The story-tellers of Marrakesh

[xiinfaniin]

The story-tellers of Marrakesh

By Richard Hamilton

BBC, Morocco

 

 

In the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, you can still find men who tell ancient stories that have been handed down from generation to generation.

 

But with modern technology offering new forms of diversion and entertainment, young people are ignoring the story-tellers and for the first time in perhaps 1,000 years the tradition is dying out.

 

 

Legend has it that the muezzin - the man who called the faithful to prayer - at the top of the main mosque in Marrakesh had to be blind.

It was thought that a sighted man might gaze down from the Koutoubia, as it is called, into the sultan's palace below and see his harem.

 

But a sighted man would also see the wild teaming maelstrom of Marrakesh's main square or Jemaa al-Fna.

 

He would see fire-eaters and fortune-tellers, acrobats and snake-charmers. For all human life is here: if you walk into the square you will be besieged by men with monkeys and women trying to squeeze henna onto your hands.

 

And then there is the noise: the square is a cacophony of drums, reed pipes and songs performed by musicians from sub-Saharan Africa.

 

But if you can find a quiet corner in the square you might come across the city's hidden gems.

 

 

A Thousand and One Nights

 

 

He tells tales of sultans, thieves, wise men and fools, he speaks of mystics, genies, viziers and belly dancers

 

 

They may not be the most obvious entertainers and they are certainly not the loudest, but if you can seek out a story-teller or a halaka, you are in for a treat and an old one at that.

Because story-telling in Morocco is as old as the hills, and as ancient as the Atlas mountains.

 

I found Moulay Mohammed, a bearded man with a few missing teeth, sitting in the square in his grey jellabah surrounded by a circle of onlookers.

 

He is 71 and has been a story-teller for 45 years.

 

He used to come as a boy and listen to the old men in the square tell their stories and he was so entranced by them that he became one himself.

 

He says he knows most of the Old Testament and all of A Thousand and One Nights.

 

According to legend, to prevent her murderous husband King Shahryar from killing her, the Persian Queen Scheherazade told a different story every night for 1001 nights.

 

Moulay Mohammed is like a modern day Scheherazade: he tells tales of sultans, thieves, wise men and fools, he speaks of mystics, genies, viziers and belly dancers.

 

Under threat

 

Moulay Mohammed told me it is not just what he says that counts but how he says it.

 

 

Young Moroccans would rather watch TV soap operas than listen to a story-teller much less become one themselves

 

 

Even if you do not understand a word of what he says, it is still fascinating to listen to a halaka.

 

You can sense the drama of the story and feel its suspense. His words are precious and they seem to hang in the air.

 

Today more than 40% of all Moroccans are illiterate, so the oral tradition is vital.

 

Of course story-telling is a form of entertainment, but it is much more than that.

 

Like the parables of the New Testament, the stories are ways of conveying ideas, values and philosophies.

 

But all this is under threat. While there used to be 20 or so halakis in Marrakesh, there are now only about half a dozen and they are all old men.

 

After more than a millennium, the art of the halaka is on the wane. Young Moroccans would rather watch television soap operas than listen to a story-teller much less become one themselves.

 

 

Disappearing yarns

 

 

However the United Nations cultural organisation, Unesco, has intervened to try to save the stories as part of the world's oral heritage.

It is even recording some of them on the internet, so modern technology may yet come to the rescue of these wondrous tales.

 

I asked Moulay Mohammed if he would pass his skills on:

 

"If someone wants to come and learn from me they can, but it is not easy," he said. "It takes years to remember the stories."

 

And was he worried that his craft might one day die out? "Ah, only God knows the answer to that. Today there are story-tellers. That is all I know."

 

Another old man was sitting in the crowd hanging on Moulay Mohammed's every word.

 

Did he think the story-tellers would still be here tomorrow? "Moulay Mohammed is one of the best in Marrakesh, and we like him very much" he said. "But if he disappeared, a lot of his yarns would disappear too."

 

Google Earth

 

And what, I wondered, did Moulay Mohammed make of television?

 

"Television?" he laughed, "why it is something out of this world. This is real life here in the square. It is much better to sit in the square in the sun, as you are doing now, than in some dark room with a television!"

 

And sitting in the square under an azure sky, I thought Moulay Mohammed was probably right.

 

Looking up at the pink rooftops of Marrakesh, the Atlas mountains and the fabulous Koutoubia mosque, it was hard to imagine a place I would rather be.

 

There may not be a blind muezzin any more in the minaret of the Koutoubia but the story of the men who could not look down on the sultan's harem strikes a familiar cord now.

 

The Moroccan government has blocked the internet device Google Earth so that people cannot look from above into the grounds of the king's sumptuous royal palaces.

 

Perhaps in 1,000 years people will be telling a story about that.

[Faarax-Brawn]

"Television?" he laughed, "why it is something out of this world. This is real life here in the square. It is much better to sit in the square in the sun, as you are doing now, than in some dark room with a television

Make him watch Baywatch! Bad mouthing the greatest invasion ever like that.The nerve of that marakesh man :mad:

 

Xiin,Why did you post this? Are you feeling to go Marakesh?

 

I know I would lovvvve to go to Marakech.Really trek across the sahara with camel caravans, eat Eish & lamb on the streets and watch snake charmers make a fool of themselves. Perhaps Attend a football match and watch Kokab marakech(sp)....aaaaahhhh

[xiinfaniin]

^^^Yaa Brown, look at the Jaamic al-Finaa---who wouldn't want be there and talk to the reciters of alfa-Leyl-Wa-Leyl .

 

[Paragon]

^^ The picture is very inviting.. I know someone who is thinking of Macrakesh

 

The place has a mystic of the kind that attracts all humanity to its square of wonderous markets and story-tellers.

[Faarax-Brawn]

^Waryaa Bidaare,How are you sir?

 

What a fantastic view!

 

What time of the day was that picture taken? Looks like there are no people in that square, mhmmmm

 

Calaa kuli xaal, You still havent answered why you posted about Marakech. You certainly didn’t go to Marakesh,waa hubaal taas. You don’t seem like the tourist-tourist type yaa Xiin.

[Strawberry_Xu]

Does this 'professional' story-teller tradition exist in Somalia?

 

I know there are some efforts to record some of the Somali fairy tales for posterity, but it would be sad that one day the phrase sheeko sheeko would be followed by some Disney fairy tale, because we can't remember our own stories.

 

 

I passionately believe in the importance of stories, apart from the Holy Quran, they taught me a lot about humans, life and the world. You can tell a lot about a people by the stories they tell and how they tell them.

 

There is something unifying about the idea too. To think there are ancient Chinese, Indian, West-African etc., versions of the Cinderella story or Beauty and the Beast.... that these versions came to exist independently from each other. It makes you realise that at the heart of these stories, are the same issues that awaken the imagination of people everywhere, regardless of race, geography, status or creed.

 

 

Interesting article Xiin

[-Lily-]

Wonderful place, I know I would love to go there...

 

As for the story tellers, sounds like they have fabulous jobs. Imagine sitting in a square all day telling stories.

[Faarax-Brawn]

Xu,I am sure it still exists in some parts of ethnic Somalia. But by far & large, I don’t think it is vibrant as it was years back.

 

I am sure the art of story telling thrives best in a positively rich environment. Rich in wealth, rich in happiness et al.

 

A community(such as ours) with disasters,both Human & natural upto their eyeballs can surely not sit around and gather for a good story.

 

Xu,Perhaps you can revive it.Dont you study theatre? Or was it punk evolution?

[Strawberry_Xu]

^^ It's filmmaking, had to drop punk evolution (it was being taught by The Man )

 

But I've been learning about the folklore and mythologies of different cultures for as long as I can remember, and I was happy to find that one of my uncles is involved in a project to preserve a few of these Somali tales and I know there are a few similar projects going on in the UK and US.

 

For myself, I'm going to Kenya and hopefully Somalia (insha-Allah) for the first time this summer and I'm hoping to film my grandmother and a few other people and have them tell me all the stories they remember, whether it's fairy tales, legends, ancient superstitions or traditional customs......and see what I can learn from them.

[Faarax-Brawn]

^ Oh how Nice Xula. You should indeed. I took DVDs of my grandpa & Grandma this summer as well. Not a whole lot of story telling but just general sheeko. It was Awesome i tell ya.

 

You should forward this article to your uncle. At least he should get some of that funding from Unesco.

 

See you in Kenya Xu. Would watch out for the English/Dutch speaking punk among the battery of Dhaqan Celis kids.

 

The Black haired ,black lip glossed,black indhokuuled metal chains wearing Xalimo,Right???

[xiinfaniin]

^^Brownka, the business of story-telling enticed me to post the article. I would love to catch such famous tales from the lips of the learned! The picture of the famous Finaa was an evening snapshot of the place. Learn some Arabic or French and go visit the place yaa Brown !

 

XX, i enjoy the company of story-tellers. If can comperhend Somali i would recommend you to listen to Idaajaa and Sheeko-xariir (translates to story-teller). Also if you can read Somali, Ibrahim Hawd is the most able somali fiction writer i've come across. That man is gifted with a marked brilliance of eloquence and his writings are dyed (unlike Idaajaa, who’s good at narrating it) with a noticeable beauty of scholarship!

 

Let me know if you need further references.

 

Waryee Paragon, you know someone who's going to the place eh? Are you implying that it could be me ?

[Faarax-Brawn]

Learn some Arabic or French and go visit the place yaa Brown

Adiga ciyaar ciyaar ee kaa tahay but I really want to learn some Arabic.

 

I am ashamed of boasting with an Arabic name & not speaking the language. Really, I feel guilty; having no clue what the Imam of my local masjid is on about any given Friday.

 

I look dumb sited there whereas the man is popping out his veins, presumably warning me of the impending doom. He could be warning me of something horrible. Actually he does, Because I have heard the words Jahanam & shaytaan on more than one occasion. Nacam iyo Allah Akbar umbaan guraaya. I must really do something soon.

 

How shameful is that,niyow? Oh well I must act upon it inshallah, if I want to be a better Muslim. I would love to learn more than " La tacrifu luuqatal carabiyah wa illa shuwaya shuwaya"

 

French,aada la aada ku dheh

[xiinfaniin]

Oo kaalay waagii anaa faarax ma noolayn miyaa?

 

At any rate i think you could excel Arabics if you have time and commitment. You can start by enrolling Islamic University of Minnesota and learn the language from the great linguists like Sh. Waleed! Or better yet, if you are still single, you could indeed fly to Syria and marry an Arab woman. Option # 2 is better and has greater rate of success but it's probably more expensive and more riskier.

 

So hurry up and register with IUM yaa wallah !

[Jacpher]

lol@wallah

 

Xaguu jiray waagii la qaadi jiray, "Hayaa Natacalam Luuqal Carabiya.......hayaa...." iyo "Hadaa Ibriiqun"

 

Faarah & Syrian woman? Miyuu karinaa sidii kii timirta rabay inuu karsado? Maskiinkan bohol ha ka tuurin odey xiinow.

[xiinfaniin]

^^I have been particularly generous to this wallah ! I have given him a lot of advice. By far, this one is the most practical one yaa Jimcaale! I will be disappointed if haddusan ama Syria u dhoofin ama uusan Jaamacadda isku qorin.

 

Lets wait and see what he says about qorshahaan cusub !

 

 

ps--what's up with Barre's pic adeer ?