In The Great Khan’s Tent Episode XIII: The Arabian Nights Part XI

03/02/23 • 42 min

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In this episode, we end “The Story of the First of the Three Ladies of Baghdad” and move on to “The Story of the Second of the Three Ladies of Baghdad” with the continuation of Night XVII and Night XVIII. We once again encounter two Jinn, the main dealings are with the Jinniyah with the other being an anonymous enemy of her, and see the type of help they provide. It is interesting that her help was stipulated with a warning to continue the punishment of her sisters unless she wants to be turned into a black dog as well. The story of the second lady of Baghdad is also highly engaging with the mystical elements that are incorporated within it, especially regarding the sister and the old lady, who we are never really informed if they are Jinn, magicians, or just illusions meant to punish the second lady for an unspecified supposed crime.

Previous Episode

In The Great Khan’s Tent Episode XII: The Arabian Nights Part X

In this episode, we finally end the story of “The Third Royal Dervish” and begin the final round of tales with the “The Story of the First of the Three Ladies of Baghdad” continuing with Night XVI and going into Night XVII. We again encounter the prospect of being lost at sea and winding up in an entirely new place setting a precedent with the orphan stories like Sindbad. We also encounter for the first time the presence of the Magians or commonly now known as the Magi the priests of the Zoroastrians. This is the first instance we have so far seen that the call to convert to Islam was not heeded. We also surprisingly encounter, for the first time, the tendencies to loot a city when the first lady and her sisters are confronted with a city where they are able to take what they want at will and this is shown by their willing to separate when going through the city.

Next Episode

In The Great Khan’s Tent Episode XIV: The Arabian Nights Part XII

In this episode, we end the story cycle of the “The Porter, the Three Ladies of Baghdad, and the three Dervishes” with Night XIX and begin another story cycle “The Story of the Three Apples” with Night XX. Within the “Three Apples” cycle we start “The Story of Nur-ed-din Ali and His Son and of Shams-ud-din Mohammad and his Daughter”. What is interesting about both the end of the first cycle and the start of the second is that there is a considerable change in the attitude that is displayed by Harun-al-Rashid. Instead of the calm, reasonable, Caliph Harun al-Rashid is seen continually threatening his vizier Jafar al-Barmaki with death of not only himself but that of his entire family, a fact which may reflect on his actual execution and of his entire family in 803 C.E. Furthermore, this may reflect that fact that these stories may have been created, written down, or modified soon after the first Abbasid Civil War of 811-813 C.E. This is particularly important view to consider, as the references to al-Amin may refer to the condition Baghdad was in under his reign. This aspect will be explored in the upcoming special episode.