# Nûr — Saïd the Fisherman character guide

> Nûr in Saïd the Fisherman by Marmaduke Pickthall.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** O Nûr, old Nûr

**First appearance:** 0004-iv

## Snapshot

The old woman of Saïd's household whose watchful presence and sharp tongue keep the fisherman-turned-merchant tethered to the world he came from.

## Who they are

Nûr belongs to the domestic order of Saïd's palace — the older female voice that remembers who he was before fortune remade him. She is the kind of figure who measures a man by his conduct rather than his wealth, and her judgments carry the weight of long familiarity. As Saïd's pride swells and his household grows more tangled, Nûr's plain-spoken witness quietly tests whether his new self can hold.

## Relationships

### [Saïd the Fisherman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters/said_the_fisherman)

_romantic_

Nûr is a woman with whom Saïd shares a passionate but troubled romantic connection.

### [The old beggar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters/the_old_beggar)

_psychological_

Nûr is haunted by the old beggar, who appears to her as a symbol of doom and shared fate with Saïd.

### [Saïd the Fisherman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters/said_the_fisherman)

_romantic_

Nûr is a woman with whom Saïd shares a passionate but troubled romantic connection.

### [Saïd the Fisherman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters/said_the_fisherman)

_romantic_

Nûr is a woman with whom Saïd shares a passionate but troubled romantic connection.

### [The old beggar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters/the_old_beggar)

_psychological_

Nûr is haunted by the old beggar, who appears to her as a symbol of doom and shared fate with Saïd.

## In the story

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xvi)

Mentioned as the woman whose house is the meeting place for Saïd and the old beggar; her home is described as infamous for sin.

### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xvii)

The old harlot and matchmaker, in whose vault the meeting takes place; she is described as tall, masterful, and adorned with jewelry.

### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xx)

The old woman who shelters Saïd, soothes his ravings, and hints at a coming riot that will enable his desires.

### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xxi)

Mentioned as the old woman whose cellar Selìm visited and where Mustafa goes for counsel.

### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xxiii)

The old woman who welcomes Saïd and Ferideh, agrees to tend Ferideh, and takes malicious joy in Saïd's distress.

### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xxiv)

Tends to Mustafa, trying to calm him and feed him. She expresses concern for his health and warns of his overwrought state.

### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xxv)

Safekeeping Ferideh for Saïd.

### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xxvi)

Angry with Saïd, forbids him from seeing the girl, cleans his robe, feeds him, and promises to tame the girl for him.

### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xxvii)

Mourns Mustafa, persuades Abu Khalìl to fetch the body, and shrewdly deduces that Saïd is carrying the treasure.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/iii)

Nûr is mentioned as having visited Saïd that morning, and Hasneh intends to relay a message from her. Hasneh later goes to Nûr's cellar.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/iv)

Nûr is mentioned as an ally of Hasneh and a potential accomplice in the alleged plot, with Ferideh suspecting her of greed and scheming.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/v)

The old woman who comes to warn Saïd but is met with abuse; she retaliates by threatening to expose his past misdeeds.

### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/chapters/xv)

One of the familiar faces in Saïd's vision of the silent host.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters/nur
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sa_d_the_fisherman_se/characters