The story of Boutfounast in the Amazigh culture.
Boutfounast (ⴱⵓⵜⴼⵓⵏⴰⵙⵜ) is a legendary figure in the Amazigh heritage, especially in the Souss region of Morocco. The word means in Amazigh "owner of the cow" or "possessor of the cow", and is derived from "tafounast" which means cow.
Story Summary
The legend tells that Butvonast was a strong, intelligent, but also cunning man. He would ride his camel around the villages, using his clever tricks to get what he wanted from people, whether it was food, money, or even survival from difficult situations. He often played the role of a wise man who could solve problems, but in reality he was using his cunning for his own benefit.
In some accounts, it is said that he was eventually tricked in the same way, as the people of a village conspired against him and trapped him, to learn a harsh lesson.
Symbolism in the story
The story of Boutfounast reflects the importance of intelligence and cunning in Amazigh culture, but it also warns against excessive use of cunning at the expense of others. It is one of the stories that are told to children as a kind of moral education in a fun and interesting way.
The story of Butfonast in detail
Once upon a time, there was a man named Butfonast, who was known for his extreme cunning and intelligence that enabled him to deceive others for his own benefit. He used to wander from village to village riding his camel, looking for opportunities to earn money and food without difficulty.
The First Trick: Botfounast and the Guest House
One day, he came to a village he had never visited before. He was hungry and tired, but he had no food or money. So he went to the guest house of one of the village elders, where men gathered to chat. Botfounast entered with confidence and said:
"Peace be upon you, I have come to you with a great blessing, but I will not reveal it except to those who deserve it!"
The men began to wonder about this "blessing", and Boutfonast pretended to be mysterious until their curiosity increased, then he said:
"This camel of mine is blessed, and whoever drinks its milk at night will become rich, but he will not be able to speak until the morning!"
The people present were amazed and decided to try it, so they brought their vessels, milked the camel, drank its milk, and waited for the result.
While they were busy, Boutfonast sneaked into the storehouse, stole the bags of barley and some money, and fled with his camel before they discovered his trick in the morning!
The Second Trick: Botfunast and the Judge
In another village, some men caught him after hearing about his deception, and decided to bring him before the judge to be tried. When he stood before the judge, he quickly thought of a new trick to save himself.
He said to the judge with confidence:
"Judge, I am wronged, but I have a great secret that could make you the richest man in this village!"
The judge was surprised and asked him about the secret, and Botfounast said:
"I have a way to turn dirt into gold, but I will not reveal it except to those who release me!"
The greedy judge, who loved money, decided to release him in exchange for this secret. Botfounast agreed, but he stipulated that the judge meet alone in a place far from people so that he can tell him the method.
When they arrived at a deserted place, Botfounast said:
"The first step to turning dirt into gold is to put some of it in your mouth and be patient a little."
As soon as the judge put the dirt in his mouth, Butvonast hit him hard on the head and ran away, leaving the judge gasping for air after him!
Butvonast's adventures continued for years, and people were repeatedly deceived by him, but in the end he fell into a trap set for him by the inhabitants of a village who heard about his tricks. They pretended to believe his lies, then they caught him and tied him up in the village square, and decided to punish him. But he said to them:
“I admit my deception, but before you punish me, let me give you one last trick to make you laugh!”
The villagers hesitated but agreed, and when they approached him, he seized the opportunity and quickly jumped on the back of his camel and ran away, laughing and saying:
“He who has a mind does not need strength!”
Since then, the story of Butfonast has been told as a warning to those who rely on deception, and a reminder that intelligence should be used wisely and not for cunning and deceit.
Moral of the story
Intelligence alone is not enough, its misuse may lead its owner to destruction.
Don't believe everything you hear, some people exploit their intelligence to deceive others.
Greed and avarice may make you an easy victim of deception.
✅ Intelligence can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you use it.
✅ Not everyone can be fooled forever, every deceiver has an end.
✅ Greed makes people fall into the trap easily.
✔ Not everything that seems real is real, sometimes the deception is in the details!
✔ A trick may work once or twice, but real intelligence is in knowing when to stop!
✔ Even smart people can fall into the trap if they are not careful!