From Arab Folklore: A Handbook, Dwight F. Reynolds (2007)
"Folklore scholars divide folk narrative into a variety of different general categories. Fairy tales (also called simply folktales) usually involve magical or supernatural characters or powers, are typically set in a nonhistorical time, and often accounced by some sort of disclaimer or marker that the tale is fictional. English speakers are most familiar with the formula "Once upon a time . . .". In Arabic dozens of such formulas are used in different regions, but one particularly famous one is Kan Wa-ma Kan ("There was and there was not")" (87).
Examples: Om al Manakhel, Hadeed Hadeedoo, Om Hamar (sort of), Hassan and the Jewels, The Golden Cow, Hamada and the Fairy Fish.
"Another major category of folk narrative is the legend and the primary distinction between the folktake and the legend for folklorists is that legends are usually told as if they were historically true, and often some members of the audience or the teller in fact accepts them as true. Legends are usually told as having taken place in a known physical location, sometimes even a specific time period, and are often linked to some element of modern reality--a simple example might be a story that tells how a particular local cliff or rock came to be known as 'Lover's Leap'" (87).
Example: The Legend of Mai and Ghaillan
2 comments:
I should add that there is a third generic type of folk narrative: the myth. The myth is defined as "a short, sacred story dealing with earlier life, and mainly focusing on the creation of the universe. It is considered by those amongst whom it is prevalent as ultimate, unchallenged truth, and, accordingly, it is the core of religious belief and the sense of the divine character" (Hurreiz 72).
Interestingly, within the context of Islam, the myth is "non-existent in both traditional UAE society and contemporary UAE society. This situation is precisely in line with the state of mythology in Islamic societies in general. Mythology, which calls for absolute and unchallenged belief, is contradictory to the uniqueness of Allah, the main pillar of Islam. Moreover, Islam has a comprehensive and well-defined view of the creation of the universe with is recognized and religiously accepted by Muslim believers. Therefore, for mythology, and especially for the creation myth, there were two options within this Islamic setting: either to disintegrate or to change its status and message so as to fit the spirit of Islam" (Hurriez 72).
Here's the link to read a version of Ali Baba and the Forty Theives.
This is pretty much what I was told as a child too, and have read on occasion in other children's books.
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