A Study of the Role of Ancestors in Heroic Poems after Shahnameh

One of the themes most commonly viewed in Persian epic poems after Shahnameh is the presence of heroes from the past eras and their effective role in the story. A survey on heroic poems after shahnameh demonstrates that the ancestors and the death –the majority of which are heroes and champs from past eras- have taken part and made fundamental effects in the story in three ways: 1- first of all, in most of the heroic poems there are crypts, castles and minarets in which the past hero has left a didactic letter and a treasure. The past hero/king relates to the protagonist through that letter and makes some influence on his thoughts. 2. sometimes the passed away hero calls the living one for doing something or prevents him from doing something through a dream. 3- the third way consists of the weapons of passed away heroes being used by the protagonist. This essay also considers the past hero’s relationship with beasts and sorcerers. In most cases, these heroes have asked beasts and witches for help in order to preserve the buried treasure. This essay seeks to study the presence of past heroes and their influence on the story through considering the epic poems after Shahnameh.