Journal of Language Sciences & Linguistics. Vol., 4 (2), 139-144, 2016
Available online at http://www.jlsljournal.com
ISSN 2148-0672 ©2016
The Effect of Instructional Structure of Societies on
National and Epic Literature
Mozhgan Sadeghpour Mobarake*
Department of Literature, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
*
Corresponding Author Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT: If we descend from the abstract empyrean of “literature” as a system, to actual paper and ink
instantiations of “literature,” what particular factors qualify works for inclusion in the pantheon? Despite the
quip attributed to Mark van Doren that a classic book is “any book that stays in print,” works labeled as “world
literature” or “classic” probably still carry, at least in the Anglo-American context, some presumption that they
are informed by an edifying or ennobling quality. Such works (presumably including titles like the Iliad and
Odyssey, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Aeneid, etc.) are thought of as exemplary of something of the
national genius, or of the genre they represent and likely to reward lifelong attention because they grapple in a
complex, transcultural and engaging manner with “timeless” big-picture questions relevant to the human
condition. For Matthew Arnold, they required a quality of serious. The purpose of this article is to analyze the
effect of instructional structure on formation of epic literature in publication of Shahnameh. The question is that
how mythology changed to epic in instructional structure of third and fourth century in Shahnameh of
Ferdowsi? To structure the hypothesis we used semiology and structuralism assumptions of Roland Barthes and
LoeeStraws.Bart and Straws emphases on the importance of social meaning of signs and the effect of public
culture on education of the subject to publish new texts in cultural life. Findings of this article indicated that
myths of Shahnameh in the form of epic refers to narration of social structures, customs, end ethical cases and
behavior of Iranians that Ferdowsi versed them according to the pre-school instructional structure.
Keywords: Epic Literature, National Literature, Shahnameh.
INTRODUCTION
The way of understanding the instructional structure in every period of history is studying of the
remained works of that period. This study aims at analyzing the pre-school periods that covers about four
hundred years. This system of education started with entering Islam to Iran and dismissing the instructional
structure of Sassanid dynasty and lasted to five century when scientific schools were established that covers
about four century (Von Grunebaum,1995). Public education of Iran before Islam was in accordance with public
culture in residency areas near to the Market and the place of living for people. In such schools religious and
ethical education, official and state education, military education, political education, industrial education,
health and power education, and art educations are of common educations in Iran. By entering Islam its
instructional structure-mosque- entered to the society of Iran and official system of education on Sassanid
extinguished and religious education replaced. According to the requirements of Caliphate system they justified
the quality of government to educate in Darol Elm and Mosques religious sciences, translation, and natural
sciences. The main principles of this system of education was based on terminology education, grammar,
rhetoric, literature, reading the holy Quran, Hadith knowledge, Jurisdictional knowledge, the science of
assumptions and discourse . The educational criteria and correctness of this science was Jurisdiction and Arabic
Literature, but culture and Iran’s society in the way of revitalization of its independence against Turkish people
in Mavaralnahr and Racism of Arabs devoted to Iran’s traditional mythological culture in historical, literary, and
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oral literature texts that is called preschool education system. To recognize this instructional structure and its
effect on epic literature in Shahnameh reaching at a complete definition from key concepts is necessary. A.
Application concepts 1. Epic literature. The term epic means brevity and prowess and it is defined as story poem
with championships, ethical, and national grounds that is the base of extraordinary events (Esmaeili, 2004). In
this type of poem, the poet does not enter personal emptions in the story and does not change it based on his/her
intention but versifies the historical texts. In epic the resources of poet are oral stories of public culture and
historical texts that description of emotional championships and different senses of people, manifestation of
racism, sacrifice and war against depravity, and corrupt (Esmaeili, 2008). For this reason the poet in
championship poems and figures of the story has no interference and do not interfere willingly. There are two
kinds of epic verses in literature: a. Natural and national epics Natural and national epics are the result of
thoughts, interests, and emotions of a nation that during centuries was created to describe the greatness and
genius of that tribe. This type of epic if full of the reminding of wars, championships, and sacrifices and also it
was full of civilizations signs and it represented the spirit and mind of people in a country that are recalled as
championship periods that changed to mythology (Zolfaghari, 2004). Of these epic verses we can example Gil
Gomsh epic in traditional Ashor, Iliad and Odyssey of Homer the great poet of traditional Greek and
Shahnameh of Ferdowsi in Persian literature. In these sets of verses the poet has no attention to invention and
creation, but narrates written and oral stories by his/her compositional ability. Creativity of the poet in
versifying this type of epic is formed by culture and society that is educated in. b. Artificial epics In these verses
the poet has no attention to specified compiled championship stories, but the poet invents them and depicts an
imaginative story. In these types of stories the poet is free to select the subject of his her story considering rules
that observe epic poem and involves the imagination. In this set we can example HamdolahMostofi in Persian
language and Aneeid versed by Virgil the traditional poet of Rome (Zolfaghari, 2004). According to the subject
Persian literature divided in mythological epics, theological epics and religious epics. Versified epic contained
story, championship, national, and extraordinary grounds. a. Story grounds one of the features of epic is its story
forms. Therefore, epic is the imagination of a set of events that happened for a culture. As in epic there are a
series of descriptions, preaches and imaginations, but all of these elements are the second hand factors in the
case of epic championships and the most subject of epic belongs to individuals and events (Esmaeili, 1999). The
duty of the epic poet is that to be imaginative of human that are excellent with respect to religious and mundane
dimensions. b. Championships and national grounds Championship events that represent the imaginative history
of a nation are concurrent in a process of realities. These are facts that cover ethical features of social system,
political life, and beliefs of that society in mental and religious issues (Zolfaghari, 2004).Shahnameh is a
depiction of Iranian society in the most details of living features of life in preschool periods. Because when it is
discussed about Iranian wars to gain independence and nationalism against innovation of nations, social
customs, civilization, manifestation of civilization and ethic of Iranian, religion and even joy of heroes, religious
and philosophical discussions are posed (Esmaeili, 2008). c. Miracle grounds Of the other conditions of epic is
processing of events that are not compatible with logic and scientific experiences. In every epic some unnatural
events out of system are seen that are only believed with respect to religious beliefs of that period. Every nation
applies extraordinary beliefs as an amazing agent in epics and it is so that in all of the epics creatures and
unnatural livings are manifested beside events that the poet imagines (Esmaeili, 2008) this agent is called myth
or legend, because in spite of features of story, natural and imaginative aspects are holy (ibid).
Methodology
Mythology means imagination and void speech. But application meaning of it comes from the term myth
that means speech, legend, and stories of the past people in the history. It is the ordinary and traditional story
from historical happens that represent some aspects of attitude of an ethic to a behavior, belief or a natural
phenomenon. In literature mythology refers to eternal cases of events, conditions, and powers of gods or supper
human that occur out of the ordinary living of human and it can be the source and origin of them. These
supernatural events are in different time from historical moments and their time is usually the start of creation or
primary period of prehistory (Sattar, 2010). In this definition mythology is a type of art that is related to the
literature that is connected to “the origin of the world, human creation, war of gods and champions or disasters
of previous ethics (Abazari, 2001).The type that waxed and it is considered as history, but is not history. Of the
other features of mythology are power, glory and mythical nature of it (Satari, 2009). Power in the meaning of
mythology is like inescapable framework that influenced by training of individuals and the person cannot escape
from them, therefore, define glory and greatness in the result. The process of changing power to glory and
greatness in the meaning of mythology is of the meaning component of mythical nature and imaginative form
(Rezaee, 2004). In literature and art when mythology takes the real form it is called epic. Difference of epic and
mythology is in the quality of representing them. Mythology forms in social unconscious in the form of
imagination of goodness and evil. But epic is the ideal reading of every nation from these good and bad
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imaginations that forms in different times of history from myths of that society according to the social and
historical conditions of that society establishes as text, picture, and other artistic forms (Abazari, 2001).in
mythology the entire ethics, legendary gods change to fathers and high or low governors, because “mythology
depicts relationship of legendary gods, human and nature in imaginary form. But in epic the legendary gods
decline from the mythical world to the epic world and can be categorized in the form of rulers and great heroes
among their tribe (Yarshater, 2010). The quality of declining mythology and changing to epic covers four
dimensions of social, cultural, economic, and political life that can be analyzed under the category of
instructional structure. Therefore, we can say that understanding the quality of the effect of instructional
structure on text exited from the study of formal structures of education and involves the general aspects of
cultural and instructional structure of a nation. This recognition is achieved by semiology and structuralism.
Structuralism
Today one of the tendencies of cultural studies is mythology. In this field it is emphasized on social and
cultural phenomenon. In mythology cultural phenomenon have epic, religious and romantic approaches and or
family tragedies and moaning are related to the history (Rezaee, 2004). In this view mythology is a kind of
language or sign system that though it is bounded to history and society and shows itself as general. Therefore,
the main duty of mythology is changing history to the nature (Leach, 1971). Studying mythology is effected by
linguistic, semiology, and structuralism. In this regard analysis of Rolan Bart and LoeeEshtervas are very
important. In Bart every myth is a system of signs and has a separate inside and appearance. Signs by nature are
multi-meaning and according to the type of text and historical conditions and cultural tendency of reader or
observer it takes different meanings (barthes, 1982). Importance of epic literature in instructional structure of
fourth century is effect by this multi-meaning of Iranian Traditional myths that in four century required political
and cultural independence from Baghdad Caliphate and Mavaraolnahr Turks. Here epic literature is the same
ideology that Iran’s society needed in that time. From the Barthes view though it is possible to elicit different
meanings from cultural phenomenon or mythology with epic meaning according to different interests, but beside
them semiology is devoted to structural understanding from culture and represents the hidden ideology, because
cultural myths are serving specific interests and they justify or reject themselves by mechanism of creating
names (Bashiriyeh, 2000).LoeeEstros instead of emphasizing on language like Barthes paid attention to other
aspects of culture like relative and ethical education in relation with mythology. Estraws structuralism is looking
for substructure a structure that specifies the entire appearance separation in the realm of human culture. This
model consists of underlying structures that are unseen, generative, relating and unaware, but real and
worldwide and consist of a logical network of binary contrasts. This pattern emphasis that the entire cultural
forms of education represent different experimental compounds of mutual contrasts (Rezaee, 2004). Estrows
analysis instead of emphasizing on signs in formal language like Barthes paid attention to other aspects of
culture like family, mythology, and epic in oral literature. In Loee epic is a part of human speech or oral
literature that to show its features one should show that mythology belonging to the language and is part of it.
“Loeeconsiders differentiation between speech and language and also believes that mythology entails the third
reference that compound two references of language and speech” (barthes, 1982) while mythology in Barthes is
a kind of speech, nut in Straws view it is every type of speech and needs specific conditions in order to change
to epic. By the way mythology in the system of educational relationship changes to an epic message that by
means of various patterns of speech such as poem, prose and imagination the message will be specified. In
Barthes and Estraws everything can be changed to epic or exit from the world of myths and this shows that no
myths is eternal, because human history represent realities in the form of speech and mostly in the form of epic.
Therefore, the realm of myth except speech can be writing or other communication forms that contain message,
like photographing, cinema, reporting, sport and etc that serves mythical speech (Doostkhah, 1991). Therefore,
mythology only doesn’t remind primary cultures, but in different societies myths are concurrent and even halflife are very trivial and usual (Barthes, 1998). In Barthes the imagination of societies has the ability of making
epic according to the instructional structure using daily political, social, artistic and other approaches, while
mythology nature is the result of this hidden new process. Therefore in Barthes view against LoeeStrows epic or
myths are appointed signs in text and social and cultural speeches that have mental motivation and intention that
they hid their purpose continually (barthes, 1982). Using Barthes and straws methodology that are represented
under semiology and structuralism we can say that Iran’s instructional structure in third and fourth century is
established in cultural uncouncious and social conscious for independence of Iranian identityfromTurks military
attack and cultural decline against Arabs racism that effected epic trainings by traditional myths of Iran in
Shahnameh. 4. Preschool instructional structure This system of education in four first century of contained two
dimensions: the believing dimension that is affected by Islamic educations and cultural dimension that is
affected by identity roots of every ethic that like Iranian identity became Muslim and raising of epic literaturein
Iran after Islam can be analyzed under duplicity of instructional structure. a. Belief education The Islamic belief
education system goes back to the first days of advent of Islam when Prophet Mohammad taught his followers
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the holy Quran and described Islamic learning. Muslim learned the entire details from Prophet Mohammad in
next centuries. Prophet thought in the mosque and these mosques in next centuries changed to the main canon
and station for education. Because the way of education of the holy Prophet was orally by speech, then by
means of this style Muslims educated in schools of their teachers and the way of listening education formed
(Spring, 1996).The most important feature of listening was the fact that if some material were not preached by
teacher then the apprentice was not allowed to repeat them (ibid, p. 75).the first material to be teach was Quran
and then religious rules that was learned and described in different places and in the mosque and Darolghori and
Safeh. After growing of Islamic movement and development of Islamic lands the system of Chaliphate found
that to manage civilized belonging lands they need learned and educated individuals. Therefore, they referred to
the experts of depended lands spatially Iranians. From the second century and especially after appointing
Abbasid caliphate that their first sign of their role was abounding political activities and governing issues and
they developed increase inglyand different kinds of science and education were developing (Vakilian, 1999).Of
the most important scientific places we can refer to Baitolhekmeh that was established in Baghdad while
MamonAbasi was Caliphate (ibid, p.53). in fact Baitolhekmah was the first important scientific place that in or
society was established and paying more intention to philosophy, mathematics and nature cleared this type of
instructional structure was very political and social, because sciences that were thought in were the requirements
of government not Islamic society, therefore most of the sciences were political-belief or a translation of natural
sciences, medical, and or issues that were necessary for caliphate. These were when the mosque played the role
in education beside scientific centers, but increasing the number of students in mosques and continually
conflicts of followers of different sects in mosque composed the learning classes and cased that educational
affairs for juridicallearning become trivial (Nasr, 2010) and different grounds for clergywas prepared for
scientific centuries so that scientific education and mental education should pass through Caliphate organization
(Vakilian, 1999). For this reason the instructional structure of public culture accepted to train and educates
people. Epic literature of third and fourth century in the same time was in unconscious of Iran’s society
especially north-eastern part of Iran under the category of Shiite religion and Iran’s traditional myths. b. Cultural
education c. If we disregard the generality of if instructional structure of the Caliphate in Iran after Islam the
official system of education was in line with teachings that Caliphates of BaniOmaieh and BaniAbas used to
legalize their political system. Responding to this instructional structure of Iranian society and by enthusiasm
toward Shiite religion it established the resistance culture against epic literature. Beside Ale Boyeh government,
Shiite religious clergies changed from their serious defending line to non-Muslim Islamic groups and using
science and Shiite knowledge they established Shiite ideology and invited different groups to Ahle Bait School.
Public people gradually became Shiite and it was as an ideology incompatible against Abassid regime and antiinjustice belief of men and orders of government in society (Vakilian, 1999).Iranian identity in this time
moment lasted about four centuries. They educated their teachings generation by generation through speech and
listening. This instructional structure in Barthes is called Ideological speech and in Strwas it is called public
culture that has that most important place in social unconscious (lacan,1977) and after education it is a kind of
power relation that education plays the role of creating new identity (Jorgensen, 2010). The influence of
preschool education system on creating epic literature that is categorized under the same relation between
conscious of Iranian society against Sunni religion and unconscious (lacan, 1977) that is reflected in
Shahnameh. This reflection is important with the composer of Shahnameh of Ferdowsi. Ferdowsi as an “active
subject” (Diamond, 2005) preschool system of education was looking for relationship between conscious or
society of its time with unconscious or culture before Islamic Iran. Free subject (lacan, 1977) means composer
of shahnameh of Ferdowsi in north western part of Iran influenced by free action of rulers of time from power of
Baghdad Caliphate and attendance of Iranian Traditional culture among ordinary people (Scholastic,
2004).Literary sciences consist syntax, semantics, grammar, discourse, figures of speech, rhythm, writing and
composition and speeches of men of letter were the first sciences that were considered by Shiite scientists and a
number of great works of literature like Shahnameh were published in this period (Velayati, 2007).the class of
agriculture that Ferdowsi was born in there was a kind of freedom from ideological domination of the time in
traning children that they take along belief vales with Shiite religion educations and cultures Iranian identity
under myths that comes from public culture. Epic literature and ShahnamehTo understand the effect of
instructional structure on Ferdowsi epic composition in composing Shahnameh semiotic analysis and Straws
structuralism are necessary. a. The role of instructional structure in collecting Shahnameh (semiotic analysis)
Mythological foundation of Shahnameh, creativity of Ferdowsi and written and oral texts represent the
importance of instructional structure in relation with epic composition in four and five century, because Iran’s
national epic given to us in final collection and has a publishing appearance in the form of history and letter of
kings and also its general design is devoted to in retelling of Iran’s traditional history so that mythological time
attained history with a precise tact to the historical time and what has been mere myth now is a part of history
and a part of them (Ghnymh, 2005). In this description the importance of power relation semiology, ideology,
language and society are seen in Shahnameh. Using Barthes semiology one can analyze the relationship between
texts of Shahnameh with ideology, power and produced language or social meaning or the same specific public
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identity in epic literature. The instructional structure in which Ferdowsi is trained in, is competing with
importing primary issues from north eastern of Iran and seeking privilege of Arabs, independence of Iranians in
epic literature especially is Shahnameh. In analyzing semiology in shahnameh of Ferdowsi, epic is called long
narrations that are verse and in championship language and also, championships of heroes and granted kings and
ethical heroes in old times or in historical periods is of their occupying prides to change the current situation
(Ghnymh, 2005).
After a while some goes to AlboezKoh and excuses God. Simorgh caries the Zal to his father and by his
father, the same thing that he is grown by is given to him to be his aid in problems. In the case of semiotic
system of Shahnameh words like nature, blood of two eyes, Alborzkoh, Judge, Simorgh, and Pormayeh is
necessary to train a differentgeneration from educated generation of Caliphate in epic literature. Returning to
nature or last traditions, patience in training to the extent that blood falls from eyes, beside Alborzkoh by
emphasizing on divine sources and using simorg the legendary creature become the existential creature in which
the person with experiences intends to build up a new identity. Therefore, we conclude that in passing from
mythology to epic there is a fundamental change in Shahnameh. National epic of Iran, though it is rooted in old
myths of Zoraster, but it is more based on preservation of oral narratives of epic mythology and in this way it
passed its main process, and it is burned out until it reached the Islamic era and reflected in Shahnameh of
Ferdowsi. In fact, to the extent that Shahnameh should be dependent on Pahlavi texts of Zoraster it depends on
the live and dynamic oral narritives of and eastern documents and the main difference between texts and
Zorasterian texts is the same thing. The only similarity of shahnameh with epic narratives old and medium is in
the name of Pishdadi and Kaiani kings (Ghnymh, 2005). This training process in Shahnameh represents a
training system that Ferdowsi is trained in. the category of agriculture, farmers, are the signs of returning to the
nature and being patient against formal education of Caliphate and relying on religious of Shiite is a great result
like Ferdowsi that as active subject intends to compose in literature based on epic. This purpose by composing
the text of Shahnameh and publication of it with SoltanMahmood Caliphate organization is represented. Here
we conclude that thought epic literature is rooted in old Zorasterian mythology, but it is more based on
preserving oral narratives of myths and in this way it passed its main process and changed until it reached this
Islamic timeand reflected in Shahnameh of Ferdowsi. In fact, to the extent that Shahnameh should be dependent
on Pahlavi texts of Zoraster it depends on the live and dynamic oral narratives of and eastern documents and the
main difference between texts and Zorasterian texts is the same thing. The only similarity of shahnameh with
epic narratives old and medium is in the name of Pishdadi and Kaiani kings. b. The effect of shahnameh on
instructional structure (structure analysis) Structural analysis in Shahnameh starts from primary school and it is
discussed as a station in which children are devoted on reading and writing. In primary school child is affected
by cultured men and clergies to learn wisdom and ways of life.
In this view the training method based on a specific program become common in society and has purposes
like self-understanding responsibility, social affectivity, and economic activity (Pourpirar, 2001).in this pattern
child when reaches at the level of education goes to school to read and write and to be familiar with society. In
this time according to the time period learn the war principles so that to defend his nationand it is necessary for
facing problems in the society (Jenginz, 2005). In Ferdowsi culture and social ethic is a structure that Strwas
called it public culture in the process of education. For new generation Ferdowsi considers these social
educations necessary and covers the speech as it is necessary and learns the pattern of relationship with great
peopleand beautifies the body and soul with science, culture and art to be a suitable person for society and
himself/herself for the future (Ghnymh, 2005). When Ferdowsi in Shahnameh speaks about this organized
system of education calls teachers with titles such as: cultured, religious men, instructors, teachers, men of letter,
learned, athletes, wise individuals .great men who applied the substructure of education based on wisdom beside
this great power of god lead human to the palace of science and evolution.
CONCLUSION
The four first centuries of entering Islam are very important in Iran’s history of education. By studying of
the history of Persian literature in this era we face preschool instructional structure that epic literature is resulted
from. The quality of ending epic literature in this period can be analyzed in two dimensions of religion and
public culture. Resistance of Iranian social and culture against formal education of Omavi and Abassid is the
basis of this instructional structure that composing Shahnameh is of its results. The result is that preschool
education system in the form of Shiite religion and Iranian myths were influential in training of Ferdowsi, it is
the work of art that epic literature is its result in the Persian literature and culture in the history.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest
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