On the Role of Myth in Kurdish Literature
M. Emin Bozarslan
Compte d’auteur
When studying or analysing the role of myth in any literature one must first of all examine the role of myth in the society which has created the literature in question, since it is imoossible.to isolate neither literature in general nor any type or form of literature from the actual situation dominating that Society or the social events which that society has lived through or is still experiencing,, In other words: literature in ...
SOCIETY END LITERATURE
When studying or analysing the role of myth in any literature one must first of all examine the role of myth in the society which has created the literature in question, since it is imoossible.to isolate neither literature in general nor any type or form of literature from the actual situation dominating that Society or the social events which that society has lived through or is still experiencing,, In other words: literature in all its forms and types and its important elements are mirrors reflecting the political, economic, social, cultural and psychological situation of society. Wo literature is isolated from the environment and conditions of society.
Prehistoric man and the unknown forces
We know that prehistoric man was unable to master nature and natural events. Nor could he understand or analyse the cause of natural events. Therefore he believed that there were different forces dominating life, nature, natural conditions and events. He believed that there existed two kinds of forces: good ones and evil ones. Prehistoric man felt the need of asking the good forces for help and support against the evil forces. This help was to be used as means of defence against the evil forces and the evil events emanating from then. It is possible to say that this belief and this need have become the basis of the role of myth in society as well as the role of myth in literature. naturally, the Kurdish people, like all other peoples in the world, has experienced such stages in its long life from prehistoric tine and onward.
To be able to know exactly how Kurdish society and consequently Kurdish literature was influenced by myth one must know a few things about the land of the Kurds and its natural conditions.
The natural conditions of Kurdistan,
Kurdistan is mainly a mountainous country with many high chains, deep valleys and long, wide rivers and streams. It has a severe climate. In such a country many natural events will of course afflict man: deluges, earth-quakes, blizzards, thunderstorms, thunderbolts, attacks by wild animals and diseases of all kinds, to mention a few. In order to survive the Kurdish people had to fight against nature and its threatening events. In this fight the prehistoric Kurd created the idea of good and evil forces and began believing in them and arrange his life according to his belief. He had to get help from the good forces and thus had to appease them.
Ehremen and Hurmuz,
During one period before Islam the Kurds believed in two gods. One was Ehremen who represented the evil forces, the other was Hurmuz representing the good ones.
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M. Emin Bozarslan
On the Role of Myth in Kurdish Literature
Compte d’auteur
Compte d’auteur
On the Role of Myth in Kurdish Literature
M. Emin Bozarslan
Presented at the International Writers' Reunion in Lahti,
Finland, June 15-19,1981
