Moorish Literature : Comprising Romantic Ballads, Tales of the Berbers, Stories of the Kabyles, Folk-Lore, and National Traditions

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Basset, René, 1855-1924

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Moorish Literature" by René Basset is a collection of translated works, originally written in the oral traditions of the Berber and Arab peoples, compiled in the early 20th century. The book showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Moorish populations from North Africa, spanning from the era of ancient times through the medieval period, paying particular attention to their poetry, tales, and folklore. The author emphasizes the importance of these stories and songs as expressions of the daily lives, traditions, and sentiments of the Berber people, providing insights into their history, struggles, and values. The opening portion of the book serves as a detailed introduction to the context and significance of Moorish literature, exploring the origins of the Berbers and Moors, as well as the complexities of their cultural identity. Basset discusses the various forms of popular literature that have survived, highlighting the captivating nature of their songs and stories. He explains how these narratives reflect the lives of the Berber women and men, their social structures, and their relationship with their environment-rich with history yet rooted in contemporary struggles. This initial section sets the stage for the subsequent translations of folklore and ballads, illustrating the depth of emotion and history embedded within Moorish literary traditions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Moorish ballads; metric translation by E. Wilson

Moorish romances; metrical translation by J. Lockhart

Story of Sidi Brehim of Massab, tr. by R. Basset and C.C. Starkweather

Five Berber stories, tr. by G. Mercier and C.C. Starkweather

Poems of the Maghreb, tr. by M.C. Sonneck and C.C. Starkweather

Popular tales of the Berbers, tr. by R. Basset and C.C. Starkweather

Popular tales of the Kabyles, tr. by J. Rivière and C.C. Starkweather.

Credits:

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

Notes:

Reading ease score: 87.2 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2003-11-01