The Archetype of Ascent and the Structural Relationship between Miraj Nameh and Conference of the Birds in Early Modern Literature and Islamic Mysticism

Abstract

The journey of souls, which is referred to as the ascent, initiation, and ascension within the mythology of nations and monotheistic religions, represents an archetype aimed at salvation transforming the myth of descent into the myth of eternal return. Contrary to modern literature, the classical literature of Iran and Islamic mysticism are highly influenced by this metanarrative. The time period between the fourth to the sixth century, that is, from the interpretation of the Ascension of the Prophet of Islam adopting a philosophical approach to the journey of the speaking soul and the formation of the treatise of the birds by Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, and Suhrawardy until the formation of the Conference of the Birds by Attar, demonstrates that the structure of the Conference of the Birds in the Islamic mysticism and classical literature has been derived from the archetype of ascension. This article – through adopting a mythological criticism approach – seeks to explore a path to demonstrate the structural relationship of the archetype of ascent with the treatise of the birds and the Conference of the Birds. In the archetype of ascent and consequently in the treatise of the birds, the existence of a heavenly guide or a wise spiritual elder represents the action of a hero who intends to guide those who are seeking the truth. According to mythological criticism, this type is the same supreme mimesis in early modern literature putting an indisputable emphasis on concepts such as the hero’s journey, the guide, and the wise spiritual elder. Hence, there is a firm structural relationship between the genre of Maqamat (stations) and Ahwal (states), biographies, the Conference of the Birds, and the stories of ascension.

Keywords

• journey of souls
• miraj nameh (the story of ascension)
• the conference of the birds
• archetype
• mythological criticism