Tribal belonging in Pre-Islamic poetry (Between kinship and the awareness of kinship)
الانتماء القبلي في نماذج من الشعر الجاهلي
(بين العصبية والوعي العصبي)
Ali Asha, Department of Arabic, Faculty of Science and Arts, Al Hashimia University, Zarqa, Jordan.
Abstract
The study looks at tribal belonging in Pre-Islamic poetry through studying some selected models of this poetry. In addition, considering poetry as the prominent factor for the cultural identity for Pre-Islamic community, the study investigates the social structure of the Arabic Pre-Islamic community and its integration in Pre-Islamic poem. The study attempts to analyze the fact of tribal belonging which relies basically on tribal kinship which was sometimes connected with feelings of proud, and with power in other times creating solid power around itself so that it could meet the environmental and historical challenges where the drought and war exemplified two important marks in the Pre-Islamic history. Kinship had taken another track in Pre-Islamic intuition, and it created another centeredness going parallel with it. This was exemplified in the kinship awareness which related to human and ethical concept. This kinship awareness made the poetic self try to create balance between power and truth, seeking “compliment” and “praise” and at the same time to resist the crumbling situation of the community that was exhausted by tribal conflict and dispute.