Masduulaa: The Symbol of Somali Royalty

[awsaleban667]

@Shimbiris @Garaad diinle
The Masduulaa/Mas Jowhar is the Somali take the nearly universal mythological symbol of the dragon. Western explorers such as Burton and others mention it’s popularity among nomadic Somalis.

However more interesting than this is fictional ancient Egyptian story “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor”. In this story The Lord of Punt is described as a large serpent with scales of gold and eyebrows of Lapis Lazuli. This fits very well with the tales of the Masduulaa.

The Ethiopian chronicle of Zara Yaqob mentions that they recovered the Parasol of the Sultan of Adal Badlay ibn Sa’ad ad Din after the battle of Gomit and it was decorated with a winged serpent. In fact Badlay

 

[Wonyluvr]

wow interesting find so it’s a jewelled serpent never heard of it

 

[awsaleban667]

wow interesting find so it’s a jewelled serpent never heard of it

Here is the banner of Sultan Badlay

 

[Wonyluvr]

Here is the banner of Sultan Badlay

cool asf wow I’m impressed

 

[IKHALIIL]

Here is the banner of Sultan Badlay

Nice, reminds me of this:

 

[Midas]

Didn't ibn battua mention something about the sultan of mogadishu having a eagle as a symbol?

 

[IKHALIIL]

Didn't ibn battua mention something about the sultan of mogadishu having a eagle as a symbol?

This is the seljuk empire's flag.

 

[Midas]

@Shimbiris @Garaad diinle
The Masduulaa/Mas Jowhar is the Somali take the nearly universal mythological symbol of the dragon. Western explorers such as Burton and others mention it’s popularity among nomadic Somalis.
View attachment 319849
However more interesting than this is fictional ancient Egyptian story “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor”. In this story The Lord of Punt is described as a large serpent with scales of gold and eyebrows of Lapis Lazuli. This fits very well with the tales of the Masduulaa.
View attachment 319847
The Ethiopian chronicle of Zara Yaqob mentions that they recovered the Parasol of the Sultan of Adal Badlay ibn Sa’ad ad Din after the battle of Gomit and it was decorated with a winged serpent. In fact Badlay
View attachment 319846

Funny enough there is also a somali folktale in this collection where this guy's makes a deal with a magical talking snake that can tell the future in the form of a poem he visits the snake three times and makes a bargain with it each time and its also the most well developed narrative in the folktale collection. Maybe there's a possible connection
Here is the folk tale collcetion :https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...QQFnoECBIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2tN0i3RZRHnXCI89Kc6t2X

 

[nobutreally]

In the past, some clans had animal “totems.” (I’m not sure if all groups had this, or only those who wanted to self-mythologize.) My clan is also associated with, I believe, a snake of some sort and another animal I can’t recall. There’s a lot of fascinating folklore buried in our history.

 

[Midas]

In the past, some clans had animal “totems.” (I’m not sure if all groups had this, or only those who wanted to self-mythologize.) My clan is also associated with, I believe, a snake of some sort and another animal I can’t recall. There’s a lot of fascinating folklore buried in our history.

That's fascinating does your clan live in the south. Also are their any stories associated with it. I've heard somebody on twitter once post a screenshot of an excerpt that said one of the abgal subclans had a mythical orgin story about them being born or related to a fish/reptile.

 

[Wonyluvr]

That's fascinating does your clan live in the south. Also are their any stories associated with it. I've heard somebody on twitter once post a screenshot of an excerpt that said one of the abgal subclans had a mythical orgin story about them being born or related to a fish/reptile.

that’s funny asf can’t lie

 

[nobutreally]

That's fascinating does your clan live in the south. Also are their any stories associated with it. I've heard somebody on twitter once post a screenshot of an excerpt that said one of the abgal subclans had a mythical orgin story about them being born or related to a fish/reptile.

Sanaag. Regarding other stories, I think Saada Mire lists some in her book but I’m unsure how accurate some of the claims are — not because I don’t trust her research, but because our oral tradition feels so amorphous at times haha.

 

[Midas]

Sanaag. Regarding other stories, I think Saada Mire lists some in her book but I’m unsure how accurate some of the claims are — not because I don’t trust her research, but because our oral tradition feels so amorphous at times haha.

Oh my famlies from sanaag too ive never heatd of this before do you know what the somali word for totem is. But Yeah I get what you mean but that's just how oral traditions are. I think ours are better than most because we can cross check them with poetry. also which book is this? Is it divine fertility?