Mytho-Mystic Literature
Year:2012 | Volume:8 | Issue:28|Papers Count:16

Mahdaviat, as a basic doctrine of Shiism, plays a significant role in Islamic-Iranian culture.This article, after presenting a brief survey of Messianism in Abrahamic religions, tries to analyze the historical background of Mahdaviat in Islam, especially during the 2nd to 5th centuries A.H. Mahdaviat continued to thrive in Sufism during the 6th and 7th centuries A.H. In the 8th and 9th centuries A.H., Shiism and Sufism gradually merged, and the Safavids, having sufi inclinations, established Shiism as the official religion of Iran.Finally, we will study the thoughts of Soltanalishah and Safialishah, two great sufis of the Qajar dynasty.

In Masnavi studies, often explaining the verses and subject researches have been the main concern. Masnavi consists of six books, and so far the principal thoughts on which the books are based, are not usually discussed.The author of the present article, based on his years of teaching experience in master level, and employing qualitative content analysis method, tries to demonstrate the themes that are proposed in the 2nd book of Masnavi. This is to show the principal thoughts this book is based on.

Hercules, Greek mythological hero, Rostam and Esfandiyar, Iranian mythological heroes, have a common ground: Going on difficult quests and accomplishing impossible missions. Hercules, to reach eternity, is forced to fulfill back- breaking tasks. Rostam, for saving the old King, and Esfandiyar, for saving his sisters, have to pass through seven labours of heros (Haft-Khan).In the present article, considering the Jungian concept of individuation, attempt is made to compare these three journeys. According to Carl Gustav Jung, the archetypes are the collective unconscious of man present in the process of individuation. Myths and legends remain ever present in the underlying layers of the unconscious, and the elements of individuation, in the form of cave, dragon, giant and etc., can be found in them. Despite of their differences, all three missions are struggles towards perfection.

According to Muslim philosophers and sufis, knowledge is divided into two kinds, namely, intuitive (inner) knowledge and acquired knowledge. The acquired Knowledge is attained through external objects and includes all sense perceptions and experimental data. Intuitive (inner) knowledge, however, involves spontaneous conception and instinctive representation, that is neither attained through the senses, nor is the reflection of the external objects.In the present article, by studying the background of intuitive (inner) knowledge in Islamic tradition, esp. Masnavi Manavi, attempt is made to show the role of this type of knowledge in Islamic philosophy and mysticism.

Pire Moghan (Magian spiritual teacher) is a central character in Divan-e Hafez. The present article, based on Jung’s psychoanalysis theory and his archetypes, tries to study the character of Pire Moghan in the poems of Hafez and show that this character is in many ways similar to Jungian archetype, the character of the wise old man, and can be compared with him.

Archetypal literary criticism is a type of critical theory that interprets a literary text by focusing on myths and archetypes.In this paper, based on archetypal literary criticism, the poem of Ghesseh-ye shahr-e sangestan (the tale of the petrified city), composed by Mahdi Akhavan Sales (1928-1990), is interpreted and analyzed. For this purpose, the archetypes of hero, death and birth, Pire Dana (wise old man), shadow, self, and archetypal symbols such as tree, cave, mountain, valley, spring, well, and the number seven are considered as main concepts. In this poem, the central archetype is "the hero-savior", and the other archetypes are explained with respect to the main one. Also, other subjects were entertained at two phases, first, the behavior, departure, and salavation of the hero and second, the movement, separation and return in the poem.

Folktale is a story passed down within generations of a particular ethnicity. That comprises the traditions of the culture or group. Folktales are rooted in ancient believes and rites, as well as myths.Iranian folktales, including fairytales, fairytale romances and stories of ayyaran, are full of mythical elements.The present article tries to show the mythical elements of Iranian folktales.

The similarities between Indra, in Rigveda, and Rostam, in Shahnameh, make comparison of these two characters possible. The present research, by discussing their duties, acts and personalities, tries to show that Rostam is a metamorphisis of Indra. Once, Indra was worshiped by both Indians and Iranians. But then, after the spreading of Zoroastrianism in Iran, which rejected polytheism, Rostam appeard as a hero and Indra gradually faded away.In this article, we will elaborate on thirty similarities of these characters.