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Folkloristan

Mar 24 • 4 tweets • 2 min read

A tale from Pakistan's region of Gilgit Baltistan for #FolkloreThursday

Once upon a time, in a village, lived a strange man. His face was half black and half white. He was also known for having the gift of second sight.

Not only could he see beyond the veil, but could move fairly back and forth between our world and the otherworld. He was known for his friendships with the fairies, he used to spend a lot of time chit-chatting with them, conversing with them, and learning from them.

They even used to share food, just like family. One day, he made a mistake. He took his pet dog along. Now fairies are afraid of dogs. When the fairies saw the dog, they cried and screamed and ran away. However, one brave fairy came up to him. To reproach him, she slapped him.

Her hand didn’t touch his face, but the shadow of her hand did. And thus, his face remained half black, and half white, forever, at least that is what the people say, and that is what he claims.

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Folkloristan

@folkloristan

Mar 19

A short thread on some Talismans from Islamic history:

A talisman is any object that is imbued with protective powers. Talismans in Islamic history have had the names of God, Qur’anic inscriptions, astrological signs, and religious narratives.

Talismans not only shield but guide their wearers; and are also used as tools for scientists or as cures prescribed by physicians for various ailments. During the Abbasid period, the stars and the Qur’an were consulted for almost every action and medical condition.

The stars and talismanic objects becoming interconnected, and Ilm-al-Huruf's role in Muslim courts, however, is a story for another time. For now, let us see some beautiful talismans from Islamic history.

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