It’s not surprising that the tales are similar. It’s not like Persia was disconnected from the Greeks, Egyptians or even the Romans.
I imagine a good tale went in all directions. The epic of Gilgamesh been an obvious candidate.
I imagine a good tale went in all directions. The epic of Gilgamesh been an obvious candidate.
It’s obviously untrue given Alexander The Great and the peoples who traversed the Mediterranean, like the Phoenicians.
As for Northern Europe, I understand that a Buddha was dug up in a Swedish Viking era burial site.
My point been, some people travelled far for trading reasons.
Fascinating, it's the first time I've heard of this.
The Helgo Treasure: A Viking Age Buddha - http://irisharchaeology.ie/2013/12/the-helgo-treasure-a-viki...
> A remarkable collection of religious items sourced from diverse lands was discovered during archaeological excavations on the Swedish island of Helgo.
> Discovered close together, these artefacts included a Buddha from the Indian sub-continent, an elaborate crozier-head from Ireland and a bronze ladle from North-Africa.
> ..[T]he most extraordinary find..was a small, bronze Buddha. This devotional figure dates from circa the 6th century AD and was probably made in Kashmir, on the Pakistan/India border.
> The Buddha has a silver urna on his forehead, symbolizing the third eye, while the ears have long lobes, the insignia of royalty. He sits in a meditative pose upon a double lotus throne, the latter representing purity. The Buddha probably arrived in Helgo via Swedish merchants whose eastern trade routes were concentrated along Russian rivers such as the Volga.