Analytical study of Haft Khan Esfandiar's connection with shamanism, initiation and the world of the dead

Eliade believes the ritual travels of heroes is one of the main themes of epics. On the other hand, Iran is one of the most influential societies in shamanic rituals and shamanic manifestations are seen in many Iranian epics. Esfandiar's Haftankhan is one of the examples of the connection between Iranian epics and shamanic rituals which includes the basics of ritual travel. In this story, Gogsar is a symbol of the novice guide shaman and the stories of Haftkhan are symbols of initiation, the arrival of the learned hero in the associations and his journey to the dead's world to bring back the souls of the sisters. In this article, an attempt is made to compare the manifestations of the initiation ritual in this story by comparatively checking the stories of Esfandiar's Haftkhan with the shamanic passage rites and show why this story is his initiation. The article will also show that Esfandiar in the third stage passed the rites of initiation successfully. And the stories that follow are a description of his journey to the underworld to restore the soul. This task was performed by shamans in ancient societis.