Shamanic Reminiscences and Archaic Myths in the Story of the Goldsmith Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (Alf layla wa-layla)

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.