THE DRAGON AND THE PROVINCE OF MAGIC AND DIVINATION
a The dragon and talismans
pre-Islamic romance, Wīs u Rāmīn, translated
and versified in the mid-eleventh century, men-
As has been seen in preceding chapters, the range
tions snake charming by means of sorcery 5
of symbolic meanings associated with the figure
The magical aspect of the dragon is allegori-
of the dragon extends to include an important
cally alluded to by ʿAsjadī Marwazī (as indi-
role in those branches of knowledge that encom-
cated by his nisba he was presumably a native of
pass the more esoteric or magical sciences, in
Marw), a court poet of sulṭān Maḥmūd of Ghazna,
particular sympathetic and talismanic astrologi-
who writes:
cal magic and the preparation of verbal and mate-
rial talismans The dragon’s ability to eclipse the
Don’t expect the world to be good to you
The snake is only [made] kind by the power of
great luminaries is allegorically treated in the
magic 6
quest for “mastery” of magic and the concomitant
mystical illumination of life
An important magical science was talismanic
This is apparent in medieval Islamic literature
astrology On the premise that stars can prede-
such as Niẓāmī’s Iskandar-nāma The story
termine the course of future events, and that those
recounts how the well-known sage and magician
well-versed in the motions of the heavens can
of the first century ad, Apollonius/Balīnūs, who
accordingly foretell the future, the position of
in the Islamic Middle Ages became known as the
Islamic religious doctrine was, as already men-
great master of talismans (ṣāḥib al-ṭilasmāt),1
tioned, fundamentally antithetical to astrological
overcomes a powerful priestess, Āẓar Humā, who
science However, while astrology contented itself
had transformed herself into a black dragon to
with mere prediction, magic on the other hand
guard the holy fire of the temple 2 However the
concerned itself with harnessing the forces of the
wise Balīnūs not only breaks the resistance of the
cosmos to achieve predetermined ends Between
dragon-priestess but, interestingly, also marries
these two categories, there was also the magic of
her and manages in so doing to acquire knowl-
theurgy (ṭilsam), the adjuration of divine powers,
edge of many of her magical practices Niẓāmī’s
which concerned itself among other things with
account makes clear that it was only his associa-
the making and the use of talismans, a process
tion with Āẓar Humā that enabled Balīnūs to
dictated by the observance of specific conditions
become a famous magician 3 It is notable that
in the making of objects designed to protect the
solely through union with a priestess who has the
bearer 7 Islam ultimately accepted the use of
power to transform herself into a dragon can the
“magic” and theurgy under certain strict condi-
great talisman-maker Balīnūs acquire knowledge
tions Hence binding supernatural beings to
of the magical sciences In one of the oldest pop-
human purposes was allowed as long as the aim
ular Persian prose narratives, the Kitāb-i Samak
was not to bring harm (so-called “white” or “nat-
ʿAyyār, the magnanimous hero Samak is said to
ural” magic, ʿilm al-sīmiyā), which to a certain
be taught two charms, one for dispelling serpents
extent validated the use of amulets and talismans
and another for calling them forth 4 Similarly, the
The astrological iconography of the twelve zodi-
1 On Apollonius of Tyana, see Sezgin, 1971, pp 77–90
“Magic in literature and folklore in the Islamic period,” EIr
2 Niẓāmī, Dīwān, pp 974–5, cited in Pseudo-Apol onius of
Cf Gaillard, 1987, pp 19–21
5
Tyana, tr and ed Weisser, 1990, p 27
Tr and ed Davis, 2008, p 88
3
6
Dastgirdī, V , vol 1, Tehran 1334/1956, pp 242–4, as
Dīwān, ed Shabāb, T , Tehran, 1955, p 31, as cited in
cited in Bürgel, 2000, p 135
Daneshvari, 1993, pp 21–2
4
7
Samak-i ʿAyyār III, pp 56–7, as cited in Omidsalar,
Ruska and Carra de Vaux, “Tilsam,” EI² X, 500a
184