For questions about the mythology of cultures in the Middle East, such as Persia.
Questions tagged [arabic]
11 questions
24
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How were djinn traditionally depicted in pre-Islamic Arabic myth?
Today, many people are aware of "genies" as beings from Arabic myth, mostly thanks to Disney's Aladdin. Other works of fantasy have often co-opted djinn as creatures in their worlds.
But Disney's depiction of a genie is, shall we say, cartoonish,…
senshin
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Have any cultures of N, NW or E Europe used symbols for warding off the "evil eye" that are related to ones used around the Mediterranean?
Painted figures on the prows of boats and amulets for warding off the "evil eye", sometimes themselves called "evil eyes", are used around the Mediterranean and connected seas (North Africa, the Levant, Turkey, Greece, Albania, southern Italy and…
user1637
8
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1 answer
Who is the female figure in the Nirgul tablet?
The Nirgul tablet (also known as Cerberus relief) was a Parthian relief carving of the Mesopotamian god Nergal, a three-headed dog and a seated female figure:
According to Wikipedia, which cites Lucinda Dirven's paper A Goddess with dogs from…
yannis
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Anat and Ištar (west Semitic deity), did these deities derive from the same Semitic deity?
Apparently, Astarte/Athtart/Ashtart the Phoenician/Carthaginian goddess was a variation of (or that she simply derived from the same religious figure) the Babylonian Ishtar (who was herself a fusion of Inanna and some Akkadian goddess named Ištar),…
Cognitive
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Where did the idea of the 'City in Bottle' Originate?
Where did the well known trope of a 'City in a Bottle', as associated with middle eastern mythology, originate?
It is referenced in modern culture (see the City in a Bottle Magic the Gathering Card, Sandman #50: Ramadan by Neil Gaiman, etc), and is…
Emmett P
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4
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Djinn and devils/demons question
I know that ancient Arabians had a mythology about evil creatures made of dust and fire called djinn, now my question is this: how were they different from Demons and devils?
Abraham Ray
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4
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Miniature with man falling into a chasm and a camel—what is the myth being depicted here?
As far as I understand, it's from the "Ahmed I Falnama" from the 16th century. I haven't been able to find any commentary on this particular miniature, however.
Some things to note: The camel looks freaked out, possibly angry, possibly scared. The…
FünfzehnFledermäuse
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The Quranic Quintet
There are a number of pre-Islamic deities mentioned in the Quran. Five particular deities are often grouped together (maybe always, I'm not sure): Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr. Save for Wadd, who according to Wikipedia was a lunar deity and…
Harel13
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2
votes
1 answer
1001 Nights - Movie faithful to the outer story?
I have heard of the story of 1001 Nights, and I know there have been tons of films made based on the stories in it. However, I am having difficulty finding a film that actually uses as a framework the fact that the king takes a bride every day and…
ec59601
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2
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Are there any non-European versions of "Elves" in Indian/Persian/Arabic/Chinese/Meso-American folklore/fairy tales?
Basically the traits should be long life, good looks, pointy features, thin, magically adept and closer to divinity.
I think, Yaksha of Hindu Mythology
could potentially be one candidate but he seems to ugly (broad features).
So, if anyone knows of…
Abhay_Bhai
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Pre-Islamic Arabic dust worship?
The Talmud in Bava Metzia 86b says on the story of Abraham and the three angels (emphasis mine):
"The Gemara continues its analysis of the verse: “Let now a little water be fetched and wash your feet” (Genesis 18:4). Rabbi Yannai, son of Rabbi…
Harel13
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