SINDBAD the SAILOR.. SINDBAD the SAILOR, the legendary merchant, whose voyages are recorded among 1001 tales of THE ARABIAN NIGHTS,-sailed from BAGHDAD and BASRAH (in IRAQ ) on his search for adventure and profit . The boat which was built on the shores of the PERSIAN GULF, crewed by ARABS from the SULTANATE of OMAN and named as SOHAR ( birth place of SINDBAD ) The SOHAR survived over 7 months at sea, covering 6000 miles from OMAN to the CHINESE PORT of GUANGZHOU ( CANTON ). There were some links between the SINDBAD tales and the real world.. In the 7th voyage, for instance, SINDBAD- sold into slavery by pirates- is sent by an ivory merchant dealer into a forest, where he discovered an elephant’s graveyard. Even today, no one knows exactly what happens to dead and dying elephants. As a very few carcasses are found.,- despite one unconfirmed report of an elephant having seen carrying the bones of another to an undiscovered destination. So, it seems possible that the animals have a special communal graveyard and the knowledge of its existence was the foundation for this SINDBAD tale. In another tale, SINDBAD goes to a faraway land that has been identified as the present SRI NLANKA.. Here he finds a valley of diamonds, guarded by deadly snakes, but he manages to escape with his pockets full of gems .Although, diamonds are no longer mined, SRI LANKA is richly gifted with a variety of other valuable stones like sapphires and rubies. During another voyage SINDBAD IS BURIED ALIVE ( ONLY TEMPORARILY ) with his dead wife on what is called the ISLAND OF WOMEN—a reverse practice of the once common INDIAN PRACTICE of the SATI-PROTHA, in which a widow was expected to throw herself into her husband’s funeral pyre. There was a faraway custom in MINICOY, a tiny island near the LACCADIVES off INDIA’S west coast, which was once dominated by strongly matriarchal culture. Two of the most famous SINDBAD legends —the story of the OLD MAN OF THE SEA and the ISLAND OF CANNIBALS. THIS WAS ON THE WEST COAST OF MALAY PENINSULA. SINDBAD, who has been shipwrecked, comes across a hairy, leaf covered creature sitting by a stream .SINDBAD thought it to be an old man and to help it to cross the stream by carrying it upon his shoulder.. The creature never spoke and refuses to dismount. It tightens its legs around SINDBAD’S neck, then rides him like a beast of burden, choking and beating him to submission, while it feeds on fruit from trees. SINDBAD realizes that his tormentor is a beast and not an old man. So. He tricks his captor into drinking fermented fruit juice and kills it when it becomes tipsy. Now, the image of this OLD MAN OF THE SEA closely resembles an ORANG-UTAN, a highly intelligent ape that is native to SUMATRA. It has black skin on its legs and lives on fruits. In the second story, SINDBAD and his crew arrive at a strange island, where they were taken to a village, having hospitable natives and lavishly feasted. Only SINBAD, SUSPIOUS OF SUCH GENEROSITY, refuses to eat. He watches his companions falling asleep after having the food. And realizes that the food was drugged. Day after day, the sailors became fatter and lethargic. Finally SINDBAD discovered their host’s sinister motive, when he sees the headman eating human flesh. He escapes but could not save his drugged crew. Now CANNIBALISM was not uncommon on INDONESIAN islands during the MIDDLE AGE .Besides in the northern parts of the island HASHISH is still used as a herb in cooking. Besides, the ARABS came here and traded for CAMPHOR, a widely used ingredients in their medicines. So, it appears that there were some truths in the tales of the SINDBAD the SAILOR. ( prepared with the help of QUEST FOR THE PAST )
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 04:19:10 +0000
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