Arabic Folktales

Last Thursday our class was lucky enough to hear a lecture by Professor Zaru about Arabic Folktales. I liked how she started out clarifying which countries actually make up the Arabic world. There is much confusion revolving around which nations are truly a part of it. After clearing up the misconceptions we had a better idea of the origins of the following tales and traditions.

 I think Professor Zaru’s Arabic lecture was a very good compliment to our last speaker, Dr. Ochieng' K'Olewe. Both Arabic and Kenya story telling involves themes of animals, trickery and humor. To me the Arabic tales of Kalila wa Dimna were very similar to that of Ashanti and Anansi, where the characters are animals who offer practical and moral advice. In both traditions storytelling is considered an art form, a form of entertainment and both set moral guidelines.  In Arabic folktales the common characteristics are: oral tradition, entertainment, insight into human behavior, and variations in theme.

Another aspect that stood out for me was the frame story of One Thousand and One Nights. I was fascinated how one woman pushed off her death for such a long time by using a web of folktales that intertwined together. It especially was interesting how each night she was able to leave the tale at a cliffhanger that would prolong the ending for another time. Her wits allowed herself to evade her execution and win the heart of the cruel man who once was extremely sexist and violent.