A Comparative Study of the Concept of Pir in Two Adolescent Novels, Ashvazdangahe and The Lord of the Rings

Mysticism, as a universal concept, has different definitions and manifestations in the east and the west. But they all consider the presence of a pious and exemplary Pir necessary to guide the person in a spiritual journey. The present paper examines the concept of Pir from a mystical perspective in two Iranian and non-Iranian adolescent novels (Arman Arian’s Ashvazdangahe and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings). Many researchers have considered mysticism in literary works written for adults, but few work have exclusively investigated this topic in adolescent literature, especially in a comparative manner. To do so, the present paper, first provides a definition for Pir and its characteristics, and then, studies its representations in the above mentioned adolescent novels using a descriptive and analytical lens. The paper compares the character of Pir in terms of his abilities and knowledge, the issue of submission and authority, the method of guidance and education, and the purpose of this spiritual journey. Based on the findings, we recognized that cultural and linguistic differences cause a significant difference in representations of this central concept in mysticism. Such differences arise from the differences between two God-centered and human-centered worldviews in mysticism. These two novels, then, can be seen as representations of Islamic mysticism whose ultimate goal, after self-knowledge, is self-devotion and reaching God, and postmodern mysticism (new esotericism) whose purpose is to cultivate the inner forces of the wayfarer to overcome the dark forces within.