Turning Gender Roles on Their Head: The Punjabi Tales of Sohni-Mahiwal and Sassi-Punnu
When we think of Punjab, either the images of huge, hulking men ready to fight for their motherland or the famous folk tales about love come to mind. Punjabi literature can delve into both opposites, love and war, in the most exquisite way. Where the literature about wars serves to resist invaders or authorities, love is also very militant. History has shown that those in power fear love more than anything else.
Whenever we think of Punjabi literature about love, the story of Heer Ranjha comes to our mind. However, in the rich repertoire of Punjabi fairy tales, there are even more underrated love stories that often go unnoticed. For example, the tragic folk tales of Sohni-Mahiwal and Sassi-Punnu have been passed down orally from generation to generation for so long. These love stories reflect the power of love and represent a resistance to the patriarchal structure of society by questioning gender norms and the institution of marriage.
Sohni Mahiwal
Par Chanaa Dethe famous song on Coke Studio, is about the story of Sohni and Mahiwal, the love story that grew in the heart of Chenab. Every night, Sohni clung to an earthen pot and crossed the river Chenab, moving against the waves of the water to meet her beloved Mahiwal. One day, Sohni’s sister-in-law replaced her clay pot with a half-baked pot, which ultimately led to the tragic end of Sohni-Mahiwal’s love story.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
In Sufi Traditionally, Sohni, half-baked pot and mahiwal have symbolic meaning. Sohni represents the one who embarks on a spiritual journey, the one who longs to be one with ultimate reality or God. Since the Matka Sohni helped to overcome the powerful waves of the Chenab or the difficulties in the spiritual journey, it represents the right guidance needed to be one with God. The half-baked matka represents the unpreparedness of Sohni. The half-baked matka or lack of preparation leads to Sohni’s end.
On the other hand, Mahiwal represents the God or the divine. Sohni’s longing to meet Mahiwal is similar to a devotee’s longing to meet his God. There is a common feature in Punjabi folklore: death only promises the union of God and the devotee.
Gender roles and the story of Sohni and Mahiwal
When one reads through the story of Sohni and Mahiwal, it is not this deep Sufi symbolism that comes to mind, but rather the feminist nature of the literature. Throughout, Sohni defies the traditional gender roles assigned to women and exercises her agency. Unlike other stories, it is not the heroine but Sohni herself who crosses the Chenab, the river of love, every night to meet her beloved. Here, Sohni is not saved by the hero, but she has risked her life every day just to spend some time with Mahiwal.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Another time Sohni defies societal expectations is when she chooses the night time to meet Mahiwal. In order to control women, night is not considered an appropriate time to go out. Sohni met Mahiwal at night by crashing against the strong waves of Chenab.
The institution of marriage
Emma Goldman writes in her essay: “Marriage and love“, says: “If the world is ever to produce true companionship and unity, it is not marriage but love that will be the mother.” Likewise, unlike patriarchy, marriage is not given much importance in history. It is not considered a sacred institution. When Sohni married another potter against her wishes, she decided not to accept this as the end of her life. Marriage was not the end goal of her life; For them, marriage was useless without love.
Furthermore, she went to Mahiwal’s every evening even though she was married, showing that she rejected the institution of marriage.
Sassi punnu
When Sassi and Punnu’s wedding were celebrated, Punnu’s brothers got him drunk, put him on the back of a camel and took him back to their hometown at night. Sassi’s pain comes in a Punjabi song titled “Sassi Punnu” by Prof. Ravneet Kaur. As Sassi ran looking for her beloved, she encountered a shepherd. Sassi was thirsty; So she asked the shepherd for the milk of his goats. The man helped her but also tried to harass her. Sassi prayed to God to help her maintain her honor. Her prayers were answered and the ground beneath her split open, leaving only one end of her ‘dupatta’ as a trace of her above the ground.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The 1983 film Sassi Punnu directed by Satish Bhakhri is also based on this tragic folk tale of Sassi and Punnu. This fairy tale also reflects the deep-rooted misogyny in our minds and the consequences women face when they defy societal norms.
Sassi: The not so honorable woman
According to legend, Sassi was born in the house of the king of Bhambore in Sind. When she was born, astrologers predicted that she would tarnish the name of royalty. Therefore, the newborn was placed in a wooden coffin and floated on the Sindhu River. The box was found by a washerman in the kingdom, who adopted and raised the child.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
This incident reflects the deep-rooted idea that women should be controlled because they are the honor of the family. If women cross the line drawn by the patriarchs, it would affect the honor of the family. This burden of honor is another way women are prevented from exercising their agency.
When Sassi asks the shepherd to quench her thirst, he tries to take advantage of her by showing how a woman without a man is viewed as an object that has no will of its own.
The oral literature of Sohni-Mahiwal and Sassi-Punnu is still narrated in Punjabi households to emphasize that only death can ensure the final union of lovers. Furthermore, telling and retelling these stories can stimulate further feminist conversations among people.
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