Traces of a Greek Myth (?) in Subcultures of Lur-Inhabited Regions of Western Iran

Abstract

This article aims to introduce, explore, and analyse an oral folk tale called “Ahmad Sādāti and His Companions”, common in some Lur villages in Fārs and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces in Iran. The plot and storyline of this tale correspond to those of the myth of Ulysses and the giant Polyphemus in the Odyssey, attributed to Homer. The significance of this study lies in exhibiting the cultural exchange between Greek and local-indigenous subcultures of Iran. Greek and Persian cultures were in constant mutual contact from the mid-sixth century BC until late antiquity, and this contact became closer after Alexander’s campaign and the rise of the Seleucids in Iran. The study area is located on the western margins of the Iranian plateau – the birthplace of two great dynasties of Iranian rulers in ancient times – which redoubles the importance of the issue under investigation.