Antarah ibn Shaddad

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Lore & Background

Antarah was born in Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. His father was an Arab, Shaddad al-Absi, a respected warrior of the Banu Abs under their chief Zuhayr. His mother was an Ethiopian woman named Zabibah. Described as one of three 'Arab crows' (Aghribah al-'Arab)—famous Arabs with a dark complexion—Antarah grew up a slave. He fell in love with his cousin Abla, but could not hope to marry her owing to his position. He also gained the enmity of his father's wife Sumayya. He gained attention and respect for himself by his personal qualities and courage in battle, excelling as an accomplished poet and a mighty warrior. He earned his freedom after the Tayy tribe invaded the lands of the Banu Abs at the start of the Dahis and al-Ghabra war. When his father said to him, 'Antarah, fight with the warriors', he replied 'the slave doesn't know how to invade or how to defend, but is only good for milking goats and serving his masters'. His father answered him: 'Defend your tribe, O Antar, and you are free.' So he fought with his tribe and they were able to defeat the attackers. After defeating the invaders, he sought to gain permission to marry Abla, his cousin for whom he wrote many love poems. To secure permission to marry, Antarah had to face challenges including getting a special kind of camel from the Northern Arab Lakhmid Kingdom, then under al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir. The time and manner of his death are a matter of dispute. Ibn Duraid has him slain by Wasr ibn Jabir or in battle against the Tayy, while according to Abu Obeida, he died naturally of old age.

Reader's Guide

Antarah's poetry is well-preserved and often talks of chivalrous values, courage, and heroism in battle as well as his love for Abla. It was immortalized when one of his poems was included in the Mu'allaqat, the collection of poems legendarily said to have been suspended in the Kaaba. His poetry's historical and cultural importance stems from its detailed descriptions of battles, armour, weapons, horses, desert, and other themes from his time. Antara's poems are published in Wilhelm Ahlwardt's The Divans of the six ancient Arabic poets (London, 1870); they have also been published separately at Beirut (1888). The Romance of Antar (Sirat Antar ibn Shaddad) is a work which was long handed down by oral tradition only; it has grown to immense proportions and has been published in 32 volumes at Cairo (1889), and in 10 volumes at Beirut, 1871. It was partly translated by Terrick Hamilton under the title Antar, a Bedoueen Romance (4 volumes, London, 1820). In addition, Sirat Antar was translated into Turkish by the order of Sultan Mehmed II in 1477. The story of Antar and Abla was embroidered into a poetic saga traditionally credited to al-Asma'i, a poet in the court of Harun al-Rashid. It is still recited by traditional storytellers in Arab coffee houses. Its importance has been compared with English literature's Arthurian romances. One of the seven clans of Bethlehem is called the Anatreh, named after Antarah. It formerly acted as the guardians of the Church of the Nativity. In the Folk Epic Sīrat ʿAntar, Antar regularly battles the Crusaders and even helps the Byzantine Emperor fight them off. The Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his Symphony No. 2 based on the legend of Antar. In 1898 the French painter Étienne Dinet published his translation of a 13th-century epic Arab poem Antar. Antar is the title of the first Palestinian opera, composed by the Palestinian musician Mustapha al-Kurd in 1988. In the late 1940s the British Lorry Manufacturer Thornycroft began the design of an oilfield tractor; the chosen name for the new Thornycroft tractor was the Thornycroft Mighty Antar, with the Antar moniker chosen with reference to the mighty Warrior Antar.

Did You Know?

• Antarah was one of three 'Arab crows' (Aghribah al-'Arab)—famous Arabs with a dark complexion.
• He earned his freedom when his father said 'Defend your tribe, O Antar, and you are free' during the Dahis and al-Ghabra war.
• The Romance of Antar (Sirat Antar ibn Shaddad) was published in 32 volumes at Cairo in 1889.
• Sirat Antar was translated into Turkish by order of Sultan Mehmed II in 1477.
• One of the seven clans of Bethlehem, the Anatreh, is named after Antarah and formerly acted as guardians of the Church of the Nativity.

Origins and the Weight of Inheritance

Antarah ibn Shaddad al-Absi (Arabic: عنترة بن شدّاد العبسيّ, romanized: ʿantara ibn šaddād al-ʿabsiyy; 525–608 AD) was born in Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. His father was an Arab, Shaddad al-Absi, a respected warrior of the Banu Abs under their chief Zuhayr. His mother was an Ethiopian woman named Zabibah. He was described as one of three 'Arab crows' (Aghribah al-'Arab)—famous Arabs with a dark complexion. Antarah grew up a slave. He fell in love with his cousin Abla, but could not hope to marry her owing to his position. He also gained the enmity of his father's wife Sumayya. He gained attention and respect for himself by his personal qualities and courage in battle, excelling as an accomplished poet and a mighty warrior.

The Battle That Broke His Chains

He earned his freedom after the Tayy tribe invaded the lands of the Banu Abs at the start of the Dahis and al-Ghabra war. When his father said to him, 'Antarah, fight with the warriors', he replied 'the slave doesn't know how to invade or how to defend, but is only good for milking goats and serving his masters'. His father answered him: 'Defend your tribe, O Antar, and you are free.' So he fought with his tribe and they were able to defeat the attackers. After defeating the invaders, he sought to gain permission to marry Abla, his cousin for whom he wrote many love poems. To secure permission to marry, Antarah had to face challenges including getting a special kind of camel from the Northern Arab Lakhmid Kingdom, then under al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir.

Verses Hung in the Sacred House

Antarah's poetry is well-preserved and often talks of chivalrous values, courage, and heroism in battle as well as his love for Abla. It was immortalized when one of his poems was included in the Mu'allaqat, the collection of poems legendarily said to have been suspended in the Kaaba. His poetry's historical and cultural importance stems from its detailed descriptions of battles, armour, weapons, horses, desert, and other themes from his time. Antara's poems are published in Wilhelm Ahlwardt's The Divans of the six ancient Arabic poets (London, 1870); they have also been published separately at Beirut (1888). The Romance of Antar (Sirat Antar ibn Shaddad) is a work which was long handed down by oral tradition only; it has grown to immense proportions and has been published in 32 volumes at Cairo (1889), and in 10 volumes at Beirut, 1871. It was partly translated by Terrick Hamilton under the title Antar, a Bedoueen Romance (4 volumes, London, 1820). In addition, Sirat Antar was translated into Turkish by the order of Sultan Mehmed II in 1477.

A Legend That Outlived the Ages

The story of Antar and Abla was embroidered into a poetic saga traditionally credited to al-Asma'i, a poet in the court of Harun al-Rashid. It is still recited by traditional storytellers in Arab coffee houses. Its importance has been compared with English literature's Arthurian romances. One of the seven clans of Bethlehem is called the Anatreh, named after Antarah. It formerly acted as the guardians of the Church of the Nativity. In the Folk Epic Sīrat ʿAntar, Antar regularly battles the Crusaders and even helps the Byzantine Emperor fight them off. This anachronism stems from the fact that the Epic took shape during the era of the Crusades. The Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his Symphony No. 2 based on the legend of Antar. In 1898 the French painter Étienne Dinet published his translation of a 13th-century epic Arab poem Antar. Antar is the title of the first Palestinian opera, composed by the Palestinian musician Mustapha al-Kurd in 1988. In the late 1940s the British Lorry Manufacturer Thornycroft began the design of an oilfield tractor; the chosen name for the new Thornycroft tractor was the Thornycroft Mighty Antar, with the Antar moniker chosen with reference to the mighty Warrior Antar.

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