สำนักงานราชบัณฑิตยสภา

เรื่ องของนั สเร็ ดดิ น โฮจ้า 44 The Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand Vol. 40 No. 2 Apr-June 2015 Abstract The Stories of Nassreddin Hodja Malithat Prornathatavedi Associate Fellow, Academy of Arts, The Royal Society of Thailand. The name Nassreddin Hodja appears in the legends of the Middle East and Central Asia, especially Turkey, as a clever man who was also a prankster like Si Thanonchai in Thai folk tale. He was an Imam and also a university lecturer. At his demise he was buried in Askehir, Turkey. Hodja’s stories are versatile. Most of them are about the living conditions of villagers in general and also about Turkish culture and traditions. Some stories are about the relationship between family members and between neighbors and people in their community. Hodja often uses satire to express useful ideas and morals, though not as straightforward as in Aesop’s fables. Wit and humor add universal charms to Hodja’s stories which spread all over the world through oral tradition. His fame causes the annual Nassreddin Hodja Festival to be held in Askehir during 6-7 July. Keywords: Nassreddin Hodja, prankster, Aesop’s fables, oral tradition