Arabian Folktales

Though stories may contain similar elements, motifs, and characters, they are different the world over. An English fairy tale is different than a German one, and these differences are only more pronounced the farther you look. So when looking at Arabian folktales, you can bet they're quite different that the typical European ones.

The most prominent difference is the use of a framing device. For example, 1001 Nights is presented as a series of tales told by the wife of a king, all ensuring he had to wait until the next night to hear the end of her story and thus delaying her execution. This is a marked difference from the likes of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood, which were simply stories presented on their own. This framing story adds another metalayer of narrative, elevating the tales of 1001 Nights beyond ordinary fairy tales into somethign else. It also blurs the line with legend, as it adds setting details that root the stories in a aprticular time and palce, yet does not actually affected the framed stories themselves.

Another point of difference is the connection to religion and spirituality. Much like the stories of the Native Americans, these tales are connected to the beleifs of the area. 1001 Nights contains references and praises to Allah, distinctly connecting it to a particular setting and culture in a way most stories would leave to subtext and interperetation.