Georgian Folk Tales

By John Halsted and Marjory Wardrop

Abela Publishing
Publication date: November 2010

ISBN: 9781907256127

Digital Book format: PDF (Adobe DRM)

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It is not widely known that the Caucasus corridor, geographic home to the nation of Georgia, was a well travelled arm of the famous Silk Route that linked Asia and Europe. Silk, merchandise, and stories were traded through this region for countless generations. On one hand, Georgia shared a religious and political connection with Byzantium (Christendom), and on the other a constant cultural discourse with Persia and Turkey (Islam). In later years, links to Russia further enriched the cultural traditions of this crossroad of civilisations. It is therefore not surprising that the nation of Georgia overflows with folklore. We invite you to enjoy Georgian Folktales, a short collection of thirty-eight traditional stories from Georgia, Mingrelia and Guria translated by Marjorie Wardrop in 1894. Princes, kings, viziers, wicked stepmothers, princesses, fools, speaking serpents, and simple folk who make good abound in the pages of this delightful volume. The twenty-eight Mingrelian proverbs are a bonus and provide additional insight into the culture of the region. Many of the themes in these stories are also reflected in European folklore, giving credence to the claim that folklore originated in Asia eons ago and was transported to Europe by the Gypsy and Roma folk. Indeed, some of these stories closely parallel those published in Abela Publishing's Gypsy Folk Tales and Roumanian Folk Tales. 33% of the Publisher's profit is donated to the Temi Charitable Trust in Georgia.