AS we mentioned in the last week’s article, any epic starts nor¬mally with a true small story and builds dynamically more details as it moves from one generation to another and from one specif¬ic geographical location to another.
The Hilalyah Epic is not an exception; it starts with the true story of the migration of a group of Arab tribes known as the Hilaly Alliance that dates back to the eighth century. This tribe had moved on a long journey from the Arabian Peninsula west¬-wards to Egypt and North Africa.
The Hilalyah Epic refers to places and events, in addition to its value as a sociological, artistic and folk document in this refer¬ence to traditional food, customs and practices, as well as poetry and riddles. It is also a reflection of traditional art, costumes, jewelry and cosmetics, as well as the norms and general ethos of the community, including its entertainment habits and rituals of communion and social interaction.
The Sirah Hilalyah consists of four distinct parts: The Birth of the Hero ‘Abu Zaid’; the Scouting or Reconnaissance Mission (Arriyada);’ the Westwards Migration (Taghriba); and the Book of the Orphans (Kitab Al-Aytam).
In this article, we will explore the first episode, which starts with the story of the marriage between Rizq and Khadra Al¬-Sharifa (Sharifa means the descendant of Prophet Mohamed).
Rizq is a leader of a bedouin tribe in the Arabian Peninsula, called Beni Hilal. Being an old man, he was longing for a baby boy. After 11 years of infertility, Khadra descends with 90 maid¬ens to the river. She sees a powerful and victorious black bird dis¬persing all other birds from the river. She makes a wish for a son exactly like this powerful black bird so that the son might one day rule over Tunis. Nine months later, she delivers a black baby boy; our hero Abu Zaid. The father, Rizq, repudiates both mother and child, and sends them back to her homeland Mecca.
A magical saviour, called Al-Khidre, descends from heaven to protect them on their journey to Mecca. Khadra and her son are abandoned in the desert where they are attacked by a nomadic plundering tribe (The Atwan). Again, Al-Khidre, this time in the shape of a lion, attacks and disperses their enemies. He carries off the infant Abu Zaid, names him ‘Barakat’ and instructs him in the arts of magic. Abu Zaid and his mother then were welcomed by the Emir of Zahlan tribes and granted his protection. So Abu Zaid grows up among the Zahlans and begins a Qur’an school (Kuttab). One day when the Qur’an teacher tries to beat him, Abu Zaid fights back and kills his teacher. At that time, his mother chose to inform him of his history. Abu Zaid, though still a child, now becomes the feared person in the school. It is at this point of the story that Abu Zaid embarks upon his career of warfare and killing.
