The Journal of Epic Literature
Year:2015 | Volume:11 | Issue:19|Papers Count:8

Bahmannameh is an epic account of Bahman, son of Esfandyar. Dr Afifi, proofreader of this poem specifies the author’s name as Iranshah ibn Abi’lkhair, and Dr Matini proofreader of Koushnameh, another epic of this author, for some reason assumes the name Iranshan ibn Abi’l-khair to be correct. The exact date of composition of Bahmannameh is not clear and it is said to have been composed at the end of the fifth and beginning of the sixth century. Thus uncertainties still remain as to the exact name of the poet and date of its composition. This essay with reference to Mojmal-attavarikh-valghesas manuscripts, and also studying the events referred by the composer of the poem in its preface has proved based on certain evidence that the composition of Bahmannameh had already been completed slightly before the tenth of month of Zihijeh 495, and after Garshaspnameh it is considered as the oldest national epic of Iran. Furthermore the name of Iranshan despite its oddness is quite genuine. It is verified with reference to the Fiqh al-lughah and its meaning and other examples of similar names are also discussed.

Zahhak, the most central demonic creature in Shahnameh, equivalent to Avestic Azdyhak and the three headed dragon of Indo-Iranian origin is one of the most distinct evil creatures in Mazdisna writings. Numerous interpretations of the Zahhak’s myth were made and considering the fact that Zahhak is of the Arab origin in Shahnameh, and assuming that the plain where horsemen fight with spears (Dashte Savarane Nayzehgozar) a place within Iraj’s domain in Shahnameh is one with the Arabic Sahara, certain interpretations regard the Zahhakk’s myth as a legacy of the migrants’ battles with the races of the Sami origin such as Assurians, Sumerians, and Babylonians. While criticizing other interpretations this research shows that Zahhak’s myth could be related to the Underworld Serpent God in the ethnic cultures of Iran’s plateau and its adjacent lands. According to this myth, the best youth were sacrificed for the God of the Underworld and the dragon killing myth is not a relic of a historic battle, but a symbol to end this bloody tradition of the prehistory.

Shahnameh scholars have earlier often referred to Ferdowsi’s shiism of being of the zaydi, twelvers, and Ismaili type. The writer of this essay sees the latter opinion closer to the truth since.There have been close associations between Ismailis and the compatriot Persian Dehqans and Sunni followers have constantly accused Ferdowsi for having ancient Persian beliefs.Ferdowsi like Naserkhosrow and the Ismailis finds helpful accompaniment of Immanence and revelation in knowing God.In a verse in Shahnameh’s preface God is known as ”The designer of the best gem“.And based on Ferdowsi’s words one can assume "the best gem” (in contrast to attribute) is the essence of reason and Universal Soul which is the source of all creation.Ferdowsi like Naserkhosrow based on the Ismailis doctrine, summon people to inspect the word of God so that one can comprehend the true essence of God’s words as a great reward.Description of the process of creation in the preface is closer to the beliefs of Naserkhosrow and Ismailis.Both poets speak of God of revelation (Tanzil or Nateq) that the God of interpretation or (executor, Vasi) should disclose the secret of His words.They both in praise of prophet’s family use the term Ahl-al bayt and unlike many Sunni historians and geographers who mention Imam Reza once speak of city of Tus, there are no references made to Imam Reza who was buried near them or else the conclusion would have been to regard Ferdowsi as a twelver.

Hakim Abolqasem Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and also other heroic compositions in the Persian land have constantly been considered by the Kurd composers. One of these heroic stories briefly dealt with in Shahnameh and later in Persian literature and also in Kurdish language composed independently, is the adventure leading to the ascension of Bahman to the throne and his battle and conflict with Rostam’s family. Prominent Kurd Poet, Seyyed Noshad Abolvafaei has also versified this battle in Farsi (Moteghareb meter). This research first narrates coming to throne of Bahman and his attack on Sistan in Shahnameh, and then deals with Noshad’s Bahman and Faramarz in terms of narrative, content and events in the story.

Motifs used in Shahnameh’s imagery are on one hand in connection with the textual sign systems and on the other hand are of a nature belonging to the visual sign system. An example from this dual system of textual-visual kind is seen in the visual motifs of heavenly concept of farr. In textual system, Kiani Farr refers to Shah’s legitimacy. Researches made in this regard generally describe the concept of Farr, and deal with its application in Shahnameh and ancient texts. The emphasis of these works is mostly on the semantic aspect of Farr. This essay however attempts to study the concept of Farr from another approach. Looking for its meaning among the images to find out how the visual artists depicted the concept of Farr. Thus the attempt is made in this article to seek and find symbolic imagery in between the images in Shahnameh, rock reliefs, and images depicted in banners. For this reason apart from the textual sources, one made use of visual sources as well. Studying the images illustrate that Farr is manifested in form of three motifs of light, bird and crown. These three motifs each has different manifestations dealt with in detail in this study. The purpose of this research is to find the symbols of Farr by inspection of visual sources.

According to the structural mythology approach, myths through the intermediary elements that they present try to remove the conflict that exists between the binary opposites. These intermediary elements constantly go to and fro from one opposite to the other so that through struggle and merging with one side or both sides find a unity to neutralize the existing conflict or rather make them less pronounced. This essay introduces the structural theory of Levi-Strauss in myth analysis and applies it to Jamshid’s story as an example to illustrate to what extent this theory functions in analysis of Persian myths. Accordingly Yameh/ Jam is a myth formed in the minds of Indians and Iranians to try and overcome the conflict between life and death by a return journey to both ends, that is man’s mortality and a wish to attain everlasting life. Although the myth cannot overcome the existing conflict completely, eventually it turns into a manifested hybrid of both the concept of life and death which was named “live death”.

Despite their complexities and variations among the mythological archetypes a kind of concordance and closeness is observed in their main theme which renders the comparative study of these narratives possible; the subject of raising certain mythological characters by animals and mythological creatures is of utmost importance. The close study of mythological narratives reveals that in the beginning man and animals lived together and lived in the same manner and no wonder that many of former Gods had dual nature. In many narratives humans and mythological personages were chosen and raised by some animals and due to this upbringing the good or evil nature of those animals were manifested in the material lives of their protected. These narratives are so widespread to the extent that one witnesses their similarity form the Far Eastern myths to Western ones. What is worthy of attention in this regard is the fantastic influence that animals in raising the humans leave behind in forming their characters that place them far beyond the other individuals. The best example of such characteristics are found in the Persian epic myth culture namely in the story of Raising Feraydun by the cow Barmayeh, and the raising of Zal by Simorgh. The subject of this article however limited is reflected in books such as “Dictionary of Greek and Roman myths” under the entry “Paris” and “Romelus”, Shahnameh in the tale of Feraydun and Zal, “Dictionary of the Greek myths” in the story of raising Eskandar and so forth and the role of animals were pointed out in raising these characters. As far as the author of this article is concerned a work which independently deals with all aspects of raising mythological characters by animals in the myths of different nations was not found, thus the present research aware of such necessity and by employing the comparative approach aims to study and discuss these mythological narratives.