The thesis delves into the ancient Indian collection of Panchatantra fables and follows the spread of the fables from India through the Middle East to Europe. In addition, special attention is paid to the reception of the fables and to changes that occurred during various translations. An Arabic translation entitled Kalila and Dimna from the 8th century was crucial for the transmission of the fables. It then spread throughout Europe through several different translations and finally reached La Fontaine, who included some of the stories from the Panchatatra in his collections of fables.
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