ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the origin of Kissa and the Sufi poets of Punjab. It also deals with 'Kissa-Heer' and describes conditions at the time when the Kissa tradition started. Kissa may be called a romantic ballad of love, passion, bravery, betrayal, adventure, and tragedy. The first available Kissa in Punjabi is by Damodar on the folk-narrative of Heer — 'Heer di Waar' — and was written in the dialect of Jhang. 'Kissa-Heer' was the destiny of the poet; the legend and the poet have come together to form an aesthetic whole. The effect of Kissa on Punjabi culture is so strong that even religious leaders and revolutionaries like Guru Gobind Singh and Baba Farid have quoted famous Kissas in their messages. Punjabi, 'Kissa-Heer' has all the details of medieval Punjab — its economic structure with its intrigues and exploitation, the religious parameters, its fauna and flora, its science and art, and its language.
