AMAZIGH FOLK TALES

An ancient cultural bedrock of Morocco, the Amazigh tradition is one of upstanding moral values, of modesty, and of selflessness. Drawing on themes from across North Africa, as well as the continent’s hinterland, Amazigh folklore is as rich in its teachings as it is exemplary in the value systems it champions. Relying on repetition, and motifs extracted from ordinary life, the tales continually reinforce values such as honour, duty, generosity, and kindness to others - while shunning the hazards of greed, selfishness, and abundance. Over the many years he has lived in Morocco, Tahir Shah has collected these fragments of folklore from oral sources which, when placed together, provide a dazzling glimpse into the cornucopia of Amazigh culture. The tales presented here include ’The Journey to the Singing Tree’, ’The Magical Tarboosh’, ’The Tale of the Mechanical Horse’, and ’The Mountain of Forgiveness’. Speaking of Amazigh folklore, Tahir Shah explains: ’What never ceases to surprise me is the way the very simplest themes are transformed by this culture into subtle, yet complex, tales of wonder. Rather like a chef who serves up a banquet from the most basic ingredients, the stories speak for themselves, and are a testament to the intellectual ingenuity of Amazigh society.’