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Ziaodin Dashtkhaki A. Anthropology of Shahnameh Inter-textual Connections of Shahnameh to the Concepts of Death and Burial Rituals in Iranian Culture. Anthropol Stud 2016; 2 (3) :113-128
URL: http://pc.richt.ir/article-4-280-en.html

Among the key Components of Shahnameh, composed by the grate poet Ferdowsi, there are many textual elements that are tied to inter- textual elements, out of the text. This key features are rooted in reflection and representation of social and cultural contexts and backgrounds of this society. This  epresentation mirrors and reflects rituals such as marriage, rite of passage and Initiation, and death. When we return our eyes and direct our attention to the concepts and rituals of death, it makes evident that how a part of construction of this book, is associated with death belief systems which stem from Zoroastrian, Islamic, and Zurvanism roots. Using a descriptiveanalytical methods, this article seeks to investigate relationships between death and the epic poems so this essay concentrates on some stories and narratives of Shahnameh related to death. This approach leads us to awareness of some anthropological knowledge on the topic under discussion. Some results as the achievements of this study, are as follows:
- In this book, three aspects of death come in to view: fear of death, death as a reality, and a philosophical-ethical standpoints on death. These three parts come from pre-Islamic and Islamic notions and their combination.
- Due to the image of death that is influenced by the notions of time and devilish quality and content of death (death as the function of Ahriman)- evident in this book, emergences of death sometimes is related to the Zoroastrian world views.
- In some stories like the story of Siyavoush and Keykhosro, death is connected to the archetype of rebirth that does not come from pre-Islamic and Islamic backgrounds. A dichotomy is present here that embedded in some parts of this book.
- In some parts of this book, such as Rostam and Sohrab’s story, death of Sam, death of Faridoun and Iraj, Death of Esfandiyar and will and testament of Anoushirvan, textual elements that are seen, related to inter/external textual elements including burial rituals that lay foundations of anthropology of  oroastrian culture in the pre-Islamic Iran.