The Marsh Arabs Quotes

“Memories of that first visit to the Marshes have never left me: firelight on a half-turned face”
― Wilfred Thesiger, The Marsh Arabs

“I was to meet at various times men or boys called Chilaib (little dog), Bakur (sow) and Khanzir (pig), startling among Moslems, who regarded both dogs and pigs as unclean. Others had such strange names as Jaraizi (little rat), Wawai (jackal), Dhauba (hyena), Kausaj (shark), Afrit (Jinn) and even Barur (dung). In order to avert the evil eye unattractive names like these were often given to boys whose brothers had died in infancy.”
― Wilfred Thesiger, The Marsh Arabs