On the South Caspian Contact Zone: Some Talishi Folk Beliefs
In: Iran and the CaucasusSearch for other papers by Garnik Asatrian in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Victoria Arakelova in
Current site
Google Scholar
One of the productive approaches to the analysis of the phenomenon of frontier zones, and the South Caspian region in particular, could be the delimitation of local cultural areas— not within administrative borders, but rather by frontier lines defined by such parameters as linguistic and toponymic areas, characteristics of the people’s mentality, specifics of local beliefs, etc. The southern and south-western shores of the Caspian Sea can be defined as a unique cultural landscape, a picturesque world “existing on the frontier lines”. On the marginal level—in folk beliefs, religious lore, etc.—the steadfast local substrate transformed Islam into shapes extraneous to the religious dogma. The South Caspian population, despite the domination of traditional forms of Islam, has preserved multiple elements dating back to the pre-Islamic cultural heritage.
The article discusses some peculiarities of folk beliefs of the Talishis, one of the autochthonous peoples of the area. An essential part of the paper includes attempts of revealing the pre-Islamic background of some characters and phenomena, modified and reinterpreted by Muslim thinking or through folk etymologies.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 641 | 125 | 9 |
| Full Text Views | 132 | 1 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 23 | 0 | 0 |
On the South Caspian Contact Zone: Some Talishi Folk Beliefs
In: Iran and the CaucasusSearch for other papers by Garnik Asatrian in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Victoria Arakelova in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
One of the productive approaches to the analysis of the phenomenon of frontier zones, and the South Caspian region in particular, could be the delimitation of local cultural areas— not within administrative borders, but rather by frontier lines defined by such parameters as linguistic and toponymic areas, characteristics of the people’s mentality, specifics of local beliefs, etc. The southern and south-western shores of the Caspian Sea can be defined as a unique cultural landscape, a picturesque world “existing on the frontier lines”. On the marginal level—in folk beliefs, religious lore, etc.—the steadfast local substrate transformed Islam into shapes extraneous to the religious dogma. The South Caspian population, despite the domination of traditional forms of Islam, has preserved multiple elements dating back to the pre-Islamic cultural heritage.
The article discusses some peculiarities of folk beliefs of the Talishis, one of the autochthonous peoples of the area. An essential part of the paper includes attempts of revealing the pre-Islamic background of some characters and phenomena, modified and reinterpreted by Muslim thinking or through folk etymologies.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 641 | 125 | 9 |
| Full Text Views | 132 | 1 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 23 | 0 | 0 |
