Two New Readings of the Mythological Narratives Based on Henri Corbin's Shiite Reading

Henry Corbin (1903 – 1978), prominent French Shia scholar and philosopher, introduces the philosophical and mystical relationship between Hekmat Khosravani (the philosophy of ancient Iran) and Shia Islamic narrations and philosophy of Illustration (Falsafeh Eshraq). By reviewing the works of Suhrawardi and Ibn Sina, Corbin not only recognized the essence of Hekmat Khosravani, but also focused on the main sources of the Khosravan Wisdom, the wisdom of Mazdayasna, the mythological narratives, and the related texts of the Zoroastrian religion; also, he pursued the subject of similarity and adaptation of these doctrines with the traditions of Iranian Islam. In the present article, Corbin's studies are examined that address the symbolic mystical tales or Shia Islamic narrations and their similar correspondences in Hekmat Khosravani or the Mazda religion. In Shi'ite and Iranian ancient thoughts, there are two valuable forgotten subjects that Corbin has discussed them. One of them is the issue of continuity of generation and kingdom of Fereydun and Iraj through the son of his daughter, Manūchehr; the other is the introduction of Spendārmad (Sepandarmaz) as goddess of water and Earth. The former is similar to the continuity of the generation of the Prophet through his daughter, Fatimah; and the latter is similar to “Mehrieh” or Fatimah's dowry.