Once upon a time, long before the internet, phones, telegraphs and even books, people who sailed the ocean blue were expected to return with news of wonders from beyond the seas. In this ancient era storytelling was more than entertainment. It was a gateway to knowledge beyond imagination.
And Arab civilization has long treasured storytelling. From princes, princesses and viziers, to mystical creatures and sword fights, Arab literature since medieval times has contributed greatly to the richness and evolution of storytelling.
Until relatively recently, the only Arab medieval tales the world was familiar with was Arabian Nights (aka One Thousand and One Nights ). But little did we know that somewhere in the library of the great Hagia Sofia in Turkey a ragged manuscript where many exquisite Arab tales are compiled was hiding. Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange was discovered in 1933 by the German orientalist Hellmut Ritter who translated it to his mother tongue. It wasn’t until 1956 that an Arabic edition was printed. But what about all those English speaking readers hungry for more exotic Arabic tales? Early in November, 2014, Penguin published the first English edition of the tales.
The original manuscript's handwriting reveals that these newly discovered tales are even older than the oldest Arabian Nights manuscript found to date. While the oldest Arabian Nights manuscript dates back to the 15 th century, the handwriting of Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange suggests that the manuscript was written sometime in the 14 th century. It gets even more exciting since the content is expected to have been compiled and composed in the 10 th century.
Abandoned and dusty, the manuscript wasn’t only missing its cover page, but it seems almost half of its pages as well. The contents' page indicates that the manuscript contained 42 chapters, of which only 18 chapters with 26 tales are present today.
Unlike Arabian Nights, Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange pays great tribute to Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, Ali ibn Abi Taleb, and also shows respect for the Umayyad caliphs of the 7th and 8th centuries. The tales are tinted with more religious and spiritual presence through the featuring of Christian monks, and sometimes even the direct interference of God to save the hero or heroine from a life threatening situation.
No matter how much fantasy the tales have, there’s always a sense of truth that merges with the use of farfetched imagination. Tales of the Marvellous reflects the profound fascination Arabs had for everything that is strange. This may be greatly rooted in Islam which calls upon its believers to constantly take a look around and to think about the many wonders of God’s creation. It is also undeniably obvious how Arabs were much more concerned with the secrets of the past. In the tales, you’ll even read about robotic statues that guard treasures. This is remarkable since they are creations left behind from a distant past rather than a breakthrough from the future.
If you’re in for an adventure and want to stimulate your mind with spicy content, then Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange should certainly be on your must-read list.