HUNZA CULTURE

The Universe

The word dunyáa refers to the world or universe, and also to the planet earth. Kaináat refers to the universe and any heavenly body. Besides the earth, the universe contains sayaarámuts (planets and the sun) and asiimuts (stars). There is also an unseen world with árshi (heaven), jannáat (paradise), and jahanám (hell). All of these dunyáating (worlds) are separeted by curtains, so one cannot see between them.

In the past, there was a belief that the earth was flat and that at the edge was a boundary between light and dark. No one could go to the end. It as created long ago by God who said "Be created!" and it was. There was also belived to be an underworld inhabited by a race of 'little people'. There is on story of a man who fell into that world. He fell asleep and the little people tied him up with big (for them) cords. When he awoke, he moved and broke the cords.

There is an old story of a deéu (spirit) who dwells in the rainbow. When a rainbow appears, the deéu leaves a golden bowl that it has used for drinking water. There is also an old story about the cause of tisqáing (earthquakes). According to this story, there is a bull that holds the earth on its horns. When one of its howns 'falls asleep', the bull shifts the earth to the other horn and at that time an earthquake occurs.

The first sin

Meanwhile Aadám was feeling lonely and asked Qhudáa for a companion, whereupon Qhudáa made Hawáa (Eve) from one of his ribs. Qhudáa then told them not to eat a grain of wheat. While Aadám was away, Sheitáan slyly talked to Hawáa and told her "Qhudáa as set you free, but he won't give you this good thing here. He said 'D'on't eat'. Well, eat, and then you will see what will happen. Haváa was foolish at that time and she ate the grain of wheat and it turned into feces in her hand! She didn't know what to do with it, so she put it on her hear [thinking she could hide it], whereupon hair grew out there. This didn't work, so she put it under her armpits, whereupon hair sprouted there! THen she put it between her thighs and hair also sprouted there! Finally, after none of these things worked Aadám came along. He also ate of the grains of wheat and ended up in the same condition as Haváa [i.e. with hair on his body]. Qhudáa spoke to them and said, "You have not obeyed me". Then he sent them out of the garden.