Moroccan Folktales
The folktales collected here -- from Teuan, Al-Huceima, Marrakesh, Taza, Fes, and Tahanout -- provide a glimpse into Morocco's rich past and cultural heritage. Drawing on stories he heard as a boy from female relatives, Jilali El Koudia presents a cross section of utterly bewitching narratives. Filled with ghouls and fools, kind magic and wicked, eternal bonds and earthly wishes, these are mesmerizing stories to be savored, studied, or simply treasured. Varied genres include anecdotes,...
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Now that the tradition of storytelling even in his own Morocco is falling victim to television and other mass media, literary critic, writer, and translator El Koudia here at least saves from oblivion some of the stories that have been passed down the generations. He began by remembering tales his mother told, then asked her to retell them, then solicited other women—particularly older ones—from different regions of the country. He changed the tales, as storytellers do: reconstructing plots, deleting repetition, filling gaps in old memory. Allen (Arabic language and literature, U. of Pennsylvania) polished up the English and the style. Tale types and motifs are indexed. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Choice El Koudia gathered the narratives in this 'literary anthology of retold tales' from the women in his family, primarily his mother. . . . The result is a charming variety of folktales from various regions of Morocco. The book's value is greatly increased by the technical analysis of the tales by El-Shamy, a professional folklorist. In his afterword, El-Shamy provides an introduction to folktales from the Arab world, particularly from Morocco. . . . Recommended.
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsSeven Brothers and a Sister1The Pigeon Hunter7The Sultan's Daughter15The Fisherman19Rhaida27The Little Sister with Seven Brothers33The Treasure39Father and Daughters42The Jealous Mother53Seven Daughters and Seven Sons64Lunja72Hdiddan81A Tale of Two Women85Aamar and His Sister90Three Women96Nunja and the White Dove100The Ghoul and the Cow104The Ostrich Hunter106Jackal and Hedgehog108Wolf and Hedgehog110The Hunter and the Two Partridges115Three Sisters118Aisha and the Black Cat120The Spinster Frog123The Girl in the River125M'Hirez the Adopted Child127The Girl and the Fakih129The Modest Girl131The Mother Goat134A Donkey Named Fritla135The Exploits of Mr. Know-All138Glossary142Critical AnalysisAfterword147Typology158Register of Tale Types170Register of Motifs174Suggested Reading182
\ ChoiceEl Koudia gathered the narratives in this 'literary anthology of retold tales' from the women in his family, primarily his mother. . . . The result is a charming variety of folktales from various regions of Morocco. The book's value is greatly increased by the technical analysis of the tales by El-Shamy, a professional folklorist. In his afterword, El-Shamy provides an introduction to folktales from the Arab world, particularly from Morocco. . . . Recommended.\ \
