And Chaucer is the Decameron, rewritten in English with English names and toponyms. And the Decameron is the 1001 Nights, rewritten in renaissance Italian. And

And Chaucer is the Decameron, rewritten in English with English names and toponyms. And the Decameron is the 1001 Nights, rewritten in renaissance Italian. And let's not forget the 16th century "Cent Nouvelles nouvelles", which is obviously related by format and plot. TL;DR: These are timeless tales, retold to fit the author's time.