Palestinian hikaye

Lore & Background

Hikaye are performed by older Palestinian women for younger women and children, using an expressive tone. They discuss social issues and histories, particularly those impacting women, and may criticize society to provoke debate or record memories of displacement. While young boys may practice hikaye, they are expected to stop as they grow older. The tradition is slowly dying out due to changing social structures, broader access to school education, and the spread of mass media.

Reader's Guide

Palestinian hikaye holds significance as a unique form of oral literature that preserves women's voices and perspectives within Palestinian culture. Its recognition by UNESCO in 2005 and 2008 highlights its value as intangible cultural heritage. The tradition serves both educational and archival functions, addressing social issues and recording memories of displacement. However, it faces decline from mass media, which can lead to native customs being regarded as backward, and from the disruption of social life due to the political situation. Since 2021, there has been some revival in the practice. The collection of 45 hikaye published in English in 1989 and Arabic in 2001, later translated into Spanish and French, helped document the form, though it faced temporary confiscation by the Palestinian Ministry of Education in 2007.

Did You Know?

• Hikaye is performed by older Palestinian women, usually in domestic settings in winter.
• It was listed as a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.
• A collection of 45 hikaye was published in English in 1989 under the title 'Speak Bird, Speak Again'.
• In 2007, the Palestinian Ministry of Education confiscated copies of the book but reversed the decision after public outrage.