روايت شناسي داستان هفت گُردان برپايه روايت انوشيروان مرزبان و ابوالقاسم فردوسي

Narratology of Haftgordan Story (Based on the Narratives of Anushiravan Marzban and Ferdowsi)

This article aims at a narratological study of the "Haftgordan story" of Ferdowsiʹs Shahnameh and the story of "Afrasyab-ibn Pashang" as narrated by Anushirvan Marzban in Hormozdyar. After a review of the summaries of the two narratives, a comparative structural study of the works coupled with a study of their mythical and ritual origins are presented. These studies show that Ferdowsiʹs account of the story is characterized by its bucolic, nationalistic and rationalistic nature as well as the exclusion of some ritual (Rostam as a Zoroastrian hero) and mythical (Afrasyabʹs visit to Satan) parts. Although it seems that the exclusion of ritual parts may have occurred some time before Ferdowsi, it is quite probable that the omission of mythical parts was his own decision. Conversely, Anushiravanʹs narrative, originating from priestly order with emphasis on the teachings of Mazdisnai, is more original and unified, and it enjoys from an equally mythical and ritual deep structure that is more in harmony with the similar patterns in Persian stories. This story particularly plays an important role in the analysis of the Persian epic in its transmission from priestly to bucolic narration.