A Comparative Study of the Mourning Rituals in Three Illustrations of Demot Shahnameh and Single Illustrations of Baysonghori Shahnameh

Looking at the common customs in Iran, it can be understood that mourning ceremonies have been among important rituals for the Iranians. Such rituals that are rooted in Iranian traditions have been certain topics for various texts and anecdotes. Shahnameh of Ferdowsi is one of these works that has narrated these rituals and in some of the illustrated copies of this, there are illustrations with the same theme. The present study, therefore, aims to investigate and compare the way the mourning rituals are illustrated in selected illustrations in Baysonghori Shahnameh and Demot Shahnameh in Ilkhani and Timurid eras. And according to the question, what is the difference between the ritual of mourning during the Ilkhanid and Timurid periods based on the illustration of the images associated with the mourning ritual? Selected illustrations in Baysonghori Shahnameh and Demot Shahnameh are analyzed in terms of their composition, characterization and color tones. This research has been conducted by utilizing descriptive-analytical method based on data comparison. The results of this study indicate that during the Ilkhanid and Timurid eras, different themes have been used to express the subject of mourning and elegy that are rooted in the culture and beliefs of each Period. The mourning rituals in the selected illustrations are depicted in a totally different manner in Demot Shahnameh and Baysonghori Shahnameh, and they have similarities only in the subject of grief. In other areas, such as the composition, coloring and faces and the movements of the mourners, no similarities can be seen in them.