Editing Kurds (section)

===Folklore===
[[File:Vulpes vulpes at Eshel HaNasi4, israel.jpg|thumb|left|The [[fox]], a widely recurring character in Kurdish tales]]

The Kurds possess a rich tradition of folklore, which, until recent times, was largely transmitted by speech or song, from one generation to the next. Although some of the Kurdish writers' stories were well known throughout Kurdistan; most of the stories told and sung were only written down in the 20th and 21st centuries. Many of these are, allegedly, centuries old.

Widely varying in purpose and style, among the Kurdish folklore one will find stories about nature, [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] animals, love, heroes and villains, [[mythological]] creatures and everyday life. A number of these mythological figures can be found in other cultures, like the [[Simurgh]] and [[Kaveh the Blacksmith]] in the broader [[Persian mythology|Iranian Mythology]], and stories of [[Shahmaran]] throughout Anatolia. Additionally, stories can be purely entertaining, or have an educational or religious aspect.<ref name="Edgecomb">Edgecomb, D. (2007). ''A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales''. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, pp. 200.</ref>

Perhaps the most widely reoccurring element is the fox, which, through cunning and shrewdness triumphs over less intelligent species, yet often also meets his demise.<ref name="Edgecomb"/> Another common theme in Kurdish folklore is the origin of a tribe.

Storytellers would perform in front of an audience, sometimes consisting of an entire village. People from outside the region would travel to attend their narratives, and the storytellers themselves would visit other villages to spread their tales. These would thrive especially during winter, where entertainment was hard to find as evenings had to be spent inside.<ref name="Edgecomb"/>

Coinciding with the heterogeneous Kurdish groupings, although certain stories and elements were commonly found throughout Kurdistan, others were unique to a specific area; depending on the region, religion or dialect. The [[Kurdish Jews]] of [[Zakho]] are perhaps the best example of this; their gifted storytellers are known to have been greatly respected throughout the region, thanks to a unique oral tradition.<ref>D. Shai (2008). [https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF02965657 "Changes in the oral tradition among the Jews of Kurdistan"]. Retrieved 7 July 2013.</ref> Other examples are the mythology of the [[Yezidis]],<ref>C. Alison (2006).[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/yazidis-i-general-1 "Yazidis i. General"]. ''Encyclopædia Iranica'' Retrieved 7 July 2013.</ref> and the stories of the Dersim Kurds, which had a substantial Armenian influence.<ref>V. Arakelova. [http://english6.net/s/shahnameh-in-the-kurdish-and-armenian-oral-tradition-w18142.html "Shahnameh in the Kurdish and Armenian Oral Tradition"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102817/http://english6.net/s/shahnameh-in-the-kurdish-and-armenian-oral-tradition-w18142.html |date=18 May 2015 }}. Retrieved 7 July 2013.</ref>

During the criminalization of the Kurdish language after the coup d'état of 1980, [[dengbêj|''dengbêj'']] (singers) and ''çîrokbêj'' (tellers) were silenced, and many of the stories had become endangered. In 1991, the language was decriminalized, yet the now highly available radios and TV's had as an effect a diminished interest in traditional storytelling.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/28/kurdish-singing-storytellers-rise-dengbej "Silenced Kurdish storytellers sing again"]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 7 July 2013.</ref> However, a number of writers have made great strides in the preservation of these tales.