A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Gwâshbrâri is the beautiful, glaciated mountain among the hills surrounding their proud king Westarwân. While the other peaks complain that he ignores them, she boasts that he will become her servant. Sunset gives her a rosy glow, and Westarwân, finally looking down from his contemplation of the heavens, falls in love.
She tells him that lovers must stoop. As he bends towards her, the sun sets and her warm appearance vanishes; he remains laid low at her feet, deprived of his former height and crown. Temple identifies Gwâshbrâri with Kolahoî and explicitly notes that the supposed contact with Westarwân reflects an apparent alignment from Khrû, not the mountains’ actual physical adjacency. The story personifies a landscape; neither its romance nor Temple’s proposed origin is geological proof.
Origins & earliest records
Kashmir narrative in Steel and Temple’s colonial-era collection
Records & interpretation
Complete named tale and Temple’s corresponding notes read; university-hosted 1894 text compared in full.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Tales of the Punjab, Told by the People
The Legend of Gwâshbrâri, the Glacier-Hearted Queen and corresponding Temple notes; illustrations J. Lockwood Kipling
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Flora Annie Steel, Tales of the Punjab, Told by the People (Macmillan, 1894); R. C. Temple notes
The Legend of Gwâshbrâri, the Glacier-Hearted Queen. Complete tale and titled notes; Gutenberg id01142/id01800; UPenn punjab-29
Complete tale and all corresponding Temple notes read. Full 1894 UPenn comparison exceeds 98% token overlap; every remaining difference inspected. Narrated events, family relationships and landscape personification distinguished from comparative commentary.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical collected folktaleSteel, The Legend of Gwâshbrâri, the Glacier-Hearted Queen, complete narrativeResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Collector’s linguistic and comparative notesTemple, Notes to The Legend of Gwâshbrâri, the Glacier-Hearted QueenResearch access: 2026-10-05
- University-hosted historical primary textUniversity of Pennsylvania, 1894 edition transcriptionResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.