Iranism in Indigenous Literature: A Case Study of Laki Literature

This paper examines a part of indigenous literature of Laki ethnic group in terms of its proximity to or distance from the idea of Iranism. It aims to provide answers to the questions of how Laki literature reflects the spirit or macro-idea of Iranism, and which symbols and signs of the ancient and national history of Iran are continuously mirrored in the indigenous literature of Laki people. In doing so, the author has used a phenomenological approach to analyze a number of Laki poems, allegories, and lullabies relying on some of the well-known Iranian national and mythical symbols and signs. The findings of this study indicate that Laki literature has been developed based on Iranism and Laki poets’ interest in the history and fate of Iran. One of the manifestations of Laki poets’ belief in Iranism is their rewriting of some poems of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh in Laki dialect.