Sha'ir

A sha'ir was a pre-Islamic Arab poet believed to have magical powers.

Not to be confused with Shair or Shi'ar.

History

The origin of the term sha'ir is unknown.[1] The ancient Arab culture viewed the sha'ir as a type of wizard, able to commune with supernatural forces, or djinni, for both knowledge and power.[1] Members of the tribe treated sha'ir as oracles and wisemen.[1][2] The poems and songs of the sha'ir inspired tribe members during war, and were considered powerful weapons.[1]

Many thought sha'ir could supernaturally communicate with the djinn and the results were beautiful poetry inspired by the mystical being.[3]

Modern adaptation

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a type of kit, or variation on a character class, called the sha'ir was created for the Al-Qadim campaign setting. In the game, however, sha'ir have actual magical powers, and can communicate with genies. In addition to being advisors, sha'ir can also be found wandering alone in the desert, something the real sha'ir were not known for.[4]

References
  1. Charles Dudley Warner; John William Cunliffe; Ashley Horace Thorndike; Harry Morgan Ayres; Helen Rex Keller; Gerhard Richard Lomer, eds. (1917). The Warner Library. Vol. 30. Warner Library Co. pp. 9–14.
  2. Kuiper, Kathleen (2009). Islamic Art, Literature, and Culture. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 58–61. ISBN 978-1615300976.
  3. "What Are Jinn: The Arab Spirits Who Can Eat, Sleep, Have Sex, and Die". www.vice.com. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  4. Grubb, Jeff (1992). Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures. TSR, Inc. pp. 42–43. ISBN 1-56076-358-2.
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