Some themes of "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor" and typology of the character of Homer's poem "The Odyssey” are similar to some extent. Further, in the paper, such similarities will be discussed.
The form of storytelling of “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor” recalls the story of Odysseus. Both stories start in a similar way. In “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”, the poor meets Sinbad the Sailor in his house, after which the latter tells stories of his travels and adventures for seven nights in a row. Odysseus meets in the same way King Alcinous and narrates to him about his wanderings, which can be divided into nine different adventures.
The first adventure of Odysseus is with the Lotus-Eaters. The storm brought his ship away from Troy to the far south, where the lotus grows. If a person eats this lotus, he forgets about everything. This is rather similar to one of the travels of Sinbad the Sailor when his companions once have tasted the food lost their mind.
The fifth adventure of Odysseus is his meeting with witch-goddess Circe, who brought to Odyssey and other envoys poisonous wine, honey, cheese and flour which turned Odysseus and his friends into pigs. Odyssey who did not eat that food saved the rest of the crew. Interestingly, the same situation happened in “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”: Sinbad`s friends became kind of animals that were supposed to be eaten by the evil. Sinbad also did not eat that magic food and survived. As David Pinault claims these adventures entered in the "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor" most likely from the "Odyssey", which was known to the Arabs through Syriac translation (152).
Odysseus and Sinbad the Sailor are bold and decisive men. They both conquer nature, calm down the sea and master sea routes, they are not afraid to take dangerous ways. Odysseus has his own dreams and hopes, as well as fears. The same features are observed in Sinbad. He is not only a merchant, but a strong and curious man who wants to see other countries. They both love the sea and adventure. Despite all the obstacles encountered, Odysseus and Sinbad always fight for their lives and win during their travels. They both are cautious, cool-minded and thrift. These characteristics never leave Odysseus and Sinbad. They save Odysseus on Thrinacia and Calypso islands; they help him to pass between Scylla and Charybdis with minimal casualties.
We can see that both cunning and intellect are reliable savers of these travelers. Cunning and wittiness help Odysseus to escape death in an episode with the sirens and in the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus who was deceived by Odysseus. Any trick of Sinbad the Sailor is also the most simple and wise solution of the problem: a solution that fully satisfies the mind. The trick combined with worldly wisdom – this is another common characteristic of two characters. As reported by Nichols, such an idealization of cunning at the times when both stories were written was not unusual (18). Indeed, back then, the ability to evade and avoid hazards due to the ingenuity and cleverness was a necessity.
In the poem "The Odyssey" as well as in “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor", the theme of wandering is revealed through fabulously fantastic material. Fantastic stories in "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor" are abundant with giant fish island, huge snakes, dragons and bird-people. Similar miraculous fairy-tale-like elements of the "Odyssey" include such episodes as the Cyclops Polyphemus, sirens and others.
Constant remembering of the Motherland is an important feature which is similar for both characters – Odysseus and Sinbad the Sailor. No matter how brave sailors are fascinated with the wonders of other countries, they always dream to return home. Their stories are detailed stories of adventurous fate of the navigator.
Works Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. Transl. Robert Fagles. Penguin, 2003. Print.
Nichols, T. Sinbad the Sailor and Arabic tales. Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers, 2010. Print.
Pinault D. “Sindbad”. Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature, vol. 2. London: Routledge, pp. 152-153. 2005. Print.
The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor. Pavilion Children's Books, 2009. Print.
