The Cunning of lovely Sultana Scheherazade

The colorful tales called the Arabian Nights, known also as The Thousand and One Nights, have come down through the centuries. Nobody knows who told them first or where, though they existed as early as the 10th century. Of Middle East origin, the tales have given to the world such interesting heroes or rogues as Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the story of the 40 thieves, and Aladdin and his magic lamp.

The legendary heroine of the tales of the Arabian Nights is a young girl named Scheherazade. It was said of Scheherazade that she was “learned, prudent, and witty.” She was the elder of the two daughters of the grand vizier (chief councilor of state) of a kingdom that lay somewhere between Arabia and China. The younger daughter was named Dunyazad. The ruler of the kingdom was Sultan Shahriyar.

Arabian Nights

The Sultana Scheherazade regales us with her tales of 'The Arabian Nights'. A magnificent collection of ancient tales told as entertainment for her jealous and murderous husband, hoping to keep him amused and herself alive.

THE STORY OF THE SULTAN’S REVENGE

Shahriyar loved his first wife dearly, but the sultana betrayed him. His brother, the ruler of a neighboring kingdom, had had the same experience. Shahriyar, crushed and angry, ordered the grand vizier to put the sultana to death. Then the sultan decided to avenge himself on all women. He issued a decree stating that he would take a new wife each night and have her executed the next morning.

For three years the sultan’s cruel order was carried out. The kingdom was in danger of losing all its eligible young women. Many parents with young daughters fled the land.

How was this silly Sultan supposed to sire heirs if he continued killing all the eligible young women, you may ask?

At last, one spunky young woman decided to put an end to the trail of murderous revenge. It appears no one but the gods had authority over this man who could kill people at his whim and pay no price at all.

Scheherazade conceived a plan to put an end to the daily executions. She asked her father to present her to Shahriyar as his next bride. The grand vizier was horrified, but finally he yielded. Scheherazade, accompanied by her sister, Dunyazad, was taken to the sultan.

Ah, finally, maybe she will murder him and his grand vizier in their sleep, the bloody jackass-es!

SCHEHERAZADE BEGINS THE FIRST TALE

Shahriyar was pleased with Scheherazade’s beauty and wit. He warned the grand vizier, however, that she would not be spared the fate of his previous wives. After the marriage Scheherazade wept because she had to leave her sister. She begged the sultan to permit Dunyazad to sleep in the bridal chamber. Shahriyar was surprised but granted her request.

WAIT!!! What?...was there going to be another instance of ménage à trois.

A short peek into sultan's bed chamber-y

The bed chambers of sultans, particularly in the Ottoman Empire, were arranged with a sense of hierarchy. The private living quarters of the Sultan was one of the simplest yet most beautiful rooms. It was designed in the 16th century by Mimar Sinan, the most famous architect of the Ottoman Empire, and is a wonderful reflection of classical Ottoman architecture.

The Harem itself was a complex structure with multiple rooms and courtyards, each serving different functions and reflecting the social hierarchy within. The greatest authority in the Harem was the Valide Sultan, or the Sultan’s mother. The Sultan’s sisters and female relatives also lived in the Harem, creating a unique hierarchy.

These chambers were not just places of rest but also of governance and administration, reflecting the power and status of the Sultan or lord within the society of the time.

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Now back to the story

I wonder where exactly in this bridal chamber did Dunyazad sleep, and why would they be having a conversation just before daybreak on the night of the wedding nuptials. Anyway, to continue the story:

Just before daybreak, as Scheherazade had previously planned, Dunyazad begged her sister to tell once more one of the delightful stories for which she was famous. The sultan became interested and agreed to listen. So began the first of the tales called the Arabian Nights.

Scheherazade’s plan was to tell her story up to its most interesting point and then stop, leaving Shahriyar in suspense. To hear the end of the tale, he decided to let Scheherazade live for another night. Her supply of stories was so large that her scheme worked for a thousand and one nights.

Why was this man so easily manipulated. Could he not have forced her to tell her story, then 'off with her head'. Perhaps he was tired of the deaths and needed rescuing. Did he really deserve a loving and doting wife? Pshaw. Again, I digress.

During this time Scheherazade bore the sultan three sons. He became convinced of her wisdom and wifely devotion. In the end he revoked his barbaric decree, and they continued to live happily together.

So, no murder of the wicked sultan. How disappointing. Dharrsheena would have loved to see him get off-ed.

Ok then! I am just glad that he stopped murdering women. Sheesh!!!

THE ORIGIN OF THE TALES

Where the Arabian Nights originated is not known. The tale of Scheherazade is pure fiction. It merely serves to bind the stories together. An ancient Persian book was named A Thousand and One Nights. Scheherazade and her Bluebeard husband, Shahriyar, were in it. The framework of this Persian collection, however, differs somewhat from that of the versions that are known today.

The fairy tales in the more modern collections probably had a Persian origin. The beast tales undoubtedly came from India. The anecdotes and the stories with morals are distinctly Arabic. There are also tales that must have come from China and Japan.

During the later part of the 8th century the stories were introduced into the court of Harun al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. Harun al-Rashid was a scholar, a poet, and a patron of literature. He loved stories. The storytellers of his court flattered the caliph by making him the hero of many of their tales. Harun al-Rashid liked to disguise himself and roam among his subjects in the streets of Baghdad. It is in this role that he usually appears in the Arabian Nights.

THE TALES WERE THEN CARRIED TO OTHER LANDS

Scholars have found no original collection of the stories that can be called authoritative. For hundreds of years the tales were kept alive by word of mouth. Only in the framework and their division into nights was there any constant pattern. Around 1400, Egyptian scholars recorded the stories. Fragments of these collections were carried into other countries.

One of these collections, coming by way of Syria, fell into the hands of the French scholar Antoine Galland. In 1704 he brought the Arabian Nights tales to Europe. Galland’s colorful and romantic collection was eagerly accepted. Galland was a talented storyteller, and he both told and wrote the stories, but his translation was never completed.

Many artists have illustrated various editions of the Arabian Nights.

Disclaimer: No disrespect is meant towards any peoples of the world.