Representation of Feminine Logic in Iranian Legends

In the traditional masculine culture and its gender-oriented divisions, logic had always been considered as a masculine concept. Thinking strategies, in this respect, as well as the ability to make decisions and find solutions are considered as masculine features, marking women as passive, marginal, and observing agents. If only they were given any active role in the social, cultural and political context, it was mostly regarded as a role coupled with treachery and deceitfulness. Yet, in the Persian public cultural domain, from the crux of which legends have emerged as the most notable literary forms, this very patriarchal cliché fails, and the women come to the scene to address problems by relying on their utmost level of rationality and logic. Such a pragmatic logicism in addressing problems as presented by women in the legends can be considered as a feminine rationality. Borrowing from the Jungian theories and forming an analytical-descriptive approach, this study explores how feminine rationality is materialized in the Iranian legends. The findings indicated that unlike global clichés and Jung’s reading of the archetypal legends, women exhibit an essentially feminine rationality that enables them to not only help the main hero of the narrative but also play an all positive role. Considering the depth and breadth as well as the appearance of the wise women in the Iranian legends, this study shows the formation of an archetype, called a ‘wise woman’, which can be further appreciated by exploring the legends from other nations.

Keywords: Pop literature; Iranian legends; gender clichés; feminine rationality; wise woman.

Introduction

‌‌Research Background

Several articles have been written about the role of women in Iranian folktales. For example, an article entitled “Active and passive women in popular prose stories” by Bagheri (2013) deals with the types of female roles in popular stories in the two categories of “active women” and “passive women”. “Women’s solutions in Hezarvayekshab” by Ebrahimi (2009) and “Analysis of the cunning story of three cunning women: a critical discourse analysis perspective” by Karimzade Esfahani and Varham (2016) are other examples of articles about women’s cunning. This study, however, focuses on the positive aspects of feminine logic in the Iranian folktales.

Goals, questions, assumptions

In legends and myths, protagonists and heroes are crafted based on the masculine traditions, and when women are introduced as protagonists or heroines, they are set to behave in a manly fashion (Hourihan, 2005, p. 67). Now, the issue is whether female characters exhibit stereotypical behaviors derived from patriarchal culture in Iranian folktales, too? Examining the Iranian legends, one can realize that some gender clichés have been reflected in a rather different form; for instance, introducing women as wise individuals contradicts the binary of wise man and simple woman, and requires deeper investigation.

In folktales, we encounter several groups of wise women. The first group is formed by women who help the protagonist when a conflict arises. They are generally old women who can help the fluidity of the narrative by helping the hero to address the conflict. Carl Gustave Jung, in his explication of the archetype of the wise old man, has referred to this form of characterization, but in its masculine structure. In Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (1959), Jung claims that everyone, regardless of their gender, can be unified in one group under the rubric of the father complex. He also claims that in dreams fate, complications and bans as well as constructive councils are derived from father (Jung, 1959, pp. 255-256). Moreover, he expands the concept by examining the significance of the spirit of a father in the European folktales. However, Jung does not mention “Wise Old Woman” in his projects. Most likely, such a role has not been given to women in the European myths, which is a place of reflection and requires further investigation. The scope of Jung’s research is limited, and given the prominence of the presence of wise old men, more research is needed in this area.

Analyzing the Iranian legends, one can conclude that although a proportion of Iranian legends are conceived in line with a global image of masculine domination, there are numerous examples wherein women are presented as a wise old individual, the traits of whom perfectly match those of her European male counterparts.

The second group of women are introduced as wise women in legends. Contrary to popular belief, feminine logic has been emphasized by people like Christian Dupizan, Mary Wellston Kraft, and Jung. Jung discusses the feminine wisdom helping the man in various ways: “an important function of anima is its contribution to man’s logic when it fails to understand hidden interactions of the unconscious. The other notable function of anima lies in its ability that allows the mind to harmonize itself with internal reality of the mind, reaching the deepest layers of consciousness” (Jung, 1998, p.278). In Iranian folktales and legends, we encounter the examples of wise women. These women are mostly considered as smart, intelligent, and wise women in the stories. We can find the examples in these folktales: “Gole boo Madaran”, “Baghe Gole Zardaloo” and “The king and the Shepherd’s Daughter”.

Conclusion

The article explored the two ways in which women have played significant roles in the Iranian legends, namely, the wise old woman and the wise woman. Exemplifying these two forms, the article concluded that unlike international gender-based binaries, Iranian legends are rife with examples of women as wise, astute, and kindhearted individuals. This contradictory aspect of the Iranian legends shows that such gender binaries were never an original part of our culture and heritage. Hence, a reconsideration of gender clichés and reading them in the light of our national heritage and culture is necessary in the later studies. Considering the frequency of wise women in the Iranian legends, we can suggest the notable significance of a new archetype called the wise woman in its Iranian context, bridging between our cultural heritage and the Jungian theories. It, moreover, can be suggested that this new archetype can be traced in other national legends and literatures.

References

Ebrahimi, Sh. (2009). Women’s solutions in Hezarvayekshab. Journal of Stylistic of Persian Poem and Prose, 2(4), 125-135.
Hourihan, M. (2005). Deconstructing the Hero. London: Taylor & Francis e-Library.
Jung, C. (1998). Man, and His Symbols (translated into Farsi by Mahmoud Soltanieh). Tehran: Jami.
Jung, C. (2018). The archetypes and the collective unconscious (translated into Farsi by Farnaz Ganji and Mohammad Baqer Ismaeil Poor). Tehran: Jami.
Karimzade Esfahani, A. & Varham, L. (2016). The analysis of the cunning story of three cunning women: a critical discourse analysis perspective. Journal of Iranian Social Research, 1(11), 125-146.