Narratives of Identity: Folk Consciousness and Cultural Formation in Kashmir
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12724/ajss.77.1Keywords:
Syncretic Culture, Folktales, Sufis of Kashmir, Folklore of Kashmir, Legends of KashmirAbstract
The socio-cultural past of the Valley of Kashmir includes folklore, folklore stories, oral history, and mixed-religion customs. Folklore has a function beyond mere entertainment in Kashmir; it provides social norms, environmental consciousness, and historical consciousness through symbolic frameworks. This article analyses in detail the role of folklore, legends, and other supernatural beliefs in forming Kashmiri social identity and sustaining Kashmiri culture. It also tries to identify where these traditions fit within larger theories of folklore, oral history, and sacred history developed by Western scholars. The methodological approach utilised in this study is qualitative and interpretive, based on textual analysis of folklore literature, historical records, and secondary scholarly literature. In addition, the study examines continual narrative themes, symbolic motifs, and the presence of syncretic religious features that distinguish Kashmiri folklore traditions. The results of this study suggest that Kashmiri folklore does not represent vestiges of a pre-modern cultural matrix, but rather the centre of cultural memory, social identity, and the capacity of this society to be resilient. Furthermore, Kashmiri folklore mediates relationships between religion and society, the views of great saints such as Lal Ded and Nur-ud-Din Wali on humankind, and everyday life in the valley.
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