Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah epic

As one of the major epic poems that developed within the Arabic folk tradition, the Hilali is the only epic still performed in its integral musical form. The hilali epic is an oral poem, also known as the Hilali epic, recounts the saga of the Bani Hilal Bedouin tribe and its migration from the Arabian Peninsula to North Africa in the tenth century. This tribe ruled a vast territory in central North Africa for more than a century before being annihilated by Moroccan rivals. Moreover, once widespread throughout the Middle East, it has disappeared from everywhere except Egypt.

Since the fourteenth century, the Hilali epic has been performed by poets who sing the verses while playing a percussion instrument or a two-string spike fiddle (rabab). Performances take place at weddings, circumcision ceremonies and private gatherings, and may last for days.

The number of performers of the Hilali Epic is dwindling due to competition from contemporary media and to the decreasing number of young people able to commit to the rigorous training process.

The hilali epic keeps giving birth to small legends along the way, where each country carries a different story and develop to make their own legend.

Hilali epic in the south of Egypt, is different in the north, and quite different throughout the Arab Maghreb, beginning from Libya and Tunisia, and when you go to the Arabian Peninsula and south you will find another legend waiting for you. They are all similar, born from the same source and carry the same spirit and details, And they have the same strong influence in the hearts of people, but each has a different flavor and a hero over the other and value is different from the other.

In the hilali epic you are in front of a well not without wisdom, cues, words and values, a human treasure built the culture of nations and their imagination on the ruins of its details, and among its endless conflicts, many heroes appear, gathered power and dispersed goals, each has its own position, And the most beautiful that every champion of the epic carries the respect to the other enemies.

This respect has moved from the epic heroes to the audience who listen and enjoy the epic, it became easy to find all this interest and love by the public in Egypt

You are here in front of a wonderful model of courage and bravery, sought by the inhabitants of those lands that are defeated, looking for a courageous ruler defending them before defending the earth, a charismatic figure looking for glory and heroism to inspire the crushed peoples a way to complete life and overcome their difficulties.

Abu Zeid al-Hilali is considered the hero of the most popular hilali epics. The epic depicted the events of the Arabs from the middle of the fourth century AH until the middle of the fifth century AH during the Fatimid state. The epic paved the way for the birth of this hero with an accident that made him seem like a supernatural person. The Abu Zeid championship is based on two pillars, the first of which was the courage of the Arab people to get them out of the possible and exceeded the human energy and almost considered paranormal. His heroism also depends on the wisdom. The Arab people have given him the knowledge that he knows different sciences, arts and languages. He can disguise himself in any costume, practice any profession and speak any language.