Mythical Origins of the Motifs of the Earth in Mysticism (Earth in Mysticism and Its Mythological Roots)

Abstract

The land is often seen by many nations as a feminine element, reproductive and fertile, and plays an essential role in creation. Therefore, it has appeared in myths, beliefs, rituals, religions, and mystical styles. In mythology, the earth is maternal, the worshippedgoddess, the nurturer of the creators, the breeder, the cleanser, the source of sanctity and divinity, and the source of the existence of the abyss and other beings. In religions, the earth is the source of the material existence of man, mother, kindergarten, and cradle. In most of the mystical passages, the earth is the domain of the demise and divorce of the soul; it is also a female element, and on the basis of which the woman, the body and the soul, which are earthly and female, have been subject to denunciation. In Islamic mysticism, in addition to many literary functions of the earth, there are two special functions which are: 1. Motherhood of the earth. 2. Life to redeem. In mysticism, the earth is considered to be a mother, and creatures, including humans, are their offspring. In mythological beliefs, both the mother and the mother have been involved in reproduction and survival, and have been responsible for fertility and reproduction; therefore, the mystical perception of the earth as a mother is derived from mythological beliefs. Also, in the beliefs of the mystics, the earth (soil/grave) is the rebirth of the soul and the introduction to the kingdom of heaven.Keywords: Myth, Religions, Earth, Mysticism. IntroductionAccording to ancient myths and beliefs, the earth is one of the first creations and plays an essential role in the creation itself. In the belief of different peoples and nations, the earth has a feminine nature, and symbolically, it is opposite to the sky, and it is placed as the passive principle against the active principle, the feminine side against the masculine side of existence, darkness against light, the force of falling against the force of ascent and stillness and concentration against a delicate and fleeting nature. (Shovaliyeh & Gerberan, 2015) In many myths, where the sky has the role of the supreme god, the earth has become his wife. The theme of the initial sky-earth pair, which is related to the creation of the universe, is found in all the civilizations of the Oceania region, the African continent, the Americas, and the nations of the East and the West. (Eliadeh, 2014) In the mythologies of different nations, the earth as a reproductive and fertile element together with the sky (masculine force) causes the world and its creatures to emerge; therefore, the earth is considered the basis of the universe and has been worshipped in many religious ways. In many myths, where the sky has the role of the supreme god, the earth has become his wife. Hence, rituals have been held for the earth, and sacrifices have been offered to it. Earth is one of the themes whose manifestations, from the oldest to the latest, have been repeated in mythology and mysticism. Literature ReviewThe book "The Myth of the Earth and the Sky in Iranian Beliefs" written by Faegheh Sarkhosh, deals with the beliefs and opinions of the people of the mythological era about the earth and the sky. The article "Earth in Ancient Mythology" (Sadaqeh, n.d.), translated by Mohammad Reza Torki, has also briefly reviewed the mythological beliefs related to the earth in important civilizations and religions. The article "Sky and Earth in the Mythology of Ancient Iran Using the Stories of Shahnameh" (Khodami and Rahmanian, 2013) also reviews the myths mentioned in the Shahnameh. The article "Rooting the Theme of Prison and Well in Mystical Literature" considers the theme of prison (a symbol of an earthly body) and a well (a symbol of the earth or the world) to be related to the age of mythology and believes that after going through the philosophy and texts of the Old Testament, it reached pre-Islamic mysticism and was manifested in the form of the image of "prison and well" in mystical literature. (Hassani Jalilian and Sahraie, 2010) Regarding the earth and its feminine aspect, Sajjadi and Hassani Jalilian, in the article "Women and decline, the hows of the spread of false beliefs about women in some literary texts" concluded that anti-feminist ideas are rooted in mythology and the relationship between the role of women and the earth in mythological times. (Sajjadi and Hassani Jalilian, 2008: 161-186). Also, in the research, Hassani Jalilian and colleagues related the myth of the maiden-mother and her son to the earth and its fertility, and they believe that this relationship was a remnant of the belief of the people of the matriarchy age in the fertility of women and the earth and the fertility compatibility of the two. (Hassani Jalilian et al., 2013). ResultsThe earth has functions in mysticism, some of which are derived from the beliefs of the mythological era, which entered Islamic mysticism through rituals and religious beliefs. These categories of functions are the abode of descent, well, prison, the mother of existence, a prelude to entering the Minouy life or rebirth. In this research, the connection between the perfect human being and the earth, as well as the connection between death and rebirth through burial in the earth, can be proven and followed. Based on this, the earth is not always an abominable and reprehensible element in the eyes of mystics, but in terms of fertility and growth, it has taken much attention, and the perfect man and even God's love have been likened to it. In Islamic mysticism, the earth is considered the mother of the universe, and creatures, including humans, are her children. In mythological beliefs, the earth and the mother are both involved in reproduction and the survival of existence and have been responsible for reproduction and fertility. Based on this, women have always been a symbol of agriculture and fertility, and the gods of agriculture have often been women. Hence, the mystics' view of the earth as a mother is derived from mythological beliefs. Also, in the belief of mystics, the earth (soil/grave) is the means of the rebirth of the soul and the prelude to entering the realm of dominion. In mythological beliefs, the earth, womb, and human mother, and burying the dead in the soil, are considered a return to oneself (mother) and rebirth. This idea entered mysticism as well, and it can be seen in the works of mystics who consider the dead body as a seed prone to sprouting and the grave as a prelude to rebirth and the sprouting of the seed of the soul. So it can be said that this attitude of mystics is also a remnant of mythological beliefs.

Keywords

• myth
• religions
• earth
• mysticism