Al-Mas‘udi on the Important Personalities of the Arabic Olden Days. The Legendary Tradition about the Nizar’s Sons’ Partition of Fatherly Legacy

Abstract

Among the materials of Murudj al-Dhahab wa Ma‘adin al-Djawhar (“The Meadows of Gold and the Mines of Gems”) by al-Mas‘udi (10th century), dedicated to pre-Islamic Arabia, one notes the legendary tradition about the sons of Nizar, the for-father of the so called Northern Arabs: Unable to comprehend their father’s testimony, they turned for help to the wise king al-Af‘a b. al-Af‘a al-Djuhumi. On their way to the sage and during their stay at his lodging Nizar’s sons manifested unusual power for insight, earned the host’s favour and managed with the king’s help to understand their father’s will. It appeared that the testimony later influenced Nizar’s sons’ descendants’ way of life, as well as that of the members of major Arab tribes and tribe unions. The author displays the folklore origin of the story under study and also shows that, from the viewpoint of al-Mas‘udi, Nizar’s sons proved to be the masters of kiyafa, the specific Bedouin art of divination. Some tribes and clans of their descendants were later renowned for practicing that sort of skill. In addition to the study the author presents an academic translation of al-Mas‘udi’s version of the legendary tradition under question, as it is framed by an important cultural and historical context. Besides, the legend as presented by al-Mas‘udi possesses uncontestable literary qualities. For the sake of comparison, the academic translation of the version, presented by al-Tabari (839–923), is also delivered.