The paper seeks to study the proverbs of 17th century Indian Poet Ghagh which are full of natural elements. It discusses the questions pertaining to the medium, appropriation and relevance of these proverbs in contemporary times, particularly in the backdrop of the discourse of anthropocene.
Paper long abstract
Proverbs as shorter narrative forms encapsulate folk wisdom, yet compared to other prominent genres of folklore, like folk songs or folk tales, scientific studies dedicated to them are scant, at least in India. The proposed paper seeks to shed light on the proverbs of North Indian Poet Ghagh of 17th century which are an ethnological account of everyday life comprising primarily of, but not limited to, weather forecast and agricultural practices. The aim of the paper is to critically analyse these proverbs in the backdrop of their diachronic development over the years. Since these proverbs are rooted in rural set up, and thus full of nature metaphors, the questions pertaining to the shift in their medium (from oral to written), their appropriation as well as the relevance of these proverbs in contemporary times, particularly under the threat of the anthropocene, are central to the analysis of this paper.