Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 13, 1902.djvu/274

 258 Balochi Folklore.

of their chiefs to the heroes of the ballads, and many stories are told to account for the names the tribes now bear. For instance, the Legharis are said to be descended from a Rind named Koh-phrosh, or Stone-crusher, from his strength. In the course of the war with the Lasharis, a number of Lashari women who had been taken captive by the Turks were made over to Chakar for safe custody, and he arranged for their protection in accordance with Balochi custom (for up to the present day in tribal warfare the Baloches respect and protect women and children). Chakar every night set a trustworthy warrior to guard the women, but Koh-phrosh betrayed his trust, and was accused by the women in the morning. Chakar then said that henceforth he was not to be called Koh-phrosh but Leghar, i.e.^ foul or dirty. It is hardly necessary to state that the Legharis do not admit the truth of this story. They do admit that Leghar was a nickname bestowed upon their ancestor by Chakar, but say it was an honourable appella- tion, given to Koh-phrosh when he came out of the fight covered with blood and dust. Two other tribes, the Drishaks and Gishkhauris, are said to be descended from warriors w^ho w^ere placed on guard over the same w^omen, who distinguished themselves by holding up the roof of the shed in w^hich the women were, when it threatened to collapse in a storm. Drishak is said to mean '*' strong man " (in some unknown tongue, not Balochi), and Gishkhaur is said to mean "house-post," although there can be little doubt that in reality it is a territorial name, from the Gishkhaur, the name of a stream. The Lunds are similarly said to be descended from 'Ali, a relation of Mir Chakar. He stole the water from an embankment which Chakar had thrown across a stream to water his crops, and turned it on to his own fields. When called to account, he replied, " I only broke your embankment to feed your oven," i.e., to supply Chakar's kitchen with food ; on which Chakar said, " You are a great idiot" (Lund).