A Contribution to the Study of the Persian Concept of Âberu 113
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A Contribution to the Study of the Persian Concept of Âberu 113 Magdalena Zaborowska* PL ISSN 02398818 HEMISPHERES Vo l. 29, No. 1, 2014 A Contribution to the Study of the Persian Concept of Âberu Abstract The concept of âberu is one of those key concepts in Iranian culture which are very hard to define. In this paper the author attempts to explain its philosophical meaning, both by philological analysis based on dictionary sources and by placing it within the context of Iranian, pre-Islamic and Islamic culture. Emphasizing the bond between the idea of water and the concept of âberu, as well as defining it as veil woven from values and principles that protects humans; thus enables an understanding of its significant status among Iranians in contemporary culture. Because loss of âberu or its destruction is commonly understood in the terms of a threat to life, many actions undertaken by Iranians are motivated by the desire to preserve it. Since various methodological approaches can be applied to the study of the concept of âberu, this article should be viewed only as an small contribution to reviling its complexity. There is no doubt that understanding another culture requires familiarizing oneself with its fundamental concepts. While representatives of a particular culture often refer to such concepts and ideas in an attempt to facilitate intuition for others they usually remain unintelligible and unclear. Grasping their meaning is a difficult task as most of them are culturally rooted and refer to cultural experience. Decoding these ideas may however help in understanding how people think, with reference to their value systems and beliefs. As Anna Wierzbicka believes every society has its own key words, which she describes as keys to the culture of the nation.1 In Iranian culture the notion of âberu, among many, constitutes such a concept. It is commonly used by Iranians in their everyday lives and its popular meaning can be expressed encompassing terms like reputation, face or good name, but also personality, social status and prestige.2 For Iranians âberu is an important element of family, social and professional life. Having it is equivalent to higher status, both in terms of personal and public existences. It involves honor, respect and esteem. As Farzad Sharifian points out there are many Iranian people for whom their âberu is * Lecturer at the Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected]. 1 Anna Wierzbicka, Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 195. 2 Sophia A. Koutlaki, Among Iranians, Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2010, p. 31. 114 Magdalena Zaborowska the fundamental reference point in every aspect of their life.3 Loss of âberu is regarded as a great misfortune and makes it difficult to function in a group because it is associated with embarrassment and shame. Âberu, therefore is considered by Iranian people as a value, is something that is desirable, protected and appreciated, sometimes even more than that of a human life. Mohsen Kadivar, a Shia theologian, has said in one of his addresses that âberu is more valuable than mans blood.4 Referring to various methodological approaches âberu can be seen not only as a concept but can be described as a phenomenon or a social schema.5 However the first steps in order to understand its significance in Iranian culture should be made towards unravelling its conceptual meaning and that is the goal of this article. It is extremely difficult, however, to define the concept of âberu since the term can have so many different meanings. Its linguistic meaning as well as its conceptual and philosophical meaning, arising for example from Shia teachings, may to some extent vary from its popular understanding, therefore it is necessary to bear in mind the distinguishing factors between them. Its ambiguity lies not only in its meaning and the diversity of its contexts, but also arises due to the possibility of adopting different scientific perspectives. The term âberu can be investigated in terms of sociology, sociolinguistics and psychology, according to the theory of communication or the politeness theory. This article however aims to provide a definition of the term âberu in its philosophical context, and a framework for its understanding based exclusively on the conceptual ground that places it in the context of Iranian culture. However, references to its popular meaning will also be considered. In accordance with Persian language dictionaries and lexicons, the meanings expressed by the term âberu may be classified into several categories. Firstly, âberu may refer to the position that man occupies and it may denote his high status and rank (châh, arj). Secondly, âberu also refers to status-related prestige, respect, honour or esteem (orz, ezzat, shohrat, heisiyat), as well as reputation and good name (nâm-e nik, heisiyat). Âberu may also refer to mans honour and dignity (ezzat, sherâfat, bozorgvâri) and it may just as well mean a great respect for man. The concept of âberu is also used in the sense of referring to respect and esteem, both shown by man and shown by others to that man himself (eftehâr, hormat, shohrat, sharaf). The term âberu can also be used to express trustworthiness, authority and the related confidence placed in man (ettebâr). In some contexts it may stand for chastity, purity (nâmus) and value or merit (qadr), as well as kindness and good manners.6 3 Farzad Sharifian, Gary B. Palmer (eds.), Applied Cultural Linguistics: Implications for Second Language Learning and Intercultural Communication, AmsterdamPhiladelphia: John Benjamins, 2007, p. 37. 4 Mohsen Kadivar, sermon on the occasion of eyd-e fetr in 2009, published on: http://kadivar.com/ ?p=162 (accessed 23.06.2013). 5 See Sharifian, Applied Cultural , p. 37. 6 Ali Akbar Dehkhodâ, Loghatnâme-ye Dehkhodâ, Tehran: Moassese-ye Enteshârât va Châp-e Dâneshgâh-e Tehrân, 1372 (1993/1994), Vol. 1, pp. 713, 21; Mahmud Zanjani, Farhang-e jâme A Contribution to the Study of the Persian Concept of Âberu 115 A special place which âberu occupies in the culture of Iran is associated with the values and beliefs to which this term refers. Since, as Alasdair MacIntyre maintains, to understand the concept, to grasp the meaning of the words which express it, always means to learn at least the rules governing the use of these words,7 the first step towards the knowledge of the essence of this concept must be to go back to the sources of the term itself and to break it down into its constituent parts, which forms part of the definition of concepts, as the British philosopher G. E. Moore wrote.8 The etymology of the word âberu leads us back to two words having their roots in the Iranian language: âb and ru. Âb is a very old word which has its roots in the Indo-Iranian language community. It is derived from the Indo-Iranian root ap which also had its plural form apas. In Iranian sources, the word already occurs in Avestan texts; its form, however, has changed over time and already in the Middle Persian language it assumes the form api to turn later into a widely used form âb in New Persian.9 From the very outset, the word was mainly used to mean water or waters, which were considered extremely important in Iranian tradition. As Mary Boyce argues water played a significant role in the Iranian tradition of the Pre- Islamic Period, and, according to this researcher, it would be quite as just and reasonable to call Iranian people water worshippers and fire worshippers.10 In Iranian cosmology water was viewed as a secondary substance created by a supreme god, Ahura Mazda, which filled the lower half of heaven.11 Water was personified, Iranians made offerings to water, they took care of its purity and they imagined it as having the form of several deities.12 Water was often used in many services and rituals, for the purpose of making offerings or for several prayers. Water, which was personified as a divinity or was responsible for the presence of protective household deities, exhibited several characteristics. In one of the longest hymns devoted to the Waters in the Small Avesta, Âban Yasht, Ardevi Sura Anahita is seen as a female goddess and is depicted as a young woman wearing a high-girt robe and a jewel-encrusted golden mantle. She is characterized by brightness, glitter, shine and glory.13 The attributes like glitter and shine were also ascribed to another deity associated with the idea of shâhnâme, Tehran: Moasses-ye Enteshârât-e Attai, 1372 (1993/1994), p. 2; Dâriush Shambayati, Farhang-e loghat wa tarkibât-e shâhnâme, Tehran: Nashr-e Ârân, 1375 (1996/1997), p. 4; Mohammad Padeshah Shad, Mohammad Dâbir Siyaghi, Farhang-e jâme fârsi, Tehran: Ketâbforushi- ye Khayyâm, 1363 (1984/1985), Vol. 1, p. 2; Hasan Anvari, Farhang-e Feshârde-ye Sohan, Tehran: Ketâbkhâne-ye Melli-ye Irân, 1382 (2003/2004), p. 9. 7 Alasdair MacIntyre, Krótka historia etyki [A Short History of Ethics], Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 1995, p. 30. 8 George E. Moore, Principia Ethica, New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2005, p. 10. 9 Dehkhodâ, Loghatnâme , p. 713. 10 Mary Boyce, A History of Zoroastrianism: The Early Period, Leiden: Brill, 1989, p. 155. 11 Ibidem. 12 Mary Boyce, Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd. 1979, p. 3. 13 Khorda Avesta: Book of Common Prayer, translated by James Darmesteter, Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2004, p. 44. 116 Magdalena Zaborowska water, that is to say to her male counterpart Apam Napat, who was called the Shining Son of the Waters; this deity, as Mary Boyce writes, was associated with Ahura Mazda and Mithra.