The Analysis of Manichean’s Story: “The Ungulate Devil and Religious Man” in Marzbanname

Document Type : Research Article

Author

• Syedeh Masoome Hosseini

Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies

10.22067/jls.v50i4.71295

Abstract

Introduction

Allegorical story in expressing the concepts of Manichaeism has been long and widely used. Manichaeism had used the power of influence and explanation in this form of expression from the old time. Reminding so much allegorical stories in Manichean writings and specially in Mani’s writings attribute its origin to Mani.
Many of Manichaean’s ancient parables and stories (often with moral themes) have over time become fun fictions in Persian literature. Researchers specially have already suggested some theories about Manichean aspects of  Kalila and Dimne’s fictions. In addition to Kalila and Dimne, Marzbanname has also the Manichaean tonality in its stories. However, there has been no single studies about Manichaean ideas in Marzbanname.
Marzbanname, especially in the two chapters of “the story of ungulate devil and religious man” and “the story of Ardeshir king and wise Mehran beh” has been influenced by Manichean writings and beliefs. This study investigate the influence of the first story by Manichaean beliefs.

Methodology

This study is based on the text analysis method and the information gathering will be done using the library method. This research attempts to answers the following questions. Can we consider the characters in the story of “The ungulate devil and religious man” as the historical? Who are the ungulate devil and religious man in reality? Why did Manichaean hide the historical events in the allegorical story mode?

Discussion

The present study investigates the available theories to illustrate steganography within this chapter. Mohammad Moein (1945), Sirous Shamisa (1982) and Mohsen Farzaneh (1988) are the scholars who have tried to read the hidden lines of this text. Among these, it seems that Mohsen Farzaneh (1988) has been the key to the disclosing of this allegory by linking this text to the scene of killing Manni.
There are several evidence supporting the theory of Mani’s presence in the story of “The ungulate devil and religious man” in Marzbanname. First, like Mani’s documents, the land where the religious man emerges is explicitly mentioned as Babylon. Secondly, the text of the Marzbanname implicitly implies the prophetic claim of a religious man. Thirdly, the invitation of a religious man in Marzbanname is clearly a comprehensive and universal message which is the same as Mani who also introduced his mission as a global one.
Fourth, the emphasis on knowledge and its importance is the essence of the story of “The ungulate devil and religious man’’. In this story, the struggle between the two main characters and their rivalry is based on the predominance of knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom are considered to be the most important attributes of the Manichaean cult (Ismail Poor, 2002, p. 23). Mani considered knowledge and wisdom as a condition of salvation, preferred wisdom, and knowledge to faith and tradition. Fifth, the ungulate devil excerpts confirm this hypothesis that in the ungulate devil, the king of darkness is a combination of different beings which bears similarities between him and The ungulate devil in Marzbaname. Sixth, the similarity of elements from Mani’s beliefs  about world creiation and this story.
The description of the battle between darkness and brightness has provided a vast amount of mythology of creation in Manichaean works which is unlike the story posed in Marzbanname. This myth and its triple periods are depicted in a very detailed and complex account (which makes it difficult to understand) in manic writings. Seventh, the recommendation for worldly life and the disregard for the worldly enjoyment, and the consultation for peace and tranquility is important in “The ungulate devil and religious man” story. This discussion is also about Malek Ardeshir and Danaye Mehran beh, and a description of the way of life and the well-known worldview of Mehran which is completely reminiscent of Mani's ideas. Avoiding the furnishing and the injury of the world were the main teachings of the Manichaean creed.

Conclusion

The allegorical story of The ungulate devil and religious man in Marzbanname is in contrast to his simple and entertaining form which contains incredible hidden truths. The careful examination of the hidden layers of this parable represents the multi-thousand-year history of this work, thus naturally, due to this prolongation, it carries the effects of historical evolution.
The historical study carried out in this article showed that there are interesting historical and intrinsic citations available to prove the relationship between Manichaeism and the story of The ungulate devil and religious man.
 The existence of a serious rivalry between Mani and Kertier (the cause of the destruction of Manichean) in creating a religious system in Sassanid government, the debate between Mani and Kertier, which has been mentioned in Manichaean texts, the similarity of the religious man and man who emerged from Babylon , the Manichaean's beliefs about the mythical existence in the world of darkness Such as the ungulate devil, are numerous evidences in this regard.
The final outcome of this research is the demonstration of similarity between the religious man and Mani and between the ungulate devil and Kertier (the Zorostrian priest in Sasanian period and the Manichaean’s slaughter and destruction) according to the historical documents and the endemic textual facts.
According to this investigation, it is possible that Manichaeans, because of their destructive conditions after Mani’s death, have change the Zoroastrian debate between Akht and Yusht to hide their history about Mani’s murder in it.
riptive  analysis  method   by   using  library
research and studying
riptive  analysis  method   by   using  library
research and studying

Keywords

• Marzbanname
• ungulate devil and religious man
• Manichaeism

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