Volume 8, Issue 33 (2020)
CFL 2020, 8(33): 57-91 |
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Hadi R, Nami S. Mythical Motives and the Significance of Popular Culture in the Qajar Period: A Case Study Shahanshahnameh of Saba Kashani. CFL 2020; 8 (33) :57-91
URL: http://cfl.modares.ac.ir/article-11-38216-en.html
URL: http://cfl.modares.ac.ir/article-11-38216-en.html
1- Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran University, Tehran , rhadi@ut.ac.ir
2- PhD Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
2- PhD Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (3835 Views)
Abstract:
The Shahanshahnameh is the most famous historical epic of the Qajar period, which was written by Fath Ali Khan Saba Kashani in an imitation of Shahnameh. The final part of this poem is about the Iran-Russia war and the heroic efforts of Abbas Mirza. The report of war and the heroic description are the main themes of this epic, and the myths are crystallized in various ways. Myth, on the other hand, is inextricably linked to popular belief. The present study examines the following mythological and popular themes in the Shahanshahnameh: prediction through sleep, magic, Haft Khan, Royantani, divinity, Ferdowsi, Deceptive Cover, Izad Soroush. The main purpose of the study is to explain the function of myth and popular beliefs in Shahanshahnameh as the historical systems. Hence, it was revealed that the themes used in Shahanshahnameh were influenced by Shahnameh or created to mythologize history. Considering the reflection of these themes in Shahnameh, Saba's method of using them and, in fact, the quality of these themes in Shahanshahnameh were also examined to clarify whether Saba had resorted to repetition and mere imitation or had actually intervened in them. The findings showed that Saba has used these foundations to mythologize history because of its predominant pragmatic approach. He derives from Shahnameh, which is sometimes rooted in popular culture; but he also has developed some elements and reduced some others. This research has been done in a descriptive-analytical method and was based on library studies.
Keywords: Popular believes; Shahanshahnameh; myth; mythical foundations; dream; historical epic.
Research background
The subject of the present study has no background. The text of the Shahanshahnameh has not been completely edited and published, and the only excerpt, which is dedicated to the narrative of the Iran-Russia war, has been printed in India. Almost all researchers have access to the same publication, and their analysis about the Shahanshahnameh is based on this version.
Research has been done on the Shahanshahnameh, as well as a report on the Iran-Russia War, which, of course, did not address any of the mythical foundations. Only Shams Langroudi (1375, p. 129) has pointed to Saba's futile attempt to mythologize. Of course, research has been done on the themes of myths and popular culture in epic works, the most important of which is the study done by Azizifar (2015), examining the mythical themes in Darabnameh of Tarsus. In her doctoral dissertation, Khosravi (2016) also examines the mythical themes in the national epic poems after the Shahanshahnameh. Jabbar Naser (1397) has also examined the public and mythological beliefs in a narrative of the story of Rostam and Esfandiar.
Research has also examined the independent content of a mythical or popular theme. In his dissertation, Mirza Niknam (2001) investigated the prophecy in the Shahanshahnameh. Ghaedzadeh (2008) analyzed the prediction of Garshasbnameh in his dissertation. Gholampour and Poshtdar (2015) did a comparative study on the predictive functions of the great epics of the world (Shahnameh, Iliad, and Odyssey). In addition, in a book chapter, Sarami (2004) examines the dreams in the Shahnameh.
Shahnameh is a historical poem; but the battle with Russia provided a good opportunity for Saba Kashani to strengthen his epic-heroic background. The most important factor in this regard is the application of the mythological themes. This is why Saba Kashani includes kings, heroes, and the mythical creatures such as Soroush and Ahriman as well as the dragon in Shahnameh and mentions amazing events such as magic, dream, prophecy, etc. which are all rooted in myth.
The impact of Shahnameh and the attempt to depict the mythical image of the Iranian warriors have given the Shahanshahnameh, like other poems after Ferdowsi, an epic-mythical taste; however, this differs with Shahnameh.
In the history of epic literature, post-Ferdowsi's heroic poems are often based on written sources. The mythological themes can be found in their narratives, but because sometimes the source of the prose or possibly the payments and possessions of the composers of these works address the habituation more, it could be stated from the poetic point of view that the multiplicity and intensity of exaggerations, and the mythological elements in making heroic stories might make the narrations rather dull. A good example of this is Garshaspasnameh Asadi Tusi (Aidenloo, 2009, p. 52).
Aims, questions, assumptions
Myths are considered one of the basic elements of an epic, but their representation in the artificial epics requires further investigation. This is much imperative in a work such as Shahnameh, because it is a historical system, and what it narrates happened shortly before it was composed. However, several mythical themes have been used, the most notable of which are: sleep and prophecy, magic, weekly routine, deceptive coverage, and mythical creatures such as Soroush, and others.
Notwithstanding, this study aims to answer the following question: Is there a mythological foundation in the Shahanshahnameh?
Discussion
Fath Ali Khan Saba was a key poet in the Qajar court, and as he tried to praise his admirers in the poems, she intended to depict the mythical image of the Iranian warriors, especially Abbas Mirza, in Shahanshahnameh. On the other hand, Saba is strongly influenced by Ferdowsi and some themes of Shahhanshahnameh are taken from Shahnameh. As a result, the themes and mythical foundations of the Shahanshahnameh are introduced, and the present study examines these themes accordingly.
Conclusion
The foundations of myth and popular culture are linked in two ways: first, myth is one of the origins of popular culture and belief. Another is that both are sometimes unreasonable and even exaggerated. The reflection of these themes in Shahanshahnameh is justified from several perspectives: first, the epic context of the work, which is dedicated to the narrative of the Iran-Russia war. Fighting and confronting strangers is the main theme of the epic. Epic, on the other hand, is the most important manifestation of myth. Accordingly, the mythical foundations have found their way to the final part of the Shahnameh, which narrates the Iran-Russia war. Weekly captivating and engaging cover are the most important themes of the war-related myths.
Another issue is Saba's praiseworthy approach and efforts to exaggerate. This approach has led the poet to draw a mythical image of his own heroes. This work of Saba can be labelled as the mythology of history, which is crystallized in the form of dream, magic, and prophecy through dreams. Importantly, its prophecy and magic are also linked to the exaggeration and magnanimity associated with popular culture, which is reflected in Saba's work as well.
The final point is the impact of Shahnameh. Almost all epic poems after the Ferdowsi era are influenced by Shahnameh, and Shahanshahnameh is not an exception. All the mythical themes of Shahnameh are used in Shahanshahnameh; however, the processing and quality of all of these cannot be repeated and imitated. For example, Saba has used dream and prophecy as a starting point for his poem in the narrative of the Iran-Russia war. Soroush and Far were used with some semantic changes in a way that is more in line with Avesta's narrations than that of the Shahnameh. In contrast, what he has put forth about Haftkhan, Royantani, Magic, Letters, and Deceptive Cover is an incomplete and superficial imitation of Shahnameh.
Saba has used mythological foundations to mythologize history because of his praiseworthy approach; but to do so, he has imitated Shahnameh. However, this has been done a bit differently. At the same time, some mythological foundations have found their way into the popular culture as well.
References
The Shahanshahnameh is the most famous historical epic of the Qajar period, which was written by Fath Ali Khan Saba Kashani in an imitation of Shahnameh. The final part of this poem is about the Iran-Russia war and the heroic efforts of Abbas Mirza. The report of war and the heroic description are the main themes of this epic, and the myths are crystallized in various ways. Myth, on the other hand, is inextricably linked to popular belief. The present study examines the following mythological and popular themes in the Shahanshahnameh: prediction through sleep, magic, Haft Khan, Royantani, divinity, Ferdowsi, Deceptive Cover, Izad Soroush. The main purpose of the study is to explain the function of myth and popular beliefs in Shahanshahnameh as the historical systems. Hence, it was revealed that the themes used in Shahanshahnameh were influenced by Shahnameh or created to mythologize history. Considering the reflection of these themes in Shahnameh, Saba's method of using them and, in fact, the quality of these themes in Shahanshahnameh were also examined to clarify whether Saba had resorted to repetition and mere imitation or had actually intervened in them. The findings showed that Saba has used these foundations to mythologize history because of its predominant pragmatic approach. He derives from Shahnameh, which is sometimes rooted in popular culture; but he also has developed some elements and reduced some others. This research has been done in a descriptive-analytical method and was based on library studies.
Keywords: Popular believes; Shahanshahnameh; myth; mythical foundations; dream; historical epic.Research background
The subject of the present study has no background. The text of the Shahanshahnameh has not been completely edited and published, and the only excerpt, which is dedicated to the narrative of the Iran-Russia war, has been printed in India. Almost all researchers have access to the same publication, and their analysis about the Shahanshahnameh is based on this version.
Research has been done on the Shahanshahnameh, as well as a report on the Iran-Russia War, which, of course, did not address any of the mythical foundations. Only Shams Langroudi (1375, p. 129) has pointed to Saba's futile attempt to mythologize. Of course, research has been done on the themes of myths and popular culture in epic works, the most important of which is the study done by Azizifar (2015), examining the mythical themes in Darabnameh of Tarsus. In her doctoral dissertation, Khosravi (2016) also examines the mythical themes in the national epic poems after the Shahanshahnameh. Jabbar Naser (1397) has also examined the public and mythological beliefs in a narrative of the story of Rostam and Esfandiar.
Research has also examined the independent content of a mythical or popular theme. In his dissertation, Mirza Niknam (2001) investigated the prophecy in the Shahanshahnameh. Ghaedzadeh (2008) analyzed the prediction of Garshasbnameh in his dissertation. Gholampour and Poshtdar (2015) did a comparative study on the predictive functions of the great epics of the world (Shahnameh, Iliad, and Odyssey). In addition, in a book chapter, Sarami (2004) examines the dreams in the Shahnameh.
Shahnameh is a historical poem; but the battle with Russia provided a good opportunity for Saba Kashani to strengthen his epic-heroic background. The most important factor in this regard is the application of the mythological themes. This is why Saba Kashani includes kings, heroes, and the mythical creatures such as Soroush and Ahriman as well as the dragon in Shahnameh and mentions amazing events such as magic, dream, prophecy, etc. which are all rooted in myth.
The impact of Shahnameh and the attempt to depict the mythical image of the Iranian warriors have given the Shahanshahnameh, like other poems after Ferdowsi, an epic-mythical taste; however, this differs with Shahnameh.
In the history of epic literature, post-Ferdowsi's heroic poems are often based on written sources. The mythological themes can be found in their narratives, but because sometimes the source of the prose or possibly the payments and possessions of the composers of these works address the habituation more, it could be stated from the poetic point of view that the multiplicity and intensity of exaggerations, and the mythological elements in making heroic stories might make the narrations rather dull. A good example of this is Garshaspasnameh Asadi Tusi (Aidenloo, 2009, p. 52).
Aims, questions, assumptions
Myths are considered one of the basic elements of an epic, but their representation in the artificial epics requires further investigation. This is much imperative in a work such as Shahnameh, because it is a historical system, and what it narrates happened shortly before it was composed. However, several mythical themes have been used, the most notable of which are: sleep and prophecy, magic, weekly routine, deceptive coverage, and mythical creatures such as Soroush, and others.
Notwithstanding, this study aims to answer the following question: Is there a mythological foundation in the Shahanshahnameh?
Discussion
Fath Ali Khan Saba was a key poet in the Qajar court, and as he tried to praise his admirers in the poems, she intended to depict the mythical image of the Iranian warriors, especially Abbas Mirza, in Shahanshahnameh. On the other hand, Saba is strongly influenced by Ferdowsi and some themes of Shahhanshahnameh are taken from Shahnameh. As a result, the themes and mythical foundations of the Shahanshahnameh are introduced, and the present study examines these themes accordingly.
Conclusion
The foundations of myth and popular culture are linked in two ways: first, myth is one of the origins of popular culture and belief. Another is that both are sometimes unreasonable and even exaggerated. The reflection of these themes in Shahanshahnameh is justified from several perspectives: first, the epic context of the work, which is dedicated to the narrative of the Iran-Russia war. Fighting and confronting strangers is the main theme of the epic. Epic, on the other hand, is the most important manifestation of myth. Accordingly, the mythical foundations have found their way to the final part of the Shahnameh, which narrates the Iran-Russia war. Weekly captivating and engaging cover are the most important themes of the war-related myths.
Another issue is Saba's praiseworthy approach and efforts to exaggerate. This approach has led the poet to draw a mythical image of his own heroes. This work of Saba can be labelled as the mythology of history, which is crystallized in the form of dream, magic, and prophecy through dreams. Importantly, its prophecy and magic are also linked to the exaggeration and magnanimity associated with popular culture, which is reflected in Saba's work as well.
The final point is the impact of Shahnameh. Almost all epic poems after the Ferdowsi era are influenced by Shahnameh, and Shahanshahnameh is not an exception. All the mythical themes of Shahnameh are used in Shahanshahnameh; however, the processing and quality of all of these cannot be repeated and imitated. For example, Saba has used dream and prophecy as a starting point for his poem in the narrative of the Iran-Russia war. Soroush and Far were used with some semantic changes in a way that is more in line with Avesta's narrations than that of the Shahnameh. In contrast, what he has put forth about Haftkhan, Royantani, Magic, Letters, and Deceptive Cover is an incomplete and superficial imitation of Shahnameh.
Saba has used mythological foundations to mythologize history because of his praiseworthy approach; but to do so, he has imitated Shahnameh. However, this has been done a bit differently. At the same time, some mythological foundations have found their way into the popular culture as well.
References
- Aidenloo, S. (1969). From myth to epic. Tehran: Sokhan
- Azizifar, A. (2015). Study of mythical foundations in Tarabousi Darab. Textbook of Persian Literature, 7(4), 101-118.
- Khosravi, S. (2016). Examining the themes and themes of myths in poetic epics after Shahnameh. PhD Thesis in Persian Language and Literature. Mazandaran University.
- Mirza Niknam, H. (2001). Foreword in the Shahnameh of Hakim Ferdowsi. Master's thesis. Persian language and literature. Bahonar University of Kerman.
- Saba Kashani, F. (1815). Shahnameh manuscript. Tehran, Majlis Library. Copy No. 587.
Article Type: پژوهشی اصیل |
Subject:
Popular epic literature
Received: 2019/11/11 | Accepted: 2020/06/16 | Published: 2020/06/30
Received: 2019/11/11 | Accepted: 2020/06/16 | Published: 2020/06/30
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