『무알라까트』에 나타난 ‘삶’ 모티프 연구 -여성, 낙타, 부족주의 모티프를 중심으로

Abstract

This research deals with some motifs—including sayings, images and views portraying the life of man—that are represented in the Mu‘allaqāt (المعلقات), an anthology of seven long Arabic poems in the Jāhiliyah (pre-Islamic) era. In my previous paper, “A Study on the Motifs of Man’s Mortal Fate, as Represented in the Mu‘allaqāt,” I argued that atlāl’s (أطلال traces of nomads’ staying) introduction and other parts of poems imply man’s death to be an inevitable destiny. My contention in this paper is that relatively many parts of the Mu‘allaqāt are full of motifs indicating man’s life, liveliness and activity. I also assert that three particularly important motifs are the woman, camel, and tribalism motifs. The woman motif, represented by descriptions of the attractive female body, man’s longing for his female partner, scenes of passionate love, and love entanglement, focuses on the narrative of sexuality and shows an enthusiasm for life. The camel motif is an important element coinciding with Arab nomads’ emotions in that the camel is an animal which endures the barrenness of the desert. The images of camels in the poems—which are characterized by the camel’s physical toughness, patience and persistence—are associated with man’s strong will to survive despite harsh circumstances. By revealing the life as it was during the pre-Islamic era, the tribalism motif forms a contrast with the above two motifs with connotative meanings. Narratives of tribalism in the poems such as those depicting one’s devotion to his tribe, one helping his tribesmen in difficult situations, warriors fighting for their tribes, and poets acting as spokesmen for their tribes imply the pre-Islamic Arabs’ will to live by attaching great importance to the affairs of their tribes. As a whole, I think that the Mu‘allaqāt shows the Arabs’ will to be faithful to life and their struggle for existence, while recognizing their fate to eventually die.