The different forms of oral literature popular in the Punjab are as follows
FOLK-SONGS
If poetry is the expression of deeply-felt emotions, nothing can be purer than folk poetry The social, religious and cultural life of a community lies embedded in its folk-songs. Punjabi folksongs are varied and colourful. Laughter, happiness, pain, sorrow, all form ingredients of these songs. They are simple, charming, and full of the sincerity of emotion, and the purity of feeling. The entire Punjabi culture, so to speak, is reflected in them.

Oral literature compared with written literature has many distinct features of its own. Whereas written literature is the outcome of the cultivated faculties of the artists, oral literature is a spontaneous outburst of the innermost feelings which emerge from the depths of the unconscious mind of the community. It has its roots deep in tradition and is preserved in memory. It is ever fresh and on the move like a river.

All literature, oral or written, springs from life, but oral literature is a better projection of the innermost recesses of the social and cultural life of a society, its traditions, customs, habits, behaviour, rites, etc.

The village-folk gets together to hear a minstrel, a bard, or other folk singers who may have assembled to entertain them. Ras-dhariye perform etrical plays the theme of which centres round immortal lovers, heroes and saints. Very popular with the people are the baints of Waris Shah's Heer, sad of Pilu's, Mirza Sahiban, and dohre of Hashim's Sassi Punnu. These compositions are the workmanship of famous writers in Punjabi and form part of the written literature, but the love tales for untold generations have also been a part of folklore.

Folklore is so much a part and parcel of village life that the old and the young virtually live on it. On moonlit summer nights when people sleep in the open, or during the cold nights of winter when they are wrapped up in their quilts, all enjoy listening to these folk-tales. The daily conversation of the Punjabis is so replete with proverbs and sayings that almost every fifth sentence is a saying.

SONGS ABOUT CULT, RITUAL AND SACRAMENT
The Punjab is inhabited by people of different sects, religions and cults which have their own modes of prayer and worship. But since folk poetry belongs to a whole social group, only those songs become popular which are acceptable to the entire community. Religion reflected in the folksongs is religion not of a sect but of the whole community. Some remnants of nature worship can still be found in Punjabi culture. This worship has found expression in songs. When a Punjabi woman, especially an orthodox one, sees the new moon, she folds her hands and bows to it respectfully and recites folk songs.

Some people in the Punjab still worship trees. The peepal tree is supposed to be the manifestation of Brahma and all gods are believed to be residing on it. The peepal is thus extolled in a folk-song. Punjabis are very religious. IT is the land of the Vedas enriched by the experiences of saints aid sages. Folk-songs abound in eulogies of famous gurus, bhagats and jogis, like Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Gobind Singh, Farid, Namdev, Gopi Chand, Bharthrihari and Puran. There are devotional folk-songs about Indra, Brahma, Saraswati, Vaishno Devi, Ramehandra Seeta and many that narrate small, interesting episodes from the life of Krishna. But characteristically these songs are not sectarian.

They are sung and enjoyed by all Punjabis, depending upon the suitability of the occasion. There are some folksongs in which Hindu gods and goddesses and Muslim pirs are invoked simultaneously. Songs for ceremonial occasions have a great cultural significance. They are more an expression of the deeply felt emotions of the community as a whole and not of an individual. These songs are generally sung in groups. They are of great variety, and there are different songs for different occasions; for example, haria, suhag, vatna, ghorlain, sithanian and alhanian. The life of a Punjabi is studded with songs. When a baby is born, all women of the family and the neighbourhood get together and sing haria. Some even sing ghorian on the birth of a son because according to Punjabis son is like bridegrooms from birth itself.

The child grows in the midst of lullabies. The theme of the lullabies is invariably a mother's dreams about her son. The wedding songs are the most interesting and popular ones. When girls come from the husbands' house to the parents' to attend the marriage of their brothers, they sing sohile, the subject matter of which is superlative praise for the brother and the parental home. A few days before marriage, women get together daily at night and sing to the accompaniment of the dholaki. The songs sung at the bridegroom's house are called ghorian and those at the bride's house suhag. What the mother, sisters and sisters-in-law look forward to at the marriage of a boy of the family is all expressed vividly in ghorian. Suhag is the echo of a young Punjabi girl's feelings.

It draws attention to the young girl's hopes, dreams and joys of life. In Punjabi villages a young girl has no say in the choice of her husband. It is the parents who make the selection. The girl's feelings in the matter are sung of in many of the suhags. One folk-song, Devin ve babla us ghare (Send me only to such a house, father), is an expression of a Punjabi girl's desire to go into a family where the mother-in-law is good and virtuous, the father-in-law holds an esteemed position, where the mother-in- law has many sons and is always busy celebrating marriages, where there are many buffaloes and such abundance or milk that the girl will always be busy churning curd and making butter. When the marriage partv arrives at the bride's house, sithanian are sung, which are full of wit and sarcasm. Sometimes women find them a handy medium to point out the weak points of the, bridegroom's party or of any particular member of it.

These songs are packed with pungent wit but are accepted in good humour. Similarly, expressive songs are sung on many other occasions connected with marriage. When the bridegroom is led into the bride's house before the wedding is solemnized, he has to recite chand. This is a test of the boy's ability to speak intelligently, and also of his ready wit. Songs are sung at the departure of the Doli. This is the time of separation. The girl has a heavy heart since she has to bid farewell to her parents and parental home; at the same time there is a subdued thrill at the prospect of her going to her husband's house.

The Doli songs are very touching. When the girl goes to the house of her in-laws, the mother-in- law performs certain ceremonies. Songs are sung on this occasion too. Vain and alhania are songs for mourning. They are poignant songs which help to release the pent-up emotions of the bereaved persons by stressing the pain of the departed soul.