Local Folk Songs with Dark Meanings
- Aditya
- Jan 27, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 6, 2022
"People sing each other's songs and they cultivate standards. That's the reason why we have folk music and folk stories. History is told through song."
-Brandi Carlile
There are many folk songs throughout India which are sung during celebrations and festivities. They often carry a positive atmosphere and deliver happiness. But, there are some exceptions. These may be used as a happy song, but they have a certain meaning or story behind them. A dark and gritty one.
"Ring Around the Rosie" is one such example. Children often sing this while jumping around holding each other's hands in a happy circle. But the origin is very tragic. During the Black Plague, which struck Europe in the 14th century, thousands succumbed to the illness, including children, who began singing this rhyme. It described the ring-shaped patches on their bodies, which would turn black from red and they would know that they draw closer to the arms of death.
So, I would like to talk about 2 such folk songs from India:
Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Vetam (Konkan)
This folk song's title literally means 'I'm Going Across to the Other Side of The River'. This song is associated with the semi-classical Goan dance form of Dekhni and is sung as a happy song on the river banks in Goa.
The author of the multi-volume "Greatest Konkani Song Hits" series, Francis Rodrigues, describes the tale of this song as a dancer fights an evil boatman who tries to harass her and eventually she defeats him, and then is able to cross the river without his help.
But, there is more to the tale of this song. A tragic history behind it.
Writer and blogger Shefali Vaidya describes the song about a person who is trying to cross the river to the other side, which is a safe haven. From what is he fleeing from you may ask? Well, the Portuguese.
The tale is set in 16th century Goa. This was a time when the Portuguese were the supreme rulers of this place after they annexed the area from the Bijapur Sultanate and made it a colony in 1510. But the real tale is set against the backdrop of the Goan Inquisition.
The Goan Inquisition. A forgotten period in Indian history, which is completely ignored in the history textbooks among other events and people. It is often referred to as a forgotten holocaust of the Hindus, Muslims and Jews of Goa. The people of Goa still remember this event as one of the most terrifying periods in their past, which left a lasting impact on generations to come.
This inquisition started when the renowned Jesuit, Francis Xavier, wrote to the King of Portugal to start an inquisition in Goa. After this, various inquisition offices were set up. The main goal of the inquisition was to ensure the proper practice of Christianity in the region. But this would go sideways. The missionaries and the Portuguese colonial government would take advantage of this inquisition and started pressurizing the local Hindu, Muslim and Jew populations to convert to Christianity in brutal ways. They stopped the practice of various ceremonies and demolished countless temples, and even burned thousands of unwilling locals at the stake, mostly accusing them of crimes they did not commit. Many would convert out of fear, while the rest either fled or stayed to suffer the atrocities.
Back to the song, this describes the struggle of a person who is trying to cross a river to the other side which is Ponda, an independent kingdom under the rule of the Hindu Saundekar Raja, the safe haven for all the locals who fled from the Portuguese. The person tries to cross, but he is lost. He is unable to find his way to the safe haven. He pleads for someone to take him across. Though the song is centered on one person, it gives a general description of the persecuted people who tried to escape the Portuguese atrocities. They wanted to seek refuge under the Raja of Ponda and return to their old traditions, their customs, their dharma.
Khoka Ghumolo Para Juralo Borgi Elo Deshe (Bengal)
This song is often sung as a lullaby when a restless child is being put to sleep. A guardian also often warns the child that if they do not sleep, the borgis will come for him. And no, a borgi is not a phantom, it refers to the Marathas, but they were no less horrifying.
During the 18th century, the Maratha Empire was at its peak and they invaded Bengal. However, it all started when a Bengali noble betrayed the Nawab by encouraging a Marathi prince to invade the state. Thus, the Marathas plundered the richest state in India five times. Yes! Five Times!
The Nawab, the local ruler, would repel these attacks continuously. Later the Nawab signed a peace treaty with the Marathas to prevent further invasions. But these invasions took a heavy toll on the region and its riches. 400,000 civilians would get massacred by the invading Marathas and many villages would be destroyed.
This song describes the situation where the Marathas have destroyed and plundered a local village. The crops are destroyed, and many massacred. A mother tries effortlessly to put her hungry child to sleep, also describing her grievances. The birds have eaten all their remaining crops after the Marathas have looted a majority of them. She hardly has grains to feed herself, let alone pay tax to the Nawab, whose kingdom has now become a tributary state to the Maratha juggernaut. Her fellow villagers are dying of hunger and disease. There is hardly any water around to sustain them. She wonders for how many days her child would remain hungry, but she promises him that she has some garlic to feed him.
This shows the bondage between a mother and her child. She will never give up on him, no matter the consequences.
Thank you for giving your time to read this blog post for this week.
For any queries or suggestions, or feedback, contact us on:
Follow us on Instagram:
(you can contact us here too)
Stay tuned!
Commentaires