The King of Genies: And Other Tales from the Holy Land: Tales from Old Palestine, Retold for the Modern Reader (Palestinian Folklore Collection) by Suheil Raik Mikhail

Before the days of borders and barbed wire, the Holy Land was ruled by Djinn, tricksters, and kings who spoke to shadows. In the ancient hills of Palestine, history and myth have always overlapped. Stones whisper to passing shepherds. Gazelles carry the souls of enchanted princes. And King Suleiman—master of wisdom—sits upon his throne commanding an army of invisible spirits. For centuries, these tales were told in village courtyards and Jerusalem coffeehouses, passed from tongue to tongue until they almost disappeared into the dust of memory. First collected in 1904 by J.E. Hanauer, they risked being lost forever on the shelves of empire. Now they have been reclaimed and retold for the modern reader. The King of Genies strips away the dry, colonial lens of the past to reveal the vibrant, beating heart of Palestinian folklore. Inside, you will find: The Court of Suleiman – where a king commands the wind and bargains with demons of the air. The Follies of Men – where tricksters and jesters risk everything to make a Caliph laugh. Whispers from the Soil – tales of haunted shrines, vengeful saints, and the terrifying Ghouleh who hunts in the dark. The Wisdom of Beasts – where hyenas lure men to their doom and foxes preach sermons to chickens. Dark, humorous, and profoundly human, these are not just fairy tales. They are the memory of a land that has never stopped telling stories. Step into the circle. The storyteller is waiting. Read more