Aesop's stories as fables

Abstract EN

It is almost impossible to find a definition of a fable without reading Aesop's fables as an example of this genre.

But are Aesop's stories fables? In all definitions of a fable animals represent human behavior but do Aesop's animals represent human behavior or their own behavior? After going through all Aesop's stories, one cannot help but find animals in their truest behavior as if Aesop gave humans animal characteristics other than the other way around.

It also seems that he is very much familiar with the animals that he wrote about and their behavior.

In this research, the most popular animal stories of Aesop have been surveyed to trace the animal qualities that are said to represent human traits and states.

Each of the most popular animal stories of Aesop have been retold, then the animal trait depicted in the story that is said to be a human trait have been studied in the form of a question/ answer.

The researcher, after surveying these stories, noticed the extent of accuracy in Aesop's portrayal of his animals and their behavior.

There are many reasons for this accuracy.

One of the reasons might be the animals he chose to write.

It is clear that Aesop wrote about some animals more frequently than others.

Certain animal species are selected more than other species with richness and accuracy compared to their counterparts like mammals are depicted more that amphibians and with intense description and accuracy.

Aesop's selection of animals to write about in such accuracy might refer to animals available in his own environment.

In other words he preferred writing about animals he knew other than writing about all animals.

There are many reasons for the accuracy of animals' depiction in Aesop's stories yet the main fact that this research aims at highlighting is their accuracy.

If fables are supposed to have animal characters that have human traits can Aesop's stories be considered fables when most of the animals have animal traits? Or are they called fables because humans, in fact, belong to the animal kingdom being mammalian primates? Why for centuries these scientifically accurate stories have been called fables? What is the ground for this classification? The answers for these questions remain unsolved just like many mysteries surrounding Aesop and his stories.