Folktales of the Middle East: A Long Response to a Comment/Question

I have not written down any of the stories told to me on that trip, but now that you mention it, I have gained a new found desire to do so. I think it would be very gratifying to at least note down some of it and revisit it from time to time in order to reflect or maybe even expand on it. I have, however, engaged in conversation with both my parents in order to refresh my memory on the vast amount of information I encountered on that eye opening trip. Now that I think about it, it definitely would make for a great project that would be a source of much personal satisfaction and pride. It would be something that would connect me with my history, learn about my past and keep in a family archive of sorts to pass on to future generations in my family. In an ideal world, where I can devote that much time to doing something of that magnitude, such a project would be of great interest to me.

See what you started!

Anyways, back to the subject at hand. To answer your question, I do know some Syrian folktales. Some of the tales are derived from the French peasant tales with some modifications made to fit the norms and the culture of the region. Other tales, as far as I know or was able to confirm, are indigenous to the region.

As a child growing up between two countries, Syria and Algeria, I encountered folktales in two forms. One way, was through hearing them through word of mouth from my grandmothers and my aunts, or orally. The other, was through reading the tales in children's books in Arabic. I recall reading such stories as Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. For the most part, the titles of these tales were the same as in Cinderella, but in others, the titles were altered but still followed a similar storyline. Little Red Riding Hood, for example, was known as Leila and the Wolf. In fact, the theme of the wolf was followed in many a storyline. As in the European versions, these stories were meant to teach children the do's and don’ts of growing up and being cautious with strangers. One version in particular, the wolf appears at the door of the house where the kids are home alone and uses trickery and manipulation like altering his voice to sound like the parents so the children let him in. When his attempt fails, the wolf then tries to get in through windows or even a chimney but to no avail because the children are always a step ahead of him and outsmart him. The wolf is then carried away, usually in a humorous manner, and the children are rewarded for handling the situation wisely and bravely. The outcome didn't always go so well for the children. The wolf in some versions would get the best out of the kids and ends up eating or killing them. This of course would depend on the source telling the story.

I have also encountered folktales, of which I have no evidence to the contrary, that originated in the Middle East. I'm hesitant to label them as Syrian folktales because the national boundaries of that region were not always defined so clearly throughout history. A series of folktales that I recall being exposed to as a child, were those of Al-shatter Hassan or "valiant Hassan". These tales possessed themes and motifs dealing with bravery, courage, love, and always behaving ethically and morally. Hassan was the type of hero boys wanted to be like and girls dreamed of being with. The storyline of his adventures normally consisted of him traveling to different lands, fighting off bandits and unjust institutions of power to defend his home, his people, and to rescue his love, who seemed to always be kidnapped. Needless to say, his tales were for the purpose of promoting chivalry, courage, honesty, and fighting of evil. Villains would take on different identities depending on the era or setting in which these stories were told. In the mid nineteenth and well into the twentieth century, these villains took on the identities of the British and French colonizers. The tales I was exposed to as a child it was the Israelis who sometimes took on that role. It's important to note that I said Israelis and not Jews. As I see it now, the conflict is a national one dealing with land and the right to exist. It's not about anti-Semitism or the right to worship, at least not for me. I don't always feel that distinction is made and it ought to be noted.

On a lighter note, other folktales that were a part of my childhood were those of Hammal Tizo Bil-salleh. Translated this means, "He who carries his Ass in a Basket". These stories depicted a monster like creature resembling a donkey who walked around carrying his derriere in a basket scaring children and committing unfavorable acts. These stories would scare children because of the creature's hideous appearance and unpleasant demeanor. The tales also had the function of amusing adults because they were full of anecdotes as well as material not suitable for children. Of course that doesn't mean the person telling the stories used any discretion and cleaned up the material if children were present while the tale was being told. This wasn't very different from the oral traditions and customs of European peasant lore.

In conclusion, I want to make a distinction by stating that the stories my grandfather shared with me were not the same stories I shared with you here dealing with my experiences with folklore in and of the region. The stories my grandfather shared with me were actual accounts of things that happened during his lifetime since his birth in 1926 in the vicinity of the Golan Heights in southwestern Syria. The accounts he shared with me were from his childhood until today. He told me stories of his army days and being stationed on the Syria/Turkey border in the mid to late 1940's as well as his work in the police force in Daraa, the city where my parents and I were born. Also of his days working for the Department of Agriculture and living through decade after decade of conflict and instability in the part of the world that is the cradle of civilization. Those are the stories that I would be interested in documenting because they are a link to my past.



http://www.middle-east-map.com/

http://nabataea.net/generalmap.html



The Golan Heights, July 2007.
(The tree line in the distance across the valley and beyond is Israeli ocuppied land)