Archrtypal Analysis of Bijan and Manije Story

Manije and Bijan story, a poem by a great poet, Firdausi Tousi, like his other stories in Shahname is a story which can be analyzed by archetyoal approach. According to this approach, this story can be considered as the individuation of here of this story, Bijan, who voluntarily enters into the individuation and psychological growth by being called. In his perfection cycle which is started and in Iran, by the trickery of evil wise old (gorgin), Bijan meets his Anima of unconscious. Bijan, who lived in Ashkanian era as some researchers believe, is one of the prime characters in Shahnameh. From mythical point of view, Bijan story, which is known as one of ancient myths, is the indicator of feminine society in Iran. Bijan story, like Bahram Chobin, Rustam and Sohrab, Ardeshir Babakan, and Rustam and Esfandiar, is an independent story added to Shahnameh. The comparison of Bijan story with other stories of Shahnameh represents this issue that Ferdowsi composed Bijan story in his youth and just after Daghighi’s death. Because Bijan story, like most other stories of Shahnameh and other myths, has a quite symbolic structure and motifs, Jung archetypal point of view is helpful to discover a lot of mysteries. In the present article, Bijan story is analyzed from Jung’s archetypal point of view. According to this theory, there are a lot of symbols, motifs and archetypes in this story. There is a united structure in every story formed base on its plot; thus, to discover the structure of a symbolic story is an important act. The symbolic motif of Bijan story is reaching the perfection and the story structure is completely commensurate with this motif; the move is started from Iran, which is the indicator of Bijan story’s consciousness, then the hero after getting individual experience in land of unconscious, Turan, comes back to Iran. Bijan voluntary goes on a dangerous and symbolic way as the hero. Actually he is the portrayal of a part of Keikhosrow’s consciousness because both Keikhosrow and Bijan live in Iran. According to what Ferdowsi said, Bijan is unable to finish his heroic act by himself because he is young and not experienced; consequently, he is tricked by Gorgin, the old impostor in the story, and got in a predicament. This inability causes Rustam, the primmest hero of the story, to enter in order to help Bijan and finish the progress. In addition, because of linked construction of stories of Shahnameh, whereas Bijan story is independent, it is slightly connected to its previous story in Shahnameh, Rustam and Akvan Div, and it are a justification for the presentation of Rustam in this part of the story. The connection between these two stories is that according to Asrasiab’s order, the hole which Bijan is trapped in is covered by the Akvan Div stone. In Bijan story, Manijeh, who is Afrasiab’s daughter, has the role of the Anima archetype. At the beginning of the story, she is a temper, immoral and whimsical person and she gets the hero of the story in a predicament by her characteristic which is the indicator of the first phase of Anima. Manijeh enthralls Bijan with helps of Gorgin and her nursemaid as the Mother archetype. Accordingly, Bijan undesirably enters Turan. In other words he steps in the devilish land. During the story, Manijeh’s negative function changes to a positive one after an upheaval. This upheaval causes her to move from a devilish section to a heavenly one.