Introduction
Research Background
Reconstruction and translation of Manichaean manuscripts is a significant part of the scholars’ efforts in Manichaean studies. In most of these texts, which include different languages and subjects, signs of parables and stories can be found. Some are specifically dedicated to parables and stories, which are also the primary sources of the present study. The first one is the work of Sundermann, Mittlepersische und parthische Kosmogonische und Parabeltexte der Manichäer. The Persian translation of its second part has been done by Abedi Jourabchi. The Sogdian Tale, published by Henning at BSOAS11, is the second primary source of these stories, most of which Zarshenas has translated into Persian. These scholars have usually also looked at the literature of Manichaean-related cultures and reported similar examples. We aimed to introduce and review more similar examples in this study.
Research method
This research has been done in a descriptive-analytical and library method. The first step was to study Manichaean works in Middle Iranian languages and select their fictional pieces. Then, to find similar examples in folkloric literature, we examined the works related to the collection and classification of folklore stories. We were looking for stories similar to Manichaean parables in terms of narrative structure, actions, and main characters. After finding these examples and surveying their different narratives in Iranian folklore literature, we analyzed the similarities and differences between these stories and Manichaean examples.
Manichaean stories and similar Iranian examples
Similar examples were found in general narratives, or sub-narratives for five of the thirty examined Manichaean stories and parables. The first story is "The Elusive Beloved and the Wise Old Woman", which in the general narration corresponds to the type 450 called "Little brother and little sister" (Marzolph, 1984, pp. 104-105) with the difference that the beloved is female. The masculinity of the beloved is reflected in type 432 of Marzolph's classification (Ibid., p. 102). It also represents the old woman's deception method in the Iranian type 1545A. (Endjavi Shirazi 1975, pp. 115-117; Faqiri 2003, pp. 81-85; Elwell- Sutton 1994, Marzolph et al., p. 303)
The second story is "The Deaf and Dumb Boy". Its second sub-narrative is about a stepmother plotting to kill the boy with poisoned food, well reflected in type 314 of Marzolph's classification. The complicated story of "The Cæsar and the Thieves" is the third story in which the main narrative is about the Cæsar being deceived by thieves by impersonating himself as the angel of death. This narrative has been represented in one of the sub-narratives of type 950 (Marzolph, 1984, pp.185).
In the ATU Index and the Marzolph classification, there is a story type similar to "The Monkey and the Fox" parable with various narratives, identified by the number 35B. The tale of Namaki with the number 311A in Marzolph classification and other versions in type 311B of the ATU index is similar to the story of "The Wolf in the Jug". The monk, the wolf, and the jug are other essential elements of this parable, all of which can be found together in the Iranian type 20D.
Conclusion
Most Iranian examples are main narratives that play a significant role in folklore literature. Those examples which are not in this category are frequent types found in numerous stories and legends and have been narrated in different ways. Also, some of the world types have been added to the latest version of the ATU Index, and their various narrations are mostly related to the cultural field of the Middle East. In addition, many of these world types do not have the same parts of the Manichaean parable that we have been looking for. This is while the importance of the Iranian examples is precisely due to the existence of these low-frequency themes, which are sometimes represented only in the Iranian narratives. It is noteworthy that stories with European and Western narratives usually have an Indian narration as well.
In these stories, we can recognize the similarity of the themes, and interestingly, these themes were also common in the Manichaean parables in question. These concepts and themes are the prohibitions of greed, captivity, and the use of the action of inductive deception. Manichaean parables seem to be reflected at the intersection of the two general concepts of greed and deception in folklore stories. The common point between the parables and similar examples is that the devil's deception, which either stems from greed or leads to it, will lead to captivity.
References
Elwell- Sutton, L. P. (1994). Die erzahlungen der Masdi Galin Hanom (edited by U. Marzolph, and translated into Farsi by Ā. Amirhosseiny nithāmer, A. Vakīlīyan). Nashr e Markaz.
Endjavi Shirazi, S. A. (1975). Iranian stories (vol. 3) (in Farsi). AmirKabir
Faqiri, A. (2003). Stories of the Fars people (in Farsi). Navid e Shiraz.
Marzolph, U. (1984). Typologie des persischen Volksmärchens. Unknown.
Jahāndāri, T. K. (1992). 2nd Ed. Soroush.
Uther، H. (2004). The types of international folktales. Helsinki.
