The wedding of al-Hadhād and al-Ḥarūrā. Glimpses of paganism in Arabia

Here is an analysis of the tale of the marriage of al-Hadhād (of the Ḥimiar royal dynasty) with a woman of jinn found in Arabic sources dated from the 9th to 12th century. In the light of archaeological data and other folklore sources collected by scholars in the last 60 years (Serjeant, Daum, Rodionof), this tale could be interpreted as a foundation myth, with its strong anthropological and political implications, for the community of Maʾrib, the capital city and the main site of Sabaic religiousness in pre-Islamic times. It could also provide some keys of interpretation of a more general religious sensitivity in Arabia encompassing polytheistic or monotheistic creeds.