A study of ancient literary texts reveals motifs whose traces are also found in early scientific writings. These familiar, imaginative motifs have been repeated and solidified in various forms throughout the centuries, evolving into what we now recognize as fantasy. In certain epic narratives such as the Garshāspnāmeh, Kushnāmeh, and Shahryārnāmeh, the hero encounters and battles giant, ferocious ants in a valley. These ants were inhabitants of the Land of Gold, a region described in the Alexander Romance (and Alexander's account in the Dārābnāmeh) and ancient epics as the source of gold. Another motif is that of African Dwarfs, mentioned in ancient Books of Wonders (ʿAjāyibnāmeh) as battling cranes, whose literary lineage traces back to Homer's Iliad. The commonality linking these two motifs can be seen as the exaggeration in describing physical stature, thereby connecting them to fantasy. The present research, through meticulous examination of literary (particularly heroic) and ancient scientific texts, first investigates these two motifs within the Iranian intellectual tradition. It then traces their historical presence in the texts of ancient Greece and Rome. The study demonstrates that the elements described in ancient Iranian-Islamic texts have Western origins. Furthermore, considering recent scholarship, these motifs are rooted in reality and, over time, were transmitted to Iranian texts through translation and cultural exchanges.
Pourabrisham, E. (2025). Greek Fantasy in Iranian Texts:
An Examination of the Motifs of Golden ants and Belligerent Dwarf. Persian Language and Literature, (), -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2025.69171.3856
MLA
Pourabrisham, E. . "Greek Fantasy in Iranian Texts:
An Examination of the Motifs of Golden ants and Belligerent Dwarf", Persian Language and Literature, , , 2025, -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2025.69171.3856
HARVARD
Pourabrisham, E. (2025). 'Greek Fantasy in Iranian Texts:
An Examination of the Motifs of Golden ants and Belligerent Dwarf', Persian Language and Literature, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2025.69171.3856
CHICAGO
E. Pourabrisham, "Greek Fantasy in Iranian Texts:
An Examination of the Motifs of Golden ants and Belligerent Dwarf," Persian Language and Literature, (2025): -, doi: 10.22034/perlit.2025.69171.3856
VANCOUVER
Pourabrisham, E. Greek Fantasy in Iranian Texts:
An Examination of the Motifs of Golden ants and Belligerent Dwarf. Persian Language and Literature, 2025; (): -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2025.69171.3856
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