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Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales
Were it simply a collection of fascinating, previously unpublished folktales, Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales would merit praise and attention because of its cultural rather than political approach to Palestinian studies. But it is much more than this.
Over the course of several years they collected tales in the regions of the Galilee, Gaza, and the West Bank, determining which were the most widely known and appreciated and selecting the ones that best represented the Palestinian Arab folk narrative tradition. Great care has been taken with the translations to maintain the original flavor, humor, and cultural nuances of tales that are at once earthy and whimsical. The authors have also provided footnotes, an international typology, a comprehensive motif index, and a thorough analytic guide to parallel tales in the larger Arab tradition in folk narrative.
Over the course of several years they collected tales in the regions of the Galilee, Gaza, and the West Bank, determining which were the most widely known and appreciated and selecting the ones that best represented the Palestinian Arab folk narrative tradition. Great care has been taken with the translations to maintain the original flavor, humor, and cultural nuances of tales that are at once earthy and whimsical. The authors have also provided footnotes, an international typology, a comprehensive motif index, and a thorough analytic guide to parallel tales in the larger Arab tradition in folk narrative.
420 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 1, 2022
An interesting collection of tales. Many are recognizable types, but only in their deep structure. "Sackcloth", a type like "Catskin" or "All Kinds of Fur" not only dresses up in sackcloth but passes herself off as a man to escape.
Some discussion of local customs affecting tales, such as polygyny and cousin marriage, but take it with a grain of salt. When the same tale is told from India to Ireland, the plot devices that remain the same are driven by the story not the culture. (The brother in "Brother and Sister" including the variant here, drinks from the wrong spring and turns into an animal because that's how "Brother and Sister" goes.)
Some discussion of local customs affecting tales, such as polygyny and cousin marriage, but take it with a grain of salt. When the same tale is told from India to Ireland, the plot devices that remain the same are driven by the story not the culture. (The brother in "Brother and Sister" including the variant here, drinks from the wrong spring and turns into an animal because that's how "Brother and Sister" goes.)
April 10, 2022
Even though some of the stories do begin to feel repetitive, it was really cool picking out all of the motifs I remember from my grandma’s stories as a kid. I’m mostly just grateful something like this exists and is accessible to English-speakers, particularly Palestinian Americans like me looking to connect dots from their childhood and their family’s stories.
January 22, 2020
A collection of forty-three Palestinian folktales, collected in the Galilee, Gaza, and the West Bank, and divided into five thematic groups devoted to: Individuals, Family, Society, Environment, and Universe. Some of these groups are further sub-divided, into categories such as Children and Parents (Individuals) or Husbands and Wives (Family). Such categorization allows Muhawi and Kanaana to provide afterwords for each section, in which the specific cultural themes of that group of tales is discussed. Speak Bird, Speak Again also includes a useful cultural overview in the introduction, as well as a section devoted to folkloric analysis of each tale, in which themes, motifs and variants are given.
This was a fascinating book - a very effective and scholarly ethnographic folktale collection. From a purely cerebral perspective, I found it quite enjoyable, and felt that I learned something about (traditional) Palestinian culture. Unfortunately, I did not always enjoy the stories in their own right, which surprised me, as folklore is usually one of my favorite genres. But the frequency of violence directed against women in these stories - the beating of wives, in particular - and the casual acceptance of same, was quite disturbing, all the more so when one considers that these tales are regularly told to young children.
I appreciated the authors' points about the agency of women (ie: that they do not simply accept their fate passively), but I was somewhat skeptical of some of the ideas put forward about women's "power." I'm not sorry I read this collection, as I found it very informative, but I can't say it was especially enjoyable.
This was a fascinating book - a very effective and scholarly ethnographic folktale collection. From a purely cerebral perspective, I found it quite enjoyable, and felt that I learned something about (traditional) Palestinian culture. Unfortunately, I did not always enjoy the stories in their own right, which surprised me, as folklore is usually one of my favorite genres. But the frequency of violence directed against women in these stories - the beating of wives, in particular - and the casual acceptance of same, was quite disturbing, all the more so when one considers that these tales are regularly told to young children.
I appreciated the authors' points about the agency of women (ie: that they do not simply accept their fate passively), but I was somewhat skeptical of some of the ideas put forward about women's "power." I'm not sorry I read this collection, as I found it very informative, but I can't say it was especially enjoyable.
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December 12, 2025Palestina libre 🍉
December 18, 2014
Fairy tales are often strange. This collection is no exception. And although many fairy tales are the same story with different settings and various twist, this was a collection of many new stories I've never heard before. Another interesting aspect of this collection is that the author of this collection has put the stories to paper unaltered. A big portion of the book is trying to explain the society and culture of the Palestinians, which helps an outsider to understand the stories better. The kindle version contained quite a few of errors from the digitalization process.
December 23, 2024
so nostalgic and comforting, folktales across cultures are similar
May 24, 2013
Please buy this book. Strange to being a review with an appeal. Here's why: There is great tension between the Arab-Muslim world and others, and this book offers insights other books won't offer you. The authors are themselves Arabs and scholars from the Middle East. The book's 48-page introduction offers a detailed peek into traditional, Muslim, Arab, peasant culture. The folktales in the anthology are delightful. They could be enjoyed by children and savored by adults. There are lighthearted humor, adventure, deep morals, glittering rewards, and, again, insights into Muslim life. If you liked Cinderella, in any of her retellings – and who doesn't like Cinderella – you'll love these tales.
The Politically Correct Thought Police insist that any criticism of Islam must be condemned as that highly suspect, all too convenient neologism, "Islamophobia." The Politically Correct Thought Police are fully of baloney, and resistance to them is highest virtue. I am Spartacus, and you are, too.
Of course you can critique Islam and still not hate Muslims, indeed can like and even love Muslims. How do I know? Many of my most beloved family members were not only Communist Party members, they were local leaders in the CP in (the then so named) Czechoslovakia. I criticized Communism. I marched in anti-Soviet demonstrations. And I loved my Communist relatives. They criticized my belief systems: capitalism, Western Democracy, Catholicism. And they loved me. Yes, you can critique a person's, or a polity's, belief system, and still like, love, or be peacefully indifferent to those who adhere to that belief system.
In any case, yes, you should read Robert Spencer to understand what the mainstream press is not telling you about Islam. But you should also read this book to cultivate a genuine love of the aspirations, honor, complexity and full humanity of traditional, Muslim, Arab culture.
Understanding its treatment of women is central to understanding Islam, and Muhawi and Kanaana offer deep and unapologetic insight into Islam's treatment of women.
As the late, great folklore scholar Alan Dundes demonstrated, folklore reveals the suppressed desires of those who disseminate it. In Arab folktales, Muslim women reveal how they really feel about polygyny, the practice of one man taking more than one wife. Polygyny, the authors state, "more than any other institution or practice, represents the power of men over women" (14). Women are not happy with it, and in folktales told by women, polygynist husbands pay a price for their lack of fidelity to one wife. "In none of the tales is polygyny presented in a good light" (14). Muslim women reveal how they feel about the favoritism bestowed on male children. In the tales told by women, in contrast to real life, families celebrate the birth of daughters (18). In the tales, female characters reveal an intelligence, an adventurousness, an ability to solve problems, denied them in real life. As the authors put it: "The tales empower the women who narrate them to traverse, in their speech, the bounds of social convention" (12).
In the tales, as opposed to real life, women are active and men are passive (18, 36). In the tales, in contrast to real life, women pursue romantic and sexual encounters, choose their own husbands, and experience and value romance, rather than just submitting to sex as part of marital obedience and a way to increase the number of people in a clan, thus increasing its power (27, 32, 34). In the tales, women take lovers, and behave "permissively and playfully" with them (35). In spite of the strictures that Islam imposes on women's freedom of movement, in the tales, women undertake journeys (31).
The authors identify women as "the other" in Muslim, Arab culture (14). Important social bonds are between men. Women's outsider status is marked by their never taking their husband's names. They are not, strictly speaking, part of the very households in which they live. "At no time in her life is a woman considered to live in her own space … [women] are considered strangers" in their own homes (17). The patriarch's control of "his" females is so all pervasive that "mother's milk belongs not to her but to her husband" (37).
The authors' helpful comments also emphasize the importance in Muslim, Arab culture on the collective as the basis of society, not the individual, and the emphasis on fate: "Each person's fortune is written on the forehead at the moment of birth" (44).
The tales are, simply, wonderful. The heroes are clever – one sits between thorn bushes and under a dripping bag of water to keep from falling asleep – the ghouls and genies are scary, and the treasures are worth all the adventure it took to gain them. The total enjoyment a non-Muslim, non-Arab reader can gain from these tales is testimony to our common humanity.
The Politically Correct Thought Police insist that any criticism of Islam must be condemned as that highly suspect, all too convenient neologism, "Islamophobia." The Politically Correct Thought Police are fully of baloney, and resistance to them is highest virtue. I am Spartacus, and you are, too.
Of course you can critique Islam and still not hate Muslims, indeed can like and even love Muslims. How do I know? Many of my most beloved family members were not only Communist Party members, they were local leaders in the CP in (the then so named) Czechoslovakia. I criticized Communism. I marched in anti-Soviet demonstrations. And I loved my Communist relatives. They criticized my belief systems: capitalism, Western Democracy, Catholicism. And they loved me. Yes, you can critique a person's, or a polity's, belief system, and still like, love, or be peacefully indifferent to those who adhere to that belief system.
In any case, yes, you should read Robert Spencer to understand what the mainstream press is not telling you about Islam. But you should also read this book to cultivate a genuine love of the aspirations, honor, complexity and full humanity of traditional, Muslim, Arab culture.
Understanding its treatment of women is central to understanding Islam, and Muhawi and Kanaana offer deep and unapologetic insight into Islam's treatment of women.
As the late, great folklore scholar Alan Dundes demonstrated, folklore reveals the suppressed desires of those who disseminate it. In Arab folktales, Muslim women reveal how they really feel about polygyny, the practice of one man taking more than one wife. Polygyny, the authors state, "more than any other institution or practice, represents the power of men over women" (14). Women are not happy with it, and in folktales told by women, polygynist husbands pay a price for their lack of fidelity to one wife. "In none of the tales is polygyny presented in a good light" (14). Muslim women reveal how they feel about the favoritism bestowed on male children. In the tales told by women, in contrast to real life, families celebrate the birth of daughters (18). In the tales, female characters reveal an intelligence, an adventurousness, an ability to solve problems, denied them in real life. As the authors put it: "The tales empower the women who narrate them to traverse, in their speech, the bounds of social convention" (12).
In the tales, as opposed to real life, women are active and men are passive (18, 36). In the tales, in contrast to real life, women pursue romantic and sexual encounters, choose their own husbands, and experience and value romance, rather than just submitting to sex as part of marital obedience and a way to increase the number of people in a clan, thus increasing its power (27, 32, 34). In the tales, women take lovers, and behave "permissively and playfully" with them (35). In spite of the strictures that Islam imposes on women's freedom of movement, in the tales, women undertake journeys (31).
The authors identify women as "the other" in Muslim, Arab culture (14). Important social bonds are between men. Women's outsider status is marked by their never taking their husband's names. They are not, strictly speaking, part of the very households in which they live. "At no time in her life is a woman considered to live in her own space … [women] are considered strangers" in their own homes (17). The patriarch's control of "his" females is so all pervasive that "mother's milk belongs not to her but to her husband" (37).
The authors' helpful comments also emphasize the importance in Muslim, Arab culture on the collective as the basis of society, not the individual, and the emphasis on fate: "Each person's fortune is written on the forehead at the moment of birth" (44).
The tales are, simply, wonderful. The heroes are clever – one sits between thorn bushes and under a dripping bag of water to keep from falling asleep – the ghouls and genies are scary, and the treasures are worth all the adventure it took to gain them. The total enjoyment a non-Muslim, non-Arab reader can gain from these tales is testimony to our common humanity.
February 8, 2016
This is one of the best folktale collections I've come across in quite some time. In addition to wonderful, fascinating and complex stories, there are extensive footnotes, illuminating afterwards to each grouping, as well as a lengthy introduction full of cultural background on a variety of aspects of the tales, mostly concerning the familiar relationships that exist in Palestinian Arab culture. The stories are earthy, raw and engaging, told mostly by old women who are the keepers of this folk art which encapsules values dear to Arab culture yet also constantly overturns the typically male-dominating Arab tradition. This book was worth buying, and is a shining example of how folktale collections should be put together.
November 12, 2013
This collection of folktales was a joy to read. They were magical and complex, poetic and formulaic. And the cultural context that the authors included was instrumental in providing me with a complete picture of Palestinian culture. For example, to know that many of the tellers were women, changes the implication of many of the tales, especially as they were told to children. To understand their position within their families, their communities, and their culture, infuses the tales with a power that I would have completely missed had the careful analysis not been provided. An enchanting read.
April 22, 2021
This is a priceless collection, and I am so glad that I have found it still among my books. It is scholarly, but the stories lend themselves to being read out loud, or recorded. Some of them are more violent than others, and the women who tell them have less of a taboo on toilet humor (at least in fairytales) than we do. My favorite one is "Sackcloth," the saga of a girl whose father wishes to marry her but she escapes by disguising herself in a sackcloth dress, and travels to a friendly castle where she helps in the kitchen. She goes to the dance, of course, in the party dress she has brought with her and the prince's mother has her eye on her as a prospective bride for the prince. You have to remember that the genders dance in different rooms. But since Sackcloth is so elusive the prince dresses in women's clothing and ferrets out her secret, then demanding that she serve his dinner. She crashes twice, but on the third attempt succeeds, so they get married. It is a very encouraging fairytale.
November 24, 2022
The stories are fun and Kanaana's analysis and notes are very interesting. Now I need to find his book on Palestinian humour
May 16, 2024
4.5 stars
CW: Incest, cannibalism, sexism, racism
CW: Incest, cannibalism, sexism, racism
December 12, 2024
A collection abundant in references and notes.
Some regular typos, but this labor of love gets a spot on my bookshelf as one of this year’s favorites.
Some regular typos, but this labor of love gets a spot on my bookshelf as one of this year’s favorites.
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January 27, 2025read the first three tales — Tunjur, Tunjur / The Woman Who Married Her Son / Precious One and Worn-out One
xx-dnf-skim-reference
November 11, 2022https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wonderful resource, but I just couldn't appreciate the stories. I do recommend it if you're interested, though. Maybe you'll be lucky and can find a hardcover or ebook, though, as the font in the paperback is small.
November 2022
Wonderful resource, but I just couldn't appreciate the stories. I do recommend it if you're interested, though. Maybe you'll be lucky and can find a hardcover or ebook, though, as the font in the paperback is small.
November 2022
October 4, 2014
قول يا طير،، عنوان لكتاب قد سبب جدلاً في الوسط الثقافي الفلسطيني في السنوات القليلة الماضية.... أذكر أن الجدل قد جاء، حينما قد تقرر "إعدام" الكتاب بقرار وزاري.. من المرافق التعليمية.
كتاب قول يا طير،، كتاب يستعرض القصة الشعبية الفلسطينية، بعرض 45 قصة بأكثر النماذج الشائعة للقصص الشعبية...
كتاب نسخته الأولى كانت انجليزية،، وما لبثت أن جاءت النسخة العربية عن مؤسسة الدراسات الفلسطينية.. وبحضور الكاتبان... وبهذا، أضحى هذا الكتاب هو الأول في القصص الشعبي في الوطن العربي، متوفراً للجمهور باللغة العربية.
إذن،لماذا أُعدم الكتاب؟!
قالوا أنّ السبب احتوائه على كلمات مخلة بالآداب العامة،ومن الخطأ أن تُنشر.. وما إلى ذلك.
ليكن،، أليس الأمر برمته،تراثاً شعبياً،يُناطح العالم ليبقى على السطح،بدل طمسه واستغلاله؟!
ألسنا نتفوه بالكلمات التي صُنفت على أنها "مخلة بالحياء العام" في الحياة اليومية..؟!
فَلِمَ العجب؟ وهذه الفوضى التي انتشرت لأجل "كم كلمة" نسمعها في الشارع بكثرة.!
هنالك رأي معارض، قال ما المنع إلا وسيلةً لطمس التراث الفلسطيني.
~~~~~~~~
عما احتواه الكتاب..
احتوى 45 قصة، محكية باللغة العامة الدارجة في فلسطين.. ويا لدهشتي عندما وجدت أن أكثر الكلمات هي واحدة من اقصى الشمال إلى اقصى الجنوب الفلسطيني. :)
بعد كل مجموعة قصصية،،هنالك تحليل للقصص بما يتناسب مع الوضع الاجتماعي الفلسطيني، و لولا هذا التحليل لما فهمتُ مغزى أكثر القصص :D
في آخر الكتاب.. هنالك تحليل وتصنيف للقصص بما يتناسب مع التصنيفات العالمية، مع ذكر القصص الشعبية المماثلة لكل قصة في التراث العربي والعالمي.. "هذه الجزئية لم أقرأها" فقد اكتفيت من القصص... وهي مهمة للباحثين أكثر.
~~~~~~
يبقى السؤال الأكبر.. كيف لي أن أحفظ كل هذه القصص؟
التكرار بيعلم الشطار... قد نحظى بفرصة أخرى للتكرار.
أو أن الطريقة المثلى،، جمعٌ من الأطفال ليُسرد عليه ما يُناسبه من القصص :D
~~~~~~على الهامش// الكثير من القصص التي وردت في الكتاب، تُعرض على شكل مسرحي على تلفزيون فلسطين،، رغم أنا نمقت هذا التلفزيون،، إلا أنه.. تلفزيون وطنيٌّ تراثيٌّ بامتياز.. لا يفتأ أن يعرض التراث بعدة أشكال.
~~~~~
كانت تجربةً ممتعةً بحق... وكم أحبُّ اللهجة العامية الفلسطينية ^_^
September 15, 2011
belum semuanya kebaca,
tapi aduuh... lucu-lucu dan mengharukan...
buku ini adalah bentuk textual dari kisah yang semestinya kita nikmati sambil mendengarkan dan melihat bagaimana pencerita memeragakan kisahnya.
berupa kumpulan cerita yang direkam sebagaimana dikisahkan oleh ibu-ibu rumah tangga dan beberapa orang lain yang dalam dirinya mengendap kisah, legenda, pengajaran yang hidup dan memengaruhi hidup keluarganya.
tradisi lisan palestini ini di mana-mana sama: tersimpan dengan baik dalam ingatan para ibu. diteruskan pada anak cucu di dalam kehangatan keluarga.
keren dah!
tapi aduuh... lucu-lucu dan mengharukan...
buku ini adalah bentuk textual dari kisah yang semestinya kita nikmati sambil mendengarkan dan melihat bagaimana pencerita memeragakan kisahnya.
berupa kumpulan cerita yang direkam sebagaimana dikisahkan oleh ibu-ibu rumah tangga dan beberapa orang lain yang dalam dirinya mengendap kisah, legenda, pengajaran yang hidup dan memengaruhi hidup keluarganya.
tradisi lisan palestini ini di mana-mana sama: tersimpan dengan baik dalam ingatan para ibu. diteruskan pada anak cucu di dalam kehangatan keluarga.
keren dah!
October 7, 2014
اللهجة الفلسطينية غير :)
May 6, 2015
I read this book years ago !
Fascinating one.
Fascinating one.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews