نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
Introduction
Ancient literary texts preserve ambiguous narratives of historical events, whose reconstruction through sociological and historical perspectives holds significant value. Ferdowsi’s Shāhnāmeh , with its historical-mythical nature, is a vital resource for reconstructing ancient Iranian culture and civilization. This study examines the usage of sorcere in the Shāhnāmeh and its cultural context, drawing on pre- and post-Zoroastrian Iranian and Indian texts to analyze the causes of its semantic evolution. The primary objective is to investigate the transformation of sorcere and demon into pejorative terms.The cultural and religious shifts driving this change. This study seeks to answer these questions:
a) Why does sorcere refer to positive, semi-sacred, or sacred figures in Shāhnāmeh?
b) How does Zoroaster’s religious revolution explain the semantic shift of sorcere and demon?
Research Method
In this study, the analytical-comparative method has been used to analyze the keywords "magic" and "demon" in the Shahnameh. Using evidence and clues in ancient texts that predate the Shahnameh, an attempt is made to examine the text of the Shahnameh and reconstruct a clearer picture of the historical events related to these words.
Discussion
The findings indicate that the word "magic" in the Shahnameh was used to refer to the clergy or priests of the pre-Zoroastrian Aryan religion. These individuals caused havoc and destruction in people's lives due to their strong tendency towards asceticism and detachment from the world, and pushing society towards this path (Monier-Williams, M 1899 under sorcere). Zoroaster opposed these worldly approaches, which resulted in nothing but destruction, and began an uprising against them. This action led to a religious revolution, overthrowing the demons as gods worshipped by the magicians and replacing them with the Ahuras. Words related to the names and classes of priests and clerics of that religion, such as "magic," "crepe," "coy," and also the word "demon," take on a negative connotation. While Zoroaster, contrary to the teachings of the magicians and priests of the previous religion, places worldliness at the center of his religion. In Gahan, demons are mentioned for the first time as "ugly" (Avesta, 2002, 1/23). Regarding the generality of the worship of the deity during the time of Zoroaster, it is stated that “Zoroaster came to a group of the most learned. He asked what was most like the cry of the soul? They said that they were thinking of dervishes and… praising the deity. Then he raised the dervishes and… but the deity did not become” (Vazidegi-Haye Zadsperm, 2006: 65). Zoroaster's opposition to Divan, Kirpan, and Koyan is mainly due to the fact that they create an unsuitable life for people and deprive them of worldly pleasures. He believes that evil teachers distort the word of God with their false teachings and destroy the idea of livelihood (Avesta, 2002, 1/25).
Conclusion
Due to the time span of the events, the Shahnameh contains two opposing meanings of the words "demon" and "magic"; the positive meaning is related to the pre-Zoroastrian era and the negative meaning is a product of the post-Zoroastrian era. Zoroastrianism's rebellion against the previous religion and its priests, known as the sorcerers, was due to the sorcerers' method of preaching an ascetic life that resulted in nothing but the destruction of human worldly life, and for this reason, the core of Zoroastrian religious teachings became the preaching of worldliness. With the elimination of the old religion, the name of its preachers, or the sorcerers, took on a negative connotation, and their gods (demons) also became negative gods.
کلیدواژهها English
کتابشناسی
الف: کتابها
منبع لاتین
ب: مقالهها
