Egyptomania

This is a vivid and complex tale, dating to the reign of King Seti II of the 19th dynasty. This tale has a connection with a myth of two gods, namely Anubis and Bata. What is unique here is that these very gods are depicted as humans with minor super powers, not as the omnipotent beings we normally encounter in Ancient Egyptian mythology. This tale also has a very strong similarity with the tale of Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Once upon a time, there were two brothers, Anubis who is the elder and married, and Bata, the younger bachelor. Anubis had a house and a wife, treating Bata as his own son. Bata was a perfect man, none like him in the whole land (a god's strength was in him). The two brothers worked together, farming land and raising cattle. One day when they were in the field, they had a need for seeds. The elder brother sends his younger brother Bata to bring the seeds from home. His sister in law tries to seduce him. Bata becomes very angry and resists her adamantly. Wh...

Folk stories are immortal stories transcending space and time. Folk tales were oral tales utilizing linguistic devices to be told in such a way to be remembered easily and shared with other people.  These tales reflect the beliefs and traditions, histories and even the psyches of the eras they belong to. All over the world, folk tales stand the test of time and highlight our human obsession with telling stories. The Islamic civilization was no exception with some of the richest accounts of folklore present. One Thousand and One nights (The Arabian Nights) are probably the strongest folklore account preserved in history. One of its most popular stories "Ali Baba and the forty thieves" was not actually part the original Arabian Nights, but was added anyways for its significance. Its original Arabic manuscript remains a mystery to this day. However, the tale has all the themes and elements in common with all Islamic folklore confirming its origins. The story does not only reflec...