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The Originality of Chivalry in Morocco

Issue 10
The Originality of Chivalry in Morocco

Alaak Rakook (Morocco)

All these facts illustrate the strong presence of the horse in the civilization. Not only that but a talented chivalry was attracting attention and considered a model and a symbol of courage and heroism. It is known that the Greeks had sanctified their chivalries and heroes. The civilization of the Arab is rich with such values. The Arabs in the Jahliyya, before Islam, for instance, used to educate their sons the arts of chivalry. European societies created the chivalry literature which had remarkably flourished in the Middle Ages. Chivalry is a social system of its own. It is an outcome of the walks of life. In such a system chivalries are highly esteemed. The Moroccans have given a considerable attention for the chivalry which was one of the arts of fighting. The chivalry for the Moroccans was one of the appreciated celebrations. Several traditional historical sources and the colonial literature have paid a serious attention for those celebrations. All these sources and writings had highly acclaimed the Moroccan chivalry and their talent which appeared in both war and peace. In the following we are going to study chivalry concentrating on the aspects of amusement and display. The horse was for a long time the Bedouins standard for wealth and pride. This fact might explain the competition between the Bedouins to own the best horses and give a special care even by allotting a sum of money for taking care of these horses. The target of all this is to display the horses in Taborida arena in order to gain prestige for the family. Certainly, the interest in either the horse or the Taborida is neither meaningless nor an outcome of a short time. But this interest has been generated from several historical indicators. The Moroccan chivalry have replicated the traditions of their predecessors and retained their glory. All these facts illustrate the necessity of the horse and the intimate relation between man and the horse. Horses are usually very expensive, yet a horse is the best mean to show the man’s prestige. Furthermore, horses are ideal means of transportation because of their high speed, which is usually double the speed of any other animals used for this purpose. In brief, if we go back to history, one could believe that there is a sheer necessity for chivalry to protect women and the boys since the chivalry is always ready to face hardships. Certainly the historical and social inevitabilities have given legality for the scene where a woman is carrying a load on her head while the man is on the back of the horse…

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