Shamanic Reminiscences and Archaic Myths in the Story of the Goldsmith Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (Alf layla wa-layla)
Rosanna Budelli
Eurasian Studies November 14, 2019 DOI: 10.1163/24685623-12340067 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Three BNF manuscripts of the Arabian Nights tale of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that the story of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī preserves traces of shamanic symbols and customs and of Greek mythology, especially the Argonauts' adventures, rewritten within Arab-Islamic culture. Comparing three BNF manuscripts, the author contends that their differences reflect the Arabic text's evolution and copyists' differing mentalities, particularly regarding the tale's female protagonists. |
Abstract
Abstract: The story of the goldsmith Ḥasan al-Baṣrī in the Arabian Nights preserves numerous traces of more ancient stories and testimonies of cultures apparently distant geographically and historically. In particular, it is possible to identify various elements that refer to the symbols and customs of shamanism, although transformed and rewritten according to the Arab-Islamic culture. The same phenomenon is found with the fragments of Greek mythology scattered throughout the story and especially with the adventures of the Argonauts whose affinities with the story of Ḥasan are rather amazing. The study has been conducted by comparing three BNF manuscripts that present significant differences in some points, reflecting the evolution of the Arabic text and the different mentality of the copyists who have reworked some passages. The changes concern above all the role of female protagonists particularly numerous throughout the tale.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |