Ishtar manifestations in the Jahili Poetry

Discussion Committee: 
Prof. Ihsan Al-Deik/suprvisor
Dr.Taha Taha/external examiner
Dr. Nader Qasem/internal examiner
Prof. Ihsan Al-Deik/suprvisor
Nadia Ziad Mohammed Salman
This study highlighted the poetic production in the Jahiliyya that it focused on having a review of its poetry by using the legendary methodology. This is to reveal the grand presence of Ishtar in the Jahiliyya poetry and how she was formed in the imagination of the Jahiliyya. Besides, it tackled how her symbols were summoned in the poetic lines showing her colorful duality of black and white. This study took the cream of the crop of the humanitarian studies, archaeological studies and its proven manuscripts in the books and encyclopedias of mythology in order to explain the reality of Ishtar in the popular mentality by tracing it in examples from the Jahiliyya poetry. It also consisted of an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion. To begin with, the introduction talked about the significance of the study, the purpose behind choosing it, and the method of analyzing the poetic lines. Then, the first chapter, which was entitled as: “The greatest mother: her worship rituals and its sacrifices across nations”. In addition, it was divided into three sub-sections. To begin with, the first tackled a quick review to the concept of “myths” in terms of their definition and birth in the Arab culture, its connection to the cosmos, religions and rituals. The second focused on its rituals and sacrifices among nations. Finally, the third sub-section explored the rooted heritage of Ishtar in the humanitarian literature such as the myth of the fall of Ishtar to the world below representing the cycle of plants in nature. The second chapter, which was entitled as: “The presence of Ishtar in the methodological ideology of Al-Jahiliyya”. It was also divided into three sub-sections. The first sub-section talked about the earthly and heavenly symbols of Ishtar such as Ishtar the earth, Ishtar the fertile woman whose value rose in her time. The last symbol was the heavenly Ishtar representing the planet of beauty leading to the myth of the ascendance of the flower to heavens. The second sub-section focused on Ishtar the heavenly flower and her earthly symbolism explaining how they were symbols for one goddess, the creator of the worlds. Finally, the third sub-section explored the worship of trees by making them sacred connecting this to the universal myth of maternity. This was done through the myth of Morra or the bitter tree. It reveals the habit of worshipping trees as a descendant of worshipping maternity such as worshipping the palm at Najran, worshipping “Dhat Anwat” tree and the worshipping “Samarat Ozza Al.Thalath”. Then, the researcher started to talk about the camels’ journey in the Jahiliyya period and their connection to palm trees and women as two symbols of worshipping maternity. The third chapter talked, which was entitled as: “Ishtar with her black and white faces”. It was divided into two main sub-sections. The first tackled the material and moral characteristics of white Ishtar represented as a fat fertile woman. The whiteness is significant since it is one of the sacred colors of flowers. Ishtar’s white mask also signifies Ishtar the love spring. The second explored the raptorial black Ishtar as a symbol of killing and destruction. The researcher also elaborated on the symbol of Ishtar, which was wine, as the symbol of the blood god and the habit of drinking in wars. Then, it explored the fertile women and the priestess symbols and their relation to war by dropping the humane characteristics of the fertile woman. It also cleared the way of connecting the camel as one of the original symbols of Ishtar. There was another connection to Ishtar through wars which were raged in the past such as “Al-Basus “war. The other example is Saleh’s she-camel which led to the doom of his people. The poet used this metaphor of the fertile she-camel to refer to wars which were raged and cooled again. The fourth chapter was entitled as “The presence of the Ishtar’s religious symbols in the Jahili poetry”. It was divided into seven sub-sections, namely: Ishtar the doll, Ishtar the star, Ishtar the egg, Ishtar the ghazal, Ishtar the pigeon, Ishtar the sheep and Ishtar the tree. The Jahili poet tackled Ishtar’s religious symbols as the greatest goddess to reveal its legendary heritage and creed, which goes deep in the history of human civilization represented by worshipping maternity. The researcher finished her study by summarizing the most important results followed by a list of resources, which were arranged alphabetically.
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