'The Fire Borrowed from Magus': Sacred and Profane Fire Traditions in Pre-Islamic Arabia
The present article analyses beliefs, superstitions and customs related to fire in pre-Islamic Arabia, as reflected in pre-Islamic tradition, Jāhiliyya poetry and medieval Muslim sources. First, the influence of Zoroastrianism on the mental-spiritual life of pre-Islamic Arabs will be explored; in th...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2019]
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| In: |
Ancient Near Eastern studies
Year: 2019, Volume: 56, Pages: 329-345 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | The present article analyses beliefs, superstitions and customs related to fire in pre-Islamic Arabia, as reflected in pre-Islamic tradition, Jāhiliyya poetry and medieval Muslim sources. First, the influence of Zoroastrianism on the mental-spiritual life of pre-Islamic Arabs will be explored; in this context, ancient Arabs’ forms of worship and superstitions borrowed from Zoroastrianism (nār al-istimṭār, nār al-taḥāluf, nār al-Sālim) are discussed. Next, some records concerning the ancient Arabian fire temple — the so-called Nār al-ḥārratayn — will be reviewed. Among Zoroastrian rites, the ordeal by fire that was practised by pre-Islamic Arabs in the south of Arabia will be considered. The second part of the article explores indigenous Arabian rites and traditions related to fire, proceeding on the assumption that fire played a crucial role in the life of desert nations, as well as inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. The nār al-qirā, nār al-Ḥubāḥib, nār al-jinn and nār al-ḥarb will be considered. |
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| ISSN: | 0065-0382 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Ancient Near Eastern studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2143/ANES.56.0.3286822 |