The fear of death in Omani poetry

Résumé détaillé

In Omani folklore, the term Al Mughayyab, meaning “the one who has disappeared”, refers to someone who has died and been buried but is believed ...

In Omani folklore, the term Al Mughayyab, meaning “the one who has disappeared”, refers to someone who has died and been buried but is believed to appear again among the living, sometimes in distant places or unfamiliar forms.

This belief reflects humanity’s ancient struggle to understand death. Across civilisations, people have imagined another existence beyond the grave, creating myths and rituals to ease the pain of losing loved ones.

The ancient Arab poet Mutammim bin Nuwayra captured this sorrow when mourning his brother Malik:

The verses show how grief transforms every grave into a reminder of one beloved person.

In Omani popular stories, however, the dead sometimes return in mysterious circumstances. Some accounts describe them as living under the control of sorcerers, unable to speak to those who recognise them.

Such tales once held considerable influence. Over time, religious education, scientific knowledge and changing social attitudes reduced their power as explanations of reality.

Nevertheless, they remain an important part of Oman’s cultural memory. Folklore preserves the fears, hopes and imaginative traditions through which earlier generations understood the world.

Poetry offers another way of engaging with these beliefs. Rather than retelling traditional stories, poets transform them into images that explore human emotions and challenge inherited assumptions.

Omani poet Is’haq al Khanjari, for example, evokes the world of death and sorcery in his collection 'My Anxiety Alone (2009)':

Début de l'article, extrait de Oman Observer. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.