A Possible Literary Prototype of "The Tale of Paridegi"

This study aims to individuate a prototype of the Korean folk tale and shamanist song known as Paridegi sŏrhwa (The Tale/Myth/Song of Paridegi). Despite its background having been diffused in many oral literatures, I propose a possible derivation of the tale of Paridegi from an old folk-narrative of Indo/Iranic and Middle Asian origin that was adapted in an Islamic context before being included in the famous folktale collection The Arabian Nights. The main character of the Western tale is Princess Parizade of Persia, who goes through a series of adventures whose dynamic structure is very similar to that of the Korean “Tale of Paridegi.” On the basis of linguistic, historical concordances and other element concerning the content of both stories, I hypothesize the direct influence of this Indo/Iranic tale on the basis of the process that led in Korea to the formation of the various versions of the myth and ritual of Paridegi.