Lux vs. Low: MakeupJul.19.2020
Since the dawn of man, people have been passing down stories. Some of them true, some of them fantasy. The oral tradition of passing down stories predates literacy and writing in any form. It was how we communicated with one another, not just fables and legends, but how to maintain society and flourish. Different cultures and countries have myths and legends that originated with that people, in that corner of the globe. Think of the fairy-folk of Europe, or the Norse mythology of the thunder god Thor. The Middle East is not without its own interesting myths and legends. While some are widely known the world over, like Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves, djinn, or Aladdin and his magic lamp, here we’ll take a look at some of the lesser known examples. How many have you heard of?
This example of Arabian myths and legends comes from the cosmological book The Wonders of Creation. These types of birds are exclusively female, and are sometimes depicted in modern times as phoenix like creatures. The 4 winged-bird is fabled to live for some 1700 years, producing a single chick when it is around 500 years old. In the Islamic tradition, it was said that the bird was created by God, and the epitome of perfection. Because of its long life, the bird was considered to be very wise and gave out moral advice, as well as chided the wicked. Taking off for ages and returning but seldom, as the story goes, she can be found at “the place of the setting of the sun”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXtOldpLAb/
The exact nature of this creature from several Arabian myths does vary slightly depending on time and source. A Qareen is the spiritual double of a human. They can exist either in a parallel dimension, or they can dwell within the human her/himself. Think of them as your evil doppelganger in an alternate universe. Qareen are even mentioned in the Quran. According to some sources, the Qareen is there to nudge a human towards acting malevolently, feeding the person evil suggestions. However, if the person does good deeds and behaves virtuously, so their Qareen can turn to the side of good. Another legend states that Qareen is just a blanket term, referring to any sort of spirit, angel, or demon that may accompany humans.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BekqRIshYRz/
It’s not hard to imagine an ancient city being lost to the sands, both the sands of time and well, literal sand. Petra, anyone? While the Lost City of Atlantis has long been a popular bit of legend, the Atlantis of the Sands is a part of the pantheon of Arabian myths and legends. The city in question is referred to by many names, including Wabar, Iram, Ubar, and Iram of the Pillars. It is said that the legendary city was lost due to the wrath of God, or by natural disaster.
Whether this place truly is a myth, or actually exists, has been a source of serious debate among scholars, historians, archaeologists, and explorers. Though it was claimed that the city may have been discovered in 1992 in Oman, few believe the archaeological site that was unearthed is actually Ubar. Many think it still waits to be found, out there somewhere, under countless grains of sand.
