Oral Literature in Al-Jahiz’s Kitab al-Hayawan

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the role of oral narratives in the formation of Arab culture as a culture rooted in orality and locality, and in the nature of dialogic gatherings. This role has been entirely marginalized under the dominance of elitist discourse and the authority of official literature, which historically represented the official power closely intertwined with political authority, thereby obscuring the vital contribution of oral discourse belonging to the language of the common people within the vast popular sphere. The paper presents an introduction to orality, its cultural presence, and its relation to the historical domain in shaping the identity of heritage. It further explores the theme of local orality and ethnographic identity, focusing on the relationship between humans and their environmental and social surroundings. The discussion also addresses Basra and its archaeological memory, examining Al-Jahiz’s connection to place—particularly Basra—as a significant space within Arab culture. Finally, the study considers the theme of oral majlis literature as an essential form of Arab culture that reinforces Arab oral identity, concluding with the most prominent findings of the research.