:: year 19, Issue 71 (12-2011) ::
Persian Language and Literature 2011, 19(71): 137-160 Back to browse issues page
A Structuralist Critic of the Seven Ordeals Myth in Epics
Mahvash Vahed Doust 1, Ali Delayee Milan Delayee Milan
1- , mahsa.vahedy@gmail.com
Abstract:   (6136 Views)

Seven ordeals is one of the important topics in Persian myth. The movements in seven ordeals do not have a historical nature so that they cannot be generalized to historical movements. As myths are derived from mankind’s active mind, seven ordeals are also the result of mental needs of people and a society and are derived from the historical challenges of a nation. Seven ordeals can be considered as the outcome of the imagination and fantasy of a nation who are threatened. It can be said that seven ordeals have goals consistent with divine regulation and epic moral values.  In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, interactions among the heroes and champions have been depicted in a very fascinating way. These heroes face various exams during their adventurous lives. These exams can be referred to as ordeals. Sometimes, these ordeals develop and some other characteristics have been added to them and have been made into a complete story. These stories are referred to as seven ordeals. It is just here that myth enters the realm of story. Our aim is here to investigate the key points and common elements of exams, ordeals, seven ordeals and seven ordeals of Shahnameh’s heroes and other epics. This is carried out on the basis of a structuralist, comparative mythology. 

Keywords: Seven ordeals, Myth, Epic, Exam, Tale, Structuralism
Full-Text [PDF 185 kb]   (1052 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research |


XML   Persian Abstract   Print



Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
year 19, Issue 71 (12-2011) Back to browse issues page