Comparative Analysis of Structure and Content of Six Versified Narratives: The Case Study of “Shast –Bastan-e Div”

The combination of ancient Iranian cultural elements and Islamic beliefs has had different effects on the history of Iranian civilization. The convergence between Iranian themes and Islamic concepts and the efflorescence of the Islamic worldview have created a new style of Islamic- Iranian products that convey both an ancient culture and meet the goals of Islam. One of these productions is the history of “Shast –Bastan-e Div” which has been predominant in religious rituals, especially in the Ta'zīya ceremony. In this story, the eclecticism of the ancient evil concept "Demon" is clearly seen in conjunction with the history of Islamic hero; Imam Ali (AS).To this end, the writers of these narratives aim either to highlight the virtue and superiority of Imam –Ali in comparison with other ṣaḥābah or present the notion of evil in Iranian and Islamic culture as crystalized in texts. The texts of this story are related to less than 500 years and the earliest known source goes back to the 9th century. In this research and by comparing six narratives of these collections, the authors have tried to describe the points of divergence and convergence of these texts at content and structural levels.