Folklore and Vernacular Architecture of Assam: A Scrutiny

The vernacular architecture, as a material entity, is a constituent of Physical Folklife or Material Culture that immediately links the subject with Folklore. The material culture incorporates the items traditionally produced for and by the folk people through the manipulation of materials using traditionally acquired knowledge and technology. The need, demand, and culture define the objects of the material culture.

This aspect makes the material culture to be a very important segment of the culture. Thus:

Material culture provides the most secure means for retrieving salient features of everyday life. This is because an object, unlike a story or a song, does not require the presence of a living performer; an artefact can be said to “perform” its biography by the simple fact of its presence. (Vlach:2011:839)

The vernacular architecture, which is a common area of enquiry of many disciplines, is often considered beyond a mere item of Material Culture for its nature, vastness, and association of diverse aspects.

Upton said,

“Often vernacular architecture has been a catch-all term for the study of kinds of buildings neglected by traditional architectural history. Furthermore, the study of vernacular architecture has been mainly by default, an interdisciplinary or, more correctly, a multidisciplinary enterprise” (Upton:1983:263).

This interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approach in the study of the vernacular architecture exemplifies the importance and vastness of the subject.

Folklore and vernacular architecture demonstrates a close affiliation for the overlapping of feature as well as the nature of the both the subjects. This is very much valid and true in respect to the vernacular architecture of the state. Folklore is embedded in the vernacular architecture while vernacular architecture also demonstrates deep-rootedness to folklore. In fact, the reciprocity and relationship of the two is so inseparable that the properties permeate to each other’s domain and becoming the assets of both fields.

The abstracted features of the both the subject will reveal the closeness of the relationship between them:

Features	Folklore	Vernacular architecture
Associated with folk	yes	yes
Shared knowledge	do	do
Traditionality	traditional	traditional
Evolutionary	do	do
Variation	Regular feature	Regular feature
Community association	seen	seen
Linked to the Locale	yes	yes
Anonymity	anonymous	anonymous
Transmission	verbal	Verbal lore

Thus, the materials of both Folklore and vernacular architecture are rooted in the tradition, the knowledge is shared, related to surrounding and the environment, and there is the association or engagement of the community in the process. Simultaneously, the traditionality makes them evolutionary while variation or modification is a regular feature.

In simplest deliberation, the vernacular architecture is one constituent element of the Physical Folklife or the Material Culture, which is one of the divisions of the Folklore. The inclusion of vernacular architecture within the Material Culture is pertinent in essence, as use of technological means is linked with both. However, the vernacular architecture subtly differs from other items of material culture for its discrete nature and characteristics. It is because, the vernacular architecture is not simply a material entity that exists in a society, rather it is an entity that associates the aspects such as technology, belief, rituals, literature, performance, symbol and so on. Such facets of the vernacular architecture apparently initiate gradual overlapping to draw its connection to other divisions of the Folklore viz. Verbal Art, Social Folk Custom, and Folk Performing Arts besides the Material Culture. Since the traditional knowledge is associated with the vernacular architecture, which defines with clarity the relationship with folklore. Apparently, there are forms of verbal art associated with vernacular architecture such as songs, chants, prayer, proverb, etc while associated performance, singing relates the subject to the folk performing art. Replete with aesthetic and artistic elements, the vernacular architecture simultaneously associates customs and rituals, consequently drawing link with the social folk custom.

The vernacular architecture of state obviously draws its links to different divisions of Folklore. Thus, there are materials that draw links to different divisions of Folklore. A scrutiny of folklore materials associated with vernacular architecture in the light of the divisions of folklore as advocated by Dorson will ascertain close relation between the two.