The Study of Anti-Epic Functions of Bahmanin Bahmannameh and Their Comparison with Those of Archetypal Epic Heroes

Bahmannameh is an epic poem which was compose dafter Shahnamehin imitation of this great work of Ferdowsi. The poem cites the heroic acts of Bahman–son of Esfandiyar–and his persistence on taking revenge on the family of Rostam after his death. However, functions of Bahmanare manifested as anti-epic rather than epic and heroic, and are in contrast with archetypical epic heroes. Neglect of the structural framework of epic, arrival of Bahman– as a hero– in the story without any preface, his continuous failure, his faintdivine splendor and legitimacy as an ideal king, fighting battles with heroes of Sistan and setting fire to this land instead of fighting with aliens and demons, lacking a sense of duty to fight evils, passing a calm Haft-Khan(Seven Labors) without any battle, and his failure in fighting with the only evil, i.e. dragon, are the most important factors which hinder the fulfillment of reader's expectations to meet an ideal hero/king and impede the creation of a magnificent epic. It seems that setting Rostam and his family as the opponents of Bahman also played a role in the formation of such contradictions. The structural base of the poet’s thought, unconsciouslyaccounting Rostam as a superhuman of the world of epic, dominates the atmosphere of the work and develops a hero whose functions against the heroes of Sistan appear so week and dim.