Saïd the Fisherman · Chapter
XXVI explained
Nûr scolds Saïd for wanting to see the captive girl, Yuhanna's daughter, and forbids him from approaching her until she is tamed.
What happens
Nûr scolds Saïd for wanting to see the captive girl, Yuhanna's daughter, and forbids him from approaching her until she is tamed. She cleans bloodstains from his robe and feeds him, while discussing the day's violence and Mustafa's whereabouts. Saïd leaves at sunset, passing through a city still recovering from the riot, and meets Selìm who reports the Wâly's ineffectiveness. Saïd hurries to his meeting with Mustafa, but upon arriving at the fountain, he hears Mustafa's voice confessing to a murder, revealing a darker turn.
Themes in this chapter
Violence and Chaos
The chapter is set against the backdrop of a violent riot, with blood in the streets, slaughter, and the breakdown of order, as seen in the Wâly's helplessness and the mob's actions.
Love and Obsession
Saïd's obsession with the girl (Yuhanna's daughter) drives him to seek her despite Nûr's warnings, and Nûr's promise to tame her for him highlights the possessive nature of his desire.
Betrayal and Trust
The riot reveals betrayals as soldiers desert to the people, and Saïd's trust in Mustafa is shaken when he hears Mustafa's confession of murder, hinting at a shift in their relationship.
Characters to notice
- Saïd the Fisherman
Returns to Nûr's cellar, seeks the girl, is cleansed and fed, then hurries to meet Mustafa, hearing his confession.
- Nûr
Angry with Saïd, forbids him from seeing the girl, cleans his robe, feeds him, and promises to tame the girl for him.
- Abu Khalìl
Seen at his tavern, distressed about his son Camr-ud-dìn's absence during the riot.
- Selìm
Meets Saïd and reports the Wâly's paralysis and the government's failure to quell the riot.
- Old Mustafa
Heard at the fountain confessing to a murder, his voice altered and exultant.
Key passages
“Suppose soldiers or other slaves of authority met thee with the marks of blood on thy robe, by thy beard, I think it would fare ill with thee.”
If soldiers or officials saw blood on your clothes, you would be in serious trouble.
Nûr warns Saïd about the danger of being seen with bloodstains, reflecting the lawlessness and fear of authority.
“Not a street of that quarter but has dark pools of blood on its pavement—blood of the heathen, of the unbelievers, which to shed is a pious deed.”
Every street in that area is covered with pools of blood from the non-believers, and killing them is considered a holy act.
Saïd describes the aftermath of the riot, showing his religious justification for the violence.
“It is natural that a man should seek to destroy his enemy once for all, and wash the land clean of his name.”
It's natural for a man to want to completely annihilate his enemy and erase their existence from the land.
Selìm expresses the cultural norm of blood vengeance, contrasting with Frankish customs.