A Fire in My Heart

by Edgecomb, Diane

• ISBN13: 9781591584377
• ISBN10: 159158437X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-12-30
• Publisher: Libraries Unltd Inc

Summary

There are estimated more than 40 million Kurds throughout the world today, with about 1/3 living outside of the Middle East and Kurdistan (a region that stretches over Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran). As a minority in these countries, the Kurds have struggled for independence throughout history and into recent times; and often been oppressed, persecuted, and deported from their land. The purpose of this volume is to introduce readers to the Kurdish people, their cultural traditions, and their stories. This unique collection includes many tales never before published in English. It can serve as both reference and program resource for educators and librarians who work with Kurdish children and their families in the U.S. and abroad; as well as a resource for storytellers, folklorists and scholars. Approximately twenty-five tales are presented, representing all regions of Kurdistan and the four main Kurdish dialects-from the Kurdish Cinderella story and animal stories to stories based on legendary figures (e.g., Rustim Ezal-the Kurdish Hercules)-organized by tale type. Many of these stories have been collected from contemporary Kurdish storytellers, with others translated and adapted from transcripts of oral tellings and small tale collections in the Kurdish dialect. Background information on the people, their history, their land, and their customs is provided, along with color photos, a glossary, and sample recipes, crafts, and games. All levels.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Brief History of the Kurdish People
Map: Kurdistan in the Context of the Middle East
Recipes	p. 3
Games!	p. 29
How and Why Legends of Nature	p. 37
Stories of Mountains	p. 39
Big Ararat and Little Ararat	p. 39
Stories of the Night Sky	p. 40
Why Sun Goes by Day and Moon Goes by Night	p. 40
Riya Kadiz: The Hay Thief's Road	p. 41
Why the Moon Has Dark Spots	p. 42
Stories of Birds and Animals	p. 44
Pepuk: The Origin of the Cuckoo	p. 44
How the Owl Came to Be	p. 46
Why the Magpie Has a Long Tail	p. 47
Bear and Hair: Hirch u Pirch	p. 48
Fox Tales!	p. 51
Fox and Stork	p. 53
And Fox Will Have His Tail Back	p. 56
A Fox Is Not a Lion	p. 58
Fox Goes on a Pilgrimage	p. 61
Fox, the Basket Maker!	p. 64
Tales of Wonder	p. 67
The Eggs of the Ancient Tree	p. 69
Fatima: The Kurdish Cinderella	p. 76
The Zay Tree and the Tay Falcon	p. 81
A Sister with Seven Brothers	p. 88
Legendary and Heroic Figures	p. 93
Kawa and the Birth of the Newroz Celebration	p. 95
Sultan Mahmud, Heyas, and the Mysterious Black Knight	p. 97
Rawchi the Hunter	p. 102
The Legend of the Shahmaran	p. 105
Rusteme Zal	p. 110
Humorous Stories	p. 121
The Biggest Lie	p. 123
Three Donkeys Like You!	p. 126
Muxtaro	p. 129
The Lord of Luck	p. 131
The Sheep That Strays from the Flock Becomes the Wolf's Dinner	p. 134
Teaching Tales	p. 137
The Meaning of Life	p. 139
The Eyes of a Cat	p. 140
The Serpent and the Man	p. 142
The Shepherd Who Told Too Many Lies	p. 145
Wolf at the Door	p. 147
No Sweet Milk, No Gold	p. 149
Pronunciation Guide - Kurdish Alphabet	p. 153
Index	p. 155
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.