rituals

The Kurdish oral chronology of Kermanshah represents one of the oldest manifestations of Kurdish culture and civilization of the people, with its specific stories and rituals closely linked to ancient Iranian myths and religions. The present study employs a descriptive, analytical, and field-based approach to examine the mythological aspects of Kurdish chronology and its associated rituals among the Sanjābi, Kalhor, and Gorān tribes. The finding indicated that Kurdish oral chronology is heavily influenced by fetishism, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, and shared beliefs in Mesopotamia.  Within this chronology, the year consists of three hundred sixty days and four seasons; however, due to the importance of spring for rural communities, most rituals are specific to this season. Notably, the beginning of spring coincides with the 15th of Bahman in the Jalali calendar.  The ritual of cooking "Pa peg" on the first day of spring is associated with fetishism and Farrah. Additionally, the belief in the mother of the first spring reflects the era of matriarchy; the story of the Kore Seyāy symbolizes the resurrection of the martyred Vegetation god; the tale of Shave Gā Huyl, is connected to Mehri beliefs; and the story of Kale vā, embodies the ongoing struggle between vāye nik and vāye bad.

When we talk about religion in a historical perspective, we are dealing with a cultural phenomenon that has deep social, mythological and cultural roots. One of these social aspects, which has been associated with rituals throughout history, is gender role and function. Rituals are the systematic embodiment of mythological and religious beliefs and covenants, and women in most societies, compared to men, have a more prominent role in enforcing and reproducing religious ideas. Mourning ritual is one of the universal rituals in the world; In Iran, the ancient rituals of mourning in combination with the religious event of Ashura have remained strong and are held until today. A look at the history of these rituals also shows that women have always had an essential and decisive role in holding and participating in mourning rituals. This research seeks to answer the question: what are the mythological, historical and social reasons for the presence and significant role of women in formal mourning rituals? The research method is historical-analytical and the results obtained show that women, due to the feminine nature of mourning rituals, have always been supporters and participants of these rituals, and political systems, despite historical limitations for women, have not created an obstacle for them in this field, but due to necessity, they have sometimes made political and social use of their ritual participation.

The current study aimed to analyse gender factors in the rituals related to 'Mohr Zadan' and 'naming' in Sorani Kurdish of Sanandaj in Iran based on conceptual blending theory. Deep interview method was used to gather data from an adult educated native woman. Based on the collected data, a new non-structured group interview was designed and carried on in a small group of 5 non-educated native speakers aged 60 to 70 to verify the base data. Relying on the conceptual blending theory, the present study analyses all recorded narrations. The results suggest that Kurdish culture uses different conceptual inputs- or more significantly- selects different mappings of the same input to regenerate new conceptual spaces to represent the cultural values of two genders. In other words, in Kurdy, cultural gender values play a significant role in conceptual blending of child naming rituals.

The aim of this article is to examine the position of carpet weaving in folk culture and literature. Its explicit findings indicate that in the folk culture, the philosophy of the emergence and nature of carpet weavers' beliefs and carpet weaving in Iran are expressed as follows: projective, defensive, aesthetic, and palliative. The analysis of rituals such as the “Mi bechkelessen Alasht" related to wool preparation for weaving shows the link between ancient Iranian rain rituals and religious beliefs in the carpet washers of Mashhad Ardahal. In folk literature, references to the most important carpet weaving regions in Iran are made in proverbs, discussing carpet maintenance and the hardships of carpet weavers, while economic aspects of carpets are discussed using specialized carpet terminology, creating various themes and reflecting some customs and traditions. The main themes of Iranian carpet weavers' songs include love, separation from the beloved, the sorrow of exile, the hardship of carpet weaving, describing the beauty of carpets, seeking help from Imam Reza (AS) at work, and wishing for the completion of carpet weaving and pilgrimage to Imam Reza (AS). In myths formed around the theme of carpets and weavings, and in the myth of Solomon's Carpet, one can find heroism with real characters defeating natural elements, and the carpet itself being a mythical element added to the myth by the public. In the myth of "Muffler and Solomon's Son," the element of coincidence leads to the discovery of how the harp is made. All of these instances demonstrate the undeniable significance of carpets in folk culture and literature; the public themselves have created these beliefs, proverbs, songs, and myths, reciting them and being the performers of carpet weaving rituals.

Research in the field of rituals is important and necessary because the identity of the people of a society lies in them. In this research, using a descriptive-analytical method, to investigate magic, poems and rituals in rituals, Zar, Azaim -Nashini, Kondo, Nonposh and Tabe Garmak were studied. Magic is one of the prominent elements that can be seen in these rituals. Accordingly, the rituals are examined from the point of view of George James Frazer. The results show that only the treatment of the Nun-Posh ritual is done with the magic of proximity, in other rituals, the magic of similarity is observed. In addition, poems and verses are recited in rituals that are effective in treating diseases.

The relationship between literature and society is interactive, affecting each other in a different  ways. One of the important functions of Persian literary texts is to preserve ancient rituals, tradition and beliefs. Thus, extracting, classifying, and interpreting them are essential  for understanding the past society and eliminating the ambiguities of Marzban-Nama.  Marzban-nama -which was recreated by Sa’d al-din Varavini in a technical prose- was originally written in a simple and uncomplicated style by Emir Marzban, the son-of-Rostam, in the fourth century. Given its Iranian origin, Marzban-Nama is an authentic text that contains diverse ancient  beliefs and rituals in it. Conducted in a descriptive-analytical method based on library sources, the current study seeks to analyze and critique six beliefs and rituals in Marzban-Nama, including the design on the wall, hyena hunting, the snake charmer, the fire-eating bird, the demon and glass, and the impact of the King’s intention on his subjects. To explicate and  analyze these beliefs and rituals, the present article benefited from various sources written in prose and verse. The findings of this points to the importance of Marzban-Nameh in preserving the ancient Iranian culture, its rituals, and beliefs in different fields.

Rituals are an integral part of the culture and history of the people of Sistan, an Iranian tribe, which has been uniquely expressed through their religious, ethnic, and tribal beliefs. Based on the mythological, anthropological, historical, and psychological characteristics of the Sistani people, their rituals set them apart from other Iranian tribes. Furthermore, these rituals have been depicted in the ancient tales of this region, serving as the foundation for various literary analyses. The purpose of this research is to explore the rituals portrayed in the stories of the people of Sistan and analyze their underlying themes using a descriptive-analytical approach, combined with the critical lens of myth criticism. Extensive studies confirm that Sistani narratives encompass a range of rituals, with notable examples including blood drinking, the myth of Oushidar, incestuous marriages, witchcraft, and mourning ceremonies. Many of these rituals originated from the ancient Iranian and Zoroastrian cultures, as well as the customs and practices of ancient tribes like the Scythians, eventually becoming deeply ingrained within the Sistan region's populace.

Until one hundred years ago, the people of the mountains of eastern Afghanistan had an Indo-Iranian culture and a livestock-based ideology. These Aryans, whose land was called Kafiristan by the Muslims, were called Nuristan after the advent of Islam. They were the last believers and practitioners of the ancient Aryan religions, who remained in this land until the last century due to geographical and social conditions. They spoke different Indo-European languages and had aspects of Indo-Aryan religions. In this research, first the history and ethnic roots of Nuristanians are discussed. Then, a general outline of the worship of different gods and their relationship with the great Indo-Iranian culture and garlic is examined by looking at Domzil's theory. So, the main question will be whether these gods can be placed in a system like the Pantheon of Demzil? What is the relationship between these beliefs and the Indo-Iranian ideological system? The importance of this research is that the culture and beliefs of these people can reflect the social and religious life of the Indo-Iranian peoples. The present research has been done by using library resources and by comparative and analytical method.

While migrating to Sind and Iran, a number of Aryans settled in the eastern province of Afghanistan (Kafiristan / Nuristan), which shares borders with Panjshir, Badakhshan, Kunar, and Pakistan. The inhabitants of this region remained steadfast on the ancient Aryan religion until one hundred years ago. The great conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Amir Timur Gurkhani and Babur the Gurkhanian Emperor of India could not dominate this region. By the end of the winter of 1895/96, however, the people of this region still retained their ancient culture, from religious languages and beliefs to their individual talents in art and architecture and their "primitive" traditions. The purpose of this study is to introduce the latest generation of Aryans and their religious system to people who study and research in this field, and then to examine the ideological and religious background of the people living in this land to determine What were the beliefs of these people as the last believers in the Aryan religion, and what were the characteristics of their religious system in comparison with the Indo-Iranian religious systems.

The research method in this research is comparative analysis according to the type of subject. Research sources obtained from the library in such a way that the required data after collection has been analyzed by reading and taking notes from the relevant books and articles according to the specified chapters.

Almost all the scholars agrees that the adequate knowledge of the ancient Aryans can be achieved by examining the various aspects of the life of the Nuristan people. Here, various gods with different motives are worshiped, among which the god Imra is considered as a distinct creator and the other three gods are considered as his agents. Various rituals are performed to please these gods, including sacrifice, dancing, and vows. Here, in front of the Creator God, there is a devil who seeks to create evil and corruption in opposition to the Almighty God. In addition to the gods mentioned and the rituals which related to them, the goddess Dizani has also been praised by the people in matters related to the women and the care of children. In the worldview of the inhabitants of this region, the universe consists of the sky, the upper world (Ardish Urdesh) which is the abode of lords, the earth, the middle world (Michdesh) and the lower world (Yurdesh Yurdesh). They believed in heaven and hell, and they thought that heaven was in the upper world and hell was in the underground. Here, all of the heaven is comparable to similar cases in the Indo-Iranian religious systems. The main question is whether the gods of these infidels and their beliefs can be presented in a plan, similar to the Pantheon system of Demzil? What does this cosmology have to do with Indo-Iranian cosmology?

The main theme of Indo-Iranian thought is dualism. This duality is seen in the transcendental world as the themes of Ahura-demon in Iran and Deva-Asura in India and in the field of ethics as virtues and vices. According to Hindu Kush infidels, Imra, the one God, the Creator, is opposed to Yush as the devil.  The lower gods, as Imra’s agents in the war against the devil, help him by creating good creatures. This duality goes back to the Indo-European biological backgrounds, which were based on "pastoral ideology". According to this ideology, the positive values of patriarchy and animal husbandry are opposed to the negative values of feminism and agriculture and have led to the belief in duality. This dualism in ritual practices has created rulings on purity and impurity among these tribes. In discussing the type of relationship of the gods with humans and their distance and closeness to them, Imra is comparable to Varuna and Moon to Mitra. In this pantheon, the gods of the infidels, Bagisht made a covenant with Imra, and the brotherhood ritual based on this covenant is celebrated during a ceremony. Regarding the names of the gods and their function, Imra (called Sanskrit Yame) and Yama the king (Persian Jam) are known to be homosexual. all three seem to have the same roots, although despite these similarities, there are significant differences. The title of Blessing God is comparable to Indra's role in the Mahabharata and Dizani As the only goddess similar to the gods of the trinity and the goddess of fertility, is very similar to the Persian Anahita. The end result is that such evidence points to the existence of an Indo-Iranian religious system in pre-Islamic Nuristan.

There are many similarities between modern popular culture and ancient Iranian rituals. Since the mythological and epic elements originated from popular culture, they remain stable among them. Until now, many similarities can be seen between the themes of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and the popular culture of the people of this time. The purpose of this research is to prove the similarity between the ancient ritual of marriage, in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, with its current form in the popular culture of Lor and Bakhtiari peoples. The intellectual and semantic level of these commonalities, which is one of the basic foundations of stylistics, is examined and analyzed in this research.

The method of investigation and study in this research is analyticaldescriptive using the library method as well as field research and benefiting from the opinions of experts in the field of Shahnameh research and interviews with experts in the field of popular culture.

By exploring the Shahnameh, we can see that ritual and ancient topics have been discussed, which can still be seen in popular culture today. By examining the customs of the people of Lero Bakhtiari, many similarities between the ancient religion and their current form can be seen. Many of these customs are still held among the people, which both shows their dynamism in the present day and also speaks of people's preservation of these ancient assets, which respond to the cultural needs of each period according to the conditions of the time. In this research, examples of these traditions are examined in marriage rituals.

The investigations reveal that there are many similarities between the rituals of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and the popular culture of Ler and Bakhtiari people. Throughout the ages, these people have adopted the example of Shahnameh in their religion and have preserved this unity. The present study proves the religious similarities between marriage among these people and Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, intellectually and semantically.

Darabnameh of Tarsusi is a profound story with mythological, epic, and historical themes that has a prominent role from the perspective of studying the beliefs, rituals, and religions of Iran, especially the beliefs and religions related to the Sassani era. Using a descriptive-analytical-documentary method, the researcher assumes that the story contains national, Semitic and Islamic epic elements and themes due to the existence of undeniable epic and mythological elements. As it is indicated, elements of Zoroastrianism, Sassanid Mazdaism, Zarwanism, Manichaean, Semitic, and Islamic elements have a prominent presence. Furthermore, Zoroastrian ritual elements (Zarwani and Semitic), and Zoroastrian and post-Zoroastrian (Manichaean and Islamic) elements are well-reflected in this story. Precisely, at the end of the Sassani era, the religious beliefs and convictions of the Iranians underwent changes, and for this reason, there exists a combination of different beliefs in this period. The Behdini signs provided in this study are, therefore, the modified Behdini of the late Sassani era that are blended with other religious elements such as Zarwani, Maoism, Sami, and Islamic beliefs. Accordingly, the questions posed by this article are; what elements and beliefs existed in the Sassani Behdini, and what elements does this religion actually include in the book under investigation. The importance and necessity of research in recognizing the beliefs and beliefs of Iranians in the Middle Ages and the Sassani era is to report the stages of evolution and transformation, and even its integration with other elements of eclectic belief whether in line with or opposing the existing ones. In fact, through this study and with the help of non-historical sources, such as folk tales, we can review the history of the growth of Iranian civilization and culture

AbstractIf a year passes in South Khorasan and it does not rain, people in some areas turn to prayers in mosques to ask for rain, then fast for three days, cook broth and make vows to give to the poor. If it does not rain again, some people, young and old, men and women, in the open air, pray for the rain and for God's mercy to come down. If the drought continues, a number of children and adolescents will gather and, in addition to the prayers of the people, perform the ritual of " Talugardani " to show the need and helplessness of the people and their demands to God. What can be deduced from the general study of the rituals of "Talugardani" is that people in times of distress bring their children to beg for rain, to be the present language of mountains and plains and deserts and cattle, which are thirsty, so that their prayers may be answered. On the other hand, it has been believed that the evildoers prevented the rain from falling with magic and sorcery through sin and evil deeds. Therefore, they have tried to invalidate those spells by performing certain actions. The author intends to examine and describe the various narratives of "Talugardani" that has obtained through field methods, by describing and analyzing them.

Customs are one of the specific cultural and social issues of any society which have always played an important role in popular culture. The rituals of some communities are so extensive and comprehensive, and are held in various ceremonies and on different occasions. The rituals show the culture and beliefs of the people of each nation. Since some of the Sur rituals in the villages of Arkan and Kastan in North Khorasan Province are unique, carry symbols, and ultimately bring empathy and cooperation to the people of these two regions, this descriptive-analytical research tried to study these rituals with the aim of getting acquainted with the popular culture of these two regions, and the way they have held some Sur rituals in the past and preserved their customs. Field research was used to collect materials, making an effort to preserve and record the ancient rituals and traditions of the Turkish-speaking people of the region. The results of this study show that, from the past to the present with the modernization and progress of life in various fields, Sur rituals have undergone changes and even in some cases have been forgotten among the people of Arkan and Kastan. However, some ceremonies are still held enthusiastically among the people of these two regions, and their citizens strive to preserve and perpetuate these rituals.

What was the basis and theme in ancient religious poems, emphasized more on myths, traditions and cultural customs, but from the Islamic period, especially the Safavid Shiite government, took on a religious color and attention was paid to national and religious rituals. Constitutional social developments, social movements and modernism strengthened the sense of patriotism and archeology in poetry and literature during the Qajar period, the first and second Pahlavi. The victory of the Islamic Revolution and the era of war and holy defense changed the content and direction of ritual poetry, which can be referred to as the renaissance period in ritual poetry. The poetry of the revolution and the holy defense, using the religious concepts and the help of the school of Ahl al-Bayt (AS) and religious beliefs in the form of ancient, half and even white poetry, created the period of modernity of religious and ritual poetry. The present study aims to investigate Iranian and Islamic rituals and ceremonies and their crystallization in contemporary Iranian poetry with emphasis on the last four decades. In this research, an attempt is made to deal with the background, principles, components, themes, stylistic and sociological developments of this type of Persian poetry in the contemporary period.

This research has been done by documentary and library methods and in some cases by interviewing experts.

Ritual poetry, like other types of poetry and the realm of Persian literature, has expanded over time and a new sphere has opened before it. It is clear that new phenomena, developments of the contemporary period, changes in language, ideas and new themes have all marked new events in contemporary Iranian ritual poetry, and this type of poetry should be viewed in several ways and with different themes.

The study and recognition of Iranian and Islamic rituals and ceremonies in the contemporary period in the form of national and religious traditions and ritual poetry and literature are associated with cultural, social and sometimes political developments. In fact, it can be said that ritual literature has become a platform for transmitting the concepts and values of the Islamic Revolution, sacred defense, national and religious occasions, and customs and traditions.

Tehranian women performed in their private gatherings without menchr('39')s presence. It seems that these performances were the manifestations their temporary dreams since their life conditions were much influenced by the culture of the society in which their freedom and power were threatened, and consequently their dreams were limited. In such situations, womenchr('39')s activities were done in hidden, away from the societychr('39')s control. This raises a question: What is the relationship of these ritualistic performances and the womenchr('39')s dreams on the one hand, and what is its relationship with their condition as a second sex? The research method is document analysis and field study. 27 Tehranian women between 60 to 70 years old were selected and their memories were recorded. There were some interviews regarding their narrations of these rituals; however, the main data consisted of the documents analyzed. The data analysis was through thematic analysis. Firstly, Turnerchr('39')s symbolic anthropology and Schechnerchr('39')s performance theory were employed for analyzing the ritualistic performances, and then Gluckmanchr('39')s theory of reversed customs was used to investigate the paradoxes within the elements of the performances. The findings shows womenchr('39')s dreams of having a safer environment and more power like men to establish security for themselves.

Rituals are among the ceremonies that bring people together and preserve and reproduce cultural monuments in every nation. Among the people of Kohgiloye Vobir Ahmad, there are rituals, rooted in the ancient Iran, that represent plant themes. Among these rituals, which are still practiced today with the same style, are the Pol Borun, reading Sharbah, the sacrificial, Balagarduni, and Chalegarm Konun. The Pol Borun ritual is performed in the absence of a woman's spouse who cuts her hair and then buries it under an oak tree. In the sacrificial ritual, the animal is sacrificed under the oak tree at the top of the mountain or under the bush by the river to shed its blood as a sign of fertility. In the ritual of Balagarduni, in addition to planting patches on the tree to keep the evil eyes away, mountain plants are also used. In the Chalegarm Konun, while taking green plants to the tombs before the New Year's Eve, some Ash (food) is cooked with eight oak sticks and then divided among the locals. The purpose of this study is to analyze the vegetative signs in the rituals of the people in Kohgiloye Vobir Ahmad and explain the literary aspects of these local poems. This research is based on the field library study, qualitative content analysis, and the semi-structured interviews. Many elements of herbal plants, such as polypropylene, mulch and smoking, sheding blood in the sacrificial rites, and pruning the graves have mythological representation in the Iranian culture.

In mystical literature, issues, opinions and various methods for lawyers find the right way to reach the highest levels of mysticism, part of which is derived from the teachings of Islam, the Quran and Sunnah, and part It has been expressed by its elders over time and with the formation of different sects and groups of mysticism and Islamic Sufism. Among these issues, the important issue ''Association'' among the mystics is that there are various ways of association and company, behavior with friends, meeting and rising, and how to associate with others in various mystical books. In the present study, after mentioning the Sufi rules briefly, the place of association in two books ''Ensan Al-kamel'' Nasafi and ''Mesbah Al-hedayah and Meftah Ai- kefayah'' Ezzoddin Kashani has been studied in descriptive-comparative manner. The writer of both works considered the Association as one of the Sufi customs. They have referred to one of the traditions of Sufism, all of which in their works refer to Quranic verses, traditions, narrations, and elders' statements. The writer of both works have association with the right to association with the people. There are also differences in some cases.

The verse romance of Vis O Rāmin</em> composed by Fakr Al-Din As,</sup> ad Gorgāni during the reign of the Saljuq Sultan togrel I (died 455 A.H.) is based on a Pahlavi written text. As Iranian-born Abū Nuwās (the Arab-speaking poet, died 198 A.H.) had mentioned the names Rāmin and Vis in one of his Fārsiāt</em> (i.e. the Arabic poems in which he used to use Persian words), it is obvious that the story had existed before Gorgāni recomposed it into a verse romance. The now existing story includes some hints to the ancient Iranian rituals and beliefs like most of the remained stories from ancient times, but hasn't yet been under the attention of scholars as it deserves. Under the influence of highlighted Zoroastrian concepts in the romance, some scholars have studied these rituals. In addition, other Zurvanite beliefs in it have been explored by Helmer Ringgren about 50 years ago for the first time. In this research the authors have tried through a descriptive-analytical approach to trace the Zoroastrian rituals in this verse romance by referring to Zoroastrian sources, Islamic historiographies and recent researches. The results of the study revealed that the Zoroastrian rituals are recorded according to ancient sources and Zoroastrian narratives.

Old encyclopedias are among the most important sources of preserving the folklore in Persian literature. Among these texts is Alaei’s Nezhatnameh authored by Shahmardan Ebn Abelkheyr in the late fifth century. In addition to the classification of the common science of its era, it includes the important and fundamental elements of folklore. Refering to the rituals and folk beliefs about plants is one of the most important themes of popular culture in this work. In addition to providing scientific and pseudo-scientific facts derived from earlier sources and his own observations and experiences, the author has alluded to a large number of beleifs and rituals with respect to productivity, properties of plants and trees, fighting off the pests, repelling the evil eye, improving and increasing the yield, some of the implications of climate events such as the frog cries signifying the coming of rain, the relationship between trees and humans, false threatening of the tree to guarantee its productivity, the role of plants in dream interpretation, and other odd characteristics. The purpose of this study is to extract, sort, and check the plant-related folk rituals and beliefs in Nezhatnameh as well as quantitatively and qualitatively explore its origins and backgrounds besides an unmatched evaluation of this text with some similar texts in this particular field

In the various Religions, according to their point of view about eschatology and fate of the dead persons spirit, various rituals related to the death are performed one of which is mourning. This rite has a worldly function (giving peace to the family and the kinship) and also an eschatological function. These matters are perfectly right about Hinduism. Therefore, this essay seeks to show the importance of the death and the fate of the spirit of the dead person by performing these rituals. Thus, the topics which are studied in this research are: The rituals which are performed after cremation; return to home; the second phase of cremation i.e. gathering the remains of the cremated corpse and re cremating them; performing the ceremony of giving peace to the dead person's spirit (Sherada); the period of mourning. In the conclusion, it can be said that the vast and accurate performing of the rituals of the death, besides giving peace to the dead person kinsfolk, shows the place of the concept of the death and the other world and also the fate of the dead person's spirit. This research has been down according to descriptive-analytical method.

The wayfarer is required to observe rites in order to streamline the perfection path in practical theosophy. According to the fact that observing such rituals and rites have been verified and confirmed religiously, intellectually and empirically it is necessary to follow the rites in order to be able to reach the destination. Remembrance is among the rituals which has been recommended both in the holy Quran and the Sunna and tradition of the Islam Great Apostle (may god bless him with the best of the regards) and in the theosophical books, as well. in the present study, meanwhile briefly introducing the importance of the wayfaring rites in the practical theosophy it has been tried to make use of the theosophical books contexts to define and classify the conditions and the rituals pertaining to the remembrance rites based on a temporal chronological order and then we will deal with the utterances and the deeds and conducts recorded from the theosophists and the mysticism masters and finally the article proposes a historical analysis spanning over a period from the first to sevenths hegira century.