Grotesque Geography in medieval Arab narrative

Abstract

Over the ages, Arabs built their own visualizations on other unknown and
semi-unknown countries. That appeared in narrative inscriptions starting from
the early Islamic ages, continuing to medieval Islamic ages that saw the rise of
geographic literature. It included travel books country encyclopedia and
geographical history books. These inscriptions show actual and imagined
localities, with imaginative characteristics or events with an exotic perspective;
or imagined creatures that inhibit such localities. Such creatures appear with
grotesque shapes, as the imagination that created such species used grotesque
techniques in its building, such as combination. For example, the combination
of humans with dog heads and animals with human heads and wings. Another
example is disforming; such as the one sided Blemmys, with one eye, ear, face,
torso, arm, and leg. A further example is size exaggeration such us giantism and
dwarfism. Some of these creatures appear in multiple geographies, such as the
Blemmys, while others appear in only a single locality or a single inscription.
Some of these creatures trace their origin to monesterizing humans or animals,
and others appear to be an original creation.