From pages 23 to 25 Ibn Fadlan passes through a Turkish territory, and the people he meets he calls the Bāshghirds. The caravan had to cross many rivers before entering the land of the Bāshghirds. Interestingly none of the names of the rivers appear on the map, “The Journey of Ibn Fadlān, 921-922” (suggesting the names may have changed). Ibn Fadlan and his fellow travelers had to journey on these rivers on “folding boats made of camel skin” (22). He was impressed by the Jāyikh river which he says is “the most impressive and the swiftest” river he has seen (23). Additionally, the river they crossed to get to the land of the Bāshghirds was the Kunjulū. To leave the land of the Bāshghirds they also had to cross a river called the Jirimshān (and then many others). This is an interesting aspect, because there were very few concrete political borders at this time. The rivers, somewhat, outline the lands of different groups. This suggest that there was a reliance on natural borders at the time to define where people lived. When Ibn Fadlan is among the Bāshghirds he focuses on their religious and spiritual practices/customs. He observes that they keep wooden phalluses with them and some of them believe in twelve lords who oversee different aspects of the earth. Ibn Fadlan also observes religious differences amongst the Bāshghirds. He states, “We saw a clan that worships snakes and another that worships fish and another that worships cranes” (24). Beyond religion, Ibn Fadlan describes these people as “dirty” (23). He claims they eat lice and fleas after he witnesses one man do so.

                  In this section there is an emphasis on cultural divisions. Ibn Fadlan’s tone does not come off as judgmental or dismissive when he discusses their religious practices. It is indifferent and just sounds like he is recording what he sees. The part where his tone changes is in relation to their cleanliness and eating bugs. He calls them the “dirtiest” along with the “worst” which emphasizes his relationship to cleanliness. Ibn Fadlan’s deep connection to his faith and his job (Islamic Jurist) likely influence his perceptions. He is indifferent to their religious practices because the Bāshghirds are not Islamic, however, Ibn would take cleaning rituals very seriously. Therefore, he may associate moral value with dirtiness or cleanliness.

                  Additionally, Ibn Fadlan’s connection to his job and faith further influences his perceptions based on geography. Ibn Fadlan does not stay in the Bāsghird’s territory for very long based on his writings. A majority of what he witnesses (despite the instance with the man supposedly eating a flea) is their religion to which he is indifferent. Yet, he immediately makes assumptions about their qualities. He calls the Bāshghirds “the worst of the Turks” (23). This group of people also happen to be in the most northern part of Turkish territory (right before entering another territory-Bulghar). His perceptions of people are progressively becoming more negative as he advances north; which he would like associate with Hell and the tribes of Gog and Magog. Therefore, despite his short stay with these people, he considers them poorly and dislikes them immediately.

 

Ibn Fadlān. Ibn Fadlān and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travelers in the Far North.Translated by Paul Lunde, Penguin Classic, 2012.