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Blackmailing Amazons and Dutch pigs: A Consideration of Epic and Folktale Motifs in Persian Historiography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

John R. Perry
John R. Perry*
Affiliation:
University of Chicago
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Extract

Iran's rich repertoire of narrative literature of oral origin, ranging from single-scene situation comedy through fairytale to the lengthy heroic epic, can certainly be appreciated for its intrinsic literary merits and entertainment value. Both compilers and patrons, however, of what are in effect folktale collections, have from ancient times adopted a utilitarian attitude to their material, a classic instance being the political science course that King Dabshalim (or Devasarma) took from Professor Bidpai in the form of animal fables. In one form or another, the practical autocrat and his obliging philosopher have continued to vet Persian literature through the centuries, insisting that myth and folktale be used as parables to leaven works ostensibly of devotional or moral instruction (as of Rumi or Sa'di) or of historical narrative.

Type
Articles
Information
Iranian Studies , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , Spring 1986 , pp. 155 - 165
Copyright
Copyright © Association For Iranian Studies, Inc 1986

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References

Notes

1. As in, e.g., L. P. Ellwell-Sutton, "The Influence of Folk-tale and Legend on Modern Persian Literature," Iran and Islam, ed. C. E. Bosworth (Edinburgh, 1971), pp. 247-254; and Hanaway, W. L. Jr., "Popular Literature in Iran," Iran: Continuity and Variety, ed. Chelkowski, P. (New York: New York University, 1971), pp. 59-75Google Scholar.

2. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Les six voyages (Paris, 1677), Vol, II, pp. 530-531; cited in Savory, Roger M., Iran under the Safavids (Cambridge University Press, 1980), p. 179Google Scholar.

3. Amir-quli Amini, Si Afsana (?Isfahan, n.d.), 5th story; cf. also the 14th story. This has elements of several Stith Thompson motifs, including J2511 "Silence Wager" and H343.2 "Silent princess gives right answer when talking monkey is given wrong one by suitor prince."

4. See Z. Safa, "Ibn-i Sina dar Dastanha-yi Irani," Majalla-yi Danishkada-yi Adabiyat-i Danishgah-i Tihran, Vol. I, No. 4 (1333/1954), p. 89; and L. P. Ellwell-Sutton, "Magic and the Supernatural in Persian Folk-Literature," Actes du VB Congres international d'Arabisants et d'Islamisants (Brussels, 1970), p. 195.

5. Shaykhzada, The Forty Vezirs, trans. E. J. W. Gibb (London, 1886): the Lady's 28th tale.

6. Ibid., the First Vezir's tale.

7. Abu'l-Hasan Gulistana, Mujmil al-Tavarikh, ed. M. Razavi (Tehran, 1344/1965), pp. 175-77.

8. Shahnama, ed. Jules Mohl (Paris, 1838-78; reprinted Tehran, 1345/1967), Vol. II, 48ff; trans. A. G. and E. Warner (London: Kegan Paul, 1905-1925), Vol. II, pp. 131-35.

9. Qabus Nama, ed. Reuben Levy (London, 1951: Gibb Memorial Series, N.S. XVIII), pp. 82-83; A Mirror for Princes, trans. R. Levy (London: Cresset Press, 1951), pp. 134-35.

10. Iskandarnama[h], ed. Iraj Afshar (Tehran, 1343/1964), 112ff; trans. Minoo Southgate (New York: Columbia University Press, 1978), pp. 41-43.

11. Ibid., p. 176 (Persian), 216 (English translation); Nizami-yi Ganjavi, Sharafnama, ed. V. Dastgirdi (Tehran, 1335/1956), p. 288.

12. The Romance of Alexander the Great by Pseudo-Callisthenes, translated from the Armenian Version with an Introduction by Albert Mugrdich Wolohojian (New York: Columbia University Press, 1969), pp. 141-42.

13. See my "Mir Muhanna and the Dutch," Studia Iranica II/1 (Paris, 1972), 79-95.

14. Khwaja Abdul Qadir, Waqa'i'-i Manazil-i Rum, ed. and trans. Mohibbul Hasan (London, 1968), p. 31. Mir Muhanna is wrongly identified as belonging to the Ka'b tribe, an example of conflation.

15. Muhammad Hashim Asaf, Rustam al-Tavarikh, ed. M. Mushiri (Tehran, 1348/1969), pp. 384-91.

16. See my Karim Khan Zand (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), Chapter 15, esp. pp. 259-71.

17. Louis Dupree, "The First Anglo-Afghan War: Folklore and History," Afghanistan XXVI, No. 4 (March 1974/Winter 1352), 1-28.

18. Shahnama (Mohl/Tehran edition), Vol. VI, pp. 193-200; (Warner translation), Vol. VII, pp. 384-94. The story of Burzoe's acquisition of Kalila and Dimna follows, respectively, pp. 223-29 and 423-31.

19. "La légende du sage Buzurjmihr," Acta Orientalia VIII (Leiden, 1930), 81-128; cf. H. Massé's article "Buzurgmihr" in Encyclopedia of Islam (New Edition).

20. Cf. other mythical accounts of the origins of board games under Stith Thompson A1468. Elements of the suitor test applicable to this episode may be found under H326 "skill" and H510 "guessing."