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Element Name
Jinni Al Raqqas
Other Names
Al Raqqas The Dancer, Al Midfa' Al Raqqas The Dancing Cannon
Practice Environment
Coast
Practice Location
Sharjah
Scope of Practice
All segments of society
Heritage Domain/ Category
Folk Literature
Element Type/ Subcategory
Folk Tales (Khararif)
Current Status
Endangered heritage

Jinni Al Raqqas

Jinni Al Raqqas is a mythical being associated with a historic cannon at Sharjah Fort known as the Dancing Cannon. Al Raqqas was a real cannon used by people in the Emirates to defend their towns, but it acquired legendary qualities in communal memory and became associated with good fortune and victory in war. It is said that a jinn inhabited the cannon, causing it to come alive when it heard drums and songs and enabling it to move and participate in battles. This makes it a distinctive folk element combining reality and imagination. Physically, Al Raqqas is medium-sized, made from iron and mounted on a wooden wheeled carriage protected with iron bands. It is regarded as relatively graceful for its size. Socially and culturally, it became a symbol of popular pride and was mentioned in Nabati and classical Arabic poetry and folk chants and incorporated into narratives to add excitement to accounts of wars and celebrations. Tangible elements associated with it include real cannons, drums and percussion instruments and poems recited in its honour, illustrating the integration of folk imagination with material heritage.

Criteria Applicable to Nominate Element

01

Geographical or Cultural Specificity: The element is characterized by its association with a specific geographic area or cultural group within the country, giving it a unique identity that distinguishes it from other practices. This element represents part of the social and cultural history of the community, enhancing its value as a distinctive component of local or national identity.

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