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Should Blood Blend with Milk
A History of Incitement to Vengeance in Arabic Poetry from Jahili Voice to Militant Jihadist Verse
Series: - Islamic Thought and History, Volume: 3
Author:
In Should Blood Blend with Milk, Dena Fakhro offers an account of Middle Eastern conflicts told from the perspective of Arabic poetry and the blood feud. Far from being confined to antiquity, verse promoting bloody retribution continues to be generated by armed groups, whereas among moderates there are lampoons which instead serve as protest and warning.
Traditionally, blood vengeance is a requirement for settling scores and restoring honour to injured parties. By making wide use of poems ranging from pre-Islamic Arabia, the medieval caliphates and the modern map of the Middle East, Fakhro proves these texts belong to an epic continuum, employing recurrent language, while contextualising revenge as an aspect of sectarianism, border conflict between empires, anti-colonial resistance, and militant jihadism.
Traditionally, blood vengeance is a requirement for settling scores and restoring honour to injured parties. By making wide use of poems ranging from pre-Islamic Arabia, the medieval caliphates and the modern map of the Middle East, Fakhro proves these texts belong to an epic continuum, employing recurrent language, while contextualising revenge as an aspect of sectarianism, border conflict between empires, anti-colonial resistance, and militant jihadism.
Dena Fakhro, Ph.D. (2018), SOAS, University of London, is a researcher of Arabic poetry. Her publications include the article âTracing the movement of the blood vengeance theme within Arabic Poetryâ (BJMES, 2020). She is also an award-winning poet.
Preface: Background to the Study
Acknowledgements
List of Figures and Tables
Copyright Notice
Authorâs Note
Some Key Dates
General Introduction
âOn Writing a Revised Edition
âResearch Questions, Themes and Structure
âAn Introduction to the Methodology
âLiterature Review: A Summary
1 Methodology
â1.1âArgument
â1.2âEvolution of Chapters
â1.3âPlatform for Classifying the âBlood Vengeance Poemâ
â1.4âTerminology in Context
â1.5âTwo Jahili âBlood Vengeance Poemsâ
2 A Folkloric History of Blood Vengeance
â2.1âIntroduction
â2.2âStorytelling as Documentary
â2.3âThe Plot of the War of al-BasÅ«s
â2.4âWhat Is Folklore?
â2.5âThe Purpose of Myth
â2.6âOther Views about Myth and Ritual
â2.7âThe Bigger Picture
â2.8âConcluding Remarks
3 Poetry of the Early Islamic Period
â3.1âIntroduction
â3.2âEpic Literature
â3.3âHistorical Background to the Poems in Storytelling
â3.4âDefining Jihad
â3.5âArguing the Case for Jihad as a Form of Blood Vengeance
â3.6âThe Poetry of Conflict in Transition
â3.7âAnti-establishment Poetry
â3.8âLampoon in Establishment Poetry
â3.9âConcluding Remarks
4 Blood Vengeance and Empire
â4.1âRevisiting the Anthropology of Gift Exchange
â4.2âExtending the Methodology
â4.3âHistorical Background to the Selection of Poems
â4.4âBlood Vengeance and Gift Exchange
â4.5âOther Structural Features of the Poems
â4.6âOld Signs, New Outposts
5 Abbasid Motifs and Blood Vengeance
â5.1âHonour and Weaponry
â5.2âRestoring Honour by Drinking and the Function of Liquidity
â5.3âRestoring Honour by Fasting and Feeding
â5.4âBody Parts as Tokens of Value
â5.5âBlood, Wounds, or Injury
â5.6âLaundering Honour and Garments
â5.7âSettling a Debt
â5.8âFrom Avenger to Hero
6 Alternatives, Decline and the Ascent into Modernity
â6.1âA View from a Bridge
â6.2âAndalusian Verse
â6.3âIraqi Sectarian Verse
â6.4âThirteenth/Nineteenth-Century Jihadist Verse
â6.5âThe Nahá¸a
â6.6âPlus ça change, plus câest la même chose
â6.7âThe Future of Poetry and a New Kind of Folklore
â6.8âPalestinian Rap
â6.9âConcluding Remarks
7 Language, Branding & Incitement
â7.1âRevisiting Jihad
â7.2âDefining the Jihadist Poem
â7.3âExtending the Methodology into Modernity
â7.4âHistorical Background to the Selection of Poems
â7.5âThe Role of Speech Acts in Blood Vengeance
â7.6âTheorising Poetic Incitement
â7.7âSpeech Acts in Poetry and Use of the Imperative
â7.8âIdolatry: Poems about Jihad and Poems about Blood Vengeance
â7.9âConcluding Remarks
8 Reacquaintance with Motifs
â8.1âOverview of Key Themes
â8.2âRestoring Honour by Drinking
â8.3âRestoring Honour by Fasting and Feeding
â8.4âBody Parts as Tokens of Value
â8.5âSettling a Debt
â8.6âMotifs Directly Relating to Blood Vengeance
â8.7âBlood and Wounds
â8.8âLaundering Honour
â8.9âHonour and the Natural World
â8.10âHonour and Weaponry
â8.11âClosing the Circle
9 The Promised Land: A Case Study
â9.1âA Road Map Forward
â9.2âThe Judgement of Solomon
â9.3âA Narrative Strategy
â9.4âTwo States
â9.5âRestoration of the Hospitality Contract
â9.6âOne State
â9.7âPro-active and Universal Engagement
10 Conclusions of the Study
â10.1âThe Nature of Blood Vengeance and Exchange
â10.2âAn Historical Precedent for Blood Vengeance
â10.3âBlood Vengeance and Islam
â10.4âThe Abbasid âBlood Vengeance Poemâ and Its Legacy
â10.5âBroadcast Media, the Poetic Imagination and Modernity
â10.6âPrevention Strategies
â10.7âClosure
Appendix
Glossary
Works Cited
Index of Poems (Pagination)
Index of Poems (Description)
Acknowledgements
List of Figures and Tables
Copyright Notice
Authorâs Note
Some Key Dates
General Introduction
âOn Writing a Revised Edition
âResearch Questions, Themes and Structure
âAn Introduction to the Methodology
âLiterature Review: A Summary
1 Methodology
â1.1âArgument
â1.2âEvolution of Chapters
â1.3âPlatform for Classifying the âBlood Vengeance Poemâ
â1.4âTerminology in Context
â1.5âTwo Jahili âBlood Vengeance Poemsâ
2 A Folkloric History of Blood Vengeance
â2.1âIntroduction
â2.2âStorytelling as Documentary
â2.3âThe Plot of the War of al-BasÅ«s
â2.4âWhat Is Folklore?
â2.5âThe Purpose of Myth
â2.6âOther Views about Myth and Ritual
â2.7âThe Bigger Picture
â2.8âConcluding Remarks
3 Poetry of the Early Islamic Period
â3.1âIntroduction
â3.2âEpic Literature
â3.3âHistorical Background to the Poems in Storytelling
â3.4âDefining Jihad
â3.5âArguing the Case for Jihad as a Form of Blood Vengeance
â3.6âThe Poetry of Conflict in Transition
â3.7âAnti-establishment Poetry
â3.8âLampoon in Establishment Poetry
â3.9âConcluding Remarks
4 Blood Vengeance and Empire
â4.1âRevisiting the Anthropology of Gift Exchange
â4.2âExtending the Methodology
â4.3âHistorical Background to the Selection of Poems
â4.4âBlood Vengeance and Gift Exchange
â4.5âOther Structural Features of the Poems
â4.6âOld Signs, New Outposts
5 Abbasid Motifs and Blood Vengeance
â5.1âHonour and Weaponry
â5.2âRestoring Honour by Drinking and the Function of Liquidity
â5.3âRestoring Honour by Fasting and Feeding
â5.4âBody Parts as Tokens of Value
â5.5âBlood, Wounds, or Injury
â5.6âLaundering Honour and Garments
â5.7âSettling a Debt
â5.8âFrom Avenger to Hero
6 Alternatives, Decline and the Ascent into Modernity
â6.1âA View from a Bridge
â6.2âAndalusian Verse
â6.3âIraqi Sectarian Verse
â6.4âThirteenth/Nineteenth-Century Jihadist Verse
â6.5âThe Nahá¸a
â6.6âPlus ça change, plus câest la même chose
â6.7âThe Future of Poetry and a New Kind of Folklore
â6.8âPalestinian Rap
â6.9âConcluding Remarks
7 Language, Branding & Incitement
â7.1âRevisiting Jihad
â7.2âDefining the Jihadist Poem
â7.3âExtending the Methodology into Modernity
â7.4âHistorical Background to the Selection of Poems
â7.5âThe Role of Speech Acts in Blood Vengeance
â7.6âTheorising Poetic Incitement
â7.7âSpeech Acts in Poetry and Use of the Imperative
â7.8âIdolatry: Poems about Jihad and Poems about Blood Vengeance
â7.9âConcluding Remarks
8 Reacquaintance with Motifs
â8.1âOverview of Key Themes
â8.2âRestoring Honour by Drinking
â8.3âRestoring Honour by Fasting and Feeding
â8.4âBody Parts as Tokens of Value
â8.5âSettling a Debt
â8.6âMotifs Directly Relating to Blood Vengeance
â8.7âBlood and Wounds
â8.8âLaundering Honour
â8.9âHonour and the Natural World
â8.10âHonour and Weaponry
â8.11âClosing the Circle
9 The Promised Land: A Case Study
â9.1âA Road Map Forward
â9.2âThe Judgement of Solomon
â9.3âA Narrative Strategy
â9.4âTwo States
â9.5âRestoration of the Hospitality Contract
â9.6âOne State
â9.7âPro-active and Universal Engagement
10 Conclusions of the Study
â10.1âThe Nature of Blood Vengeance and Exchange
â10.2âAn Historical Precedent for Blood Vengeance
â10.3âBlood Vengeance and Islam
â10.4âThe Abbasid âBlood Vengeance Poemâ and Its Legacy
â10.5âBroadcast Media, the Poetic Imagination and Modernity
â10.6âPrevention Strategies
â10.7âClosure
Appendix
Glossary
Works Cited
Index of Poems (Pagination)
Index of Poems (Description)
All interested in Arabic poetry, militant jihadist subcultures, tribal conflicts, sectarianism, broken social contracts, ritual behaviour. The subject will be useful for institutes, academic libraries, and specialists working in counterterrorism.