Season 2 | Ep 11 | Master Karshush's Tarbush | A Folktale from Syria

Golpo | Stories From Around the World

Today's episode is a gentle tribute to the people of Syria and Turkey who suffered one of the greatest disasters of the century. The news and sights coming in the aftermath of the earthquake are devastating.

This story comes from Aleppo in Syria, one of the parts worst affected by the earthquake.

A few weeks ago we had a Turkish story on the podcast and today, this wisdom tale from Syria is a reminder of the stories that once came from the land.

This week I went searching for Syrian Folktale's and I found Samir Tahhan's anthology of folktales the ONLY accessible collection in English. The preface carries the translator's notes of how the stories were collected and gathered. If not for Samir Tahhan's relentless work, we would not have the stories to listen to.

Master Karshush's Tarbush is a bitter-sweet tale, that will speak to masters and amateurs alike. It is a story that will open conversations between talent and acquired wisdom. The tussle of who is right between those wiser in years and those with acquired wisdom between the ears! It is about leaders and juniors, its about superiority and enforcement of it. It is about acceptance that someone else may be more talented, gifted and wiser than you.

Where and how will you retell this folktale? I will leave that to you.

If you do, keep Syria and Turkey in your thoughts.

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𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙥𝙤: 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.

Story Source | Adapted from Samir Tahhan's Folktales from Syria

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