No civilisation from ancient times can boast of literature without folk lore. It was essentially oral in nature. There has been, and there is, no form or technique that can be attributed to either creating or rendering folk lore.
This art form has been learnt by the whole community communicated by the elders to the younger generation, and this was passed on in this manner, down several generations. Folk songs were very simple in nature, both in terms of verses and music & in this poignant way differs from the established classical music forms that followed the ragas & thalas very systematically.
Folk songs can be classified into various groups depending on the relevance to its rendering. Lullaby, children's songs, work songs, marraige songs, festival songs & lamentations are some of the various types.
These songs are sung by the common people to help make their work less burdensome,to complete their work in a more relaxed frame. There are the harvest songs sung by the farmers, songs sung by the workers lifting heavy weights, songs sung while crossing a river in a ferry boat, etc.,There is also the habit of one person starting of a song & a person working nearby singing in reply to it & this kind of rendering would be very appealing to all the workers in the area. Even though the songs were not great compositions set to great music, there was a spontaneous flow of words to suit the occassion, & this was interesting in itself.
There are songs that puts a baby to sleep, the monotonous tone acting as a soothing & calming factor.Children's songs could be of another type where the elders sing to grown up children or there could be yet another type, where the children sing among themselves while at play.
Auspicious occassions like marraige, naming a child, betrothal etc., have their share of songs to suit the different occassions, usually sung in chorus by the womenfolk.
Religious festivals and community gatherings have their own style of songs usually accompanied by a suitable dance form.
Lamentations or grief songs are sung during death or the seperation of loved ones due to war, journey etc., recalling the various acts & virtues of the departed persons & the resultant feeling of solitude.
