What is the name of the monkey in Aladdin? The name of the monkey in Aladdin is Abu, and he has some great advice for us… I mean for Aladdin.
Yes, you read that correctly. The original Arabic version of Aladdin was a story told orally from generation to generation by an Iraqi storyteller named Sinbad.
It wasn’t until after the Persian invasion of Iraq that Aladdin was first written down as a story. So, we know the original version of the tale is at least 1,000 years old and probably much older than that.
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Who is Aladdin?
You might be surprised to learn that the character of Aladdin first appeared in an Arabic story. Sinbad’s story is about a real person known as Al-Hajjaj Bin Yusuf, otherwise known as “Al-Kanz.”
There aren’t any popular versions of this ancient tale… yet. But keep reading, and you’ll see why there probably will be.
Al-Kanz was a powerful figure in the courts of Baghdad from 813 AD until his untimely death at age 39. His tale is that of an orphan who rose to power and made quite a name for himself.
He was known as Sultan al Kanz (The Treasure) due to his incredible wealth, which included 600 residences and 40,000 servants. He was so powerful that he became the prime minister of Iraq for most of his life.
But how did an orphan boy become Prime Minister of a country?
Well, it is said that Al-Kanz was born in Baghdad to unknown parents who abandoned him as an infant. Another story says his parents were killed in a war.
Al-Kanz was taken to the palace and served as a servant to the Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Perhaps this is why he earned the nickname “Al Kanz” or “The Treasure.” As an adult, Al-Kanz became a tax collector for the Caliph. He would travel from village to village with his soldiers and collect all the money that was due.
Where did he get all this wealth?
It is said that Al-Kanz discovered a treasure in Baghdad, which made him immensely wealthy. Of course, there are different stories about what exactly happened… Here are two of them:
One day, his soldiers were digging holes in the city to place explosives around the walls of Baghdad. As they dug this new trench, Al-Kanz noticed that one of the workers found a pot full of gold and silver coins buried underground.
Al-Kanz told the soldier to fill in the hole then placed him under arrest. The Caliph questioned Al-Kanz about why he arrested the soldier who found the treasure.
Al-Kanz replied that if the man kept all of that money for himself, his family would gain power and loyalty. They could then overthrow him and control Baghdad. So, he was taking away the source of his own future wealth, which meant he would no longer have the wealth to overthrow him
The Caliph was quite impressed by this thinking, so he rewarded Al-Kanz with a large sum of money. In addition, he appointed him as Prime Minister for remaining loyal to the Caliph and not taking advantage of his own good fortune.
What is the name of the monkey in Aladdin?
The Arabic name for the monkey is Abu. The story of Aladdin was written down in Persia, so the name also came from a Persian word pronounced “Abu.” But what does that sound like?
To us, it sounds like “Ah-boo.” To some people, it might even sound like “Ooh-bop, “since Arabs don’t pronounce the ‘be like we do (at least some of them don’t).
To help you understand why this is such an important question, I’m going to tell you the story of Aladdin’s monkey. It will make a lot more sense after that.
Does Abu mean monkey?
No! Abu means father. But in Aladdin’s story, the name of that monkey is Abu.
What happened to Abu in Aladdin?
In the Disney film Aladdin, Abu is a pet monkey who accompanies the title character, Aladdin. When Aladdin is about to enter the Cave of Wonders for the first time, Abu convinces him to let him come along because he’ll help them find treasure.
Once inside, Abu takes one of the treasures that he finds and puts it in his mouth; despite being warned not to do so by a mysterious voice. This causes Abu to get turned into a golden statue. And sentenced for eternity to guard the cave, which Aladdin and Jasmine were already in.
Is Abu the monkey in Aladdin real?
According to the Disney Wiki page on Abu, “Abu is a funny monkey named Aladdin’s loyal and beloved pet.” He also makes a major appearance in Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar and has had minor roles in other Disney movies.
He seems like an important part of the franchise since he has been around since1992. So why doesn’t the monkey in Aladdin look like Abu?
Even though Abu is not the name of Jafar’s pet monkey, an animal in the movie looks enough like it to be confused with him. The first time we see the genie, he has a small white monkey on his shoulder and makes a joke about how he stole him from an old lady in the desert.
It seems like many people have confused this monkey with Abu throughout the years, and you can totally see why. It looks exactly like Abu, except for the amount of hair (Abu is bald while Jafar’s pet is not).
Since the monkey has such a minor role in the movie, it makes people wonder why they even included him and why he couldn’t have been Abu.
Why is Aladdin’s monkey named Abu?
There is no answer. It’s just what they decided to call him. Think about the other Disney movies you have seen or heard of. Did you notice that they all feature one thing in common? Yes, every single one of them features a ” Sidekick pet. “
A buddy for the hero to play with and bounce ideas off, who won’t steal the show but never fails to make you laugh. What is the function of such a character?
But instead of addressing this question in his psycho-semiotic study, Serge Moscovici (1978) simply provides a list and description of what he calls ” schematic characters, ” including Aladdin’s monkey, Abu. He lists their characteristics as follows:
A schematic character is usually comical but may also be evil or frightening (e.g., dangerous animals and insects, like the wasp in The Jungle Book). Though his stupidity need not extend beyond his fixation on a single characteristic, he is often rather stupid.
He may be quite astute about other matters. He is basically inferior to the hero but sometimes extremely dangerous (e.g., a crocodile). However, he never completely undermines him or dominates him. He may also be friendly and reliable (as in Mandy’s dog in The Red Shoes) and therefore become an ally for the hero if circumstances so require.
