Flights of Fancy: A Mandaean Folktale of Escape from Persecution (original) (raw)

The paper explores the significance of Mandaean folktales as a critical aspect of the broader cultural heritage of the Mandaeans, emphasizing their role in understanding the community's values, traditions, and language. It critiques the historical neglect of Mandaean oral traditions in scholarly work and advocates for their documentation and analysis, noting the urgency for ethnographers and linguists to capture these narratives before they are lost due to language shift. The discussion highlights the interplay between folklore and literature, arguing that both are essential for a holistic understanding of Mandaean identity and history.