The Imaginary Reflection of the Wind in Attar's Manteq-ut-Tayr: An Analysis Based on Gilbert Durand's Theory of Imagination

Subject Areas : Mystic Literatur

Kimiā Amini ¹ , Mortezā Mohseni ^{2 *} , Ahmad Ghanipour Malekshah ³ , hossein Hassanpour Alashty ⁴

1 - Ph D. Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, Mazandaran University
2 - The Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Mazandaran University
3 - Department of Persian language and literature. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Mazandaran
4 - * Associate professor of the Persian Language and Literature, Mazandaran University.

Received: 2024-09-26 Accepted : 2024-12-23 Published : 2025-03-14

Keywords: Wind, Hero's Journey, Manteq-ut-Tayr, Gilbert Dorand,

Abstract :

Various imaginary images can be found in the works of poets. When encountering these imaginative images, one of the experiences of the reader of poetry is to uncover the poetic codes, thereby understanding the diverse experiences of the poet. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method, examines and analyzes the imaginative images of the wind in Manteq-ut-Tayr as a reflection of the poet's inner and outer experiences in relation to the self, the world, poetry, and the audience. In this study, it is assumed that the "Golden Bird" represents Attar himself, and Gilbert Durand's theory of imagination, based on the diurnal imaginary regime (positive and negative poles) and the nocturnal imaginary regime (moderation and refinement of these two poles), serves as the main approach of the research. Additionally, Attar's interactions with the wind, the Golden Bird, the hoopoe, the Simurgh, and other birds form the myth of the hero. In this analysis, the imaginative images are not related to rhetorical figures or literary embellishments; rather, the goal is to uncover the nature of the poet's perspectives and decode the deeper hidden layers of his poetry. The results obtained indicate that the element of the wind in this work is mostly dual and appears in the positive animal form with the motive of an ascending journey. In terms of its mysterious structure and combinatory states, it is closer to Gilbert Durand's nocturnal imaginary regime.