Diving deep into lost world
IS A TREASURE TROVE OF PERSONAL AND DOCUMENTED KNOWLEDGE
Emirati’s The Dive of Seven Livelihoods delves into UAE’s pearl-diving heritage
Anew book authored by an Emirati, whose own past is steeped in coastal life, offers deep insights into the
UAE’s rich pearl-diving heritage.
The Dive of Seven Livelihoods by Ahmad Mohammad Bin Thani, narrates how pearldiving was the cornerstone of income and wealth, from the individual level to the Arabian Gulf, for thousands of years.
The book contains odes to fearless pearl divers and delves the craftsmanship of the trade.
Here, Bin Thani, who is a helicopter pilot with Dubai Police, explains how his childhood inspired and influenced his writings.
As a 10-year-old, Bin Thani was assistant to his father, a highly regarded shipbuilder, and used to hear first-hand the poems and fables of seafarers, now documented in his book, which was recently published by Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage in Dubai.
The author was born in Al Manara, Umm Suqeim, one of the coastal settlements of Dubai, and so grew up in a marine environment shaped by pearl-diving, ships and fishing.
Thinking behind the title
Responding to Noori’s question on why he chose the title of the book, Bin Thani said: “As you know, pearl-diving was a source of livelihood in the UAE and the Gulf countries for thousands of years. We must also not lose sight of the contribution of the seasonal diving voyages on stimulating the economic movements in the coastal cities of the Arabian Gulf.”
A classic example is the rise of Dubai Creek as an economic nerve centre. “Dubai Creek became an important area for buying and selling, especially after the pearl-diving ships returned at the end of the season. The activation of the market by the sale and purchase of pearls in commercial exchanges is of utmost importance,” Bin Thani said.
Sources of information
In addition to his own wealth of first-hand knowledge, Bin Thani did lots of research.
“I cannot forget the Juma Al Majid Centre, which contains manuscripts and hundreds of audio recordings, which were of great benefit in writing the book. Perhaps the most important source was my father, a well-known shipbuilder,” Bin Thani said. “Also, Mr Juma Al Majid was the most powerful motivator as he always asked me, ‘has this or that information been included in your book?’; he is a long-standing expert in the pearling profession.”
Preserving heritage
Bin Thani said his book serves as a pillar of Emirati and Arab heritage. “It chronicles this craft, diving for pearls, so that young generations do not forget how we lived in the past, especially as the economy of entire countries was based on this craft.”
Bin Thani illustrated his point by pointing out that some of the terms, especially in the Emirati dialect, have been lost as pearl diving ebbed away.
Surmounting challenges
The significance of the vernacular gave rise to another issue — most of the available information about pearl-diving is verbal, not written. Was this state of affairs an obstacle in writing the book?
Bin Thani replied: “The difficulty comes from the fact that this craft is finished with, and diving equipment no longer exists, as no one uses the sail or the fitam — it is a clamp that the diver puts on his nose so as not to let water in; this was the traditional way.
“There is no doubt that this heritage was verbal because most of the employees in it were not able to read and write… But this heritage was documented and archived [differently]. We have created a team of traditional craftsmen looking into this aspect.”
‘The seaside was our playground’
Bin Thani himself did not have to look far — his father’s background and experience provided both inspiration and information for the book.
“I worked with my father when I was 20 years old. The seaside was our playground and I would work in his workshop to help him, and so I took a passion for wood and turned into my hobby. I also took from him his spiritual relation with the heritage. My father had a major role in making ships. A ship he created is printed on the Dh20 note of the UAE currency,” he said.
Clearing misconceptions
Returning to the point about the oral storytelling nature of the pearl-diving heritage, Bin Thani said it was inevitable that there would be some mistakes or misconceptions at first.
“I expect that, as during the general and extensive presentation in my book, I corrected some of the initial errors, which is normal because this history was based on the oral narration that is transmitted by generations. There is no doubt that research and investigation would correct some terms, concepts, statistics, etc”
Hymn on the high sea
This oral tradition, the poems, chants and songs, so well documented in the book, have come to serve as a reservoir of history. Back then, they served another significant purpose.
Bin Thani explained: “The importance of their chants and songs is immense because it was like an enthusiastic hymn.
DIVE OF SEVEN LIVELIHOODS
It chronicles this craft, diving for pearls, so that young generations do not forget how we lived in the past, especially as the economy of entire countries was based on this craft.”
Ahmad Mohammad Bin
Thani | Author of the book
On every ship, Al Naham — the singer — was present, whose hymns and poems evoked enthusiasm and action in the hearts of fishermen.
“A case in point is the poem of Nasser Bin Gibran Al Soudi, one among the poets of Ajman, composed when he travelled to the island of Ceylon. It is a poem of more than 300 verses, but most of its verses have been lost.
“It describes the course of the fishing expedition from the Dubai Creek until it arrives at Ceylon Island — Sri Lanka today — and back after the diving trip home.”