), a king of serpents, and with Vâsuki (Bâsak Nâg), also a king of serpents; while Ananta, the infinite, the serpent whose legend combines that of Vâsuki and Sêsha, is mixed not only with Balarâma, but also with Krishna. Hence the name Wâsdeo for a serpent. The Lamiâ is not only known in India from ancient times to the present day, but also in Tibet and Central Asia generally, and in Europe from ancient to mediæval times, and always as a malignant supernatural being. For discussions on her, see notes to the above in the Indian Antiquary, vol. xi. pp. 230-232, and the discussion following, entitled 'Lamiâ or Λαμια' pp. 232-235. Also Comparetti's Researches into the Book of Sindibâd, Folklore Society's ed., passim.

Dal Lake—The celebrated lake at Srinagar in Kashmîr.

Emperor of China's Handmaiden—A common way of explaining the origin of unknown girls in Musâlman tales. Kashmîr is essentially a Musalmân country._

Shalimâr gardens.—At Srinagar, made by the Emperor Jahangir, who preceded 'Ali Mardân Khân by a generation, for Nûr Mahal. Moore, Lalla Rookh, transcribes in describing them the well-known Persian verses in the Dîwân-i-Khâs (Hall of Private Audience) at Delhi and elsewhere—

'And oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,It is this, it is this.'

The verses run really thus—

Agar firdûs ba rû-e-zamîn ast,  Hamîn ast o hamîn ast o hamîn ast!If there be an Elysium on the face of the earth,It is here, and it is here, and it is here!

Shâh Jahân built the Shâlimâr gardens at Lahor, in imitation of those at Srinagar, and afterwards Ranjît Singh restored them. They are on the Amritsar Road.

Gangâbal.—A holy lake on the top of Mount Harâmukh, 16,905 feet, in the north of Kashmîr. It is one of the sources of the Jhelam River, and the scene of an annual fair about 20th August.

Khichrî.—Sweet khichrî consists of rice, sugar, cocoa-nut, raisins, cardamoms, and aniseed; salt khichrî of pulse and rice.

The stone in the ashes.—The pâras, in Sanskrit sparsamani, the stone that turns what it touches into gold.

Attock.—In the original it is the Atak River (the Indus) near Hoti Mardân, which place is near Atak or Attock. The similarity in the names 'Ali Mardan and Hotî Mardân probably gave rise to this statement. They have no connection whatever.

THE WONDERFUL RING

The Wonderful Ring.—In the vernacular 'ajab mundrâ: a variant of the inexhaustible box.

Holy place.—Chaunkâ, a square place plastered with cow-dung, used by Hindus when cooking or worshipping. The cow-dung sanctifies and purifies it.

Aunt.—Mâsî, maternal aunt.

THE JACKAL AND THE PEA-HEN

Plums, p. 195.—Ber, Zyziphus jujuba.

THE GRAIN OF CORN

The verses.—In the original they were—

_Phir gîâ billî ke pâs,'Billî, rî billî, mûsâ khâogî'Khâtî khûnd pâr nâ!Khûnd chanâ de nâ!Râjâ khâtî dande nâ!Râjâ rânî russe nâ!Sapnâ rânî dase nâ!Lâthî sapnâ mâre nâ!Âg lâthî jalâve nâ!Samundar âg bujhâve nâ!Hâthî samundar sukhe nâ!Nâre hâthî bandhe nâ!Mûsâ nâre kâte nâ!Lûngâ phir chorûn? nâ!'He then went to the cat (saying),'Cat, cat, eat mouse.Woodman won't cut tree!Tree won't give peas!King won't beat woodman!Queen won't storm at king!Snake won't bite queen!Stick won't beat snake!Fire won't burn stick!Sea won't quench fire!Elephant won't drink up sea!Thong won't bind elephant!Mouse won't nip thong!I'll take (the pea) yet, I won't let it go!'_

It will be seen that in the text the order has been transposed for obvious literary convenience.

Verses.—In the original these are—

Usne kahâ, 'Lap, lap, khâûngî!'  Phir gîâ mûsâ ke pâs, 'Mûsâ, re mûsâ, ab khâ jâoge?' 'Ham bhî    nâre katenge.'  Phir gîâ nâre ke pâs, 'Nâre, re nâre, ab kâte jâoge?' 'Ham bhî    hâthî bandhenge.'  Phir gîâ hâthî ke pâs, 'Hâthî, re hâthî, ab bandhe jâoge?' 'Ham    bhî samundar sûkhenge.'  Phir gîâ samundar ke pâs, 'Samundar, re samundar, ab sukhe    jâoge?' 'Ham bhî âg bujhâenge.'  Phir gîâ âg ke pâs, 'Âg, rî âg, ab bujhâî jâogi?' 'Ham bhî lâthî    jalâvenge.'  Phir gîâ lâthî ke pâs, 'Lâthî, re lâthî, ab jal jâoge?' 'Ham bhî    sâmp mârenge.'  Phir gîâ samp ke pâs, 'Sâmp, re sâmp, ab mâre jâoge?' 'Ham bhî    rânî dasenge?'  Phir gîâ rânî ke pâs, 'Rânî, rî rânî, ab dasî jâoge?' 'Ham bhî    râjâ rusenge.'  Phir gîâ râjâ ke pâs, 'Râjâ, re raja, ab rânî rus jâoge?' 'Ham    bhî khâtî dândenge.'  Phir gîâ khâtî ke pâs, 'Khâtî, re khâtî, ab dande jâoge?' 'Ham    bhî khund kâtenge.'  Phir gîâ khund ke pâs, 'Khund, re khund, ab kâte jâoge?' 'Ham    bhî chanâ denge.'  Phir woh chanâ lekar chalâ gîâ?The cat said, 'I will eat him up at once!'(So) he went to the mouse, 'Mouse, mouse, will you be eaten?' 'Iwill gnaw the thong.'He went to the thong, 'Thong, thong, will you be gnawed?' 'Iwill bind the elephant.'He went to the elephant, 'Elephant, elephant, will you be bound?''I will drink up the ocean.'He went to the ocean, 'Ocean, ocean, will you be drunk up?' 'Iwill quench the fire.'He went to the fire, 'Fire, fire, will you be quenched?' 'I willburn the stick.'He went to the stick, 'Stick, stick, will you be burnt?' 'I willbeat the snake.'He went to the snake, 'Snake, snake, will you be beaten?' 'I willbite the queen.'He went to the queen, 'Queen, queen, will you be bitten?' 'I willstorm at the king.'He went to the king, 'King, king, will you be stormed at by thequeen?' 'I will beat the woodman.'He went to the woodman, 'Woodman, woodman, will you bebeaten?' 'I will cut down the trunk.'He went to the trunk, 'Trunk, trunk, will you be cut down?' 'Iwill give you the pea.'So he got the pea and went away.