FOLKTALES ABOUT WATER

This paper examines the rituals and tales of folk heritage and their relationship to people’s knowledge of natural phenomena. 

 

The paper uses the folk names attributed to the last days of February - Qiran Al Ajayiz’ - and the ritual known as ‘The Mother of Rain’ to represent natural phenomena and their effects on human life.

If researchers look for references to water in literature, they will find a great corpus of literary work; this shows how important water is to life.

Many folk stories are based on winter and the changes that it brings. February is always unpredictable, especially the last four days of February and the first three of March, and Bedouins always avoid valleys and plains on these days because of the potential for water-related danger. The seven most unpredictable days are called Qiran Al Ajayiz, (Qiran is a net used for hunting, and Al Ajayiz means the elderly).

The folktales tell the story of an old woman who died during Qiran Al Ajayiz. She would have survived had she known what the Bedouins knew, and had she known what time of year it was.

Hikmat Al Nawaysih

Jordan