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My grandmother allah yarxam was a great orator. I remember as a child being told about qoras maris, dhag dheer adventures, cigaal shidaad. Each story was not only a great bonding session, but it would transport us to a different realm.


Story telling is such a central part of our culture. It's not unusual for most elders to be able to tell a captivating story to any audience. Story-telling is appropriate in the masjid as it is in the makhaayad or a xaflad. Most stories have a characteristic humour or imparts some important lesson of courage, faith, shrewd intellect. I really love this aspect of our culture and think may be lost on us millenial parents.


In saying that, who here can tell us a Sheeko? It can be anything, somali folklore or any meaningful Sheeko (in Somali)

Sheekoy sheeko

Here's a story collected by Muuse X.I. Galaal in rural Somaliland in 1950's, a couple of years before independence.

It's in English, couldn't find the Somali version. The Somali name of the story is 'Faaliyihii la bilkeydey' (A soothsayer tested).

The sultan calls a famous soothsayer and orders him, on pain of death, to predict what will happen to his tribe in the coming year. The soothsayer tries fortune-telling by beads but his skill betrays him. He moves away from the people, continues his attempts but in vain. Suddenly a serpent speaks to him, they exchange an oath of friendship and the snake tells him (in verse) the desired prediction in exchange for his promise a share of the reward. The soothsayer goes to the sultan and passes on the prediction: a year of enmity is coming. The tribe gets ready for war in good time and comes out the victor. The sultan rewards the soothsayer with livestock; instead of giving the serpent his share he tries to kill him, but the serpent escapes.

The next year, the chief demands another prediction. The soothsayer appeals to the serpent, who forgives him and predicts a drought. The soothsayer goes to the sultan, the tribe gets ready for the drought in good time and manages to survive. The sultan rewards the soothsayer again but once again he avoids repaying the serpent. The sultan wants to know what will happen for the third time. The soothsayer goes to the serpent and returns with the prediction of rain. The tribe has time to prepare the reservoirs for water and avails itself of the generosity of nature in full measure. Everybody is replete and happy.

This time the soothsayer drives all the livestock with which he was rewarded to the serpent, begs forgiveness for the past and, acknowledging the serpent’s higher wisdom, asks to be told about the structure of the world and the life in it. The serpent refuses the gift and the friendship of the soothsayer and says: ‘World there is, but life is not distinct from it. Your life, as you call it, goes as the world goes, for God made the world with many patterns and it is these that rule men’s lives. When war is the pattern of the times all men are at enmity with each other, and thus it was that during wartime you took your sword against me even after I had helped you, and said to yourself, “Cut off his head!” And then again, at a time of drought no man is generous to his fellows, so you ran away with all your herds, giving me no share in the sultan’s reward. But when there is a pattern of prosperity… then you come to me, offering me all you have, not keeping even one animal for yourself. Each time it was the pattern, not yourself, that forced you to do whatever you did.’