LOKMAN, Mk-man' (Ar. Luktnan). A figure in old Arabic folklore, and the supposed author of a number of Arabic fables. According to the old poets he was a wise man of the tribe of Ad, who lived as long as seven eagles or vultures. In the Koran he is mentioned as a monotheistic sage, and some of his sayings are quoted (Sura xxxi. 11-19, from which the Sura is called the 'Lokman Sura'). He is variously held to have been a Yemenite, a black sage of the time of David, or a near descendant of Job and living down to David's time. Derenhourg identifies him with the biblical Balaam, whose name, like that of Lokumn, is connected with a root meaning 'to devour :' Sprenger, with the founder of the Elkesaite sect living near the Dead Sea. Toy takes him to represent a elan or family that sur vived the extinction of the Adites. The fables that go by Lokman's name come from the Syriac versions of the Greek fables of Syntipas and .Esop, and originated probably as late as the thirteenth century. Their language is not that
of the classical period. They have had much vogue and have been translated into many of the languages of non-Arabic 'Mohammedans. The first edition, with a Latin translation by Erpe nius. appeared at Leyden (1615) ; since then they have been used largely in European Arabic read ing books. Recent editions are by Bernsten (Gut ting,en. 1817) ; Caussin de Percival (Paris, 1818) ; Freytag (Bonn. 1823) : Roediger (Halle, 1830) ; Rask (Copenhagen, 1831) ; Seiner (Dresden, 1831, 1839, 1850) ; Delaporte (Algiers, 1835) ; Cherbonneau (Paris, 1847, 1883, 1888) ; and Der enhourg (Berlin. 1850). Translations have been made into Hebrew, French. Spanish, Italian, German, and Danish. Consult: Basset, LOgDUM Berber() (l'aris, 1890) ; Chauvin. Bibliographir des ourrages arabcs, vol. iii. (Paris. 1S9S) ; Toy, in the Proceedings of the .1.mcriean Oriental So ciety, May, 1887, pp. clxii. sqq. (in the Journal, vol. xiii., 1889).