A ṣarf talisman from Ghayl Bā Wazīr, Ḥaḍramawt

This article addresses the written and functional aspects of magic practices in South Arabia. Based on new data collected by the author during his field season in Ḥaḍramawt in 2008, it provides a case study of a talisman called ṣarf (literally "pebble"). The most effective magic texts have...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 2010-01, Vol.40, p.293-301
Main Author: Rodionov, Mikhail
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Leathers
Museum exhibits
Muslims
Naming conventions
Pebbles
Plenary Session
Talismans
Viziers
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Summary:This article addresses the written and functional aspects of magic practices in South Arabia. Based on new data collected by the author during his field season in Ḥaḍramawt in 2008, it provides a case study of a talisman called ṣarf (literally "pebble"). The most effective magic texts have to be written on a robust substance with a durable paint (e.g. saffron, dragon-blood resin, etc.) in the belief that the integrity of the letters and material guards the power of a talisman. The ṣarf under examination (from about the first half of the twentieth century), however, was written on paper, according to modern practice. It was kept between two layers of leather in the dagger sheath of a Bedouin ʿAwaḍb. Ṭiflah (in ṣarf talismans only maternal names are mentioned). Analysis of the written text and discussions with local informants demonstrates that the old Arabian tradition, articulated in the famous Shams al-maʿṣrif of Aḥmad b. ʿAlī al-Būnī (d. 1225), of trying to keep the delicate balance between "white" and "black" magic is still alive in Ghayl Bā Wazīr, al-Shiḥr, Shibām, Tarīm, and elsewhere in Ḥaḍramawt.
ISSN:0308-8421