Extracts from René Guénon’s correspondence with Ananda K.

Coomaraswamy
concerning “the article on al-Khidr”.

Cairo, November 5, 1936.

“Your study on ‘Khwaja Khadir’ (here, we say ‘Sayyidna al-Khidr’) is very interesting, and
the rapprochements that you have signalled to are completely just from the symbolic point of
view; but I can assure you that there is much more than simple “legends” to it. I have much to
say about this, though I doubt I will ever write it down, for indeed it is one of those subjects
which concern me somewhat too directly... – Allow me a small rectification: Al-Khidr is not
precisely “identified” with the Prophets Idris, Ilyas, or Saint George – (though naturally, in a
certain sense, all the prophets are “one”); they are only considered as belonging to one and
the same Heaven (that of the Sun).”

Cairo, February 6, 1938.

The special issue of Études traditionnelles for this year (August-September) will most
probably be devoted to the Islamic tradition; accordingly, I have one more question to
address you: could you give us your article on al-Khidr for this issue, after you complete it
with certain considerations which, as you have told me, would not have been pertinent in the
journal where it was first published, but which would quite the contrary be rather appropriate
for the Études traditionnelles? If this is made possible, I would be all the more happy as, for a
long time now, there are calls for something being written on the subject, but for many
reasons I would prefer that it be dealt with by someone other than myself...

Cairo, 11 mars 1938.

As for the article on al-Khidr, I hope that, in spite of all that you say about it, you shall decide
to provide it for us nonetheless; it goes without saying, therefore, that it is not a matter of
exhausting the topic, which is something quite impossible. I will try to see what indications I
can suggest to you on certain points; naturally, it is quite unnecessary to mention that they
come from me...

Cairo, June 1, 1938.

I just finished reading your article on al-Khidr; and, first of all, I must say that, contrarily to
what you think, I do not find it too long at all; in fact, this is a special issue which comprises
two months (August-September), and which should normally have more or less twice as
many pages as a normal issue. On the other hand, it would be interesting to reproduce, as an
illustration, figures 1 and 2; do you think that this would be possible despite the reduction
necessitated by the format of the journal? Only figure 3 would be removed (and as a
consequence, the reference to it in the text, near the middle of page 178). As for the title, it
seems to me that it would suffice to put “Khwaja Khadir and the Fountain of Life,” without
adding the rest, given that the “artistic” aspect is not the one most worthy of drawing special
attention to.

As for the article itself, after having reflected again, I find that it would definitely be difficult
to make additions without this taking the article too far. It is better left almost as it is and
modify only that which risks giving rise to certain objections or being interpreted in a sense
which is in disagreement with Islamic orthodoxy. I can say that I have carefully examined
every word from this point of view, and here are the modifications which I allow myself to
propose to you:

“P. 173” – At the beginning: “In India the Saint and Prophet known as...”, and after “Raja
Kidar” add in brackets: “(in Arabic, Seyidna El-Khidr)”.

Note 1: “In accordance with the meaning of his name, from ‘akhdar’, ‘green’.”

At the beginning of the second paragraph: “The nature and functions of Khwaja Khidr can be
inferred at least partly, from his iconography...”

“P. 176” – At the beginning: “He is the guardian of the Water of Life and corresponds in this
respect to Soma and Gandharva in Vedic mythology and even to Varuna himself thought it is
evident that he cannot, either from the Islamic or from the latter Hindu point of view, be
properly identified with ‘deity’, he is none the less, the direct expression or manifestation of a
high spiritual power. We shall find these general conclusion amply confirmed by further
examination of the Islamic text concerning al-Khadir.”

Line 6. Replace “The legend” with “The narration”.

Remove note 12, for “Bahrain here is simply the dual of “bahr”, “sea”, and bears no relation
with the island of that name; the expression “Majmâ al-Bahrain” means exactly “meeting of
the two seas.”

Line 10: “this story can be compared with three other ones belonging to older traditions, the
Gilgamesh epic ...”

Note 13, at the beginning, remove “Islamic Legend”.

Line 25, remove “in human form”.

“P. 177”. - Note 18: “The prophet Elias, who is considered as belonging to the ‘spiritual
family’ of Khizr.” (Their identification, in fact, is but an incorrect interpretation by
orientalists.)

“P. 178”. – At the end of the first paragraph a note could be added referring to my article
“Quelques aspects du symbolisme du poisson” (Issue of February 1936), in which I have
spoken precisely about what is at issue in this place.

Line 31: “That Andreas here is a distortion of the Idris...”

Line 32: “Whom Islamic tradition identifies with Enoch and Hiram and considers, like Ilyas
and also Saint George, as having a close spiritual affinity with al-Khadir.”

“P. 181”. – At the beginning: “As to the resemblance between al-Khadir and Saint George, it
is in this connection...”

Line 11: “To some European parallels” and remove the end of the sentence.
Lines 13-14: Remove “Khadir belongs to the Wandering Jew type.” (This sentence could
only be kept on the condition of being followed by long explanations, for it raises a
“dangerous” question that is preferable to avoid, especially due to Gustav Meyrinck’s novel
The Green Face which uses this similarity from beginning to end but by presenting it in a
caricatured manner, and whose inspiration is largely “counter-initiatic”.)

Ligne 33: “All these iconographical types...”

I hope you shall accept these modifications which are rather important, even though the
reasons for some of them may be evident only for someone who lives in a strictly Islamic
ambience...
In addition, it would perhaps be good to add a few lines at the end, whose gist would be more
or less the following: “We have considered here only one aspect of al-Khadir; there are of
course others, especially the aspect that regards more properly his initiatic role, and which are
moreover in perfect harmony with the latter, but which would give rise to other
considerations that lie beyond the scope of this study.”

I hope that you have another copy available, on which the corrections could be made more
easily, as this would spare you the trouble of making a copy (and also because of the
illustrations). I beg you that when this is done you send it directly to M. Préau, in order to
avoid any delay, for he must naturally be given the time to translate it.

I believe I have not left out any indication, and I thank you most sincerely in advance for all
of this.