A Meta-Analytical Comparative Study of ‘Mystical Journey’ in the Persian and the World’s Literature

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature; Department of English Language and Literature, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

 

Introduction

Meta-analytical approaches can provide researchers with the overall results of studies which share the same themes. Adopting such an approach in the field of comparative literature can inform and set directions for future research. In the present paper, more than forty-three articles with the shared theme of ‘mystical journey’ were studied and their findings were employed to create an interconnected network of comparative corpuses. This paper mainly aims at providing comparative researchers with new avenues of research in order to come to a more comprehensive conception of the mystical journey. Despite the significance of carrying out such studies, no one, as far as the researcher knows, has adopted a Meta-analytical approach in the field of comparative literature, especially on the issue of ‘mystical journey’. Therefore, the current study is quite novel and no previous study has dealt with the mentioned subject. The corpuses include Ardaviraf-nameh, the Devine Comedy (by Dante), Seirolebad Elalma’ad (by Sana’i), Mantiq ut-tayr (or ‘Conference of the Birds’ by Attar Neyshaburi), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (by Bach), the Little Black Fish (by Behrangi), and some other comparable works. After introducing the abovementioned works and the related comparable ones, finally, the novel and potentially comparable corpuses never worked on yet are introduced to the prospective researchers.

Methodology

The present study is a descriptive one conducted on the basis of library research. The main approach of the current study is meta-analytical. In such studies, after the extraction of the overall results of the studies with the same theme, a meta-analytical content is provided for researchers. In fact, it deeply informs and sets directions for prospective researchers in the field of comparative literature.
To carry out the research, more than one hundred and twenty-two handpicked books and articles were studied, and some parts of them, the analytical-descriptive data and the major findings of forty-three articles were directly adopted to be employed in the analytical formulation of the discussion sub-section of the current study.
 

Discussion

In the first sub-section, Ardaviraf-nameh, the Divine Comedy, Seirolebad Elalma’ad and the comparable works were presented. In the next sub-section, Mantiq ut-tayr and other analogous works were analyzed. Finally, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the Little Black Fish and other comparable works were analytically explored.
 
3.1. Ardaviraf-nameh and the comparable works
Sadrzadeh (2002) in her article has comparatively analyzed four mystical journeys, namely Ardavirafnameh, the Divine Comedy, Royaye Sadeghe, and Resaleye Amorzesh. She has concluded that the common theme produced by the authors of the four works had been affected by the society wherein they lived.
Ujaq Alizadeh (2007) in a paper entitled ‘the ladder of the mystical journey’ has referred to the study conducted by two great researchers who had evidently proved the inspiration of Dante in His writing of the Divine Comedy from Islamic resources, especially Me’rajnameh.
Azar (2008) has proposed two works as the main inspiring resources for Dante: ‘Merjnameh of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)’ and ‘Ardavirafnameh’.
Mohammadi and Nazri (2008) in their joint article have referred to the similarities and differences between the two works: ‘Ardavirafnameh’ and ‘Resaleye Amorzesh’.
Mentioning the similarities between ‘Ardavirafnameh’ and ‘Resaleye Amorzesh’, Amini Lari and Mirqaderi (2012) pointed out that Khayyâm (in composing his Robaiat), Dante (in writing his Divine Comedy) and Milton (in writing his Paradise Lost) have all been inspired by Resaleye Amorzesh.
Hejazi (2010) is of the opinion that the similarities between the Divine Comedy and Seirolebad Elalma’ad lie in the fact that Dante had been familiar with a translation of Seirolebad Elalma’ad.
Ziaoddini and Farrokhnia (2013) have comparatively studied Resaleye Amorzesh and Seirolebad Elalma’ad and found that both works are on the basis of Islamic-Mystical concepts, especially the Holy Qur’an.
 
3.2. Mantiq ut-tayr and other analogous works
On the basis of what Foruzanfar (1970) has found in his research, Attar, in composing his Mantiq ut-tayr, had been inspired by Avicenna’s Resalato Altayr. 
Noori and Beiranvand (2018) have made a comparison between the stories of birds in Mantiq ut-tayr and Ulysses in Homer's Odyssey and have referred to a lot common themes between the two stories. The researchers did not make any claim that Mantiq ut-tayr was inspired by Ulysses.
Afrouz (2017) in his article has analytically compared the spiritual journey stages in the works of Attar and Schmitt. According to what the researcher has found, the hero in the two stories (i.e., Oscar and the Birds), are comparable. The reason behind such a similarity was found by Afrouz to be the religious background of the two authors.
Salimi Kouchi and Ghassemi Isfahani (2020) have made an intertextual study of Mantiq ut-tayr’s seven stages of love in the man-trunk and his traveler by Andrée Chéd. The researchers have found that the themes of the two works are quite analogous.
Mobarak and Hamani (2011) have pointed out that the Holy Qur’an was the main source of inspiration for Attar in his composing of Mantiq ut-tayr. The seven stages of mystical journey by Shikh-San’an in Mantiq ut-tayr is absolutely comparable with that which could be detected in the Surah of Joseph”.
3.3. Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the Little Black Fish and other comparable works
Ghasemzadeh (2016) in his article has mixed the framework presented by Campbell with that of Pearson and Marr to analyze the journey of The Little Black Fish. Likewise, Abdollahzadeh Borzu and Reihani (2019b) have worked on the same corpus nd framework. The researchers’ finding indicated that the stage of ‘the return of the hero’ could not be detected in the Little Black Fish.
According to the study conducted by Asghari, Abidinia and Tolooei Azar (2019) The Little Black Fish has its roots in classical Persian works such as ‘Kelile va Demneh’, ‘Marzbannameh’, and ‘Mantiq ut-tayr’.
Coupa, Hejazi and Ghazanfari Moghaddam (2010) found that Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull is somewhat similar to Mantiq ut-tayr. In the same vein, Mohammadi Badr and Ghazanfari Moghaddam (2012) pointed out that Bach’s work is an indirect adaptation of Attar’s masterpiece.
 

Conclusion

In the present paper, the researcher adopted a meta-analytical approach to study more than forty-three articles which shared the same theme of ‘mystical journey’. The findings could be used in opening up new avenues of comparative studies for prospective researchers.
Findings revealed that the works studied here were comparable due to the following criteria: accessibility to the translated works of other nations, adaptations, direct inspiration from the Sacred Scriptures, common religious background of mystical-journey-oriented works, and common concerns in presenting mystical-journey’s stages.
The corpuses included Ardaviraf-nameh, the Devine Comedy, Seirolebad Elalma’ad, Mantiq ut-tayr, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the Little Black Fish, and some other comparable works. In the following table, the potentially comparable works which are yet unsearched are presented. It should be noted that the factor of ‘time’ or ‘inspiration’ are overlooked and the symbol ‘~’ refers to ‘the collection of works comparable to that specific work’:
 
 
 
 
 
 




The Work (to be compared)


Potentially Comparable Works


The Work (to be compared)


Potentially Comparable Works




Mantiq ut-tayr


Resalato-teyr; Resalato-toyur; Al-tavahhom; Ardaviraf-nameh; Odyssey; Paradise Lost; Seirolebad Elalma’ad; Enoch’s Dream


Yoga Sutras


Ala Tariqe Eram; the Pilgrim’s Progress; The Man-Trunk and His Traveler; Oscar and the Lady in Pink; The Parliament of Fowls; The Canterbury Tales; Mantiq ut-tayr ~




Ardaviraf-nameh


the Pilgrim’s Progress; Ala Tariqe Eram;  Mantiq ut-tayr ~


The Man-Trunk and His Traveler


Yoga Sutras ~




Resalato-toyur


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


Oscar and the Lady in Pink


Yoga Sutras ~




Resalato-teyr


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


The parliament of Fowls


Yoga Sutras ~




Seirolebad Elalma’ad


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


The Canterbury Tales


Yoga Sutras ~




Al-tavahhom


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


Faust


Siddhartha; Qur’anic Sura “Joseph”




Enoch’s Dream


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


the Little Black Fish


the Little Prince; Mantiq ut-tayr ~




the Devine Comedy


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


Jonathan Livingston Seagull


The Fish Jumped over the Dragon Gate; Mantiq ut-tayr ~




the Pilgrim’s Progress


Ardaviraf-nameh ~


the Little Prince


the Little Black Fish; Jonathan Livingston Seagull ~




Ala Tariqe Eram


Ardaviraf-nameh ~

Keywords

References

References  [In Persian]:
Abdollahzadeh Borzu, R., & Reihani, M. (2019a). Comparative criticism of hero's Journey in Jonathan livingston seagull and the little prince based on the views of Pearson. Language and Translation Studies, 52(3), 75-100. [In Persian]
Abdollahzadeh Borzu, R., & Reihani, M. (2019b). Hero's journey in the little black fish based on the views of Campbell and Pearson. Iranian Children's Literature Studies, 10(1), 101-122. [In Persian]
Abdollahzadeh Borzu, R., Reihani, M., & Ghaderi Moghaddam, M. (2018). Archetypal elements of the Prophet’s Jurney in haft peykar by Nezami. Literary Criticism and Stylistics Researches, 32, 153-176. [In Persian]
Afrouz, M. (2017). An analytical-comparative study of spiritual journey stages in the works of Attar and Schmitt. Comparative Literature Research Journal, 5 (1), 1-14. [In Persian]
Akbari Beiraq, H., & Babaie, I. (2009). Divine paths: A comparative study of two mystic works: Seir al-ibad ila al-ma'ad by Sanaie and the divine comedy by Dante. Comparative Literature Studies, 3(10), 71-100. [In Persian]
Alighieri, D. (1999). The divine comedy (F. Mahdavi Damghani, Trans.). Tehran: Tir. [In Persian]
Alighieri, D. (1999). The divine comedy (Sh. Shafa, Trans.). Tehran: Amir Kabir. [In Persian]
Amini Lari, L., & Mirqaderi, F. (2012). A comparative study of opinions of Khayyâm and Abulala. Journal of Boostan-e Adab, 1(1), 15-33. [In Persian]
Asghari, A., Abidinia, M. A., & Tolouei Azar, A. (2019). Genealogy and analyses of the little black fish symbols. Literary Text Research, 23 (80), 202-175. [In Persian]
Attar Neishaburi, F. M. (2007). Mantiq ut-tayr (M. Shafiei Kadkani, Rev.). Tehran: Sokhan. [In Persian]
Azar, I. (2008). Dante and the effectiveness of his writings from eastern sources. Comparative Literature Studies, 2(6), 11-34. [In Persian]
Bahmani, K., & Salahi Moghaddam, S. (2017). The comparison of Ardaviraf nameh with al-tavahom. CLRJ, 5 (2), 23-47. [In Persian]
Basiri, M. S., & Ebrahimifard, N. (2014). The study of the translation of Nasrollah Monshi of Kelileh va Demneh. Comparative Literature Journal, 5(10), 1-32. [In Persian]
Basiri, M. S., & Ebrahimifard, N. (2015). The study of the patterns of Persian translations from Arabic from the beginning up to the sixth century. Comparative Literature Journal, 7(12), 25-52. [In Persian]
Bayani, A. (2000). The comparative study of the black little fish. In A. Darvishian (Ed.), Yadvare-ye Samad Behrangi (pp. 120-127). Tehran: Ketab va Farhang. [In Persian]
Baygzade K., & Zanditalab, E. (2018). The analysis of Viraf’s spiritual journey in Ardaviraf name based on Campbell’s Pattern. Journal of Literary Studies (Journal of Literature and Humanities), 50(1), 55-76. [In Persian]
Behrangi, S. (1968). The little black fish. Tehran. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children. [In Persian]
Coupa, F., Hejazi, B., & Ghazanfari Moghaddam, S. (2010). From Attar’s mantiq ut-yayr to Richard Bach’s Jonathan livingston seagull. Literary Studies, 43(3), 49-70. [In Persian]
Dehghan, A., Hadidi, K., & Zarei, R. (2013). Symbolism of ascension in Khosrow and Shirin by Nezami. Journal of Persian Language & Literature, 66(227), 45-70. [In Persian]
Fadavi, S. (2017). Mystical homes in Ghazali's resalat al-tayr. Erfaniyat dar Adab Farsi, 8 (31), 90-109. [In Persian]
Foruzanfar, B. (1970). Description and criticism of the works of Attar Neyshaburi. Tehran: Anjoman-e Asar-e Melli.[In Persian]
Ghasemzadeh, S. A. (2016). The quality of awakening of the inner hero in the little back fish. Contemporary Persian Literature, 6(3), 55-75. [In Persian]
Hejazi, B. (2010). Seir al-ibad ila al-ma’ād and the divine comedy: A comparative study. Journal of Mytho-Mystic Literature, 6(20), 1-35. [In Persian]
Hejazi, B., & Hejazi, A. (2015). An intertextual analysis of Sheikh Sanan story with a view on the story of the prophet Moses and the prophet Khidr (PBUT). Literary Quranic Researches, 2(4), 134-160. [In Persian]
Hekmat, S., & Parizad, M. (2015). A comparative criticism of Attar’s mantiq ut-tayr and Chaucer’s Canterbury stories. Comparative Literature Studies, 9(35), 45-62. [In Persian]
Heydari, A., & Ahmaditabar, H. (2015). Comparative study of imaginative itineraries of Ardaviraf nameh and Er by Aflatun. CLJ, 6(11), 119-139. [In Persian]
Ja’fari, T. (2011). An analysis of symbolic and archetypal elements in Nezāmi’s me’rāj nāmeh. Adab Pazhuhi Quarterly Journal, 5(16), 123-145. [In Persian]
Kasrayifar, M., & Ebrahimi, H. (2009). A study of symbolism in Ardaviraf nameh and Sana’ei’s seir al-ibad ila al-ma’ād. Religions and Mysticism, 41(1), 141-160. [In Persian]
Ma’az Elahi, P., & Saeedi, M. (2009). A comparative investigation of allegory in English and Persian: A case study of the books mantiq ut-tayr by Attar and the pilgrim’s progress by John Bunyan. Comparative Literature Studies, 3(11), 235-251. [In Persian]
Marandi, M., & Ahmadian, N. (2006). The divine comedy and mantiq ut-tayr. Research in Contemporary World Literature, 11(33), 147-166. [In Persian]
Mirbaqerifar, S., & Jafari, T. (2010). A comparison of perfectionism process in mysticism and psychoanalysis of Jung. Mystical Literature, 2(3), 163-195. [In Persian]
Mobarak, V., & Yousefi, S. (2016). A comparative study of excellence path in two mystical works: Resalat al-tayr and Jonathan livingston seagull. Comparative Literature Studies, 10(37), 57-78. [In Persian]
Mobarak, V., & Hamani, E. (2011). A comparative analysis of the seven mystical stages with surah of Joseph and the story of Sheykh-San’an. Criticism and Comparative Literature Quarterly, 1(3), 83-103. [In Persian]
Mohammadi Badr, N., & Ghazanfari Moghaddam, S. (2012). The myth of the phoenix in the mirror of Bach’s big bird. Journal of Mytho-Mystic Literature, 8(27), 119-137. [In Persian]
Mohammadi, G., & Nazari, J. (2008). A comparison of Ardaviraf nameh’s and resalat al-ghufran’s view on the afterlife. Comparative Literature Studies, 2(8), 195-211. [In Persian]
Mohammadi, H. (2008). From phoenix versified story to Attar’s mantiq ut-tayr and Australia. Journal of Mytho-Mystic literature, 4(12), 52-63. [In Persian]
Mojahed, A. (1997). Ahmad Ghazali’s collection of Persian works. Tehran: University of Tehran Publication. [In Persian]
Mozafari, S. (2020). Archetypal heroic journey in Bahram Sadeghi’s malakut. Research in Contemporary World Literature, 24(2), 583-610. [In Persian]
Muhammadi, G., & Eftekhari, A. (2010). A study and comparison of the two Jewish and Zoroastrian spiritual journeys to the postmortal world. Comparative Literature Studies, 4(13), 159-172. [In Persian]
Nasr Esfahani, M., & Tahmtan, N. (2016). A comparison of Idris and Dante’s divine journey in Islamic culture and the divine comedy. Comparative Literature Studies, 10(39), 9-26. [In Persian]
Nicholson, R. (1944). Sana’i as a role-model for Dante (A. Eqbal Ashtiani, Trans.). Yadeqar Journal, 1(4), 48-57. [In Persian]
Nikbakht, A., & Mousavi Qomi, S. (2016). A journey to paradise (a comparative study of the divine comedy and stairway to heaven). Comparative Literature Studies, 10(37), 123-144. [In Persian]
Noori, A., & Beiranvand, Y. (2018). A comparison between the stories of birds in Attar's mantiq ut-tayr and the story of Ulysses in Homer's Odyssey. Comparative Literature Journal, 9(17), 249-265. [In Persian]
Nuhi, N. (2008). From the world of Chaucer to the mysticism of Attar.  Specialized Journal for Mysticism, 4(15), 57-81. [In Persian]
Reyhani, M., & Abdollahzadeh Borzou R. (2017). Archetypal Elements in Mahan story in Nizami's haft peykar based on Joseph Campbell's monomyth Theory. Journal of Persian Language & Literature, 25(82), 155-174. [In Persian]
Reyhani M, Abdollahzadeh Borzouو R. (2018). An analysis of the hero’s journey archetype in the sixth tale of haft peykar. Literary Criticism and Stylistics Researches. 9(34), 91-114. [In Persian]
Sādeghi Shahpar, A., & Sādeghi shahpar, R. (2013). The mystical stages in by Attar and yoga sutras by Patanjali: A comparative study. Journal of Mytho-Mystic Literature, 9(31), 78-104. [In Persian]
Sadrzadeh, M. (2002). Investigating four abstract journeys. Research in Contemporary World Literature, 7(13), 37-50. [In Persian]
Salimi Kouchi, E., & Ghassemi Isfahani, N. (2020). An intertextual study of mantiq ut-tayr’s seven valleys of love in the man-trunk and his traveler by Andrée Chéd. Research in Contemporary World literature, 24(2), 411-431. [In Persian]
Seifi, M., & Lotfi. F. (2013). A comparative study of mystical journey stages of Attar Neishaburi in mantiq ut-tayr and Nasib Arizeh in ala tariq-e eram. Kavoshnameh Adabiyat-e Tatbiqi, 2(7), 97-116. [In Persian]
Taghavi, M. (2010). From Mecca to Rome: A comparative study of Attar’s Sheikh of San’an and Goethe’s Faust. Textual Criticism of Persian Literature, 2(2), 1-28. [In Persian]
Tamimdari, A., Dolatabadi, S., & Ebadati, S. (2019). A comparative study of the narrative of Jonathan livingston seagull and the story of the birds in mantiq ut-tayr based on Glaser’s choice theory. Literary Text Research, 23(81), 7-38. [In Persian]
Toqyānī, E., & Moshāverī, Z. (2014). Soluk in the story of Sheikh Sanān and Siddhartha: A comparative analysis. Journal of Mytho-Mystic Literature, 10(34), 161-191. [In Persian]
Ujaq Alizadeh, S. (2007). The ladder of mystical journey. Pajuheshnameye Farhang va Adab, 3(5), 79-116. [In Persian]
Valipoor, A., Hemati, R. (2018). Searching for ideal perfection (a comparative study of Samad Behrangi's the little black fish and Richard Bach’s Jonathan livingston seagull). Iranian Children's Literature Studies, 8(2), 161-178. [In Persian]
Zargham, A., & Azimi, N.. (2016). A comparative study of social-political conditions affecting the creation of the divine comedy of Dante and meraj nameh. CLRJ, 4 (3), 27-58. [In Persian]
Ziaoddini, A., & Farrokhnia, M. (2013). A comparative study of the concept of eschatology in Sanā'ī Ghaznavi’s seir al-ebād and Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri’s risālat al-ghufrān. Literary Studies, 46(4), 31-60. [In Persian]
 
References [In English]:
Guerin, W., Labor, E., Morgan, L., Reesman, J., & Willingham, J. (2010). A handbook of critical approaches to literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mousavi Razavi, M. S., & Tahmasbi Boveiri, S. (2019). A meta-analytical critique of Antoine Berman’s retranslation hypothesis. Translation Studies Quarterly, 17(65), 21-36.
Van Poucke, P. (2017). Aging as a motive for literary retranslation: A survey of case studies on retranslation. Translation and Interpreting Studies, 12(1), 91–115.
Journal of Comparative Literature
Volume 13, Issue 24 - Serial Number 24
Previous articles
September 2021
Pages 1-37

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics