Arabian mythology, also known as Arab mythology and pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, was the polytheistic and pagan religion of pre-Islamic Arabia. Before the rise of Islam, Arab mythology was the dominant religion in the Middle East. Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism were also major religions in the the pre-Islamic Middle East alongside Arabian mythology.
Shards of Arabian mythology[]
- North Arabian mythology (AKA Arabic mythology)
- South Arabian mythology (AKA Sayhadic mythology, Yemenite mythology)
- Maltese folklore
History[]
Kaaba[]
In Arabian mythology, the Prophet Abraham built the Kaaba in the city of Mecca. The Kaaba became a site of ritual and worship in Arabian mythology. Abraham became viewed as the founder of the religion, with Arab mythology being considered the 'religion of Abraham' by its followers.
Quraysh[]
In the 230s, Qusayy ibn Kilab established the Quraysh as a tribal confederation and monarchy based in Mecca. The Quraysh became the dominant protectors of Arab mythology as a religion. The Quraysh were defeated by the Muslim forces of the Prophet Muhammad in 630, bringing an end to the dominance of Arab mythology in the Middle East as the stone forms of the Arab deities were smashed by the Prophet and his forces, declaring Allah to be the sole god.
Myths[]
The myths in Arabian mythology lacked stories, being more focused on just the gods themselves that were worshiped. The main gods in the Arab myths were Allah, Allāt, Al-Uzza, and Manat. Allat, Al-Uzza, and Manat were believed to be the daughters of Allah. Allat is often compared to the Greek goddess of Aphrodite. Many other deities also existed in Arab mythology, including the moon god 'Amm. Abgal was another one, being worshipped primarily by nomads. Al-Qaum was the god of war and night, being comparable to the Greek god Ares.
Compared to other mythologies[]
Greek mythology[]
While Arabian mythology and Greek mythology do not share many direct commonalities, several comparisons have been drawn between Greek and Arabian myths. For instance, the mythic Arabian god Allat has been compared to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, most notably in a comparison drawn between the two by the Persian Herodotus in the fifth century BCE.
Islamic mythology[]
Islamic mythology, ecompassing the myth and folklore of the Islamic religion, has many commonalities with Arabian mythology. This is mainly because the religion of Islam evolved in the Arabian peninsula in the 600s and many of the old Arab cultural practices were adopted into early Islamic culture. For instance, the jinn was originally an Arabian mythic concept that was adopted into Islamic mythology.