Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Wadd

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Wadd: noun – a pre-Islamic Moon god of southern Arabia, whose sacred animal is the snake.

‘Under the bright orb of a newly risen full moon, members of the tribe prostrated themselves, paying homage to Wadd and releasing sacred snakes to bite the unwary or unbelievers.’

Stuart's Word Spot: Qanat

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Qanat: noun - A gently sloping underground channel or tunnel, esp. one constructed to lead water from the interior of a hill to a village below. Thought to originate in pre-Islamic Iran.

'Ahmed crawled on all fours, half in muddy water, as he continued the qanat from the mother well to join the newly sunk access well lower down the slope, eventually bringing fresh water to the village.'