The Arabian Nights is so vast that today we are only familiar with a small proportion of these tales. Their precise origin is unclear but the earliest parts may come from the Middle East and India and date back to the 8th century. The tales originally came to Europe through a translation into French by Antoine Galland although some argue that Galland may actually have invented the tales himself.
When we think of The Arabian Nights today we tend to think of magical and exotic stories in which heroes such as Aladdin Ali Baba and Sinbad trick their way to riches and happy marriage. This view is reinforced by modern abridgments and the transformation of The Arabian Nights into pantomimes and animated films. However the tales were originally presented within a framing story which included betrayal adultery and mass murder.