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Georgian Folk Tales by Wardrop, Marjory , Halsted, John β€” book cover

Georgian Folk Tales

by Wardrop, Marjory, Halsted, John
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Overview

It is not widely known that the Caucasus corridor, geographic home to the nation of Georgia, was a well travelled arm of the famous Silk Route that linked Asia and Europe.
Silk, merchandise, and stories were traded through this region for countless generations. On one hand, Georgia shared a religious and political connection with Byzantium (Christendom), and on the other a constant cultural discourse with Persia and Turkey (Islam).

In later years, links to Russia further enriched the cultural traditions of this crossroad of civilisations. It is therefore not surprising that the nation of Georgia overflows with folklore.

We invite you to enjoy Georgian Folktales, a short collection of thirty-eight traditional stories from Georgia, Mingrelia and Guria translated by Marjorie Wardrop in 1894. Princes, kings, viziers,
wicked stepmothers, princesses, fools, speaking serpents, and simple folk who make good abound in the pages of this delightful volume. The twenty-eight Mingrelian proverbs are a bonus and provide additional insight into the culture of the region.

Many of the themes in these stories are also reflected in European folklore, giving credence to the claim that folklore originated in Asia eons ago and was transported to Europe by the Gypsy and Roma folk. Indeed, some of these stories closely parallel those published in Abela Publishing's Gypsy Folk Tales and Roumanian Folk Tales.

A percentage of the sale from this book will be donated to scholarships for the underpriviledged in Georgia.

Synopsis

It is not widely known that the Caucasus corridor, the geographic home to the nation of Georgia, was a well travelled arm of the famous Silk Route that linked Asia and Europe. Silk, merchandise, and stories were traded through this region for countless generations.Β 

On one hand, Georgia shared a religious and political connection with Byzantium (Christendom), and on the other a constant cultural discourse with Persia and Turkey (Islam). In later years, links to Russia further enriched the cultural traditions of this crossroad of civilisations. It is therefore not surprising that the nation of Georgia overflows with folklore.Β 

We invite you to enjoy Georgian Folktales, a short collection of thirty-eight traditional stories from Georgia, Mingrelia and Guria translated by Marjorie Wardrop in 1894. Princes, kings, viziers, wicked stepmothers, princesses, fools, speaking serpents, and simple folk who make good abound in the pages of this delightful volume. The twenty-eight Mingrelian proverbs are an added bonus and provide additional insight into the culture of the region. Many of the themes in these stories are also reflected in European folklore, giving credence to the claim that folklore originated in Asia eons ago and was transported to Europe by the Gypsy and Roma folk.Β 

Indeed, some of these stories closely parallel those published in Abela Publishing's Gypsy Folk Tales and Roumanian Folk Tales.Β 

A percentage of the sale from this book will be donated to scholarships for the underpriviledged in Georgia.

About the Author, Wardrop, Marjory , Halsted, John

"Marjory Scott Wardrop... was an English scholar and translator of Georgian literature. She was a sister of the British diplomat and scholar of Georgia, Sir Oliver Wardrop.

Fluent in seven foreign languages, she also learned Georgian and traveled to Georgia (then part of Imperial Russia) in 1894-5 and 1896. She translated and published Georgian Folk Tales (London, 1894), The Hermit by Ilia Chavchavadze (London, 1895), The Life of St. Nino (Oxford, 1900), etc. She also made the first English prosaic translation of The Knight in the Panther's Skin, a medieval Georgian epic poem by Shota Rustaveli (published by Oliver Wardrop in London, 1912). After her death, Sir Oliver created the Marjory Wardrop Fund at Oxford University "for the encouragement of the study of the language, literature, and history of Georgia, in Transcaucasia.""

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Book Details

Published
June 19, 2026
Publisher
Abela Publishing
Pages
200
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781907256127

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