batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l1673-l1723
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l1673-l1723
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS / THE KORAN. / PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE / SECTION I.;
lines 1673-1723
start: '1673'
end: '1723'
translation: The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage catalogs several pre-Islamic Arabian idols and related images,
describing their forms, worshipping tribes, origin stories, and cult functions.
It includes human, female, lion, horse, eagle, and other statues; a story of effigies
of pious persons becoming idols; statues said to give secret oracles; household
gods; and the 360 idols around the Caaba, including Hobal, associated with procuring
rain.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Wadd is described as supposed to be heaven and worshipped in the form of a
man by the tribe of Calb in Daumat al Jandal.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Saw is described as adored in the shape of a woman and as having lain under
water after the Deluge before being discovered by the devil.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Those of Hodhail are said to have instituted pilgrimages to Saw.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Yaghth is described as an idol in the shape of a lion and as the deity of
the tribe of Madhaj and others in Yaman.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Yk is described as worshipped under the figure of a horse, with an origin
story involving a pious man, an effigy, and later idol worship by descendants.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: In the Yk story, the devil appears in human form and persuades the friends
of the dead pious man to place an effigy in their temples for devotional viewing.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Nasr is described as a deity adored under the image of an eagle by the tribe
of Hamyar or at Dh'l Khalaah.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: Two large statues at Bamiyn and a smaller third statue are described; the
statues are said to have been hollow within for the secret giving of oracles.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: An idol called Lt or al Lt at Smenat is described as a single-stone statue
in a temple supported by 56 pillars of gold and as broken by Mahmd Ebn Sebecteghin.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: Every housekeeper is said to have had household god or gods, saluted when
leaving home and returning.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: There are said to have been 360 idols in and around the Caaba of Mecca, equalling
the days of the year.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: Hobal is described as the chief idol around the Caaba, brought from Belka
in Syria by Amru Ebn Lohai and said to procure rain when wanted.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Wadd
description: A deity or idol supposed to be heaven and worshipped in the form of
a man by the tribe of Calb.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Saw
description: An idol adored in the shape of a woman, said to have lain under water
after the Deluge and later to have received pilgrimages.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Yaghth
description: An idol in the shape of a lion and deity of Madhaj and others in Yaman.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Yk
description: A figure worshipped under the form of a horse; the passage also links
him to a man of great piety whose effigy became an idol.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Nasr
description: A deity adored under the image of an eagle by Hamyar or at Dh'l Khalaah.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: the devil
description: A being said to discover Saw after the Deluge and, in the Yk story,
to appear in human form and encourage the making of a devotional effigy.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: seven others of extraordinary merit
description: Seven persons who are said to have received the same honors as the
pious man in the Yk story, after which their posterity made idols of them.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Bamiyn statues
description: Two 50-cubit statues and a smaller third statue near Bamiyn, described
as hollow within for secret oracles and possibly but doubtfully identified with
Arabian idols.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Lt or al Lt at Smenat
description: A 50-fathom single-stone idol in a temple supported by 56 pillars of
gold.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Mahmd Ebn Sebecteghin
description: The conqueror of that part of India who is said to have broken the
Lt or al Lt idol with his own hands.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: household god or gods
description: Domestic deities owned by every housekeeper and saluted at departure
and return.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Hobal
description: The chief of the idols around the Caaba, a statue of a man made of
agate, brought from Belka in Syria and associated with procuring rain.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: worshipped idol or deity
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:9
- fig:11
- fig:12
basis: The passage describes these figures as worshipped, adored, deities, gods,
or idols.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:2
label: deceptive instigator or discoverer
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The devil is said to discover Saw and to persuade mourners to set up an effigy
in the Yk account.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: honored dead later made into idols
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The passage says seven others of extraordinary merit received similar honors
and their posterity made idols of them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: oracle-giving statues
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The Bamiyn statues are described as hollow within for the secret giving of
oracles.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: idol breaker
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Mahmd Ebn Sebecteghin is said to have broken the Smenat idol with his own
hands.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: domestic departure-and-return deity
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: Household gods are described as greeted when the housekeeper went abroad
and returned home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: rain-procuring idol
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Hobal is said to have been brought into Arabia under the claim that it would
procure rain when wanted.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: water after the Deluge
literal_form: Saw lying under water after the Deluge
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: female idol form
literal_form: shape of a woman
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: lion idol form
literal_form: shape of a lion
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: horse idol form
literal_form: figure of a horse
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: eagle idol image
literal_form: image of an eagle
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: human-form idol or apparition
literal_form: form of a man, human form, or statue of a man
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:9
- id: sym:7
label: hollow statue oracle
literal_form: hollow statues used for secret giving of oracles
associated_figures:
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:8
label: gold-pillared temple
literal_form: temple supported by 56 pillars of massy gold
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:9
label: 360 idols
literal_form: 360 idols equalling the days of the year
associated_figures:
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:10
label: rain-procuring statue
literal_form: Hobal, a statue of a man made of agate, claimed to procure rain
associated_figures:
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Catalog of named Arabian idols
summary: The passage lists Wadd, Saw, Yaghth, Yk, and Nasr, giving their forms,
worshipping groups, and selected explanations.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:2
label: Effigies of the pious become idols
summary: After the death of a pious man, the devil persuades his friends to place
an effigy in their temples; later, seven other honored persons receive similar
honors and their posterity turns these images into idols.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Indian statues and oracle devices
summary: The passage describes large statues at Bamiyn, their possible identification
with named idols, and their hollow interiors for secret oracles; it also describes
the Smenat idol Lt or al Lt and its destruction by Mahmd Ebn Sebecteghin.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:4
label: Household gods and Caaba idols
summary: The passage states that housekeepers had household gods saluted on departure
and return, and that 360 idols stood in and around the Caaba, with Hobal as chief
and associated with rain procurement.
figure_refs:
- fig:11
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:9
- sym:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: honored humans becoming idols
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage describes civil honor heightened into divine worship and gives
the Yk story, where devotional effigies of the pious become idols for later descendants.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents this as an account of idol origins, not as a full
narrative cycle.
- id: motif:2
label: deceptive supernatural agent creates or restores cult images
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The devil is said to discover Saw after the Deluge and to persuade mourners
to install an effigy that later becomes an idol.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The two devil actions occur in separate notices within a catalog rather
than in a single continuous story.
- id: motif:3
label: zoomorphic deity images
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: 'Several deities are described through animal forms: Yaghth as a lion, Yk
as a horse, and Nasr as an eagle.'
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage records iconographic forms but gives little associated mythic
action for the animal images.
- id: motif:4
label: oracle hidden inside a statue
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Bamiyn statues are described as hollow within for the secret giving of
oracles.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The mechanism or agents of the oracles are not described in detail.
- id: motif:5
label: household gods marking departure and return
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
- return
basis: Household gods are said to be last taken leave of and first saluted when
going abroad and returning home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy references indicate literal departure and return actions;
the passage does not present a heroic journey narrative.
- id: motif:6
label: rain-procuring idol
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Hobal is said to have been brought from Syria into Arabia under the claim
that it would procure rain when needed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports the claim of rain procurement but does not narrate
an actual rain miracle.
- id: motif:7
label: sacred or calendrical number of cult images
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The 360 idols around the Caaba are explicitly equated with the number of
days in the year.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage states the numerical equivalence but does not explain ritual
use of the calendar number.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage reports that some writers identified the Bamiyn statues with
Arabian idols such as Yaghth and Yk, or with Manah and Allt, but it also states
that they seem to have been different from the Arabian idols.
claim_level: visual_similarity
target: Bamiyn statues compared with Arabian idols Yaghth, Yk, Manah, or Allt
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
counter_evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: low
limitations: The identification is presented only as a supposition by some writers,
and the passage itself cautions against equating the statues with the Arabian
idols.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1673-1677
quote_or_summary: Civil honor is said to have become divine worship; Wadd is described
as heaven and worshipped as a man by Calb in Daumat al Jandal.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1678-1682
quote_or_summary: Saw is adored as a woman; after lying under water after the Deluge,
it is said to be discovered by the devil and worshipped by Hodhail, who institute
pilgrimages to it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1683-1685
quote_or_summary: Yaghth is an idol in the shape of a lion and a deity of Madhaj
and others in Yaman; its name is linked to a verb meaning to help.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 1686-1695
quote_or_summary: Yk is worshipped as a horse; after a pious man's death, the devil
appears in human form, persuades friends to place his effigy in temples, and later
descendants make idols of him and seven others.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 1696-1698
quote_or_summary: Nasr is adored by Hamyar or at Dh'l Khalaah under the image of
an eagle, which the name is said to signify.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 1699-1705
quote_or_summary: Two 50-cubit statues at Bamiyn and a smaller third statue are
described; some writers identify them with Arabian idols, but the text says they
seem different; they are hollow for secret oracles.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 1705-1709
quote_or_summary: An idol at Smenat called Lt or al Lt is described as a 50-fathom
single-stone statue in a temple with 56 gold pillars; Mahmd Ebn Sebecteghin breaks
it with his own hands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 1710-1716
quote_or_summary: Besides named idols, many others are mentioned; every housekeeper
has household god or gods, saluted when going abroad and returning home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 1716-1723
quote_or_summary: There are said to be 360 idols in and around the Caaba, equal
to the days of the year; their chief is Hobal, brought from Syria and claimed
to procure rain, a statue of a man made of agate that had lost a hand.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: low
notes: The passage is a descriptive catalog with many explicit iconographic and
cult details. Motif candidates are reliable where they rest on direct descriptions,
but broader taxonomy mapping is limited because the passage gives little narrative
development. The single comparison claim is low confidence because the passage
itself presents and then limits the proposed identification.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. Names are retained in the form given in the passage, including transliteration irregularities from the source.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l1673-l1723
passage_sha256=0302a9c9e8a929b58b73ebb0a3583f66a7c3b096d686c9c6bfcf3b1d269146d5