About Ramona Spruill Expertise I can answer questions about your typical Greek and Roman myths, and also Oceanic, Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Celtic, Southern and Northern American, and some Asian mythology. You name it, and I`ll do my best to find it.
Question I hope you can answer this since you were referred to me by another expert who couldn't answer it. I'm looking for as many details on the life of Sinbad concerning his life that I could use to put together a biographical profile on him. I know he didn't really exist, but I'm looking for as many references that might dimensionalize him such as a place he might have been born, any relatives mentioned by him, his time period and anything else that might make him sound like a real person. Anything you could tell me would be really appreciated.
Answer Unfortunately, Sinbad really is bigger than life, and most of what I have been able to find out about him is recreated by whom ever is writing the next movie adaption.
BUt below I have included the links to the best web sites that might offer you more help. And then the few tidbits of whatever else I could find:
The story of Sinbad, a sailor born in Baghdad, and his seven voyages around the world, has survived for more than a thousand years. In these tales, Sinbad embarks on a series of voyages to restore his lost fortune. Landing in undiscovered countries, he faces cannibals and huge serpents, is sold into slavery, and even buried alive. Despite his misfortunes, he always manages to amass a fortune and return home a rich man. The original tales were often dark and adult. Wisdom is seen as a powerful if not invincible tool in many of the stories, not least in the story of Sinbad the Sailor. As in the tale of Shahriyar and Shahrazad, Sinbad's story comprises of many other stories which the hero relates to a gathering of noblemen in the form of seven adventures. On each land or sea voyage, Sinbad comes across foreign lands and strange creatures, which allow him to show his intelligence and courage. On every journey, Sinbad reaches a crisis as he braves a dangerous creature or an evil tyrant but he always finds a solution by using his ingenuity, his diplomacy and his strength. Sinbad does not rely on the power of destiny or on God, instead the hero takes matters into his own hands, risking devastating consequences which, luckily, bring with them great rewards. After every story, Sinbad manages to return safely to Baghdad and so one story ends and another begins forming a dramatic and exciting cycle of heroic acts. The classic tome The One Thousand and One Nights, or The Arabian Nights, as it came to be known, dates back to the 10th century, and could be seen as a valuable source of Middle Eastern social history. But the origin of the stories remains a literary mystery. No one knows who first told them—or where.
Despite its name, The Arabian Nights has its roots not only in the Arab world, but also in India and Persia (the region that is now present-day Iran). Some chroniclers believe the tales first appeared in Hazarafsaneh ("A Thousand Stories"), a collection of Persian folktales, though academic opinion is divided. (In Arabian legends, the Roc are gigantic birds, often referred to as 'the Great', and capable of carrying off elephants for food. They are found in various stories of 'The Thousand and One Nights', and are also mentioned to by Marco Polo on his travels. Their eggs, according to Sinbad the Sailor, could measure up to 50 paces in circumference.)
There's what little I could find, so here are the links, I hope they can offer you more of what you are looking for. GOOD LUCK!
