A Study of  Adjā ibnāmeh as a Fantastic Writing with a look at  Adjā ib-e hend

This paper examines the tradition of writing ‘adjā’ibnāmeh as the fantastic writing. The question is how we can/not regard ‘adjā’ib (marvels) as fantastic. First, we refer to the literature of both ‘adjā’ib and the fantastic. Then, the etymology as well as the religious and socio-historical origins of both words is examined. It is concluded that the fantastic has a root in fancy and mental hallucination while ‘adjā’ib has its roots in reality, originating from observer’s exact observation. Then, Todorovian structural approach to ‘adjā’ib is counterbalanced, showing that some tales of ‘Adjā’ib-e hend conform with the five kinds of the marvelous fantastic in Todorov's diagram. In sum, it can be claimed that ‘adjā’ib conforms only to certain aspects of fantastic writing.