The Ritual of Scapegoating in Hadiqat al Haqiqa of Sanāī; A Mythological Analysis

Scapegoating is one of the religious-mythical rituals, having been long common among different tribes and nations for various purposes. Many of the mythological and ancient traditions have suggested different ways of scapegoating to stay away from disaster or to abolish it. In classic Persian literature, Sanāī has been named as one of the first innovators who spread the mystical and philosophical and didactic teachings. As evidenced by the great number poems of Hadiqat al Haqiqa, Sanāī is very familiar with the myths and has well made use of the popular culture of his day. By employing descriptive-analytical and library methods, in the present study, we attempt to show that Sanāī took into consideration various forms of scapegoating - including sacrificing, writing amulet, burning peganum harmala (esfand) - in Hadiqat al Haqiqa. To clarify the matter, after analyzing the doctrine of scapegoating and the related rituals, we examine the cases found in Hadiqat al Haqiqa. The findings of the research indicate that Sanāī has been fully familiar with the rituals of scapegoating and used them in the most artistic way possible in Masnavi of Hadiqat al Haqiqa.