Manifesto; A model for the continuity and integration of Iranian myths with Semitic-Islamic mythology in the first Islamic centuries.

Shahryari, Hasan

doi:10.30465/cpl.2026.10332

Manifesto; A model for the continuity and integration of Iranian myths with Semitic-Islamic mythology in the first Islamic centuries.

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Hasan Shahryari

Ph.D in Persian Language and Literature (Epic Orientation), University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

10.30465/cpl.2026.10332

Abstract

Abstract
Fusion and mixing with non-Iranian myths are prominent features of Iranian mythology in sources of the Islamic period. Manichaeism is also one of the religions that has propagated and promoted its teachings with a fusion approach of mythologies of different nations. The similarities in mythology and the influence of Manichaeans in the Islamic period create the hypothesis that Iranian thinkers and probably Manichaeans have used the fusion model of Manichaeism to continue Iranian mythology and confront Islamic culture, which is rich in mythological characters and beliefs. By fusing Iranian mythology with Semitic-Islamic myths, they have both helped to revive Iranian identity and, in this way, have eliminated the mythological conflict between Iranians and Arabs; therefore, it was necessary to identify the factors of this fusion. Therefore, in the present study, by utilizing library resources and the descriptive-analytical method, results were obtained that support the above hypothesis: 1. The existence of examples of the fusion between Iranian and Semitic mythology in Mani's works, including the issue of the first man and mythological history; 2. The significant role of the Manichaeans in the cultural struggles with the Arabs and their extensive literary and intellectual activities, which are accompanied by influence in theological sects and even Sufism; 3. The existence of traces of Manichaean ideas in Iranian and non-Iranian mythology found in Islamic sources, including the questioning and comparison of the mythological history of Iranians and Arabs.
Keywords: Manichaeism, Synthesis and Amalgamation, Iranian Mythology, Semitic-Islamic Mythology, Islamic Period.

Introduction
Myths, as systems of meaning that reflect the beliefs and values of societies, have always undergone transformation and change under the influence of political, social, and cultural factors. Manichaean myths, with their combined and eclectic nature, are a clear example of this transformation; the Manichaean mythological system was formed by utilizing various cultural and religious elements. Iranian myths have also undergone many changes over the millennia under the influence of various factors such as the occurrence of internal and external wars, cultural exchanges, and the emergence of various religions. The emergence of Islam in Iran is one of the cases that had a profound impact on Iranian myths and led to their integration with Semitic-Islamic traditions.
This research examines the developments in Iranian mythology after the emergence of Islam with an analytical-comparative approach. This research, based on written sources and existing studies in the field of mythology, analyzes the processes of integration and adaptation of Iranian myths with Semitic-Islamic traditions and examines the role of the Manichaean fusion approach in the preservation and continuation of indigenous myths. The aim of this research is to identify patterns of mythological transformation and adaptation and to better understand how to maintain cultural identity in the face of fundamental changes.
Discussion & Result
With the arrival of Islam in Iran and the richness of the two rich Iranian and Islamic cultures in mythological stories and characters, we inevitably witness the confrontation of the mythologies of these two peoples with each other. Since the political dominance was with the Arabs, the Iranians inevitably had to find a way to preserve and continue their mythologies. The existence of many evidences in historical and literary texts of the fusion of Iranian and Semitic-Islamic mythologies indicates an intelligent way of combining the two. It seems that Iranian scholars and probably Iranian Manichaeans, understanding the complex conditions of the first centuries of Islam, have used the eclectic method of Manichaeism for this fusion, because the extensive religious and literary activities of the Manichaeans in the first centuries of the Hijri era, the existence of similar examples of the fusion of Iranian mythology with non-Iranian myths in Manichaean sources, and the influence of Manichaean beliefs in some Islamic myths support such a hypothesis.

Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the use of the Manichaean fusion model in the fusion of Iranian mythology with Semitic-Islamic myths in the Islamic period. It can be said that deliberate transformation is one of the forms of transformation in mythology that is most influenced by religious conditions. By utilizing the Manichaean fusion method, Iranian thinkers were able to combine Iranian myths with Semitic-Islamic myths, thereby providing a path for their preservation and continuity, and in a way resolving the religious and cultural crises and conflicts between Iranians and Arabs.

Keywords

Manoism

integration and fusion

Iranian mythology

Semitic-Islamic mythology

Islamic period

Subjects

Ancient Persian literature

The Holy Quran.

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