The Palestinian Hikaye is a narrative expressed by women. Many of the fictitious tales, which have evolved through time, relate to concerns of current Middle Eastern Arab society and family issues. The Hikaye criticizes society from the women's perspective and gives a visual representation of the social structure and how it pertains to the lives of women. Many of the stories concern women who are torn between duty and desire. In the stories, which are mostly fictitious, themes such as contemporary social issues, family dynamics, and moral imperatives are explored. The speaker will often possess a strong, expressive tone, which grabs the audience and keeps them engaged for hours. The tradition associated with women provides a space for them to express themselves and share their perspectives on social issues. Some will give social critiques, while others will describe personal predicaments.
Hikaye is usually narrated at home during winter evenings by small groups of women and children. It is held at spontaneous and convivial events, and men rarely attend, as this is considered inappropriate. The storytellers are able to express themselves through language, emphasis, speech rhythms, and vocal inflections as well as the ability to capture their listeners' attention and transport them into a world of imagination and fantasy. Despite their similarity, this folk tale style is set apart from other folk narrative genres by its linguistic and literary conventions. The tales are narrated in Palestinian dialect, either in rural Fallahi or in urban Madani. Nearly every Palestinian woman over the age of 70 is a Hikaye teller, and the tradition is primarily carried out by elderly women. In addition to the elderly, young girls and boys will sometimes tell stories to one another for enjoyment or practice.
In addition to being used to record the history and experiences of Palestinian people, especially those who have been forced to leave their native lands, Hikaye has also been used to tell stories about the impact of occupation and forced displacement. Due to a large amount of mass media, people consider their native customs backward and inferior, causing the tradition to wane. However, many women are now trying to revive the form of storytelling by primarily keeping the form of the Arab-Palestinian dialect alive, mostly as an oral tradition. The older women have begun changing the format and content of the narrations, as a consequence. The disruption of social life in Palestine as a result of the ongoing political situation poses another threat to the continued existence of the Hikaye.
References