It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you place the blame

Originally posted by Scriabin
thank you.

now, why is Nazrudin in various guises known from Eastern Europe all the way to China?

Because of the Seljuq empire.

Originally posted by Palynka
Because of the Seljuq empire.

not enough reach there -- besides, that was after the character began to appear, which was before the 11th century.

the Seljug was a Turko-persian empire. Doesn't explain the Chinese or Romanian aspects.

The main line of Nazrudin stories tend to be ascribed to the Sufis, not the Sunnis, in any event.

Originally posted by Scriabin
not enough reach there -- besides, that was after the character began to appear, which was before the 11th century.

the Seljug was a Turko-persian empire. Doesn't explain the Chinese or Romanian aspects.

The main line of Nazrudin stories tend to be ascribed to the Sufis, not the Sunnis, in any event.

I think the Romanian (or Bulgarian) aspects are probably more Ottoman in nature. For example, in Bulgaria (which I know better than Romania), the role of Nastradin Hodja (how Bulgarians call him) as Hitar Petar's victim is clearly a reaction to Ottoman rule, when probably Nasreddin stories were common. You don't want your enemy to be wise, even in the falsely naive form of the tales.

I don't know about the Chinese aspects of Nasredding. Can you expand on that?

How else do you explain it's presence in China, if not by the Seljug empire? Ottomans never expanded that far.

The main line of Nazrudin stories tend to be ascribed to the Sufis, not the Sunnis, in any event.
This varies significantly with region. Ask any Uzbek if he thinks Nasreddin is a Sufi...

Originally posted by Palynka
I think the Romanian (or Bulgarian) aspects are probably more Ottoman in nature. For example, in Bulgaria (which I know better than Romania), the role of Nastradin Hodja (how Bulgarians call him) as Hitar Petar's victim is clearly a reaction to Ottoman rule, when probably Nasreddin stories were common. You don't want your enemy to be wise, even in the falsel ...[text shortened]... b]
This varies significantly with region. Ask any Uzbek if he thinks Nasreddin is a Sufi...

I think our favorite Mullah was fairly universal. Clearly he was in vogue with the Persians and the Turks.

I just cannot figure the Chinese connection. But, then, if you read Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red, you get a good explanation of how the Chinese style of manuscript illumination came to influence the Persians and then the Turks.

Perhaps the explanation for Nazrudin's popularity runs along similar lines as the arts. A lot of Nazrudin stories are about his encounters with Timor the Lame, for example.