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Our Stories
Bringing you folklore straight from the mountains, plains, deserts and beaches of Pakistan. Transcribed, illustrated and curated with love. Happy reading!
-Team Folkloristan
What is the Divine Spirit?
Words by Wattayo Faqir | A series
Animal Lore | The Snow Leopard
Animal Lore | The Snow Leopard | Wakhi Lore from Gilgit Baltistan
When the Tree Refuses to Bear Fruit
Folk tradition for times when a tree fails to bear fruit.
The Foolish Quack
A Hindko Folktale about a quack doctor.
Shaitaan and Firawn
An Urdu anecdote about Satan and the Pharaoh.
From Rags to Riches
A Fable | Riches often make people forget where they come from.
Prince Ahmed and the Flying Horse
A Pakistani fairytale about Prince Ahmed, his friends, and a flying horse.
The Elephant and his Keeper
Hindko Fable | There is always a heavy price to be paid for cruelty.
Bangles Beyond Aesthetics
The beauty of bangles goes beyond aesthetics. A little on folk wisdom behind an ancient cultural practice.
Hakeemi in Balochistan’s Jaundice Outbreak
Between 2004 and 2008, Balochistan faced a jaundice outbreak. Many turned to Hakeemi for treatment. In this post, we explore the folk remedies and beliefs that shaped their response.
The Epic of the Dragon
Muslim Folklore | The Dastan-i-Ejderha is a legend about Hazrat Ali (R) slaying a dragon.
Ra Trakhan Gets Castaway
The story of how the Prince of Gilgit, Ra Trakhan, was born, castaway, and eventually found his way back to the throne.
Hiran Minar | The Tower Built for a Blackbuck
Mughal-Era Folklore | The Blackbuck for whom Jahangir built Hiran Minar.
Animal Lore | The Markhor
Animal Folklore | The Markhor | Lore from Gilgit Baltistan
Animal Lore | The Gharial
Animal Folklore | The Gharial | Lore from the Indus Valley
Animal Lore | The Pangolin
Animal Folklore | The Pangolin | The Lore of Azad Kashmir | Wild Legends of Pakistan by WWF
Solar and Lunar Eclipses
Gilgiti Folklore | Solar and Lunar Eclipses.
A Crow Humbles King Ra Trakhan
Folkloristan x Khoswakt | The Folklore of Gilgit Baltistan | A crow humbles a king.
The Boy Who Fibbed
Urdu Fable | The Boy Who Fibbed
The Traveller and the King
Punjabi Fable | The Traveller and the King
Haari and Hass Pakhi
Sindhi Folklore | A fable warning against greed featuring a Haari (Farmer) and a Hass Pakhi (Swan).
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