Alan Dundes 
Fables of the Ancients? 
Folklore in the Qur’an

Given the widespread consensus that the Quran was in oral tradition before being committed to written form, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Quran still bears the traces of its original oral form. The field of knowledge most concerned with oral tradition is folkloristics, the study of folklore. Folklorist Alan Dundes has carefully and respectfully documented some of these unmistakable traces. These traces include numerous oral formulas repeated throughout the Quran as well as several traditional folktales. Just as Jesus effectively used parables to get His message across, so similar means are to be found in the Quran. The scholarly identification of formulas and folktales in the Quran represents an entirely new approach to this world-famous religious text. Not only does it provide insight into the basic composition of this sacred document, but for readers not previously familiar with the Quran, it pinpoints and makes accessible many of the principal themes contained therein.