Arabic Folk Epic

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course aims is a survey of the history of popular oral tradition (sira sha`biyya) narrated by storyteller (hakawati) in public spaces. It shows the importance of oral tradition to accent political and cultural values. Themes such as valor, proverbs and the role of women will be examined. The course will cover stories from the siras of Antara bin Shaddad, Dhat al-Himma, al-Zahir Baybars and Bani Hilal. In addition to print materials, students will make use of the Media and DVDs to watch, analyze and critique performances. Goals and Objectives The course aims to expand students’ understanding of Arab society and culture through reading and listening to renowned examples of the popular narrative tradition. At the same time it aims to consolidate and develop students’ command of Arabic in terms of aural-oral, reading and writing skills and to expose them to various styles of performances and narrative in both MSA and colloquial. Finally, it will develop students’ ability to compare, analyze and evaluate performance and narrative techniques, whether print or oral. The course will be taught in Arabic with Arabic texts and performance videos. Secondary readings on popular tradition and performance will be in English and Arabic.