جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "غار" در نشریات گروه "ادبیات و زبان ها"

One of the important signs that can be seen in the fundamental traditions of the world in the transition stage of a person to individuality is [passing through] a horizontal or vertical winding corridor (well/cave); a dark place full of fear and terror due to not being seen and unknown. Monsters, snakes and creatures of the underworld live in this place and can only be saved by fighting. Sometimes, in the depth of this scary place, there are obstacles that appear to be rewards or anything else pleasant, but the same object or situation, by creating suspense, is itself considered a test stage and sometimes an obstacle to victory. He will be a hero. In this article, the examples of suspension with the repeating pattern of "Hanging Man" in public and official literature of Iran and the world will be investigated. The result of the work shows that this image is rooted in the common essence of human attitude in facing life difficulties and according to the time and place of life and the type of human being, it is powerful in literature, culture and religion, art, politics and economy. It has continued its life. This image, influenced by the experience of disaster, which is the function of the human mind, and despite the cultural evolution of the human species, has not been removed from his mind, and was first reflected in the form of materialistic myths and rituals, and in modern times, by entering formal or general literary types, it has found a different function and created special literary types.

Darabnameh by Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Ali ibn Musa al-Tarsus is the story of Darab, son of Bahman and his daughter, Homa. The reflection of Ayari's special rituals and the symbolism of the initiation in Darabnameh are among the remarkable features of this work. Given the symbol is like a language that, although abstract and conceptual, expresses a clear and coherent idea of existence and the world.
Access to the underworld whose gateway is through a cave is in the processing of the storyteller's mind and the inner and hidden form in the story and is directly related to the attachment of the human soul to the pre-descent position and more proximity to God.  It is symbolized by descending to the lower world and ascending to the higher world. Symbols and symbolism create an inseparable link between the symbolist and human and the symbol with human beings, which responds to human needs and validates their psychopaths. Examining and explaining symbols enables us to be aware of what is in the human mind and to realize that their expression may change over time, but their function and result are that of liberation, and is freedom, transformation, and metamorphosis stay constant. Regarding this explanation, the main question of the present study is to what extent in Darabnameh, the creation of sacred places and centralization of that space through access to the underworld can matter as a way to reach perfection and die from the stage and give birth in the upward stage.


This research follows a documentary and library method based on symbolism and its role, specifically examines the function of the symbols in the ritual initiation ceremony based on the report of Aboutahir Tarsusi in Darabnameh. The importance of the present study lies in the fact that it can lead to new findings from Ayari texts and on the other hand shows the function of the symbols in conveying some of the beliefs of its predecessors.


3.1. Symbol and symbolism
A symbol is usually a sign that replaces something else and is considered as an indirect cognitive tool. The existence of such symbols and images in the works of authors, in general, indicates the existence of an ideal world beyond reality. The meaning of symbols and symbolism is understandable to us when we can fully understand the structure of the symbol because if we stop at one meaning or concept of the symbols and do not try to discover other dimensions of the symbols, we cannot claim to understand them.
3.2. Symbolization and initiation
What lies in the idea of the symbolism of initiation is the expression and value of the first appearance and the first manifestation of everything, which makes it possible to express the return to the origin and living in the time when the universe appeared, and the capacity of symbolic initiation allows the novice and the beginner to get rid of a mental and inner state and to understand and recognize the reality and objectivity of his personal experiences. Meaningful components of any ritual are the symbols and codes that form the basis of the components of the initiation. These components together with metaphor, simile, allusion, and recognition in the mind of the author, who also takes them from his community and group, narrating them in a story. A ritual symbol is not like a literary symbol in which there is a substitution and analogy between words, but it is an image that restrains and stabilizes the subconscious mental force and has a hidden and unknown aspect, and is a personal experience and a state of mind and individual attraction.
3.3. Story and basis of the What is remarkable in this discussion is the preservation of all forms of rites of passage in the story to which the opposite meaning is imposed. Propp calls this semantic opposition "reversal." The plot of the story is inversely related to reality and shows that the plot of the evolutionary method does not arise from the direct reflection of reality, but is born from the negation of the plot of the story.
3.4. Ascents and descents
Literature has four main narrative currents. First, descent from the upper world, second, descent into the underworld, the third, the ascent from the underworld, the fourth, ascent to the upper world.
All stories arise from the fusion or metaphorical separation of these four (radical) narratives in literature.
3.5. Symbolization of initiation in Darabnameh
Using symbols such as ascent and descent, magical flights, entering the land of the talking tree, entering and leaving the dark caves by ladder, abandoning the child in the mountains and his raising by an animal, going to the darkness for immortality, passing through Mount Qaf, etc., each of which is considered a journey for the hero and a complete test for dying in one stage and being reborn in the next stage for the hero and they all can be seen in Darabnameh of Tarsus. The following section discusses the basic symbolic concepts associated with the discussion of initiation.
3.5.1. Cave
The element of the cave in philosophical and religious traditions is very noticeable and can be seen in the myths of rebirth and the rites of initiation in many societies. The idea of the protagonist passing through the cave as a transferring means to enter the underworld can be examined in the category of transitional stages.
3.5.2. Well
The well has a sacred state in all traditions because it is a combination of three cosmic orders: the sky, the earth, and the underworld, and the three elements of water, earth, and wind. The well is a way to connect the three, on the other hand, the well is a microcosm. Through the well, communication is established to the place of the dead. Entering the abyss or deep well, which is reminiscent of a ritual hut in the ceremony of burial and mystery-learning, and leaving it, is a symbol of rebirth.


By examining the principles of the initiation and its symbolism in primitive and ancient cultures, it can be deduced that their purpose is to express the human condition of the early age and his attitude and belief in immortality and rebirth. Entering the underworld and ascending to the supernatural world is followed by perfection for the protagonist of the story, which is the meaning hidden in the initiation. Upon entering the underworld (the world of the dead), the hero encounters the truth of his existence and uses the origin of man to achieve prosperity and spontaneity and to enjoy the freedom and liberation that he lost after the fall of man.
The symbolism of the cave and other symbolisms in Darabnameh, such as entering and leaving the well and climbing the mountain, illuminates that the symbol of the "cave" in Darabnameh is one of the main images of the story and in the form that the hero enters the cave, disappears then reappears by climbing a ladder or an opening in the roof of the cave and can be defined as reaching a level of spiritual evolution. The hero's spiritual evolution is a kind of achievement from self-awareness to unconsciousness and gives meaning to the sacred space and place and "centrality" in the story. The result is a return to his group and association for the sake of helping, which is the main meaning behind the visit.

The comparative-mythological study of the cave, as an ancient symbol, can reveal some unknown aspects of the functions of this symbol, and also, it makes it possible to understand more precisely why this symbol is used. By using the analytical-comparative method and the mythological approach to cave and its functions in various texts, the authors of present article have tried to achieve a comprehensive classification of the cave images. Based on this classification, four functions have been defined for the symbol as follows: 1. the womb of the Land-Mother; 2. the inner world and unconscious; 3. the symbolic role of the initiation ritual; 4. the world. According to these definitions, the mythological representations of the cave in the poems of Manouchehr Atashi have been considered. The study of the symbol in Persian modernist poetry, including the poems of Atashi, on the one hand shows the extent of the influence of mythological thinking in the mind of modern man, and on the other hand, it can reveal the most frequent functions of the symbol in the poetry of this modern Persian poet. An examination of Manouchehr Atashi's poetry shows that the symbolic functions of the cave, which are related to ‘the inner world and unconscious’ as well as ‘renaissance and modernity’, can be seen in his poems with greater frequency.

A Passage to India, written by E. M. Forster, is not just as a passage among races, classes, religions and political ideas, but it is also a connection among human beings within the two Lands: lands of East and West. Forster endeavours to offer a humane and civilized solution to get these two lands together, but how? The present study tries to shed light on the text and with resort to a qualitative and hermeneutic approach discover the themes and symbols presented in the text to unveil the mystery lodged in the mind of the writer. The solution to this reconciliation is not so mysterious or unachievable, but it is already present in different forms and colors in Indian culture. The narration, symbols, and themes of the work are all together doing their best to show that proximity of religions is feasible and despite difficulties of living in the Universe, the human race is in search of a more lasting home. And that proximity of religions is achievable provided that each respects the other.

Passage to India, written by E. M. Forster in 1926, is not just as a passage among races, classes, religions and political ideas, but it is also a connection among human beings within two lands: Land of East and Land of West. Forster endeavours to offer a humane and civilized solution to get these two lands together, but how? The solution to this reconciliation is not so mysterious or unachievable, but it is already present in different forms and colours in Indian culture. The narration, symbols, and themes of the work are all together doing their best to show that proximity of religions is feasible and that despite difficulties of living in the Universe, the human race is in search of a more lasting home. Added to that, they indicate proximity of religions is achievable provided that each sticks to his own convictions and respect the canons of others.

The present study tries to shed light on the text by employing a qualitative and hermeneutic approach to discover the themes and symbols presented in the text to unveil the mystery lodged in the mind of the writer. To fulfil this, the researcher has adopted methods leading to the perception, understanding, and interpretation of the text per se. Forster does not render his text by oriental viewpoints but by employing realistic elements mingled with modernist components, though orientalism is hidden one way or another in the text.

The word “passage” carries different layers of meaning. It denotes, of course, the physical passage of Europeans to India, the move from the familiar to the Unknown. The word also connotes “rites of passage”, a move from a simple to a more sophisticated form of existence and finally getting to a self-discovery. The title of the novel has been taken from Walt Whitman’s poem, A Passage to India, celebrating the opening of the Suez Canal. A Passage to India, as a product of 1920s and modernism, is highly structured to create patterns, repetitions and rhythms with a three-part structure of ‘Mosque’, ‘Cave’, and ‘Temple’. The novel gives its readers a short description of Chandapore, a city along the Ganges River, whose local section is as filthy and undescriptive as one can imagine, whereas the section belonging to the English seems beautiful and fertile. The story opens up and ends by posing the question of whether it is possible for an Englishman and an Indian to ever be friends, at least within the context of British colonialism. To accomplish this, the novel falls into three sections with three symbolic representations as follows: Part One: Cold Weather, Muslim ‘Mosque’; Part Two: Hot Weather, Christian ‘Caves’; and Part Three: Rains, Hindu ‘Temple’. Mosque refers to the mosque where Dr Aziz meets Mrs Moore. It provides the space for religious hope and aspiration in the Indian spring. The second section moves to the caves. If the moon was a dominant motif in the first section, it is the sun in the second section on disillusion and racial division in the Indian summer. These caves are ‘extraordinary’ and are like nothing else in the world. They allude to Christianity. Darkness rather than emptiness dominates the caves; nothing is visible. Only when a visitor strikes a match, does the cave spring to life signifying consumption of love. Miss Adela Quested hears a loud echo, which causes her such confusion that the innocent Dr Aziz is arrested for assaulting her; still, the writer leaves the source of the echo unexplained in order to break with the realist conventions and adopts the ambiguity typical of modernism (Lewis, 2014: 69). The final section starts after a time space of two years inside the temple. A religious celebration is taking place during India’s rainy season signifying spiritual and emotional cleansing. The dominant mood here is reconciliation and forgiveness at the height of the rainy season. For Aziz and his friends, ‘Mosque’ is an embodiment of religious aspiration and human intimacy, and retreat for Muslims, a place for reconciliation for all faiths.

E.M. Forster is a modernist writer and his well-known work of A Passage to India is a product of 1920s. The symbols used are not ambiguous but containing different layers of meaning. The writer tries to juxtapose three different religions together and acts his own presentence in the role of Mr Fielding to show how it is possible to get these religions closer through abiding by their own conventions and respecting one another. A Passage to India symbolizes the failure of human beings in the twentieth century to communicate not only among different races, classes, and genders, but also among their own race. The novel is in fact concerned with the difficulty of living in the Universe, whereas the human race is in quest of a more lasting home. However, it shows that proximity of religions is feasible if each respects the other. Mrs Moore’s representation of ‘love’ and ‘faith’ and her death on her way back by sea to England close to Arabia prove this claim; and for the local Indians, the memory of Mrs Moore lives on in a ‘mythologized’ form, always respecting Islam.

In some epic- mythological, ritual and historical narrations a person (king. Hero, saint and etc) goes to cave, well, pit, grave, under world and etc (appearances of earth ś pit/ grave) and ascends/ disappears in that place or become immortal and sleeps to end of the world for appear in that time. This subject is a worldly motif. Bahrām V (entitled Gōr) probably dead with normal death but in numerous stories about his end of life, he disappears in cave or dome and falls in well, lagoon or salt- marsh and is vanished. Probably these narrations are based on mentioned motif and Iranian people believe that Bahrāme gōr has ascended to heaven and he will return in Resurrection and fights for final victory of charity/ justice. Perhaps this idea/ believe has created for two reasons. First, conversion of Bahrām ś personality to epic- mythological king- hero in Iranian tradition. Second, his homonymy with Bahrāme varjāvand (one of Zoroastrian savior) and displacement of some functions of famous Bahrāms in Iranian narrations.

The theory of "samples" is the basis of Plato's philosophy. It's one of the terms of Ešrâqi philosophy (intuitionism) as it is comprehensible only by meditation and not senses. Plato's view is that if a large number of people are gathered under one name, all of them have the same Idea (sample). These ideas belong to the rational world and this world is interpreted as the world of "samples", "forms" and "generalities" that sometimes is equated with what Islamic mystics believe about ayân-e sâbete, Âlam-e zarr, Âlam-e bi-jahat, and Âlam-e lâmakân, Âlam-e bud, and Âlam-e asmâ' va sefât-e elâhi. This article studies Platonism and its reflection on Mathnavi of Mowlânâ, based on four allegories as cave, sun, line and mirror.

Nezami is one of the most significant symbolist figures in Persian literature. Among his works Haft Paykar, a complex symbol and allegory of spiritual and moral growth, is regarded as his masterpiece. This article has addressed Haft Paykar’s symbolism appearing in a pervasive image; that is, the image of the cave. The research’s question is how the symbol of the cave is related to the main theme of the work. Other imageries such as hunt, dragon, treasure and so on, which are related to cave, are analyzed. It can be concluded that Nezami has created a special work with organic unity.