The Analysis of the Social Functions of Rituals and Celebrations in Shahnameh

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Mahmood Aghakhani bizhani ¹
• Mohsen Mohammadi fesharaki ²

¹ Epic literature and humanities Ph.D. at the Faculty of Literature, University of Isfahan

² Associate Professor Department of Persian Language and Literature Faculty of Literature and Humanities University of Isfahan

10.22067/jls.2020.39339

Abstract

Extended abstract

Introduction

In Iran's culture, there are symbolic and conventionalised rituals and celebrations that are held in various forms and times with different objectives. Some of these rituals and their related festivals are widely reflected in the Shahnameh. These festivals are the expressive of the mass regulations and the frequency of these practices that provide a framework for the Iranian society and culture to reproduces itself in it. In this paper, we shall be concerned with social functions of guest-accepting, mourning, festivals like Barkhahi, Sade, Norouz and Mehrgan based on the theory of Emile Durkheim along with analysing their mythical themes. The research questions include:
What are the underlying rationales lying behind holding and preserving festivals in the Iranian culture and their reflection in Shahnamehh? What are the social functions of these festivals? Do these functions still continue to exist in today's society?

Literature Review:

There is a huge burden of various scholarly works on Shahnameh. Some of these works, in one way or another, are related to the present problem as it follows:

Fazeli, M. T and Pourbakhtiyar, G. (2016). Analysing the Mourning Rituals in the Shahnameh and its Comparison with the very Rituals amongst Bakhtiyari Lor and Kokhak Lor Tribes. Quarterly Journal of Social Sciences, 10 (13), 121-144. In this paper, the authors concluded that there is quite a number of commonalities between the mourning rituals in the Shahnameh and the Luri-speaking people such as cutting hair, besprinkling dust on the head, tearing off the collar, and etc.
Modaberri, M. and Alinejad, M. (2013). Guest-Accepting Rituals in the Shahnameh. Journal of Letters and Language, 16 (34), 283-309. It is concluded that accepting ritual amongst the Iranian is reflected in the Shahnameh and includes the processes such as greeting the passenger and etc.
Aghakhani, B., Toghyani, I., Mohammadi-Fesharaki, M. (2018). Sacrificing Ritual in the Shahnameh (the Tale of Rostam, Esfandiyar and Siyavash). Journal of Culture and Folk Literature, 6(20), 1-21. In this study, the authors concluded that there are no indications denoting sacrificing and the mentioned points refer to nullifying the calamity with blood.
Ishragi, H. (1376). the Shahnameh from the Perspective of National Solidarity. Art and People, 153-154, pp. 74-85. The author argues that the Shahnameh has always been a unitising factor amongst the Iranian people due to its attempts to preserve the Persian language and culture and represent national myths.

These studies have concentrated upon cultural elements in the Shahnameh but they have not dealt with the social functions of rituals and festivals based on Durkheim's theory. The present study seeks to identify and investigate the social functions of rituals and festivals in the Shahnameh according to Emile Durkheim's theory.

Method

Concerning the objectives, the present study is a fundamental-theoretic one. As far as data collection is concerned, the data are grounded upon library resources that are analysed based on qualitative content analysis. The researcher has collected the required data about the analysis of social functions of certain rituals and festivals based on Durkheim's theory along with the analysis of mythical themes from different library resources. The data collection tools include note-taking and wave-like reading (see Sadegi-Fasayi and Irfan-manesh, (2016) in regard to the social functions of rituals and festivals in the Shahnameh. In the research methodology, the qualitative content can be considered as a research method to interpret the data in terms of the subjective-content method using systematic categorising procedures and designing well-known patterns (Iman, 2009, p. 172).

Findings and Discussion

The Shahnameh is a document that reveals the ways to preserve and reproduce cultural and religious elements using the representation of rituals and festivals. Of the most important represented rituals and festivals one can refer to accepting guests, Barkhahi, Norouz, Sade and Mehregan festivals. All these festivals enjoy sanctimonious and religious features.
Ritualistic practices refer to vow renewal by the people in which the group matters far more than each of its individual members. Therefore, it is always necessary to preserve these festivals. These rituals, as a matter of fact, are the real source of social integration and are regarded as real links tying people together. Durkheim believes that rituals are necessary for the real ethical life to function. This is mainly because it is only through the rituals that a group proves and preserves itself.
In ancient societies, too, there was an extensive and powerful "mass consciences" which imposed a monotonous agreement on what is right and what is wrong. In consequence, the ethical unity would be guaranteed insofar as the social members would have relied upon a series of symbolic realisations and common presumptions about the world around them.

Conclusion

In mourning ritual, the people get close together through particular procedures. The public feature of such ceremonies leaves deep and strong influence upon the participants. On the other hand, it provides harmony and deep sympathy amongst the represented agony of the people in life. In its covert function, this constitutes solidarity and unity. As a matter of fact, people obtain their cultural self, that is their social self in one sense, as well as their religious self by simply taking part in these ceremonies. Barkhahi ritual refers to the problem of the king and legitimacy and consequently the relations between the king and the people. This ritual makes people come together in particular events such as Norouz and Mehrgan; therefore, it contributes to increasing the solidarity and unity between the people and the king. Undoubtedly, it adds to social stability.
Concerning the guest/passenger-accepting ritual, playing music, rejoicing parties, attribution and etc. accentuate certain customs that denote solidarity-making function. Instigating emotional reactions followed by music, clapping, dancing, giving presents and happiness, serves to tighten the unity. The other function is to put emphasis upon an orderly network of links that tie an individual with the society; not only does it reproduce the social identity of an individual, but also finds a social realisation. In all the Sade, Norouz and Mehrgan festivals we witness accepting ritual which is along with emotional reactions such as music, clapping, dancing, giving presents and rejoicing. The people have quite active participation in festivals and the shred feature in all these festivals is peoples' collaboration and corporation. Therefore, it clear that festivals motivate the people to gather together (the overt function of unitising) and, in consequence, leads to forgive animosity (an evil symbol) and develop happiness and kindness (the covert function of unitising). Also, these rituals in the ceremonies and festivals create inner ties, social unity and ethical reconstruction of individuals. All these covertly refer to their social functions on the unitising affair.

Keywords

• Ferdowsi's Shahnameh
• Emil Durkheim
• Rituals
• Social Function

20.1001.1.20087187.1399.53.3.2.1

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