Abu Zayd al-Hilali and the Banu Hilal Epic
The Epic of the Banu Hilal (Taghribat Bani Hilal) is one of the great oral epics of the Arab world, particularly celebrated in Egypt and North Africa. It recounts the migration of the Bedouin Banu Hilal tribe from the Arabian Peninsula into North Africa in the 11th century. The hero, Abu Zayd al-Hilali, is a legendary warrior-poet and trickster, born with black skin to Arab parents—a detail that creates dramatic tension throughout the epic. The story follows the tribe's journey across the Nile, their conquest of Tunisia, and their eventual downfall through betrayal. The epic features supernatu