Arabian mythology is the ancient pre-Islamic beliefs of the
Arab people. Prior to Mohammed and Islam
the Kaaba in Mecca was still a very important religious site, decorated with
symbols representing a myriad of demons, demigods, and djinns of the
polytheistic. The chief god in the
Arabian Peninsula was Hubal. His
daughters were the chief goddesses of Meccan Arabian pantheon were Al-lat,
Al-Uzza, and Manat. Al-lat is the
goddess of Arabian mythology associated with the underworld, while Al-Uzza “the
mightiest one” is the goddess of fertility.
She was traditionally played to for protection before battle. Manat was the goddess of fate. The pre-Islamic tribes of the Arabian
Peninsula worshiped these gods. Manat
had idols in both present-day Mecca and Medina.
The Kaaba, now the holy site for the hajj pilgrimage in Islam was a
highly religious site in this pre-Islamic Naktabean culture. In the Kaaba before Mohammed their were 360
idols representing the days of the year.
The monsters of pre-Islamic mythology were mainly the ghouls,
desert-dwelling shape-shifting demons that can assume the guise of many
animals, especially hyenas. They lure
unwary travelers into the desert where they devour them. After the coming of the Prophet and the
spread of Islam the previous Arabic mythology was abandoned or discouraged by
the new caliphates. The Kaaba was later
adopted by Islam as the place where Mohammed spoke with Allah, and is the site
of holy pilgrimage.
When learning about mythology I almost instantly think about Greek mythology. It has been taught in school and we often see it in movies and it has to be the most popular. However this opened my eyes and I found that learing about Islamic mythology has some similarities and differences in its mytology. I also thought the different gods and goddesses were very interesting and would like to see images of what they were thought to look like. Great post. Thanks.
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