A Study of the Archetype of Water in Lorestan Folktales
Document Type : پژوهشی اصیل
Authors
1
Ph.D. student from the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Arak University.
2
Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature Department at Arak
3
Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature Department at Arak University
Abstract
Due to its characteristics such as life-giving, cleansing, and being a Minoan, and having a close connection with the earth, settlement, life, and civilization, water has acquired a Minoan and mythical aspect in most ancient civilizations. Since the myth of water also has a clear appearance in many ancient and Iranian folk tales, the following research seeks to find an answer to the question of to what extent and with what representations the water myth motifs and the reflection of its archetypes are found in the folk tales of Lorestan. To find an answer, the mythical manifestations of water in the folk tales of Lorestan were examined and reported in a descriptive-analytical manner and based on three main sources and figures in the field of archetype of mythical motifs (Campbell, Hinles, Khadish, and Davoodi Moghadam). The results of the study indicate that in 33 of the 183 stories examined, the myth of water is represented in aspects such as providing sustenance, helping, falling in love, sacrificing a girl, water-carrying, and crossing water. It was also clear that the “bond between woman and water” is more obvious than other motifs; this is an indication of the life-giving value of water and women in the life and culture of the people of Lorestan and a reminder of the goddess of water, Anahita, and the female guardians of water in ancient Iranian myths.
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