The Eagle Myth and the Search for Eternity in the Al-Jahilia Poetry

Abstract

The eagle acquired the lion share in terms of Al-Jahilee (pre-Islam era) man’s attention, and was the most tied to his misgivings. That man binded the bird with the thoughts of nobleness, which elevated it out of the circle of bestiality to a point of near holiness. The research tries to unravel the reasons for making the eagle enjoy such a sanctity and the secrets behind linking it with the eternity in the mind of Al-Jahilia man. The research endeavors to find out the grounds for making it such a myth in terms of its strength, its connection with the death, its elevation and highness, its fertility and ties to life. The study takes Luqman’s story, whose landmarks fainted, and became a narrative, as an attestation for making the bird a legend, and its linkup to the imperishability.