Mytho-Mystic Literature
Year:2016 | Volume:12 | Issue:43|Papers Count:11

According to William James, mystical experiences have four characteristics: ineffability, noetic quality, transiency and passivity; these marks can be found in almost all texts that narrates mystical experiences. In the present article, those ghazals of Attar that indicate mystical experiences have been extracted, categorized and analyzed. Also, in these poems, some other marks such as heterogeneous imaginations of mystical intuition and missing the mystic have been found. The results of the research show that after coming face to face with the Holy, the mystic is unable to explain Him; for everyone comprehends Him by his/her own way. The mystic misses himself/herself in the process of revelation; after facing the Holy, also, he claims that he/she knows himself/herself much better, and sometimes he/she claims that has obtained knowledge of the outer world. The reports about this knowledge, like the relation of part to whole and the fact that the part contains all of components of the whole, show that there are a lot of similarities between them and the subjects of holography. The mystic complains that facing with the Holy is transient. During the experience, he is passive and there is a profound sense of being taken over.

In the works of Muslim mystics, mirror has a wide presence. According to historical documents, mirror has been used symbolically by Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza, for first time to explain mystical monotheism. In prose and verse works of Muslim mystics, it is used for explanation of manifestation and presence of God and pantheism. As a mystical symbol, mirror is highly noticed in the works of Mawlavi (Rumi) and Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani. The application of mirror in these works can be analyzed in three stages: mystical ontology, mystical cosmology and mystical anthropology. Ayn al-Quzat uses the metaphor of mirror to express the inability of human reason in understanding God, the role of perfect man and being mirror-like in reflecting the reality, but Rumi uses the metaphor widely and has a different expression. He emphasizes on the role of perfect man and being mirror-like, refers to the mystical issues such as Divine names and attributes, pantheism and manifestation of God, and speaks about light and color which are related to symbol of mirror.

In Zoroastrian texts, Goshtasb has a good and even holy character, but in Shahnameh and many other historical books, belonging to Islamic period, he is an abominable one who knowingly sends his brave son, Esfandyar, on a mission in which Esfandyar is destined to die. Most contemporary critics have accepted and repeated Ferdowsi’s vision of the story. In the present article, first, we consider the personalities of Goshtasb and Esfandyar in Shahnameh and pre-Islamic religious books and also Islamic period historical books; and analyze the views of contemporary critics. Then, we try to examine the dual personality of Goshtasb and his relationship with Esfandyar from the fictional and mythical point of view. In some tales according to rites, the older son is sacrificed for protecting the crown and the throne of the father. The son sacrifices himself willingly and reaches great honor and the father isn’t blamed.

In Shahnameh, one of the basic concepts and motifs is rationality. Undoubtedly, Shahnameh is influenced by Zoroastrian and Avestan ideas through pre-Islamic resources, Abu-Mansuri’s Shahnameh, Khodāy-Nāme-hā (Books of Kings) and Mobads’ (Zoroastrian clerics) oral reports. Also, one should not forget the role of contemporary social and intellectual trends in Ferdowsi’s time. In the present article, by using text linguistics, we try to compare Shahnameh and pre-Islamic Iranian texts based on the relationship of parts of a speech with one another in syntagmatic chains. The results show that the main parts of rationality discussed in Shahnameh are influenced by pre-Islamic Iranian texts but some parts are results of Ferdowsi’s genius. Also, there are some aspects of rationality that have not been expressed in Shahnameh but are in the center of attention of pre-Islamic Iranian texts. This case somehow shows the specialty of Ferdowsi’s rationalism and determines that it isn’t imitated from a source or reference.

Totemism, belief to sacredness of an animal or plant, is one of the beliefs of primitive peoples that can also be found among Iranians. Shahnameh, as one of the old and valid Iranian resources, can give much information about culture, religion, rites and beliefs of Iranians and other ethnic groups. For gaining access to this information, we need to search the book very profoundly. In the present article, we study the name of Arash, a famous Iranian archer, from etymological point of view, and suggest that Arash means “bear”. After examining the race of people who have the name of Arash, we think that this name is originally a Parthian word, and there is a connection between it and the second part of the name of Siyavash, both ending with sound of “-ash”. Also, based on nominal theories, bear can be a Parthian totem, for in Bundahishn bear is introduced as one of twenty five types of human species.

In the present article, one of the most famous rules of Islamic philosophy in Theogony written by Hesiod is considered. We assume that there is a historical connection between mythical and philosophical thoughts, and mythical concepts have been developed in passage of time. Then and after a cursory examination of the rule of Al-Wahid (exuno non fit nisi unum, only one can come from one), we examine Theogony based on the mentioned rule. In that book with regards to genealogy of gods and the relationship of parents and children, a primary understanding of the principle of “same cause, same effect” and “reduction of plurality to unity” can be recognized. Also, simplicity and undeterminateness of the first cause can be re-examined and re-recognized in Hesiod’s book.

Immortality and undeterminity of myths cause them to have continuity in human unconsciousness through the passage of time, and to be considered as one of the inseparable parts of human life. Indeed, it seems that, semantically, continuity of human life is not possible without myths because myths provide a deep response to one of the great challenges of man, that is, immortality instinct. By using the analytic-documental method, the present article tries to study the main themes giving rise to the immortality instinct and reasons of using the same structures in the different cults and ethnic groups. The theme of immortality can be found in mythical motifs like eternal return, myth of fertility, resurrection, the days of childhood, return to unity and myth of becoming a writer. The processes of formation of these motifs are the same, because the mythical mind (collective unconscious) has common function.

In Islamic mysticism, karamat (supernatural deeds) is one of the common terms which has been put forward in many of mystical texts since the far past. Also, this term is discussed in Persian literature, hence it is necessary to consider the issues concerning it. To do this, we need some basic elements such as studying the sources. In the present article, after considering the kinds of mystical texts belonging to different periods, we categorize them in three groups. The first group is the texts that discuss mainly about ‘theoretical issues’ of karamat. The second group belongs to texts that speak about karamat (supernatural deeds) of ‘some’ major mystics. And finally, the third group is speaking about the karamat of ‘only one’ major mystic.

Numerous dialogues between quietism and effort in Masnavi show the importance of these concepts in (Mawlavi) Rumi’s thoughts. Bakhtin’s theory of polyglossia is based on dialogue. According to him, polyglossia is examination of pro and con ideas in various linguistics types where one voice is not predominate one. This can be a proper theory for considering Rumi’s view about quietism and effort. Based on Bakhtin’s theory of polyglossia, in the present article, ideology, outlook and kind of language of characters in two stories of Masnavi are analyzed. The results show that heteroglossia is prominent in the dialogues referring to the ideology and outlook, but in the dialogues where ideology is lacking it is not so prominent. Yet the narrator gets involved in the dialogues and obtains same results for both kinds of narrations. When the story gains distance from heteroglossia, the narrator is the prevailing voice.

In the present article with regards to pre-Islamic period resources and different religious backgrounds, the myth of Freidun and its development are examined in passage of time. After comparing him with some Vedic and Mithraic characters, it is shown that the unique task of this hero, who is the killer of dragon, is fertility and precipitation. In resources belonging to Islamic period, Freidun loses his divine image and transforms to a king with super natural powers, but has some mythical motifs such as: learning the secrets, passing the hard exams, mystique relationship of the person with his/her own name, magic and sorcery, relationship with fertility and establishing the feasts and rites that contain symbolic elements like cow.