Tales From the Arabian Nights

Tales From the Arabian Nights — page 5
IN T ROD UCTION ome of the stories presented in this book go back to ancient times others may have arisen in medieval times Most appeared in collections during the Middle Ages others were first written down only at the beginning of the 18th century by a European translator of the earlier collections Probably all however were part of folklore of the area extending from North Africa to South Asia including Mesopotamian Persian and Indian cultures as well a later medieval Muslim cultures of Egypt and Syria As such these stories offer an entrance to the sensibilities of that wide area in those varying times The society we find in these stories consists of many poor undereducated people scrambling to stay within the good graces of a wealthy upper class that holds the power Wealth however does not seem to be strictly random Instead those who work hard and are clever enough to seize opportunities can rise from poverty to luxury as merchants or even become viziers princes and kings Self reliance and resourcefulness are prized aualities The supernatural beings that inhabit these stories are also a mixed bag of beneficent and maleficent Woe to the human who just happens to offend a jinni by accident mercy is a rare find Please note that the Arabic word jinni is used in this book with the plural form jinn and the feminine form jinniya Often in English it is spelled genie which is the more common transliteration of the Arabic spelling But a rapid assessment of a situation particularly of the psychological needs of the one in power and careful appropriate action can lead to the mere human prevailing over the magical creature so that disaster is avoided And generally those who are loyal and faithful fare better than those who are not s an abiding interest in exploration and invention Adventurers go from country to country risking their lives in order to see the world New machines are treasured There is nothing complacent or provincial in these stories Rather there is a hunger for the unknown and a desire to be part of something larger In these ways the values and beliefs reflected in the stories feel optimistic to my way of thinking more so than those found in ancient or medieval Greek Norse Celtic or ancient Egyptian mythology There is a strong sense that good behavior will lead to good results and that the world is basically a lot more delightful than it is frightful