Sicilian Culture
From Philosophy to Poetry
The ruler of Sicily counted on Islamic code of conduct for running state affairs, and the Azan ( call to prayer) continued to be heard from his palace for a long time
Andalusian poetry is a typical example of how the beauty of an environment and its diversity can impact upon the words chosen and the images painted.
Arabian poetry has its roots in certain places and dates. It continued adding to its repertoire though, until poetry became not only an artistic achievement per se, but also a registry of time, and a recorder of biographies.
We can retrieve samples of poetry from historical records in their pristine purity together with the vocabulary dating back to the period in which it was composed. Andalusian poetry is a typical example of how the beauty of an environment and its diversity can impact upon the words chosen and the images painted, until it heralds a new phase in Arabian poetry and methodology.
Eight centuries was time enough to shape a literary history in Andalusia, so Andalusian poetry had indeed created for itself a presence and a uniqueness of its own. However, as you go east from there toward Italy, we find ourselves confronted with another Arab presence, this time in Italy in the shape of Sicily, where the Arabs had stayed for about three centuries. During this period they made immense contribution on the political, social and literary fronts. It is only natural then that one should ask: what do we know about Arabic poetry in Sicily? An answer has been provided now by an Italian researcher, Franchesca Corau, a professor who has dedicated her time to studying the Arabic language and its literature at the University of Napoli for Eastern Studies. She herself obtained a Ph.D in Islamic studies and jurisprudence of the Arabic language at the University of Rome in 1990. Among her books is A Set of Arabic Poets in Sicily, a study on comic literature in the Middle Ages, and a comparative study on the famous character “Juha of the Arabs” in the Sicilian and Turkish arts. In it she did not talk about literary history only but also the cultural tapestry of Sicily during the Arab rule.
Sicily...was speaking Arabic
Speaking in proper Arabic, Corau, who is well-versed in history, talked about the period when the Island lived under Arab rule, as well as its historical and demographic features. According to her, the period witnessed progress and prosperity, especially under the cohabitation that united different shades of religions there, in a spirit of mutual harmony and understanding. The Sicilian experience was very much influenced by Andalusia, and this naturally led to the fusion of poetry of the two environments as well.
Corau says: “If we look at how things were in Andalusia, we can easily see that the Arabs there were not men of war, but people of knowledge with scientific and intellectual depth”. Then she compares this to the Sicilian experience and talks of Arab poets of the time, men like Mujbar bin Ibrahim bin Mujbar, the master scholar Ibn Rushaiq, Mohammad bin Abdoon, and others. In the period, according to her, Sicily witnessed an outstanding Arab presence in the social fabric of Sicily itself, with its center of activity being Palermo, where no less than 300 mosques were built. This was in addition to the presence of scores of Arab teachers, writers and thinkers.
Politics and culture: mutual development
The researcher also speaks about the intellectual freedom people enjoyed at the time with regard to discussing the relationship between the ruler and the society. Their relations were characterized by a spirit of congeniality between Arabs and Sicilians. The Arabs also succeeded in forming one congenial society, besides excelling in administrative and economic affairs. Then,of course, there was a huge cultural exchange as pilgrims went to Makkah and came back with a wealth of knowledge and awareness of the area they were living in. She also talks of migration from Andalusia to Sicily by many Andalusian intellectuals who sought refuge in Palermo. This migration gained momentum, which, in turn, led to the integration between the poetry of the two regions, so much so that the poetry became almost identical in rhythm and weight.
They went away...but they are still there.
Later the researcher talks about the final period of Arab rule, which ended in internal strife and bickerings that made it easy for the Normans to control the island. According to her, the spirit of mutual tolerance continued even after the end of the Arab rule. What was happening in Sicily was very much like what was happening at the time in Andalusia. She adds that the ruler, Rogero, even counted on Islamic code of conduct for running the administrative affairs, while the call to prayer, Azan, was heard from his palace. Religious differences were overlooked in the interest of stability of Sicily, marking the advent of a new phase when Italian poets started to excel, even though Arabian poetry continued to dominate the scene.
The next phase saw an immense impact of Arabian poetry on Sicilian (Italian) literature. This is ever so obvious in the similarities between Arabian poetry and what is known as Trabador. Also the books of the great Arab philosopher Ibn Rushd were translated into Italian and poets such as Wido Calbacanti and philosophers like Dante were certainly influenced by them. Again, the poet Jaco Modolontini wrote his poetry in Arabic style, even though the medium of expression was Italian. In fact, she adds that “the Arabian ‘rhythm’ is present in Sicily even to this day”. Even more striking is that in a seminar she organized recently, one of the participants, a researcher by name Betencensi, went as far as saying that without the Arabian period Sicily would not have had any literary history at all.
A lot of enthusiasm, but not much effort
Dr. Corau, in her lecture, said that there was an apparent negligence on the part of Italian officialdom in acknowledging Arabian content in Sicilian history. This was in marked contrast to the situation in Spain where the Government shows a lot of interest in studying Arab civilization (in Andalusia). She added: “We know very little of the Arabian literary contribution in Sicily because there is no government support for this. I only stumbled upon it, because being a Sicilian myself, I had read some Arabian books, including a very important one by Michel Amari... in which he discussed Arab poetry in Sicily...And although we love research and knowledge, the situation is not helpful in terms of studying Arabian history in Sicily. Three centuries of Arab rule in Sicily are recorded scantily in our history books, not more than one page at the most”.
Sicily and Its Surviving Arabian Heritage
Poetry is not everything, but only part, of a more comprehensive Arab presence in Sicily. Corau said that the Italian island is until today inhabited by remnants of Arabian influence not only in literature but also in daily habits and customs. She adds that “until this day you can find us talking about those famous and legendary Arabian love stories, and refer to the ‘funny stories’ of Juha. We also have many Arab words in our vocabulary”. She talked of popular Arabic dishes relished in Sicily even today, such as mahshi and muhallabia. “Suffice to say,” she quipped, “you can easily notice this here and now....You can notice that I am giving this lecture while wearing an Arabian cloak, but combined with a Sicilian head scarf.”
