Ancient literature is the product of ancient civilization. It flourished and then it decayed just as all things in this world grow and then die. When ancient civilization came to an end, the Western world was plunged into darkness, wars, bloodshed, and lawlessness. Because of the anarchy or absence of order, the historians call it the Dark Ages or the Middle Ages, which extend from about A.D 476 to 1000.
The rise of the Arabian Empire and the rapid development of its literature were the great events that characterize the Middle Ages. The Arabs revived and continued the literature, arts, and sciences of the ancient world and gave them to Europe. One by one, the different universities of Europe were established and this revival of the thirst for knowledge brought about the beginning of the Renaissance, or the rebirth of art, literature, and science.
In the seventh and eight centuries, the power of Arabia extended rapidly over Asia until about a third of Asia spoke Arabian, adopted Mohammedanism, and cultivated Arabian culture. Arabia soon extended her power over one-half of Africa and a part of Spain. From the ninth century, Arabian literature was supreme over the East and the West.
Arabian literature, in general, is rich and of varied types. The Arabians early on, devoted themselves to the cultivation of the arts and sciences. The caliphs, as the rulers were called, were patrons of literature. The most celebrated was Haroun al Raschid (768-809). But the true patron of the arts was his son, Al Mamoun. This monarch made Baghdad a true center for learning and art. He invited to his court all the learned men he heard of, and he kept them within him by giving them rewards and honors. He ordered books of all kinds to be brought to his capital. Hundreds of camels entered Baghdad loaded with manuscripts of all descriptions. In his court, he kept a great number of translators and commentators.
Arabian poetry is emotional and extremely sweet. The favorite subject matters are love, morals, and religion. It is rich in figures of speech, exaggerated statements, and passionate emotion.
Arabian literature is rich in mythology. The genii beings both spiritually and earthly; some are good, others bad; they can make themselves invisible at will. The peris are fairies, beautiful female spirits who seek to do good upon the earth. The ghouls feed on human flesh and when they cannot satisfy themselves upon living, they enter graveyards and feed upon dead.
The most famous Arabian stories are in the collection found under the title Arabian Nights. This book has been translated into many languages. It has long been a favorite book, especially among the young. From the collection of stories we get this picture of typical Arab. “ The boy is respectful to his parents, a loyal friend, a good student, and a gentleman in his manners. The man is courageous, faithful to his sultan, and strong in his faith, hospitable to strangers, and self- reliant. He may be depended upon as a friend, as a father, and as a husband; he is the soul of honor and of chivalry. He is respectful, instinctively kind to the poor and sick.” The Thousand and One Nights, or Arabian Nights, has given the world immortal characters like Ali Baba, Alladin, and Sinbad the Sailor.
The structure of the Arabian Nights has been copied by many Western writers. The tales are loosely strung together by a thread that has become familiar to all readers. The prologue tells that a certain king of India was determined to destroy all the women of his kingdom because of the faithlessness of his wife. His plan was to marry a woman and to kill her on the morning after the wedding. One of the King’s official has a beautiful and talented daughter, named Scheherazade, who insist on being the ruler’s bride. She asked her sister to come to the bed chamber on the wedding night and request permission for Scheherazade to tell one last story. The king agrees and she tells a tale so entertaining that he allows her to live another day to finish it. One story leads to another and Scheherazade tells tales for a thousand and one nights. By then the king has fallen with her.
The stories of the Arabian Nights are folktales from Arabia, Egypt, India, and Persia and other countries. The work in its present form was written in Arabic during the early 1500s.
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