The Mythology of Women in Eastern Islamic Travel Literature from the Third to the Seventh Hijri Centuries

Abstract

This study seeks to elucidate the representation of women in Eastern Islamic travel literature from the third to the seventh century Hijri through critical analysis of texts by Eastern Muslim travelers during this period. It reveals that women in these travel narratives were not merely social subjects; rather, they appear as mythological symbols embodying meanings shared between mythology and history, intertwined with social and popular beliefs, as well as religious and cultural worldviews. Women were associated with natural phenomena, wonders, and cosmic marvels. They assumed the role of the mythical maiden emerging from the belly of the fish, evolving into an image symbolizing annihilation and companionship in death with their lord, the king, at the moment of his passing. Moreover, the mythology of women contributed to shaping the collective imagination of the travelers, as projections linked to the hidden powers of plants and waters were attributed to them through the connection of female fertility with the Ghabeera trees or the alteration of women's natures upon drinking sulfurous waters. This reflects the disposition of Eastern Muslim travelers in synthesizing geographical reality and popular traditions with metaphysical interpretations of historical events.

The study concluded that the woman in Eastern travel literature serves as a cultural mirror reflecting the nature of humanity in the medieval Islamic centuries, as humanity grappled with concerns surrounding the body, desire, the sacred, and nature, portraying her as a being embodying fertility, mortality, awe, and seduction. This characterization positioned her as a central figure for comprehending the relationship between humanity, history, nature, and mythology.