World Tales : The Extraordinary Coincidence of Stories Told in All Times, in All Places

by Idries Shah

No ordinary collection of tales, this anthology was the result of extensive research that lead Shah to conclude that there is a certain basic fund of human fictions, which recur again and again throughout the world and never seem to lose their compelling attraction. In this fascinating collection, Idries Shah shares this insight with us as we read the astonishingly similar versions of tales as they developed throughout the world.

Genres: Folk Tales, Fantasy, Mythology, Fiction, Anthologies, Fairy Tales, Classics

410 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1979

About the author

Idries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.

Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.

In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.

Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.

Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."

Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim

Reviews

[Ita · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ancient Inca tale is mentioned in Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’, provides the title of a poem by Robert Browning and the plot of Milton’s ‘Comus’. Christian missionaries to Polynesia are astounded when told a story with a striking resemblance to the Old Testament’s ‘Joseph and his Brothers’. Variants of this story are also found among the Maoris, the Zulus and Inuit peoples, and in Sudan. A spiritual romance written in the seventh century by a monk named John of Damascus turns out to be related to the life of the Buddha. The Talmudic parable of the ‘Desolate Island’ is found in the same book, but scholars believe it was composed in pre-Islamic Egypt. It looks as if stories form an invisible web, begun thousands of years ago, if not longer, and linking humans all over the Earth regardless of culture and status.

The insights or revelations we gained during past ages live on in World Tales. We associate the discovery of the specialisation and complementarity of our two brain hemispheres with the twentieth century, but the ‘Mastermaid’ from Norse mythology suggests a much earlier awareness. There is a strong female presence throughout World Tales. Shah mentions in his introduction to ‘The Maiden Wiser than the Tsar’ how this story may be regarded as an example of the feminine use of non-linear thinking in problem solving.

But World Tales goes beyond the discoveries of present day psychology. ‘The content of folklore is metaphysics’, Shah quotes A K Coomaraswamy as saying. Elsewhere in the book he writes, ‘If I were to be asked, “What are World tales actually about?” the answer would have to be, “They are about fate or destiny”. It’s interesting that, in a blog he wrote for the Idries Shah Foundation website, Richard Hamilton, collector of Moroccan tales, states that stories allowed him to see a ‘golden thread’ running through his life. In his book ‘In Arabian Nights’ Tahir Shah describes one of the stories from this book, ‘The Happiest Man in the World’, as the story in his heart.

There is at least one other aspect to World Tales. As well as being a collection of entertaining, enchanting, sometimes deeply moving stories, this is a teaching book. From it you can learn how to recognise the essence of a story, and how its presentation can maintain or diminish the vital force within. Seeing World Tales as a guide in no way lessens the pleasure of reading the stories. Which moves me more deeply – the Cinderella of the Brothers Grimm, or the Cinderella of the Algonquin Americans? I have no hesitation in answering, ‘The latter’.

[Gideon]

Een heel boeiend boek voor als je van sprookjes en volksverhalen houdt. Zoals de titel al aangeeft, blijken dezelfde verhalen steeds weer in verschillende tijden en in verschillende culturen terug te keren. Veel van die verhalen zijn ook 'gelaagd' en bevatten vaak diepere waarheden voor wie er open voor staat.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A store house of Tales from Around the World. Tales that make the World go Round. A bed-rock of Tales. Meet these stories at a young age and have treasure under your belt for the rest of your life. Don't know what to give someone for a present. Here (this book) is the perfect present, (gift).

[Hitesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

"World Tales by Idries Shah: A Fascinating Journey Through Global Folklore and Universal Wisdom"

"World Tales" by Idries Shah is an incredible compilation of stories from around the globe. Shah delves into the presence of similar tales in diverse cultures and raises questions about their origins. The book delves into the timeless nature of these stories and their influence on literature and culture.

I came across fascinating examples, such as an ancient Inca tale that Shakespeare referenced and the connections between stories from diverse cultures. Shah proposes that these tales create an unseen web, linking people across different times and places.

I appreciate the book for its insights into human psychology, particularly its exploration of fate or destiny in folklore. It serves as more than just a collection; it's a guide, helping readers understand the core of a story and how its presentation affects its impact.

I liked reading stories I already knew, but with some changes. My favorite one was a different version of the Emperor with No Clothes, called The Three Imposters. In this story, the King and his whole court were fooled by imposters who made them join a parade wearing the "cloth" they claimed to have "woven." Surprisingly, it wasn't because the King and others were proud; they did it because they were scared and embarrassed.

I find the book both enjoyable and enlightening. Shah's take on familiar tales with unique twists and the introduction to lesser-known folk stories are commendable. The enchanting descriptions illustrates, the beauty and opulence, add to the overall charm of "World Tales," making it an engaging read for those interested in folklore, anthropology, and the universal themes in storytelling.

I highly recommend it to friends curious about diverse cultures and universal themes in storytelling.

[Robs · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of stories that have been familiar to diverse cultures that have been separated by vast distances and considerable amounts of time. The author asks how such a seemingly impossible knowing of such tales by peoples who it appears cannot have known each other can have occurred. Essential reading for those intrigued by the pre-literate spread of stories.

[Natalie Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous, fun reading. This book is both literature and anthropology; for each folk tale shared, Shah writes about all the places similar tales are found, and what their similarities and differences are. I loved reading tales I was familiar with, but with slight tweaks -- my favorite of these was the version the Emperor with No Clothes, called The Three Imposters, in which the King and his entire court were tricked by the imposters into appearing in a parade with the "cloth" they imposters had "woven"; it wasn't vanity that made the King et al. do so, but fear and embarrassment. They'd been told that the cloth could only be seen by the legitimate son of his father, so when none of them could see it, they each thought it meant they were illegitimate, and didn't want to let that on. There were also many folk tales I'd never read before. But the star of this book might very well be the illustrations: gorgeous, sumptuous paintings, in addition to illustrations from historical tellings of these tales.

[John Edward Handfoth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an incredible achievement. Shah devoted a great deal of his life to researching what might be called folk tales. This book demonstrates with detailed examples that the same story often emerges in different cultures at around the same time, whether there is contact between the two cultures or not. For example the story of Cinderella. Familiar in the west as a fairy tale, virtually the same story (with different names) was also told by the Algonquin Indians before they had contact with Europeans. Each story in the collection has a similar history, with some stories appearing to emerge in several different cultures, sometimes continents apart, at more or less the same time. The stories in the collection are well-told and hugely entertaining. An added bonus is the inclusion of the oldest story ever written down, taken from an ancient Egyptian papyrus. Recommend for anyone who likes a good story.

[Aubrey Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idries Shah spent 35 years researching written and oral sources to create this classic anthology of the world’s most durable and enduring stories. World Tales contains stunning versions of stories that have recurred in largest number of classical collections, including Chaucer, Andersen and Rumi. It includes the oldest story ever passed down through writing and the most compelling version of Cinderella I’ve ever read. This extraordinary collection of the world’s ‘basic fictions’ is indispensable to collectors, writers, storytellers and people of all ages. The introduction and notes for each tale detail their sources, variants, relevance and misadventures. The intriguing subtitle “The Extraordinary coincidence of stories told in all times, in all places” introduces one of many mysteries raised by this remarkable book. Highly recommended.

[John Zada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wildly fascinating compendium of old stories that the author spent much of his life collecting. Some of the yarns are well-known and familiar to us, yet the versions presented here are almost always from a completely different continent, or culture, than those we know are popularly attributed to. For instance, there is an ancient Cinderella-type story in the book belonging to the indigenous Algonquin people of North America.

Shah alleges that the tales he’s collected have traveled vast distances, or even circumnavigated the globe, over centuries and millennia, taking on different forms in different places. Each tale comes with its own short history as Shah understood it. This is a completely unique and enjoyable book.

[Carol Furpahs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I have read the most by Idries Shah. From its oversize hardback with full page color illustrations to the current limited edition chap books, I delve into this book regularly. A collection of tales from cultures across the globe showing our unity in the search for truth. With orienting introduction and background to each tale, the stories are surprising, clean and light, free of fusty accretions. Odd and engaging. I keep it bedside to delve into at whim and carry it while travelling. Excellent gift in the currently available and beautiful edition of chapbooks.

[Frank Chythlook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing - especially if you can find the original illustrated hardback version. There are paragraph long fables like "The Hawk and the Nightengale" to page turning mini-sagas that take an hour to fully enjoy and a decade to comprehend. This book also shows how close humankind used to be before corporate driven warfare dominated the planet, when traders and travelers connected people and cultures by sharing stories.

[Kim Mobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book throughout my childhood and the incredible pictures, along with the beautifully written stories are probably a major factor in who I am and me following a career as an artist today. The power of this book lies in the universality of the stories and the realisation that some stories seem to be a part of human nature. Cinderella stories are found in every culture on every continent, as are stories that echo Master Maid and Kathrine's Fate.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a copy of this book growing up, and it is possible that I read and re-read this book more than any other in my life. Folk tales, in their unabridged form, from at least 30 or 40 countries around the world, all beautifully illustrated by different artists, and each with a small introduction and history. A priceless treasure of a collection.

[Kingsley L. Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful mixed bag of tales; some well known, others more exotic and eclectic - each tale with a short introduction to locate its historical context and to show that almost all tales are part of the moving migration of peoples...nothing has a fixed origin; a fixed interpretation; or a fixed destiny!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title tells us that this book contains tales from all around the world, but the introduction tells us that these tales have equivalents in many very widespread places that often had little or no connection with each other. Was this through cultural contact or because of a similarity of minds across the world or... I put this puzzle to one side and simply enjoyed their huge variety.

[John Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have known that so many folkloric tales from around the world tell the same story under different names? Idries Shah has done a great job of assembling them, showing us the universal patterns behind each - and each feeding our minds with pleasant stories and puzzles. (The original illustrated version is a masterpiece, the images equal to the stories in their power and delight).

[Ulrika Eriksson]

I always get a special feeling of awe when I open this book and start to read. First the immensely historically interesting introductions to the stories, then the stories themselves with all the magic and wisdom in them, each of them in this edition, so lovely enhanced with wonderful artistic paintings...

[Elspeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re-reading this book for the umpteenth-millionth time...I no longer have access to the illustrated copy from my elementary school library, but this edition is still awesome. It has stories that I've never located anywhere else, and I am a devoted lover of fairy stories/myths/parables.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book since I was a child, and it is full of interesting, non-disney fairy tales. They are a little darker, and the illustrations are incredible, and as a child I found some of them a little creepy, and I think that added to the thrill of reading them.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love another copy of this book! I loved the pictures as a child and I remember my mom reading it to me as a child. My teacher who taught story telling at U of A recommended this book...amazing book...it should be a classic.

[Kevan Bowkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A garden of stories: a delight to read. Enlivening, upbeat traditional tales from around the globe, beautifully told. The author also includes interesting prefatory notes to the tales, which help show connections between stories often far apart in time and space.

[Ernie Zellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Illustrations! This book is comprised of Fairy Tales we remember... however... while they are familiar they have been collected from various parts of the World with the result being quite amazing.

[Matt McBride]

The introductions to the stories create their own fascinating counter narrative to the text. It almost felt like they were micro fictions. The tales reflect life in that the moral is often unclear if present at all. Good action is not rarely, while cleverness, to any end, is. Suffering is as often arbitrary as it is the result of bad action. It's difficult too reading the book in a post #MeToo world. Women largely exists gifts or rewards (when not outright taken). All of this beautifully illustrated.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second grade French teacher gave me this book back in the mid 80s. I spent countless hours poring over its pages. I lent it out sometime in my early 30s and forgot to whom. I treated myself to a new copy this summer. Coming back to it after decades was like meeting an old friend. I’d forgotten how spicy some of the illustrations were- this book totally made me gay.

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, giving new, global perspective on well-known folk tales.

[Lenny Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great first read of shahs

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

All the stories were depressing and not very good. There was only a few I enjoyed.