Descriptions of the Body in Biographies and Their Social Meanings

Abstract

Pre-modern authors of biographies use descriptions of bodily features in order to portray a person. These descriptions have not been analysed in a systematic way. As an exemplary start to such an enquiry, I concentrate on the biographies of contemporaries by the Mamluk author al-Ṣafadī. Focusing on his use of the qualification “handsome figure” for males, I try to understand its meaning in the context of the individual biography. I argue against the interpretation that bodily features were meant by al-Ṣafadī to reflect the person’s moral character. I show that the handsome figure was perceived as a positive value in its own right. Highlighting the body in this way indicates the importance of the body in pre-modern Arabic culture for the appreciation of individuals.