#dihya

women in judaism ⤷ dihya al - kahina.

An Amazigh warrior Queen draw in Arcane artstyle ✨ It is for a school project but I also wanted to share it here :)

Inspired by the painting of Émile Vernet-Lecomte ( ↓ ↓ ↓the reference ↓ ↓ ↓)

It was about Queen Kahena also called Dihya. I thought it was very fitting to share this since this week is Purim is about Esther who is also Jewish and a Queen

From the Instagram millennialmoor: Introducing real life Khaleesi, my ancestor Queen Kahena, known as Dihya, a Jewish-Moorish-Amazigh warrior who headed the resistance to the Umayyad invaders who waged brutal wars against the local indigenous populations of North-Africa in the 7th and 8th centuries. Have you heard of Kahena before?

One of the powerful Jewish Berber tribes was known as the Jarawa who inhabited the Aures mountains of present-day northeastern Algeria. In the mid-seventh century, a princess was born into the royal family of the Jarawa. Although her birth name was Dihya (meaning “the beautiful gazelle” in her local Berber language), she would be remembered in later centuries as “Al Kahina” (“The Sorceress” or “The Witch” in Arabic), a name ascribed to her by her enemies. According to some historians, “Al Kahina” is a corruption of the Hebrew “HaKohenet” meaning “the priestess” or someone who descended from the Israelite priestly class. There is one tradition that describes Kahina as a descendant from a priestly family forcibly deported from Jerusalem by Pharaoh Necho in the days of the Biblical King Josiah. (via Aish)

Dihya stood frozen, could barely even register the spear that had almost pierced her throat, could barely hear past the roaring of her pulse—

—and somewhere, the dainty clinking of a crown, tumbling golden down the steps to land in a growing pool of blood—

“Trespasser,” said the trees, “this is your first warning.”

On pure instinct, Dihya looked up.

Crouched in the branches was a woman, her raiment cut from evening cloth, trimmed in gold. Curling around her head was more gold, in the form of a crescent headpiece.

The vision of the bloody palace steps faded fully away.

“I’m sorry?” Dihya managed.

“You do not belong in the labyrinth,” the goddess uttered, low and dangerous. “Leave at once, and you may yet escape unharmed.”

Dihya frowned. “What labyrinth?”

The goddess made a disapproving sound. “The dream of the forest maze,” she said slowly, as if talking to an idiot. “This realm that you have haphazardly tripped into.”

“Oh.” Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. “Oh.”

“Well?”

“I...” Dihya hesitated. It should be easy, simple—she, of all people, had a healthy fear for the divine. There was no need to anger the goddess.

But they were still after her. Fleeing the desert had surely helped impede their hunt, but simply crossing the Wall of Samiel did not guarantee her safety. And if she had truly stumbled into a dream, well—

“I can’t.” Where else was safer than a dream?

“Ha... I am disappointed each time.” The goddess rose up to her full height. “Ready your blade, then. I will have myself a fair hunt.”

excerpt from a wip—an au based off of viridiscent and faramarz from the lore of deepwood memories, wandering evenstar, hunter's path, and light of foliar incision

dihya, bodyguard of the homayani princess dunyarzad, is forced to flee the desert after the homayani family’s enemies massacre them and seize the throne for themselves.

kandake is the protector of the dream of the forest labyrinth, a realm existing parallel with apam woods.

«Freedom or death» 🗡

Dihya («Al Kahina» - the nickname given to by her Muslim opponents) was The Queen of the Berber - Jewish Principality in North Africa during the Arab conquests. She was a religious and military leader who led indigenous resistance to the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, the region then known as Numidia.

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The cruel ruler of the principality of Ores (southeastern Algeria) fell in love with one poor girl who lived in one village - Dihya - Bint - Tabitha. She did not love him, but he began to terrorize her fellow villagers. She had supposedly freed her people from a tyrant by agreeing to marry him and then murdering him on their wedding night.

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After the death of the head of the Berbers in 689, the Berber principalities recognized her as «The Queen of the Berbers» of the United Berber State - the Kingdom of Africa. By the time of the Arab invasion, Dihya was already the leader of all 9 Judeo-Berber principalities.

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In 698, the Arabs sent a large army against the African kingdom. Dihya chose a place for the ambush. Before the battle, she admonished her soldiers: «The Lions of Africa and Judea! Show the Arabs that you will never let Islam enslave yourself! Our beloved Africa will remain free! Let our ancient cry of the Zealots be our battle cry: «Freedom or death!»

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The armies met near Meskiana in the present-day province of Oum el-Bouaghi at the «Battle of the Camels» where the army of Arabs was destroyed and completely defeated. But the Arabs did not calm down and again sent a new 40,000th army against the African kingdom under the command of one of their best commanders - Hassan ibn Numan.

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Avoiding a general battle, Dihya entered the rear of the Arabs and approached the city of Bagia, held by the Byzantine garrison. The Byzantines and the Christian population of the city met the army of Dihya as allies, opened the gates to them and let them into the city. After this battle, the Arab army was utterly defeated and fled in panic. The kingdom of Africa went on the counteroffensive, freeing the lands occupied by the Arabs, destroying the invaders. Carthage, which became the capital of the new state, was liberated. Dihya was greeted as a liberator by both the Berbers, Jews, and Christians. The bishop of the city of Bula Regia meeting Dihya with his own hands covered flowers with earth in front of the hooves of her war horse.

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The African kingdom began to gradually stabilize, turning from an amorphous conglomerate of nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes into a clearly structured organization with a state apparatus, cities, trade, and crafts. Dihya’s army went from victory to victory.

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So, Hassan proposed to Dihya a seductive plan: the Arab and Berber armies jointly invade Spain and divide it among themselves, and the Jews of the Arab part will be given full rights or the opportunity to freely move to Africa. From the Berber kingdom was required to let the 60-thousandth Arab army through its territory. Queen Dihya agreed. Soon, however, it became clear that the Arabs did not just pass through the territory of the kingdom, but simply conquered it. But even now, the Berbers could still face off against the Arabs - if not for betrayal. The young Arab aristocrat Khalid ibn Yazid al-Qaisi, who was captured by the Berbers during the 1st Arab-Berber War, turned to their side for a look, but secretly remained faithful to the Arab cause. He got into confidence in Dihya and informed Hassan about Berber plans.

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In 703, in the area of ​​the modern city of El Jern, the Berber and Arab troops met in the last desperate battle. Shortly before the battle, Khalid ibn al-Qaisi escaped from the Berber camp and led one of the largest units of the Arab army. The Berber Queen understood that she would die in this battle, nevertheless Dihya did not avoid from the battle, «because giving her country to the invaders would be a shame for her people».

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According to the Arab historian Ibn Nuvayri, Jews and Berbers fought with the courage of despair, and only overwhelming superiority allowed the Arabs to gain up. Dihya Al Kahina fought with a sword in her hands at the head of her warriors and died in her last battle. Her severed head was sent to Caliph Abd al-Malik to prove that she won’t return and the Arabs won’t feel fear again. 🗡