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For other uses, see Nasreddin (disambiguation). Nasreddin was a legendary wise man in Islamic tradition Nasreddin or Nasireddin may also refer to Nasireddin (crater,
For the Azerbaijani magazine, see Molla Nasraddin (magazine)
A depiction of Nasreddin
A depiction of Nasreddin

Nasreddin (Persian ملا نصرالدین, Arabic: جحا transl. Molla Nasraddin ( Azeri: Molla Nəsrəddin / ملا نصرالدین; Russian: Молла Насреддин) was an Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language : Joĥa ,نصرالدين meaning "Victory of the Faith", Albanian "Nostradin Hoxha" or just "Nostradini", Turkish "Nasreddin Hoca", Bosnian "Nasrudin hodža", Uzbek "Nasriddin Afandi" or just "Afandi", Kazakh: Қожанасыр "Khozhanasir", Uyghur "Afanti" [1][2][3] ) is a legendary satirical sufi figure who lived during the Middle Ages (around 13th century), in Akşehir, and later in Konya, under the Seljuq rule. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Bosnian language (Bosnian bosanski jezik) sometimes referred as Bosniak language or Bosniac language is a South Slavic language native Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to Uyghur (/ ug-Latn Uyƣurqə/ug-Cyrl Уйғурчә, or / ug-Latn Uyƣur tili/ug-Cyrl Уйғур Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Akşehir is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Konya ( قونیه; also Koniah, Konieh, Konia, and Qunia; historically also known as Iconium ( Latin The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in [4] Many nations of the Near, Middle East and Central Asia claim the Nasreddin as their own (i. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south e. Afghans,[5] Iranians,[4] Turks,[6][7][5][4] and Uzbeks[8]). His name is spelled differently in various cultures and is often preceded or followed by titles "Hodja", "Mullah", or "Effendi" (see section "Name variants"). Nasreddin ( Turkish "Nasreddin Hoca", Persian ملا نصرالدین, Arabic: جحا transl Mullah ( ملا) is a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law Nasreddin was a populist philosopher and wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes. For other uses see Anecdota. For a comparison of anecdote with other kinds of stories see Myth legend fairy tale and fable.

Much of Nasreddin's actions can be described as illogical yet logical, rational yet irrational, bizarre yet normal, foolish yet sharp, and simple yet profound. What adds even further to his uniqueness is the way he gets across his messages in unconventional yet very effective methods in a profound simplicity.

1996-1997 was declared International Nasreddin Year by UNESCO. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16

Contents

Nasreddin's origin & legacy

The ever-smiling Hodja riding on his bronze donkey in Bukhara.
The ever-smiling Hodja riding on his bronze donkey in Bukhara. Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky
Backwards, no less...
Backwards, no less. . .

Nasreddin lived in Anatolia; he was born in Hortu Village in Sivrihisar, Eskişehir in the 13th century, then settled in Akşehir, and later in Konya, where he died. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Sivrihisar (Sivrihisar "a pointed castle" is a town and district of Eskişehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Eskişehir ( eskē'shehēr, Eskişehir "Old City" Latin: Dorylaeum; Greek: Δορύλαιον Dorylaion) is a city Akşehir is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Konya ( قونیه; also Koniah, Konieh, Konia, and Qunia; historically also known as Iconium ( Latin [8][9]

The "International Nasreddin Hodja Festival" is held annually in Akşehir between July 5-10. [10]

As generations went by, new stories were added, others were modified, and the character and his tales spread to other regions. The themes in the tales have become part of the folklore of a number of nations' and express the national imaginations of a variety of cultures. Although most of them depict Nasreddin in an early small-village setting, the tales (like Aesop's fables) deal with concepts that have a certain timelessness. They purvey a pithy folk wisdom that triumphs over all trials and tribulations.

Today, Nasreddin stories are told in a wide variety of regions, and have been translated into many languages. Some regions independently developed a character similar to Nasreddin, and the stories have become part of a larger whole. In many regions, Nasreddin is a major part of the culture, and is quoted or alluded to frequently in daily life. Since there are thousands of different Nasreddin stories, one can be found to fit almost any occasion. [11] Nasreddin often appears as a whimsical character of a large Albanian, Arab, Azeri, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Pashto, Persian, Romanian, Serbian, Turkish and Urdu folk tradition of vignettes, not entirely different from zen koans. } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between Bangladesh and India) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating The Bosniaks or Bosniacs (Bošnjak pl Bošnjaci bɔ'ʃɲaːt͡si are a South Slavic people living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Bosnia" The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as To best understand Iran and its people one must first attempt to acquire an understanding of its ancient culture The Romanians (dated Rumanians or Roumanians; Romanian: români or historically and today rather seldom and only regional rumâni Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised See also Folk (disambiguation, Volk (disambiguation Folk is one of the Germanic roots that mean "(of the people" or "our In Theater script and Poetry writing vignettes are short impressionistic scenes that focus on one moment or give a trenchant impression about a character Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. He is also very popular in Greece for his wisdom and his judgment; he is also known in Bulgaria, although in a different role, see below. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian

Nasreddin's tales

Hodja-park in Akşehir
Hodja-park in Akşehir

The Nasreddin stories are known throughout the Middle East and have touched cultures around the world. Superficially, most of the Nasreddin stories may be told as jokes or humorous anecdotes. They are told and retold endlessly in the teahouses and caravanserais of Asia and can be heard in homes and on the radio. A caravanserai ( kārvānsarā, Turkish kervansaray) was a roadside Inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey But it is inherent in a Nasreddin story that it may be understood at many levels. There is the joke, followed by a moral – and usually the little extra which brings the consciousness of the potential mystic a little further on the way to realization. [12]

The anecdotes attributed to him reveal a satirical personality with a biting tongue that he was not afraid to use even against the most tyrannical rulers of his time. He is the symbol of Middle-Eastern satirical comedy and the rebellious feelings of people against the dynasties that once ruled this part of the world.

Some mystic traditions use jokes, stories and poetry to express certain ideas, allowing the bypassing of the normal discriminative thought patterns. The rationality that confines and objectifies the thinking process is the opposite to the intuitive, gestalt mentality that the mystic is attempting to engage, enter and retain.

By developing a series of impacts that reinforce certain key ideas, the rational mind is occupied with a surface meaning whilst other concepts are introduced. Thus paradox, unexpectedness, and alternatives to convention are all expressed. A paradox is a true statement or group of statements that leads to a Contradiction or a situation which defies intuition; or inversely Although there are several books that attempt to put together the many jokes attributed to him, most people encounter his jokes in the context of their daily lives. Often, a Nasreddin joke is told by one party when the other party makes the kind of mistake that Nasreddin had parodied.

Some tales of Nasreddin are also adapted and used as teaching stories by followers of Sufism. Teaching stories is a term introduced by Idries Shah to describe stories and anecdotes that have been deliberately created as vehicles for the transmission of wisdom Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف This is such a common practice that, given the nature of many of Nasreddin's jokes, multiple interpretations (or several 'layers' of meaning) are to be expected. Idries Shah, a well-known Sufi and writer, published a number of collections of Nasreddin stories (see list below), and suggested that the stories' various layers of meaning have a teaching-effect. Idries Abutahir Shah ( 16 June, 1924 &ndash 23 November, 1996) ( ادریس شاه) also known as Idris Shah, né

In some Bulgarian folklore tales that originated during the Ottoman, the name appears as an antagonist to a local wise man, named Hitar Petar (Хитър Петър, meaning "cunning Peter"). The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish An antagonist (from Greek ανταγωνιστής - antagonistes, "opponent competitor rival" is a character or Hitar Petar (Хитър Петър Итар Пејо "Sly Peter" is a character of Bulgarian and Macedonian Folklore.

In Sicily the same tales involve a man named Giufà. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy.

While Nasreddin is mostly known as a character from anecdotes, whole novels and stories have later been written and an animated feature film was almost made. "Arabian Knight" redirects here For other uses see Arabian Nights (disambiguation.

The oldest manuscript of Nasreddin was found in 1571.

In Europe, Nasreddin can be compared with the German 14th century figure Till Eulenspiegel, published in 1510. Till Eulenspiegel (tɪl ˈʔɔʏlənˌʃpiːgəl Low Saxon: Dyl Ulenspegel dɪl ˈʔuːlnˌspɛɪgl̩ was an impudent Trickster figure who originated

The Russian composer Shostakovich celebrates Nasreddin, among other figures, in the second movement (Yumor, 'Humor') of his Symphony No. Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer 13. The text, by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, portrays humor as a weapon against dictatorship and tyranny. Shostakovich's music shares many of the 'foolish yet profound' qualities of Nasreddin's sayings listed above.

Uzbek Nasriddin Afandi

For Uzbek people Nasriddin is theirs. In gatherings, family meetings, parties they tell each other stories about him that are called "latifa" of "afandi".

There are at least two collections of stories related to Nasriddin Afandi.

Books on him:

Even a film was produced by Uzbekistan SSR called "Nasriddin Buxoroda" ("Nasriddin in Bukhara")

Examples

Delivering a Khutba

Once, Nasreddin was invited to deliver a khutba. A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together Khutbah ( Arabic: (خطبة khuṭbah) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition When he got on the minbar (pulpit), he asked "Do you know what I am going to say?" The audience replied "NO", so he announced "I have no desire to speak to people who don't even know what I will be talking about" and he left. A minbar ( Arabic: منبر also spelt mimbar) is a Pulpit in the Mosque where the Imam (leader of prayer stands to deliver sermons
The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time when he asked the same question, the people replied "YES". So Nasreddin said, "Well, since you already know what I am going to say, I won't waste any more of your time" and he left.
Now the people were really perplexed. They decided to try one more time and once again invited the Mullah to speak the following week. Once again he asked the same question - "Do you know what I am going to say?" Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered "YES" while the other half replied "NO". So Nasreddin said "The half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half" and he left!

Two sides of a river

Nasreddin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side:
- "Hey! how do I get to the other side?"
- "You are on the other side!" Nasreddin shouted back.

Whom do you trust

A neighbour comes to the gate of Mulla Nasreddin's yard. The Mulla goes out to meet him outside.
"Would you mind, Mulla," the neighbour asks, "lending me your donkey today? I have some goods to transport to the next town. "
The Mulla doesn't feel inclined to lend out the animal to that particular man, however; so, not to seem rude, he answers:
"I'm sorry, but I've already lent him to somebody else. "
Suddenly the donkey can be heard braying loudly behind the wall of the yard.
"You lied to me, Mulla!" the neighbour exclaims. "There it is behind that wall!"
"What do you mean?" the Mulla replies indignantly. "Whom would you rather believe, a donkey or your Mulla?"

Taste the same

Children saw Hodja coming from the vineyard with 2 basketfuls of grapes on his donkey, gathered around him and asked him to give them some.
Hodja picked up a bunch of grapes, cut it up into pieces and gave each child a piece.
"You have so much, but you gave us so little," the children complained.
"There is no difference whether you have a basketful or a small piece. They all taste the same," Hodja remarked. [13]

Collections

Name variants

Nasreddin's name is also commonly spelled Nasrudin, Nasr ud-Din, Nasredin, Naseeruddin, Nasruddin, Nasr Eddin, Nastradhin, Nasreddine, Nastratin, Nusrettin, Nasrettin, Nostradin and Nastradin (lit. Idries Abutahir Shah ( 16 June, 1924 &ndash 23 November, 1996) ( ادریس شاه) also known as Idris Shah, né Shahrukh Husain ( شاہ رخ حسین) born 28 April 1950, is an author of Pakistani origin who specializes in fiction non-fiction and screenwriting : Victory of the Deen).

His name is sometime preceded or followed by a title of wisdom used in the corresponding cultures: "Hoxha", "Khwaje", "Hodja", "Hojja","Hodscha", "Hodža", "Hoca", "Hogea", "Hodza".

In Arabic speaking countries this character is known as "Djoha", "Djuha", "Dschuha", "Giufà", "Chotzas", "Mullah", "Mulla", "Molla", "Maulana", "Efendi", "Ependi", "Hajji. Mullah ( ملا) is a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law Hajji (الحجّي al-ḥağğī Hadžija Pilgrim) or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed In several cultures his name is just the title.

In the Swahili culture many of his stories are being told under the name of "Abunuwasi", though this confuses Nasreddin with an entirely different man - the poet Abu Nuwas, known for homoerotic verse. The Swahili are a people and culture found on the coast of East Africa, mainly the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya and Tanzania, and north Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani al-Hakami ( 750 &ndash 810) known as Abū-Nuwās ( Arabic: ابونواس) was one of the greatest of classical

See also

References

  1. ^ "Afanti de gu shi" (A collection of the Uighur people's folktales as well as information about their customs and life styles) ISBN 9576910048
  2. ^ J. Hershele Ostropoler, also known as Hershel of Ostropol, is a prominent figure in Jewish humor, and the Jewish equivalent of Nasreddin and Aleqa Gebre Hanna (flourished late 19th century was a Dabtara (a lay person of religious learning of the Ethiopian Church, renowned in Amharic Hitar Petar (Хитър Петър Итар Пејо "Sly Peter" is a character of Bulgarian and Macedonian Folklore. C. Yang, Xenophobes Guide to the Chinese, Oval Books, ISBN 1-902825-22-5
  3. ^ "The Effendi And The Pregnant Pot - Uygur Tales from China"; New World Press; Beijing, China
  4. ^ a b c The outrageous Wisdom of Nasruddin, Mullah Nasruddin, (LINK); accessed February 19, 2007.
  5. ^ a b Mulla Nasruddin, (LINK); accessed February 20, 2007.
  6. ^ NASRETTİN HOCA. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of
  7. ^ TURKIC HERO - NASREDDIN HOJA
  8. ^ a b Fiorentini, Gianpaolo (2004). "Nasreddin, una biografia possibile", Storie di Nasreddin. Torino: Libreria Editrice Psiche. ISBN 8885142710. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of  
  9. ^ NASRETTİN HOCA. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of
  10. ^ Akşehir's International Nasreddin Hoca Festival and Aviation Festival - Turkish Daily News Jun 27, 2005
  11. ^ Rodney Ohebsion, A Collection of Wisdom, Immediex Publishing (2004), ISBN 1932968199.
  12. ^ Idris Shah, The Sufis, W. H. Allen (1964) ISBN 0-385-07966-4
  13. ^ A szőlőskertek meséiből

External links

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