DefinePK

Abstract

Folklore refers to the collective body of cultural knowledge, traditions, customs, beliefs, myths, legends, tales, proverbs, and practices that are transmitted across generations within a particular community. It embodies the lived experience of a people and serves as a repository of shared identity, memory, and value systems. Folklore is commonly classified into three interrelated forms: material folklore, encompassing tangible cultural expressions such as clothing, architecture, crafts, and weaponry; semi-material folklore, comprising cultural forms that blend physical objects with performative or ritualistic functions—such as folk music, dance, and ceremonial practices; and non-material folklore, which includes intangible elements like oral narratives, beliefs, customs, and linguistic traditions. Together, these dimensions offer a comprehensive understanding of how cultural meaning is preserved and transmitted through both physical and symbolic mediums. This research paper examines the presence and function of material folklore, with a particular emphasis on traditional weapons and weaponry, in the poetry of Ghani Khan, an eminent Pashto poet and philosopher.