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1- Department of Anthropology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2- PhD student of sociology of Social-Rural development, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. ,eskandari.m1991@gmail.com
3- University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences.
2- PhD student of sociology of Social-Rural development, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. ,
3- University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Abstract: (51 Views)
This paper aims to analyze and examine the impact of a local myth from the Pāpi tribe in Lorestan Province, Iran, known as the Myth of Shoul-Gad (Šāhzāda Aḥmad), on the tribe's political and social life. In the Pāpi dialect, "Gad" refers to a hornless goat, and "Shoul-Gad" is a legendary goat, a devoted follower of Gyemed (Šāhzāda Aḥmad), a sacred figure for the Pāpi tribe, who is eventually killed by his enemies. Based on this myth, members of the Pāpi tribe, the Heyvedi lineage (of the Bakhtiari tribe), and certain other clans refrain from slaughtering a Gad goat, considering its consumption Haram (religiously forbidden). Furthermore, they believe that scorpion stings are ineffective on them, and if someone dies from a scorpion sting, it is an indication that they do not belong to the true bloodline of these tribes. Utilizing an ethnographic approach, combining in-depth interviews, participant observation, and historical document analysis, this study explores why and how these tribes construct such narratives and examines the socio-political functions of these myths in their tribal life. The findings reveal that the Lur and Bakhtiari tribes use such myths to establish a sacred/secular distinction, strengthen internal cohesion, and prevent the disintegration of their tribal structure.
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