The Adventures of Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan: An Arab Folk Epic

For contemporary readers, The Adventures of Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan offers unusual perspectives on issues of gender, religion, race, and ethnicity, as woven into the art of an oral narrative. Composed between the 13th and 16th centuries during the Mamluk age, this folk romance is still cherished by storytellers in the Middle East. Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan was an historical figure, a 6th-century Arab king who ruled in Yemen before the rise of Islam. The fantastic tales of his trials and exploits are recounted in this epic. Colourful panoramas of heroic feats, magical escapades, bizarre landscapes and beings, brief or long-lasting love affairs, sincere friendships, demonic hatreds, supernatural forces, and dark spells propel this sira - an Arabic romance in the tradition of One Thousand and One Nights - within reach for Western audiences.