Reading Notes, Week 6, The Boy Who Became a Bulbul, Part A.

 

The Boy Who Became a Bulbul, Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer:

• Each tale is introduced with the phrase “once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God”.
• Consistency in storytelling, but curious phrasing because the tale then introduces people that isn’t God.
• The usage of a life or death wager; possibly the stepmother suggesting this because she doesn’t like the son?
• Literally talking about decapitation.
• This dislike and betrayal, naturally, would make sense for the revenge to come.
• The father willingly deceiving and unfairly taking the boy’s share of firewood, so that he’s not the one losing his head. father wins, son loses — the son willingly gets decapitated.
• However, there’s cannibalism? the father and stepmother are completely fine with eating their child’s head?
• Parents casually trying to feed it to their daughter.
• Always include one family member who doesn’t agree with the actions undertaken by others; they are saved from the repercussions.
• Pray and properly bury the deceased and show them due respect, and rewards/no punishments will occur.
• Bulbul: a passerine songbird found in Africa, the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia and as far as Japan, Wikipedia.
• Usage of song/poem to tell the fate of the decapitated boy.
• Needles for the mothers mouth; dangerous words garner dangerous responses.
• Sugar candy for the sister, as she’s the only one who didn’t eat or deceive him.
• No revenge against the father?
• Possible change in story ending: give the deceiving father the worst punishment.

P. leucogenys x. P.c. humayuni hybrid (magrathi)
(Wikipedia Commons)