Story of Barsisa (MS 47781a)
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Material Information

Title:
Story of Barsisa (MS 47781a)
Series Title:
Hichens Collection :
Creator:
[s.n.]
Kijuma, Muhammad ( contributor )
Publication Date:
Materials:
Paper ( medium )
Technique:
Handwritten manuscript : In a red and brown, bound notebook, in black ink, with additions in red ink and pencil; four smaller leaves precede the subsequent, larger ones and appear to have been fastened in separately. To read the writing inside these smaller leaves requires turning the notebook upside down

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Legends ( LCSH )
Islam ( LCSH )
Religious belief
Swahili poetry ( LCSH )
Imani za kidini
Uislamu
Kiswahili mashairi
Faith ( LCSH )
Barasisi
Spatial Coverage:
Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Swahili Coast
Coordinates:
-9.633997 x 39.778998

Notes

Abstract:
This volume contains two versions of the story of Barasisi and commentary on Islamic belief relevant to the story. It is written in the Swahili and Arabic languages, in Arabic script. The first version of the story is initially presented in Arabic. (It is interrupted, after the first page, by pages containing commentary and the second version.) The first version is then presented in Swahili translation. Although the scribe uses the ‘vikomo’ that customarily separate stanzas or parts of stanzas, the translation is in prose. The second version of the story, ‘chuo kingine,’ follows, written in Swahili. It is a translation of the inserted pages, which present religious commentary followed by the story of Barasisi in Arabic. The commentary concerns the belief that human beings belong to one of four categories with respect to Paradise: those who perform religious observance, who will enter Paradise; those who fail to perform religious observance for most of their lives but become Muslims near the end, who will enter Paradise; those spend their entire lives as unbelievers, who will be sent to Hell; and those who perform religious observance for most of their lives but die as unbelievers, who will be sent to Hell. Barasisi, we may infer, belonged to the fourth category. The two versions of the story differ in important ways. The second (‘chuo kingine’) describes Barasisi’s success in terms of his 60,000 followers, some of whom are able to fly through the blessings bestowed upon them, and the amazement of the angels at Barasisi’s faithfulness. When God tells the marvelling angels that Barasisi is in fact destined for Hell, Iblis overhears and understands that he may succeed in tempting the monk. The first version, in contrast, contains none of the above details. Here it is not Iblis but the child of Iblis, Abyad, who tempts Barasisi; and the temptation centres upon a prayer that Abyad teaches to the monk, claiming that it cures the sick. While in the second version Barasisi becomes drunk, enters into relations with a woman and kills the woman’s husband, in the first he enters into relations with the daughter of a king, a girl whom he is supposed to be healing. This first version better agrees with the narrative of the Utenzi wa Barasisi in MSS 210010 and 210011. ( en )
General Note:
Biographical information: The scribe and compiler of this manuscript, Muhammad bin Abu Bakr Kijumwa, was born circa 1855 in Lamu. He was a poet, scribe, peformer calligrapher, carpenter, tailor and sculptor who taught his son, Helewa, the craft of decorative woodcarving. He assisted many Eurpoean scholars of Swahili literature, including William Taylor, Alice Werner, Carl Meinhof, H.E. Lambert, William Hichens, Ernst Dammann and John Williamson, and was a well-known character in Lamu
General Note:
Date of Composition is unknown
General Note:
Extent: 1 vol.
General Note:
Incipit: Hunu mando: ruwiya ‘ani ibni ‘abbasin raDiya allahu ‘anhumaa fii qaulihii ta’alaa
General Note:
VIAF (name authority) : Kijuma, Muhammad : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/43775563
General Note:
Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Swahili Coast
General Note:
Donated by Mrs E. Hichens, 19 June 1945
General Note:
Scribe: Kijuma, Muhammad
General Note:
Publication information: Abou Egl, Mohammad. 1983. The life and works of Muhamadi Kijuma. PhD thesis, SOAS, University of London.
General Note:
Publication information: Harries, Lyndon. 1964. The legend of the Monk Barsis -- a Swahili Version. African Language Studies 5: 17-33.
General Note:
Publication information: Knappert, Jan (ed). 1964. Utenzi wa Barasisi wa Saidi bin Abdallah Masu’udi. Swahili 34 (2): 28-37.
General Note:
Knappert, Jan. 1999. A Survey of Swahili Islamic Epic Sagas. Lewiston, New York; Queenston, Ontario; Lampeter, Wales: Edwin Mellen Press; pp. 39-41

Record Information

Source Institution:
SOAS University of London
Holding Location:
Archives and Special Collections
Rights Management:
This item is likely protected by copyright. Its status has yet to be assessed.
Resource Identifier:
MS 47781 ( SOAS manuscript number )
MS 47781a ( SOAS manuscript number )