A Semiotic Study of the Cow in Three Domains:Mythological, Cultural, and Social- in three classic and Contemporary Works of Fiction (Kalila and Demna, Asrar-e Ganj Darreh Genie [The Secrets of the Treasure of the Valley of the Genie], and Azadaran-e Bayal [The Mourners of Bayal])

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Ph.D student of Persian language and literature, Razi Univeesity, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Associate professor of Persian language and literature, Razi Univeesity, Kermanshah, Iran.

Abstract

This article deals with a descriptive-analytical study of the conversational logic and intertextual nature of two contemporary works, "Azadaran Bil" (The Story of the Cow) and "Asrar-e Ganj Darreh Jeni" (The Secrets of the Treasure of the Valley of the Genie) with the classical literary text "Kalila and Demna". The present study seeks to understand how two contemporary modern works, with different perspectives, are placed in the same context as a classical literary work. It is worth noting that the key intertextual term in this study is "cow" and the concept of its killing. After examining, we found that, based on the interactions that past texts have in future texts, the myth of the cow and its sacrifice has been used both in the classic text "Kalila and Demna" and in the two contemporary works "The Mourners of the Bayal" and "The Secrets of the treasure of the Valley of the Genie" to express social, cultural concepts and power relations and various social bases. The common meaning in all three works is the death of the cow, the loss of something valuable, equivalent to identity and social base. The interpretability of the three works and the socio-political orientation are other common features of all three works.

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Main Subjects

Persian Language and Literature

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 December 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 03 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 26 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 10 July 2025
  • Publish Date: 03 December 2025

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