The Image of Heroines in the Legends in  Jame ol-Hekayat

Legends are the most resources for Folklore.Women are among the main characters of legends who have different roles such as mother, spouse, beloved, vagabond, handmaid, nursemaid etc. “Jame’ ol-Hekayat” is a collection of legends and fables wherein the role of women is worthy of note. The present study attempts to appraise women’s roles, actions and features in the two volumes of “Jame’ ol-Hekayat” from an analytical sociological viewpoint. The results of the study indicate that women have the role of mother, spouse, nursemaid and vagabond in these legends. In some cases, there are chaste women in the legends who are described as virtuous. Moreover, there are persistent thinking women who take the initiative, especially in marital cases, and bravely resist forced marriage. On the other hand, women have also been described as matchmaker, deceitful, prostitute and unintelligent.