Arabian mythology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of the myth series on

Fertile Crescent

*Mesopotamian mythology

Ancient Arabian mythology Ancient Levantine mythology

Pre-Judaic Arabian gods

Abgal Aglibol Allah Al-Qaum al-Lt, al-'Ilhat Astarte Atargatis (Syrian) Atarsamain Beelshamen Bl, Bal, Bl-amn Bes (Egypto-Arabic) Dhu'l-Halasa Dusares, Dhu Shar' l, Ilh (NW Semitic) Hubal Itar, Athtar Malakbel

Mant Manaf Nab, Nebo Nasr Nergal Nuha Orotalt Ruda Shams, Samas Sn, Nanna-Suen Suwa' Theandrios Uzz Wadd Ya'uq Yaghth Yarhibol/Malakbel Yatha demons

Arabian mythology is the ancient, pre-Islamic beliefs of the Arab people. Prior to Islam the Kaaba of Mecca was covered in symbols representing the myriad demons, djinn, demigods, or simply tribal gods and other assorted deities which represented the polytheistic culture of pre-Islamic Arabia. It has been inferred from this plurality an exceptionally broad context in which mythology could flourish.[1] Many of the physical descriptions of the pre-Islamic gods are traced to idols, especially near the Kaaba, which is asserted to have contained up to 360.[1]
Contents
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1 Gods 2 Supernatural beings

o o

2.1 Spirits 2.2 Monsters

3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 Sources

Gods[edit]
The main god in the Arabian peninsula was Hubal (Arabic: ), who is regarded as the most notable and chief of the gods. An idol of Hubal said to have been near the Kaaba is described as shaped like a human with the right hand severed and replaced with a golden hand.[2] The three daughters of Hubal, and chief goddesses of Meccan Arabian mythology, were Al-lt, Al-Uzz, and Mant. Each is associated with certain domains and had shrines with idols located near Taif[3] which have been destroyed.[4] Allt (Arabic: ) or Al-lt is the goddess associated with the underworld.[5] Al-Uzz (Arabic: ) "The Mightiest One" or "The Strong" was an Arabian fertility goddess. She was called upon for protection and victory before war.[6] Mant (Arabic: ) was the goddess of fate, the Book of Idols describes her as the most ancient of all these idols. An idol of Mant was erected on the seashore in the vicinity of al Mushallal in Qudayd, between Medina and Mecca. The Aws and theKhazraj, as well as the inhabitants of

Medina and Mecca and their vicinities, venerated Mant and performed sacrifices before her idol, including offering their children. Pilgrimages of some Arabs, including the Aws, Khazraj, Yathrib and others, were not considered completed until they visited Mant and shaved their heads.[7]

Dushara, National Museum of Damascus

Other notable gods 1. Manaf (Arabic: ) was a god related to women and menstruation.[3] 2. Wadd (Arabic: ) was a god of love and friendship. Snakes were believed to be sacred to Wadd.[3] 3. Amm (Arabic: ) was a moon god worshipped in ancient Qataban. He was revered as in association with the weather, especially lightning. 4. Ta'lab (Arabic: ) was a god worshipped in southern Arabia, particularly in Sheba and also a moon god. His oracle was consulted for advice. 5. Dhu'l-Halasa (Arabic: ) was an oracular god of south Arabia. He was venerated in the form of a white stone. 6. Al-Qaum (Arabic: ) was the Nabataean god of war and the night, and also guardian of caravans. 7. Dushara (Arabic: ) was a Nabataean god, his name meaning "Lord of the Mountain"

Supernatural beings[edit]
Spirits[edit]

Jinn (also called djinn or genies, Arabic: jinn) are supernatural creatures which possess free will, and can be either good or evil. In some cases, evil genies are said to lead humans astray. [8]

Marids (Arabic: mrid) are often described as the most powerful type of jinn, having especially great powers. They are the most arrogant and proud as well. Like every jinn, they have free will yet could be compelled to perform chores. They also have the ability to grant wishes to mortals, but that usually requires battle, and according to some sources imprisonment, rituals, or just a great deal of flattery.

Ifrits (Arabic: ifrt) are infernal jinn, spirits below the level of angels and devils, noted for their strength and cunning. An ifrit is an enormous winged creature of fire, either male or female, who lives underground and frequents ruins. Ifrits live in a society structured along ancient Arab tribal lines, complete with kings, tribes, and clans. They generally marry one another, but they can also marry humans. While ordinary weapons and forces have no power over them, they are susceptible to magic, which humans can use to kill them or to capture and enslave them. As with the jinn, an ifrit may be either a believer or an unbeliever, good or evil, but he is most often depicted as a wicked and ruthless being.

Monsters[edit]

A Nasnas (Arabic: nasns) is "half a human being; having half a head, half a body, one arm, one leg, with which it hops with much agility". It was believed to be the offspring of a demon called a Shiqq and a human being.[9]

Ghouls (Arabic: ghl) are desert-dwelling, shapeshifting demons that can assume the guise of animal, especially hyenas. They lure unwary travellers into the desert wastes to slay and devour them. These creatures also prey on young children, rob graves, drink blood, and eat the dead, taking on the form of the one they previously ate. Because of the latter habit, the word ghoul is sometimes used to refer to an ordinary human such as a grave robber, or to anyone who delights in the macabre.[10]

Bahamut (Arabic: Bahamt) is a vast fish that supports the earth. It is sometimes described as having a head resembling a hippopotamus or elephant.[11]

Nasnas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A nasnas is a monstrous creature in Arabian and Arab folklore. According to Edward Lane, the 19th century translator of The Thousand and One Nights, a nasnas is "half a human being; having half a head, half a body, one arm, one leg, with which it hops with much agility". It was believed to be the offspring of a demon called a Shiqq and a human being. A character in "The Story of the Sage and the Scholar", a tale from the collection, is turned into a nasnas after a magician applies kohl to one of his eyes. The nasnas is mentioned in Gustave Flaubert's The Temptation of Saint Anthony.

Sources[edit]

Robert Irwin The Arabian Nights: a Companion (Penguin, 1994)

Jorge Luis Borges The Book of Imaginary Beasts (Penguin, 1974)

Categories: Cryptids in fiction Arabian legendary creatures

Ghoul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses of the term "ghoul", see Ghoul (disambiguation).

"Amine Discovered with the Goule", from the story of Sidi Nouman, of the Arabian Nights.

A ghoul is a folkloric monster or spirit associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. The oldest surviving literature that mention ghouls is likely One Thousand and One Nights.[1] The term was first used in English literature in 1786, in William Beckford'sOrientalist novel Vathek,[2] which describes the ghl of Arabian folklore. By extension, the word ghoul is also used in a derogatory sense to refer to a person who delights in the macabre, or whose profession is linked directly to death, such as a gravedigger.
Contents
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1 Early etymology 2 In Arabian folklore 3 Other influences 4 See also 5 References

Early etymology[edit]
Ghoul is from the Arabic ghul, from ghala "to seize".[3] The term is etymologically related to Gallu, a Mesopotamian demon.[4][5]

In Arabian folklore[edit]
In ancient Arabian folklore, the ghl (Arabic: literally demon)[6] dwells in burial grounds and other uninhabited places. The ghul is a fiendish type of jinnbelieved to be sired by Iblis.[7] A ghul is also a desert-dwelling, shapeshifting, evil demon that can assume the guise of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary people into the desert wastes or abandoned places to slay and devour them. The creature also preys on young children, drinks blood, steals coins, and eats the dead,[6] then taking the form of the person most recently eaten. In the Arabic language, the female form is given as ghouleh[8] and the plural is ghilan. In colloquial Arabic, the term is sometimes used to describe a greedy or gluttonous individual.

Other influences[edit]
The star Algol takes its name from the definite Arabic term Rs al-ghl, or The Demon's Head.[9]

See also

Ghoul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses of the term "ghoul", see Ghoul (disambiguation).

"Amine Discovered with the Goule", from the story of Sidi Nouman, of the Arabian Nights.

A ghoul is a folkloric monster or spirit associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. The oldest surviving literature that mention ghouls is likely One Thousand and One Nights.[1] The term was first used in English literature in 1786, in William Beckford'sOrientalist novel Vathek,[2] which describes the ghl of Arabian folklore. By extension, the word ghoul is also used in a derogatory sense to refer to a person who delights in the macabre, or whose profession is linked directly to death, such as a gravedigger.
Contents
[hide]

1 Early etymology 2 In Arabian folklore 3 Other influences 4 See also 5 References

Early etymology[edit]
Ghoul is from the Arabic ghul, from ghala "to seize".[3] The term is etymologically related to Gallu, a Mesopotamian demon.[4][5]

In Arabian folklore[edit]

In ancient Arabian folklore, the ghl (Arabic: literally demon)[6] dwells in burial grounds and other uninhabited places. The ghul is a fiendish type of jinnbelieved to be sired by Iblis.[7] A ghul is also a desert-dwelling, shapeshifting, evil demon that can assume the guise of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary people into the desert wastes or abandoned places to slay and devour them. The creature also preys on young children, drinks blood, steals coins, and eats the dead,[6] then taking the form of the person most recently eaten. In the Arabic language, the female form is given as ghouleh[8] and the plural is ghilan. In colloquial Arabic, the term is sometimes used to describe a greedy or gluttonous individual.

Other influences[edit]
The star Algol takes its name from the definite Arabic term Rs al-ghl, or The Demon's Head.[9]

See also

Bahamut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the giant fish from Arabian mythology. For other uses, see Bahamut (disambiguation). Bahamut or Bahamoot (/bhmut/ b-HAH-moot; Arabic: Bahamt) is a vast fish that supports the earth in Arabian mythology.[1][2] In some sources, Bahamut is described as having a head resembling a hippopotamus or elephant.[3]

Overview[edit]
In Arabic myth, Bahamut is a giant fish acting as one of the layers that supports the earth. [1] In Jorge Luis Borges' Book of Imaginary Beings, Bahamut is "altered and magnified"[2] fromBehemoth, and described as so immense that a human cannot bear its sight; "[all] the seas of the world, placed in one of the fish's nostrils, would be like a mustard seed laid in the desert."[2] Edward William Lane cites two cosmological accounts from Ibn al-Wardi (d. 1348 CE) that feature Bahamut. One account describes Bahamut as a fish floating in water, supported by darkness. On the fish is a bull called Kujata,[1][4][5] on the bull, a ruby mountain; on the mountain, an angel; the angel holds and supports the seven earths.[1] In another account, Bahamut supports a bed of sand, on which stands a bull, on whose back rests a rock which holds the waters in which the earth is located. Beneath the fish are layers of suffocating wind, a veil of darkness, and mist.[1]Other sources describe Behemoth as a layer in similar conceptions of Arabic cosmography.[3][2] According to Borges, Bahamut is the giant fish that Jesus beholds in the 496th night of the One Thousand and One Nights. Bahamut in this telling is a giant fish swimming in a vast ocean. It carries a bull on its head; the bull

bears a rock, and above the rock is an angel who carries the seven stages of the earths. Beneath Bahamut is an abyss of air, then fire, and beneath that a giant serpent called Falak.[6] Upon seeing Bahamut, Jesus (Isa) passes into unconsciousness: At this sight Isa fell down aswoon, and when he came to himself, Allah spake to him by inspiration, saying, 'O Isa, hast thou seen the fish and comprehended its length and its breadth?' He replied, 'By Thy honour and glory, O Lord, I saw no fish; but there passed me by a great bull, whose length was three days' journey, and I know not what manner of thing this bull is.' Quoth Allah, 'O Isa, this that thou sawest and which was three days in passing by thee, was but the head of the fish; and know that every day I create forty fishes like unto this.'[6] Borges cites the idea of Bahamut as part of a layered cosmology as an illustration of the cosmological proof of the existence of God, which infers a first cause from the impossibility of infinite prior causes.[2] He also draws parallels between Bahamut and the mythical Japanese fish Jinshin-Uwo.[7]

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Lane, Edward William (1883). Arabian society in the middle ages: studies from the Thousand and one nights. London: Chatto & Windus. pp. 106107. 2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Borges, Jorge Luis; Margarita Guerrero, Norman Thomas di Giovanni (trans.) (2002). Book of Imaginary Beings. London: Vintage. pp. 2526. ISBN 0-09-944263-9. 3. ^ Jump up to:a b Rose, Carol (2001). Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 37. ISBN 0-393-32211-4. 4. 5. Jump up^ Borges, 89. Jump up^ Sykes, Egerton; Alan Kendall (1993). Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology. London: J. M. Dent. p. 28. ISBN 0-460-86136-0. 6. ^ Jump up to:a b Burton, Richard F.. "The Book of a Thousand Nights and One, Volume 5: The Adventures of Bulukiya". Wollamshram World. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21. 7. Jump up^ Borges, 87.