| ID | 157836 |
| Title Proper | Signs from above |
| Other Title Information | towards a comparative symbology of bird imagery in medieval near eastern popular prose |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Schine, Rachel |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article presents excerpts from two near-contemporary works of popular prose from the medieval Near East: the Persian Dārāb-nāmeh and the Arabic Sīrat Banī Hilāl. In each, birds or birdlike characters (the sīmorgh and the crow, respectively) that share in having had theriomorphic, mythic significance in regional pre-Islamic traditions dispense premonitory wisdom to Muslim characters. Comparing these passages, the article contends that the characterization of these birds brokers a pietistic shift in symbolism between the pre-Islamic and Islamic context, while still maintaining the birds’ mystical significance and sustaining the trope of birds as winged, heaven-sent messengers. This modified association between birds and divine ministry is not only prominent in these two texts, but also in the Qurʾān and varied bestiaries, poetry, and belletristic works that comprise these texts’ cultural network. |
| `In' analytical Note | Iranian Studies Vol. 51, No.1; Jan 2018: p.47-68 |
| Journal Source | Iranian Studies Vol: 51 No 1 |
| Key Words | Symbology of Bird Imagery ; Medieval Near Eastern Popular Prose |