An Archetypal Reading of the Pictures of the MirajNameh Versions from the Viewpoint of Northrop Frye

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, Art Research, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Painting, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran,

3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22070/negareh.2021.14159.2723

Abstract

Throughout history and among various ethnic groups, there have been different beliefs about traveling to other worlds (the afterlife) that always draw the minds and beliefs of believers to religion. One of these journeys is the ascent to the kingdom of the heavens, which includes a wide range of mythological stories and has special stages and preparations. "Ascension" literally means "ladder", and in religious terminology of the Muslims, it is called "passing through earthly life and traveling to the heavens" by the Prophet of Islam (PBUH); like the Prophet's night journey to the seven heavens, the themes of which have always inspired artists and writers over time. The surviving images of the Illkhanate’s MirajNameh (ascension letter) (762-772 AH), and the Timurid MirajNameh (840 AH) have recounted and displayed the subject. Also, the images are illustrated separately with the subject of ascension among other manuscripts such as Khamsa of Nizami in the early tenth century. The images of the Illkhanate’s MirajNameh, which were probably ordered by the last ruler of the Illkhanate (Abu Sa'id), have been separated from their original text and the sequence of calligraphy and painting albums collected in eight leaves from Bahram Mirza Album (Muraqqa‘), which is kept in the Topkapi Library of Istanbul, has been added respectively. The Timurid MirajNameh, which was translated by the poet Mir Haydarand written by Malik Bakhshi of Herat in the Uyghur script, contains 61 images of the stages of the ascension of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) into the seven heavens and observation of the wonders of the unseen world, and the kingdoms of heaven and hell. Since in the first centuries of Islam, the ascension of the Prophet provided a chance for the storytellers to perform, to the extent that they used wonderful legends to enliven it, it can be argued that the narration of the ascension of the Prophet (PBUH) is through pretexts (source and reference texts) and resulting texts (texts created based on source texts) that are associated with ancient archetypal and mythological concepts and elements, in such a way that through accurate and objective recording of some events and places, it tries to face the audience with the universal facts contained in the myths to express the events and happenings that have taken place outside the custom and habit of the real world. Therefore, in this article, in order to recognize and examine the archetypal symbol and its meanings in the images of the above-mentioned MirajNamehs, following Northrop Frye's views on the theory of archetypal meaning and the way of literary reading of sacred texts, we consider the narrations of the ascension as of literary-combined texts and, in terms of research questions, argue how the Frye approach can be effective in analyzing and examining ascension images, and what the archetypal meanings in the images are, and how they are represented, which includes the study of the images in three aspects: heaven, hell, and deduction. From Frye’s point of view, there are three organizations of myths and archetypal symbols in literature. First, there is an undisplaced myth, the second organization is romance (based on analogy) and finally, we can name realism. Undisplaced myths are always related to the world of gods and demons, and the images in them are desirable (heaven) or undesirable (hell) which are often identified with the existential heavens and hells of the religions. In romance, we are confronted with a world in which mythical patterns of God and the demons assume the human identity and are more closely associated with human experience, in which the principle of displacement is used. From Frye's point of view, the archetypal symbol is a natural object with human meaning and is the product of human civilization. Therefore, archetypes have familiar cryptic associations according to the culture of each society and are considered as typical symbols in literary works and refer to specific cryptic associations. The results of studies based on the descriptive-analytical method and adaptation of Frye’s theory of myths, using library sources and qualitative analysis, show that the metaphors organizing books and sacred texts, such as Grammar, have been used for the images in the narrations of ascension. The archetypal symbol in the ascension narration and its images as messenger images can be classified and examined in two axes. The first axis is the archetypal images of hell, heaven, and deduction, and the second axis is the great chain of the universe, which can be categorized into seven layers of existence, including a deity, human, animal, plant, solid, water, and fire. Reading these hidden patterns in the narration and the story of ascension brings the narration of the story from the historical category to the meta-historical and archetypal level. Most of the images in MirajNameh are very close to the undisplaced metaphorical and mythical aspects of the sacred texts in terms of the analogy of innocence.

Keywords

References

Abdollah, Zahra, 2016, Cognitive Contents of Prophet Muhammad᾽s  ascension (Mi᾽raj) and their experession in Islamic painting, A thesis PhD, Shahed University, Tehran.
Abuali Sina ,1987,  Mi'rajNama  along with its writing by Shams al-Din Ibrahim Abarquhi, Introduction, correction  and suspension of Najib Mile Heravi, Mashhad: Astan Quds Razavi.
Abu al –Mozafar, Sahfur Ebn-e Mohammad Esfarayeni, 1996, Taj Al-Tarajem fi Tafsir Al-Qor'an, Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publishing Company: Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, School Heritage, Publishing Office.
Algouneh Jouneghani,  Masoud , 2017, What is the Dianoia of Myth? An Investigation into a Neglected Dimension of Northrop Frye's Mythological Theory , Literary Theory and Criticism, Volume:2 Issue: 1
Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir, 1977,  translation of Tafsir al-Tabari (volume 8) by Habib Yaghmaei, Tehran: Toos.
Annus, A, 2012, Descent into the Netherworld/ Hell, In Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception 6, Berlin/ Boston: Walter de Gruyter.
Annus, A, 2002, The God Ninurta. Helsinki: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project.‏
Annus, A, 2009, Some Otherworldly Journeys in Mesopotamian, Jewish, Mandaean and Yezidi Traditions. Studia Orientalia Electronica, 106, 315-326.‏
Auken, J. V, 2011, Edgar Cayces tales of ancient Egypt. Virginia Beach: ARE Press.
Bukari, Muhammad Ibn Ismail, 1911, Al-Sahih Bukhar, Beirut: Published by Ahmad Mohammad Shakir.
Burge, S, 2016, Myth, meaning and the order of words: Reading hadith collections with Northrop Frye and the development of compilation criticism, Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations, 27(2), 213-228
Chevalier, Jean and Gheerbrant, Alain , 1999,  Dictionary of Symbols (volume 3), SoodabehFazaili, Tehran: Jeyhun.
Cochrane, E, 1997, Stairway to Heaven, Aeon Journal of myth, science and ancient history.5(1).
Collins, J. J,  1995,  Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly Journeys: Essays by Men and Women. SUNY Press
 Damiri, Kamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Musa al, 1989, Hayat Al Heyvan Al Kobra, Egypt: Al-Bab Al-Halabi publication.
Dadgi, Farnbagh, 2016, Bundahishn, Mehrdad Bahar, Tehran: Toos.
Frye,  Northrop,  2012,  critical analysis (Anatomy of Criticism), translated by Saleh Hosseini, second edition, Tehran: Niloofar.
Frye, Northrop, 2000, Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays, with a foreword by H.Bloom. Princetion and Oxford: Princetin university Press.
Frye, N, 1984, Myth as the Matrix of Literature. In the Georgia Review, 38, 465- 476.
Gruber, C, 2010,  The Ilkhanid Book of Ascension: A Persian-Sunni devotional tale. London: Tauris Academic Studies.
Hajnorouzi, NedAa,  2013, A Fryian Analysis of the Images of the Story of Siavash,  History of Literature (Journal of Human Sciences) , Number 72, P: 71- 86.
Hendy, A. V, 1966, The Modern Construction of Myth. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
 
Humbach, Helmut, 1991, Th e Gāthās of Zarathushtra and the Other Old Avestan Texts.
Part I. Introduction — Text and Translation, Heidelberg: C. Winter
James, E. O, 1966, The tree of life: An archaeological study. Brill.
Khaleghizadeh,  Saeedeh, 2013, A comparative Study of the Images of the Manuscript of Mir Haidar´s Ascension Letter with Quranic veres, M. A. Thesis, Tarbiat  Modares University, Tehran.
Kreyenbroek, G, 1985, Sraoésa in the Zoroastrian Tradition. Brill Archive.‏
Lawler, A, 2014, Why did the chichen cross the world. New York: Simon and Schuster Publisher.
Maybudī,Rashīd al-DīnFazlullah, 1982, Kashf al-Asrār waʿUddat al-Abrār by Ali-AsgharHekmat, Tehran: Amirkabir.
Mayer, Marvin. W, 1987, The Ancient Mysteries, A Sourcebook, Sacred Texts of the Mystery Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean World. San Francisco: Harper.
Mott, W. M, 2000,  Caverns, Cauldrons, and Concealed Creatures: A study of subterranean mysteries in history, folklore, and myth. 2 ed. Hidden mysteries Publiccation.
Muhammad Ibn MasoudAyyashi, 2001,  Tafsir (Volume 2), researched by Seyed Hashem RasouliMahallati, Tehran: Elmiyyeh Press.
Motahhari, Morteza, 2016, Rastan story book, Tehran: Sadra.
Mozaffari, A, 1388, The common function of myth and mysticism. Mystical Literature (Al-Zahra Humanities), 1 (1), 149-167. https://www.sid.ir/fa/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?id=118561
.n. n, 1988, A Selection of thirteen Upanishads, translation dy Sadeg Razam Azadeh Shafiqi, Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publishing Company.
Oldenberg, Hermann, 1923, Die Religion des Veda, 3rd/4th ed. Stuttgart: Cotta.
 
Razi, Abū al-Fath , 2003,  Rawd al-jinanwarawh al-janan fi tafsir al-Qur'an (volume 7), edited and annotated by Mirza Abū l-ḤasanSha'rānī, Tehran: Eslamiyeh Publications.
Sanders, S, 2006, Performative Exegesis. Paradise Now: Essays on Early Jewish and Christian Mysticis, 57-79.‏
Seguy, Marie Rose, 2006, MirajNameh, The Miraculous Journey of Mahomet (PBUH), Translation: MahnazShayestehfar. Tehran: Institute of Islamic Art Studies.
seyyed Abdul Hussein Tayyib, 1995, Al Tayeb Al-Bayan Fi Tafsir Al-Quran, Tehran: Islam Publications.
Shaked, Shaul, 1979, Th e Wisdom of the Sasanian Sages (Dēnkard VI). (Bibliotheca persica.) Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Sitchin, Z, 2002, Divine encounters: a guide to visions, angels, and other emissaries. Simon and Schuster.‏
Subtelny, M. E, 2015, The Islamic ascension Narrative in the Contex of Conversion in Medieval Iran: An Apocalypse at the Intrection of orality and textualiy. In orality and Textuality in the Iranian word(pp.93-129).Brill
Tabatabai, Muhammad Husayn, 1984,  translation of Tafsir al-Mizan, translated byNaserMakaremShirazi, Qom: AllamehTabatabai Scientific and Cultural Foundation.
Tabatabai, Muhammad Husayn, 1996 , Tafsir al-Mizan (volume 12), translated by Seyyed Mohammad Bagher Mousavi Hamedani, Tehran: Islamic Publications Office.
Toleubaev, A. T, 1991, Relikty doislamskikh verowaniy v semeynoy Obriadnosti Kazakhov. Alma- Ata: Gylym.
Qomi, Abbas , 2004,  Safinat Al-bihar Wa-madinat Al-hikamWal-atar (volume 1), Tehran: University of Tehran Press.
Tūsī, AbūJa'farMuḥammad Ibn Ḥasan,  n.d,  Al-Tibbyan Fi Tafsir al-Quran (volume 9), Beirut Dar al-Turath al-'Arabi.
Vahman, Fereydun, ed. and trans, 1986, Ardā Wīrāz Nāmag: The Iranian ‘Divina Commedia,’ Scandinavian Institute of Asian Studies Monograph Series 53. London: Curzon.
 
Welch, Patricia, 2013, Chinese art: A guide to motif and visual imagery. Japan: Tuttle Publishing
Yahya, Mahdavi, 1968, Stories of the Holy Quran( Taken from the commentary of Abu Bakr Atiq Neyshabouri, Known as Surabadi), Tehran: Kharazmi.
Zaleski, C, 1988, Otherworld journeys: Accounts of near-death experience in medieval and modern times. Oxford University Press.‏
URL1: www. Dehkhoda.ut. ac. ir/fa/dictionary
Negareh Journal
Volume 17, Issue 64
December 2023
Pages 23-41

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 07 April 2021
  • Revise Date: 01 September 2021
  • Accept Date: 26 September 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics