History, Culture, Folklore
Learn about the traditions, culture and folklore of the island of Socotra.
Old photos of Socotra in The national geographic magazine. 1918. "The isle of frankincense" by Charles K.Moses Formerly United States Consul-General to Aden, Arabia.
A wonderful project! Now we can hear voices from the island of Socotra. Listen how people talk and sing in different parts of the island.
Every field researcher of the Soqotri Modern South Arabian language from the first steps in his work on the island will meet these, beloved among the islanders, very useful, sharp-witted short poetry jewels of folklore, which are named "temethel" by the Soqotrans themselves.
A Letter to The International Conference «Yemen: Bridging the Gap between the Past and Present»
Two men loved each other - because the men were brothers. One day one of them said to the other: - Brother, do you know what will separate us? - What? - the other said. - Woman's work,- the first said. - Woman's work? It's impossible!- his brother said." Fatima Salim, who is telling me this oldest tale, doesn't stop sewing and the voice of her sewing machine accompanies the story. Fatima, who never went to school in her life, is sitting on the entrance of her family's cave. She doesn't know that a story like this one - about the two brothers and the dishonest wife of one of them - was once recorded in ancient Egypt over 3000 years ago for the Crown Prince Seti and is kept now as a great value in the Papiry collection of the British Museum.
Life of islanders in photos
The Socotrans have never mastered the written language. That is why they were unable to document and keep a chronicle of their history. Since ancient times it has been only their native nonliterate language the Socotran people used for communication. Therefore, the real history of this Archipelago is still little-known.