For twenty-five years, Aladdin has shown us a whole new world of wild speculation about post-apocalyptic societies, mumbled sexual innuendoes, and characters with secret identities. Now a quarter-century later, there’s a brand new theory that may answer one of the film’s biggest mysteries: who built the Cave of Wonders, the magical cave where Aladdin finds the Genie’s Lamp and his adventure truly begins?
This theory by redditor greenfingers599 suggests that it was the lamp’s previous owner who actually created the Cave of Wonders. First spotted by Buzzfeed, the theory posits that while little is known about the previous owner, we can deduce what his three wishes likely were. Wish #1 was for more gold than he knew what to do with. Enough to fill a massive space. Like, say, a cave. With that much gold in there, we could even call if a “Cave of Wonders.”
Realizing that he would need a way to transport his newfound riches, as well as traverse the world in order to spend his sultan’s sum, the lamp-owner spend his second wish on the best way to travel in all the land: a sentient magic carpet!
The third wish is where fans have begun to diverge on this theory. The original theory suggests that the lamp owner wanted to share his wealth with someone who was worthy–a “diamond in the rough” like Aladdin–and so he wished for the creation of the Cave of Wonders as a fortress to defend his fabulous riches from those who would seek to take them. That seems all well and good, but it seems to be a likelier scenario that the lamp itself is the diamond in the rough, the true treasure amongst far shinier, more alluring treasures like gold and rubies.
The Cave instructs those who enter to touch nothing but the Lamp itself. Perhaps that is because the previous owner knew the greatest treasure of all was the Lamp and wanted to create a way to guard not only his earthly riches, but the most important item he possessed until someone worthy enough came along to claim it. Or maybe they just have some seriously deranged architects in Agrabah.
What do you think of this fan theory? Let us know in the comments below.
Images: Disney
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