Les figures de l'Iran pré-islamique dans la littérature des Ŷarsâns, courant religieux kurde

The figures of the pre-islamic Iran in Yarsan Literature, Kurdish religious current

• Auteur / Autrice : Shahab Vali
• Direction : Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Sciences religieuses
• Date : Soutenance en 2008
• Etablissement(s) : Paris, EPHE
• Partenaire(s) de recherche : Autre partenaire : École pratique des hautes études. Section des sciences religieuses (Paris)

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Littérature

Mythologie iranienne

Ahl-i Ḥaqq

Poésie kurde

Littérature iranienne (d'Iran)

Résumé

Cette thèse propose d'étudier les figures mythologiques dans les textes sacrés produits par les Kurdes Yârsân et le dialogue qui existe entre la production textuelle de ce groupe religieux et la culture religieuse iranienne avant et après l'Islam. Historiquement, on peut constater l'existence de ce courant religieux assez tardivement, autour du XI ème siècle. Toutefois, la période la plus importante des Yârsâns est le XIV siècle, nommée par eux : la période de la Vérité, où les textes sacrés de ce courant religieux et littéraire commencent à être composés, rassemblés et organisés. [. . . ] On s’est attaché à cerner l’ensemble de ces figures, à en décrire les fonctions, la dimension symbolique, théophanique et la place qu’elles jouent dans l’économie du système religieux des Yârsâns. Nous nous sommes attachés aussi à remonter aux origines de ses emprunts à la mythologie iranienne, à en décrire les modifications et les ajouts, de façon à essayer de préciser plus clairement le lien qui existe entre ce courant religieux kurde et la pensée de l'Iran ancien, ce qui nous conduira, à apporter un élément de réponse à la question de l’origine de ce courant religieux qui, comme nous l’avons déjà dit demeure énigmatique. Notre thèse a visé de décrire systématiquement ces figures héroïques à travers cette vaste littérature, c’est-à-dire la littérature yârsân, dont une grande partie reste manuscrite et qu’il nous faudra collecter sur le train, au Kurdistan iranien.

This thesis proposes to study the mythological figures in the sacred texts produced by the Yârsân Kurds and the dialogue that exists between the textual production of this religious group and the Iranian religious culture before and after Islam. The history of the Yârsâns dates back to the 11th century. However the most important period for Yarsâns starts in the 14th century, called also the ‘period of Truth’ in their own terms, when the literary sacred texts of the group began to be produced, collected and organized. Yârsân Kurds as a religious esoteric community have been a great source of interest for Western scholarship in recent decades. European scholars have mainly focused on the inextricable ties that exist between the main characteristics of the Yârsân religious thoughts and the Iranian religious background both before and after Islam, particularly with Shiite doctrines. Scholars such as Minorsky, Gobineau, Ivanow and later Mokri and During have largely followed this path to understand the particularity of the Yârsâns as a minority religious group. In spite of the efforts made by these scholars, the lack of use of Yarsân sacred texts as sources rendered previous research incomplete, and even in some cases distorted the reality. [. . . ] By using a large number of unpublished textual records, written by Yârsân spiritual masters, the present thesis aims to understand the religious doctrine that is reflected in these documents, and the mythological figures and their places both in Yârsân religious thought and also in the larger context of Iranian religious culture. I have also attempted to identify all these figures, and to describe their functions, their symbolic and religious characteristics, in the religious system of the Yârsâns. I have also attempted to trace the origins of this religious system in Iranian mythology by following the changes and additions. I also tried to specify more clearly the link between this Kurdish religious community and religious thinking of pre- Islamic Iran, which will lead me to provide an answer to the question of the origin of this religious group which has long been a mystery for the scholars of the subject.