[Review] Nasreddin or Juha (جحا)

March 08, 2011

[Review] Nasreddin or Juha (جحا) - Chapter 1

Hello everybody

Today I'd like to talk about a world-wide famous satirical figure which is known in most of the world cultures. This character is known globally as Nasreddin Hodja and jokes are attributed to him. He is believed to have lived during the Middle Ages (around 13th century), in Aksehir, and later in Konya, under the Seljuq rule. In Arab culture he is known as Juha (reffered to Abu El Ghissn Dujain Al Fazary) which is the oldest and he is believed to have lived in the period of Umayyad dynasty rule about (41-132 Hijri / 661-750 AD).

Anyway the famous about this figure, regardless of his original name or which is the oldest, is his wisdom and philosophy, his way to deal with issues, his big turban and his donkey!

Most of his anecdote are the same world-wide except for names and places which is changing according to the culture and regions of the world.

Also there are many books talking about this beloved figure and his anecdote or jokes here's a list of a number of them:

• 600 Mulla Nasreddin Tales, collected by Mohammad Ramazani (Popular Persian Text Series: 1) (in Persian).

• The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasreddin, by Idries Shah, illustrated by Richard Williams

• The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasreddin, by Idries Shah, illustrated by Richard Williams.

• The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasreddin, by Idries Shah, illustrated by Richard Williams and Errol Le Cain

• Mullah Nasiruddiner Galpo (Tales of Mullah Nasreddin) collected and retold by Satyajit Ray, in Bengali

• The Wisdom of Mulla Nasruddin, by Shahrukh Husain

• The Uncommon Sense of the Immortal Mullah Nasruddin: Stories, jests, and donkey tales of the beloved Persian folk hero, collected and retold by Ron Suresha