Kalampedia

There is as much doubt about the history of “The Arabian Nights”, or “The Thousand and One Nights” as it is often called, as that which veils the origin of the Homeric poems.

It is said that a certain Caliph Shahryar, having been deceived by his wife, slew her, and afterwards, married a wife only for one day, slaying her on the morning after. When this slaughter of women had continued for some time, he became wedded to Shahrazad, daughter of his Wazir, who, by telling the Caliph exciting stories and leavinf them unfinished every dawn, so provoked his curiosity that he kept her alive. At last, he grew so fond of her that he had no thought of putting her to death.

As far as the authorship of the stories, they are certainly not the work of one mind, and have probably grown with the ages into their present form. These stories have constantly engaged with the legends of Persia, India and Arabia, and have influenced and got influenced at the same time. For a long time, these stories remained in the east. The European versions of this extraordinary entertainment began in 1704 with the work of Antoine Galland, Professor of Arabic at the College of France.

There is a every chance that you have already read some of these stories and have enough reasons to explore them further. But… if you are looking for some, here are a few reasons to inspire you to read those thousand and one stories.

• You can actually travel by reading some of these stories. You explore geographical locations, absorb ancient cultures and learn about the literature of different parts of the world. For example, The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor takes you through a long journey to places which resemble Marco Polo’s descriptions Madagascar, to the oceans described by Pliny and Solinus, to the strange creatures mentioned in the Odyssey, to the world of Scythian customs and nuch more.
• It is a world of fantasy and magic. Whether it’s Aladdin’s magic lamp whose owner has the ability to summon and temporarily control a wish-granting Genie or Ali Baba’s treasure in a cave. The world is fascinating and once you start exploring it, you would not want to come out.
• There is thrill and mystery. The imagery used in these stories is such that it creates that effect. That is why, they make such a perfect read for children. For example, The Tale of Three Apples is a fascinating account of a murder mystery, something that would interest Sherlock Holmes. No wonder that the Caliph could not kill Shahrazad since he, too, could not stop his curiosity.
• Some of us read stories for pleasure and some to learn. For the latter, there is a treasure of lessons embedded in these stories. One of the important moral concepts that keeps resurfacing is that of fidelity, whether it is in a relationship or profession, or otherwise.
• The stories mentioned in The Arabian Nights have not only inspired a handful of books or people, but entire libraries and societies. So many of the stories that you read today derive their inspiration from this collection. From Goethe to Tolstoy to Yeats to Rushdie, so many of the great writer have been influenced by The Arabian Nights.

Still looking for more reasons? Let me know, then.