Syrian oral tradition from Arabian Nights

From Arabian Nights hero to Disney character, Aladdin went through many transformations in the 18th and through to the 20th century.

Disney's Aladdin (1992) borrowed heavily from a 1924 novel and silent movie classic The Thief of Baghdad. However, this was not the only transformation the folk tale character had gone through. Aladdin started life in early 18th century when French scholar, Antoine Galland, included the folk tale in his translation of the Arabian Nights. But Aladdin should not even have been there in the first place.

Aladdin, Folk Tale

The story of Aladdin was told to Galland by a Syrian storyteller and the French scholar included it in his translation of One Thousand and One Nights (1704), an embellished and modified version of the original. Aladdin is a folk tale that appears only in forged Arabic manuscripts and was either an invention of the storyteller or part of the Syrian oral tradition. However, Aladdin became one of the most famous and recognizable characters of the Arabian Nights.
The story of Aladdin in the Galland translation takes place in a China where everyone is Muslim and Aladdin is Chinese. The evil sorcerer is African and the genie is described as hideous and of a gigantic stature. Disney's Princess Jasmine is in the Galland version Bradoulboudour. There are two genies: the genie of the Lamp and the genie of the Ring. Aladdin's wishes are granted by the genie of the Lamp but it is the genie of the Ring that helps him defeat the evil sorcerer and win back his bride.

Thief of Baghdad, Silent Movie

Filmed in 1924, the Thief of Baghdad was turned into a novel by Alexander Romanoff (aka Achmed Abdullah). The Thief of Baghdad was a silent movie directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Douglas Fairbanks. Inspired by the Arabian Nights, the film, very expensive for its time, tried to recreate the mystery of the Orient. It features the thief Ahmed who falls in love with the Caliph's daughter and using a magic carpet faces the challenges to win her in marriage.

Disney Film, Aladdin

Disney's Aladdin is a combination of the folk tale of the Arabian Nights and the silent movie, The Thief of Baghdad. Aladdin had already lost his Chinese origin in the 20th century. In the Disney film he is of Arabic origin, rides a carpet, gets hold of the magic lamp, becomes the master of the genie, falls in love with the Caliph's daughter, defeats the sorcerer, frees the genie and marries Princess Jasmine.