Sindbad the Sailor (also spelled "Sinbad") is the name of a legendary sailor who has numerous fantastic adventures during his voyages throughout the seas east of Africa and south of Asia. The collection of travel-romances which make up the Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor found in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) are based partly on real experiences of Oriental sailors, partly on ancient poetry such as Homer's Mediterranean-based Odyssey, and partly upon Indian and Persian collections of mirabilia.
The tales, which take place during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, begin in Baghdad with Sindbad the Porter, a hard-working landsman who complains in verse before the estate of a wealthy man about his life of endless toil for little reward. Sindbad the Porter is thereby brought inside where he meets his namesake, the wealthy Sindbad the Sailor, who was impressed by the porter's verse. Over the next seven days Sindbad the Sailor then entertains Sindbad the Porter (whom he now considers as a brother) with the tale of how he became a seaman and eventually rose to his present state of prominence, each day giving a gift to the poor porter after the story of each voyage is complete.
Sindbad the Sailor was the son of a wealthy merchant who died when Sindbad was young and left everything to him. Upon reaching adulthood Sindbad used his inheritance to live an existence as a pleasure-seeking wastrel until he had carelessly spent it all. The loss of much of everything he had was a turning point in his life -- he decided to sell all he still owned and travel to foreign lands. Sindbad embarked on board a ship bound for Basra which then traveled to several islands and shores, buying and selling their goods. They finally came across a beautiful island upon which they had their shore leave. This island, however, was an ancient, huge fish which had been stationary for so long that sand and trees had settled upon it, and the fires the sailors lit now awoke it. Sindbad was among those who could not return to the ship in time when the fish swam into the depths and was only miraculously saved from drowning when he grasped a passing wooden wash-tub. Floating on the sea in the tub for some time, Sindbad finally beached upon the shore of a deserted island where he spent several days.
One day while wandering along the shore he came across a mare which was tethered on the beach and found a man hidden in the ground nearby. Sindbad befriended this man, a groom of King Mihrjan, who explained that the mares were brought to this island for breeding purposes during every new moon. The "stallions of the sea" would rise out of the ocean and impregnate the mares, causing them to bear colts and fillies of the highest quality. Sindbad was brought to the capital city of King Mihrjan who was astonished at the tale of his survival and, believing him one blessed by Allah, made him his agent for the port and registrar of all ships that entered the harbor. After a while the ship on which Sindbad had originally sailed came to Mihrjan's harbor, and Sindbad convinced his former shipmates after some difficulty that he was still alive. Sindbad then used the best of the goods he still possessed on that ship to make a present for King Mihrjan before returning home. In Baghdad once more after a successful voyage, Sindbad the Sailor used his newfound wealth from a grateful King Mihrjan to make himself richer than he had ever been before.
Sinbad is also a nickname given to all sailors and nautical people as well as to window cleaners in Britain (especially ones who do the inside of windows as if they were portholes, and not the corners).The Tales
Sindbad the Sailor and Sindbad the Porter
The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor
Adaptations
Several films, television series, animated cartoons, and novels have been made, based on the tales of Sindbad the Sailor.
These include: