Ep 70: Middle Eastern Tales and Their Impact on Western Oral Tradition with Ulrich Marzolph

Did you know that many of the stories we recognize as Western, likely have origins in the Middle East? In episode 70 we are joined by author and scholar Ulrich Marzolp as we explore the rich tapestry of folklore across cultures, particularly focusing on narratives originating in Persia. Ulrich shares his extensive research on how these tales, including the classics like Arabian Nights, have influenced Western oral traditions and how they act as cultural bridges. We discuss his recent book, "101 Middle Eastern Tales and Their Impact on Western Oral Tradition" which which aims to highlight the shared heritage between Eastern and Western narratives while offering insights into specific tales like "The Fox and the Fleas" and "Belling the Cat." 
Links: 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Western-Tradition-Fairy-Tale-Studies/dp/0814347738

Website: https://wwwuser.gwdguser.de/~umarzol/Fables.html

The Encyclopedia is in German. It is called the “Enzyklopädie des Märchens.” The formerly active website is preserved at https://adw-goe.de/enzmaer/

Notes
•Ulrich Marzolp devoted energy to Persian popular literature
•Conducted research on Middle Eastern tales and their impact on Western oral tradition
•Joined Encyclopedia of Fairy Tales team in 1986
Encyclopedia of Fairy Tales(12:15 - 21:19)
•Comprehensive handbook of historical and comparative folk narrative research
•Covers folk narratives worldwide in various languages and cultures
•15 volumes with about 3,000 different entries
•Example: Cinderella versions found globally
Middle Eastern Narratives(21:20 - 32:15)
•Ulrich's passion for Middle Eastern narrative culture
•Importance of Iran as a bridge between India and Western countries
•Persian folktales similar to Western tradition
•Published books in Persian translation, appreciated in Iran
Arabian Nights and Persian Literature(32:15 - 41:46)
•Collected Persian folktales from British scholar L.P. Elwell-Sutton
•Discussed the history and impact of Arabian Nights
•Originated from Persian tales, translated to Arabic, then to French and English
101 Middle Eastern Tales Project(41:47 - 52:58)
•Ulrich's project to summarize Middle Eastern narrative heritage
•Aimed to objectify Western perspective on Middle Eastern culture
•Explored connection between Middle Eastern and Western narratives
•Book contains 600 pages and 101 tales
The Fox and the Fleas Tale(52:58 - 01:01:45)
•Simple story of fox ridding itself of fleas using clever method
•Tale has been around for over 1000 years
•Became part of natural history and school curriculum
•Now found in various languages and cultures worldwide
Belling the Cat Tale(01:01:45 - 01:10:07)
•Originally from Persian literature, not Aesop's fables
•Traveled through Arabic literature to Western tradition
•Demonstrates how tales travel between cultures
Impact of Middle Eastern Tales(01:10:07 - 01:18:39)
•Middle Eastern tales often lack explicit morals, unlike Western fables
•Ulrich's work aims to counteract xenophobia by showing shared narrative heritage
•Importance of understanding Middle Easterners as

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