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The Epic Poet in Egyptian Tradition

The record of the deeds of the ancient Arab heroes is preserved in legendary biographies (sīra, pl. siyar), in semi-classical language. Epic songs which tell the Sīrat Banī Hilāl, the Hilali conquest of Ifrīqiyā (Tripolitania-Tunisia) in the XIth century, are still kept alive in Egypt by a few professional epic singers, continuing an old oral poetry tradition. The story-tellers are called ‘poets’ (shāᶜir, pl. shu ᶜarā′) and accompany themselves with a string instrument, the rabāba, or a large drum. The Hilali knights are regarded as models of valour, wisdom, and virility. The poet, being the preserver of such a noble tradition, is a popular character in Upper Egypt society, but at the same time he is socially an outcast, a gypsy. Epic songs are usually performed at religious festivals (the anniversary of the Prophet or local saints, during the nights of Ramadan, or family celebrations).