Kchi Kafrosh, Mona Lisa, the unkown

Kchi Kafrosh is called a Mona Lisa by Kurdish people. it is a painting with amaze beauty and pertrification. the story behind it will shock you and beat you.

    Kchi Kafrosh

                                           The unknown Mona Lisa

 

 

 

The writer’s memoir,

 

I am an English artist from a royal British family; my name is Sam Grudge, born in 1963, England-Nottinghamshire. Art was always a hidden treasure in me which I could feel it, just like a baby inside a pregnant woman who can sense the moves, the heart, and the soul. After finishing primary, I went to an art academy and then became a painter.

In history of painting, there are many peculiar pieces of great and all-time painters, but nothing bewildered and bewitched me as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. I, as everyone else, tried my best to understand the veiled secret of the legend, but more I studied more I drowned. I was assured that certainly not even there cannot be anything akin to, but that no piece dares to approximate the circle of magic of Mona Lisa. This belief persists throughout my years of painting until the time has befallen to change everything. I am a traveler, and visited many countries like Brazil, India, China, Mozambique, Ghana, and etc, and one of my friends who worked in UNESCO after the Iraq war by months asked me if I would like to volunteer myself with a group to go to Iraq carrying the slogan of social awareness; which worked to increase the social awareness of Iraqi people. Though I knew how dangerous it was, I acceded to, and went there.

First we started from the south part, and then we went to the north part, Kurdistan, an autonomous region, where Kurds live. One day in summer, after been in Iraq for a month already, we went to a countryside which was the first place to visit in the North part. The people all came towards us with open-arms and hospitality, the leader of the village invited us to his Diwaxan, a large sitting hall more like a large tent with the floor equipped with carpets and rugs and very big rest pillows for the back. Everything there was folkloric; the jams, beakers, clothes, even the people. Then after sitting for awhile something hung on the adobe wall opposite me quake and shivered my senses. I dropped my rucksack and stood up towards a painting on the wall. It was a woman with divine beauty; a goddess may begrudge her beatification. The same sense of Mona Lisa’s feeling pulsed up from my blood again which I never had had it for years. More I observed the painting; I leaped myself more into it.

I do not know how long I stupefied there like a statue, but what I know I found my bearings after babble from the local presidents with our translator   who was a Kurd too. Then he said “Sir, are you amazed by the painting?”

Well I did not know, it was not amazement, it was cursed with magic, and I was under the accurse of the woman. “Yes, yes…!” these were the only thing I could utter.

“Who painted this, who is she?” I said with bated breath.

“This is Kchi Kafrosh, people in Kurdistan allude to her as Kurdish Mona Lisa, I assume there are few places you would go and don’t see Kchi Kafrosh.”

I felt like there is a story behind the painting, I was eager and agog to know so with alacrity I asked “Is there a story behind this painting, it does not seem to be a local painter who painted this.”

“You are right, her story is very well known, almost everyone knows, from the elders to the babies.” He turned to translate these words to the locals, and I could not wait to hear it, I needed to know.

“This is nana Miriam,” the translator pointed at a very old bend back woman, “she will tell you the whole story, and I will translate it for you.”

 

                       

                                           The Story

In 1928, the Kafrosh family- a father with a girl and a boy, moved in from Kurdistan Iran to Koya; a Kurdish city.  They moved in for trade and they settled there after the mother dying recently.  The folk knew little about them, but soon the beauties of the daughter bamboozle d and bewitched everyone.  She was in every talk, between every two persons, and among women. She was fourteen years old and 5 years older than her brother.

Her father started to work and opened a shop for selling ka, and because people not knew her or her name they started to call her Kchi Kafrosh.  It was not a year passed when one day while as usual she was taking lunch to her father through the bazaar, a British officer, who was in charge of the area, saw her and batty fell in love with her.

“Who is she, run after her…Hurry! Hurry!” the officer commanded the batman who found all about her and reported it to the officer.

After that day he always stood in the way to see her because she was a household since their mother was dead, and only came out to send food to his father and brother. The officer asked her hand, but her father rejected it since they were Muslims and if he gave her daughter to a Christian, unknown, and foreign person, he would have lost his reputation for ever. So however the officer tried to persuade him he rejected him. Even some said she also did not like to marry the officer, although he promised to marry her from an Islamic principle, and will cover her in gold, and help her father and brother, but they refused him.

Everyone in Koya knew about the one side love of the officer, and the bold rejections of Kchi Kafrosh. Then one day the officer decided to end the issue and prepared a plan. When as accustomed she brought food to her father, a unit of British soldiers surrounded her and abducted her, and the officer taking her fled back to Britain. When a local called her father and told him that he had seen the soldiers kidnapping her, he searched everywhere, visited and claimed every possible place for any news, while the British counsel promised to bring her back, nothing was known about her, till after some years later when a painting of Kchi Kafrosh arrived painted by a British painter.  From then Kchi Kafrosh became the legend and a fairytale handed down from one generation to another, and her story shall be told forever. Some said he created a castle for her and as he promised bejeweled her as in the picture, and that she lived her live away from her father and brother.

 

When Nana Miriam finished the story, everyone was puzzled and spelled. I went back to the painting and promised to promote it and write a story about Kchi Kafrosh, The unknown Mona Lisa.

 

 Notes:

1- The story is a true story

2- Terminology:

·         Kch: daughter, kchi: the daughter of

·         Kafrosh: straw seller

·         Nana: an old woman or grand mother.

the image here is the real Kchi Kafrosh, he painting.

 

 

 

Author's Note

I wish you all recommend it to your fiends, it is not for me, but for Kurdish culture and for Kchi Kafrosh.

Reviews

[Angel]

This takes my breath away! A beautiful painting of a beautiful girl... It's too bad that the woman in that picture didn't have any choice at all...that just does not seem right to me. She never got a chance to know the man who admired her...perhaps she would have wanted to marry him, had she ever known him. Everyone should have the right to decide for themselves who they will marry. It's too bad, too that the father felt that he could not approve her marriage to someone who was not Muslim. Perhaps she would be happier with a Christian husband...she does not know. Everyone should have the right to choose what they will believe...to be forced is not real faith at all. It is a very sad story...but I do hope that the girl was happy with her new life. She looks happy in the picture, at least...

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your beautiful review, you are absolutely right she must have decided for herself, but as far as I have heard she did refuse him when one day they met on the road, he told her I will make you a queen back in England, because the sources say he was from a very rich family, but she might have been afraid of the society, her father's reputation. I always feel sad about her, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. baban

[Angel]

What lady would not be happy with a rich English lord who will love her and keep her in luxury? Please do not be offended, but, in my humble opinion, she was a very lucky woman, to escape as she did. She looks very happy in the painting...and very beautiful.
I believe with my heart that the story does have a happy ending...

[Baban.A.A]

hahha, not at all I am not offended, in my opinion too she looks happy, may be she even helped her father in a way. but you may be right let me think about a happy ending for it, if I look for my anscesters , she might be my gran grand grandma, I hope so. thank you very much for caring.

[Angel]

LOL...now, that would be something, to find out that you were descended from her. But I rather think that, once she went to live with her English husband in her beautiful home, surrounded by Christians, that she would probably follow her husband's faith, and surely he would raise his children in the Christian church. If she were your great grandma, surely you would be and Englishman...and probably a Christian.

[Baban.A.A]

hahaha, you sew all the stiches, come on you changed my identity, my life, my religion, and thank you very much I have many granmas I dont need one more, I only wantd her because she was so beautiful. you have a very strong imagination I have to be aware......terrified!

[Angel]

LOL...well, Luv...I AM a writer, after all!! And if I were to write this beautiful lady's story, it would be a love story...and it would have a wonderful happy ending. She would be like Cinderella...the poor little straw seller's daughter, who marries the handsome prince and lives happily ever after...

[Baban.A.A]

wow....!, I am astonished, as I said you have a very creative imagination, Kchi Kafrosh the unknown Cinderella well it is a good title, hmmm, still it is mine right hah, No I won't put a happy ending to it, hahah. sorry but cannot help it. thank you so much, very comfortable talking to you, thanks again you are so above-board.

[Angel]

Ahh, well...one man's meade is another man's poisson...

[Baban.A.A]

yeah! unfortunately it is true.

[Alleyway Rover]

I do love these little unknown tales from history. This is a very interesting piece of art history.

I have a couple ideas for you to consider.

First, it strikes me that the actual tale of the girl behind the painting is the important part. Tell that story and tell it in the same way you would tell a fictional story. After all, good story telling is good story telling regardless if the story is real or completely made up.

That means getting into the minutia of what is going on here. Not just the sequence of events, but the sights and sounds, the dialogue between the parties and the drama involved. Don’t just tell us the story, show us the story.

This will probably involve two things, first lots and lots more research. What will make this story come alive will be the details. I don’t know how much information there is about this girl and this painting but if it’s as famous as you say there’s probably something written about it somewhere.

Of course, there might not be much information. In that case, I believe it is okay to speculate and fictionalize certain aspects to add detail and richness to the story. We probably won’t have the actual discussion between the British officer and the girls father, for example, but I think we could make a pretty good attempt as to what was actually said.

Second, the story about how the narrator found the painting could probably be cut down if not eliminated entirely. Unless there is something especially gripping or poignant about that person’s journey to discover the truth, consider leaving it out. The real story is about the girl in the painting. Tell her story.

That's really all I have. Again, cool story. Thank you.

[Susie Q]

A picture is sometimes worth a thousand words. I believe you described the picture with your story. Very nice!

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your read and review, you are totally right and it was well-said, and if it is a real painting with a true story what you have to do is to feel it, like it, and describe it. thank you for your kind words.

[Susie Q]

You are very welcome. Keep writing!

[K.E. Son]

This story took my breath away :)) A few improvements can be made here and there, but the story weighs more and makes up for it.

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your read and review, I am pleased and appealed you found it worthy to read, it is her real story and I wished people at least see her and know her. thanks again

[Lydia Shutter]

A beautiful painting, that goes without saying. It's a shame that beautiful woman was not given the choices we take for granted in the USA. Personal freedoms are so important....how can one find inner peace and happiness if one is forced to marry a virtual stranger? Very good write. Thank you for sharing this story with us. Lydi**

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your read and review, you were one of those friends here I personally wanted to read her story, I knew that you appreciate and worth good writing and peciular stories which I thought this one was, and by your review I became certain about it. you are right she was a victim of love, one side love, and reputation on the other hand, her father was agraid about how people will disgrace and besmirch their name in the city. thanks again for your kind words, I thought a person like yourself would surely understand and praise a story like this, thanks again.

[Latifa]

what an enchanting story ,i loved it and the painting is amazing such a beautiful lady .

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your read and review, I do believ she is, and the story behind her painting is as true as her that is why it is pecuilar, than you very much again, pleased you liked it.

[Prritiy]

A beautiful lady indeed, am mesmerized too :)

i believe she must have been after initial phase as she seems happy in the picture with a look of tranquility there.

You have written this beautifully, thanks for telling about her.

best wishes

[Baban.A.A]

thnak you very much for your read and review, I do as so many others that she seems happy, does not she? but still it was hard for her to live away from her family,folk, and country. thanks again for your caring, best wishes to you too.

[Prritiy]

Otherwise also many girls are married within their caste, creed and have to live far away from their folks.

But yes it would have been good for her n her family that the marriage would have taken with everyone's consent and with happiness.

[Baban.A.A]

aright true, thanks again

[Prritiy]

you are welcome :)

[emma]

this is a really nice story and i liked it a lot. the legend aspect is very cool to me (as i love myths and stories that have been passed down) and i thought you did a nice job of retelling this particular legend.

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your read and review, I do also like myths and legends, and read quite alot about them. while this was a true story, can you believe it , really true. she was a real person and the painitng is really hers which is lately confirmed and asseted by her brother's son who told the news and reporters that his father retold him the story and how they recieved er painting form Uk. amazingly, after that painting nothing more is known about her. thank you very much again.

[olla]

nicely done.. there are sone gramatical errors but I am not sure if correcting them may change the "taste" of the story..

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your read and review, you are right there may be some errors, and yeah I beleiev it is better to keep it as it is, I am agraid if it changes its taste too. thank you so much.

[Sue]

That is truly an amazing story Baban - I am a little aware of the Kurdish culture and this was lovely. Thank you.

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much for your review, I am beat you now somethignabout Kurds, I thought few even heard of Kurds, thank you again for your very gracious and kind words.Baban

[Marie]

This is a great legend and such a beautiful picture you have shared with us. I do not wonder that someone would feel trapped by this girl's lovliness...or that a man would be willing to kidnap her...

[Baban.A.A]

thank you very much, I feel the same about her, by the way the painting is her real, and only painting. thanks god I did not see her in real life as I might have been trapped too, thanks again for your time reading and reviewing.