Abstract
Fables are as old as man himself. He used them early as a means of expression when nature puzzled him beyond human perception. As a reaction
to his perplexity, he proposed lots of interpretations that were mostly
imaginary and Sheerly illogical. Fables, therefore, came to represent such
interpretations, means for understanding the world of nature and
deciphering its elements. Ever since, Fables proved the most ancient modes of
narrative literature in comparison to Myths and Epics.
Fables, which took for granted the animal character as a ruling persona,
were the privilege of no individual nation. Nevertheless, some scholars
attributed them to Indian and Greek civilization and sometimes to the
ancient Egypt. Such a view is undoubtedly ignoring the ancient Iraqi civilization
in this domain. Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian Ages passed
down a great number of Fables that echoed loudly in the literatures of later
world civilizations. This is quite noticeable in comparing old Iraqi
Fables with their Greek equivalents. The Greek and non-Greek “Isup is
a good example for such a shared experience of the same artistic phase.
The present study is to shed light upon the art of Fable through its early
appearance in “Guilgamesh” up to its maturity in “Ihegar Wisdom. The
study also attempts to classify Fables and their moral, educational, and
political functions.