Comparative Study of the Heroic Indicators in the Seven Horses of ‎Esfandiar and the Beowulf Epic with Emphasis on the Motif "Battle with ‎the Dragon"‎

Document Type : Scientific

Authors

1 PhD student in Persian Language and Literature - Payam Noor University International Center

2 Associate professor of the Department of Persian language and literature-message of light-Tehran-Iran

3 Professor of the Persian language and literature group-message of light-Tehran-Iran

10.22103/jis.2025.23894.2639

Abstract

Purpose: The epic of Beowulf and ‎the Seven Khans of Esfandiyar are epics in which the battle with a ‎dragon is described as a significant event; in the Seven Khans of ‎Esfandiyar, where the dragon appears in the third,s Khan, it is killed ‎by Esfandiyar's intelligence and skill, whereas in the epic of Beowulf, ‎in addition to Beowulf killing the dragon, this battle is also the cause ‎of Beowulf's death; it should be noted that in both epics, the dragon is ‎depicted as a malevolent force and an anti-hero. The aim of this ‎research is to examine the motif of the battle with the dragon in the ‎two epic narratives of Shahnameh and Beowulf, to identify the ‎similarities and differences present in both works. ‎
Method/research: This research was conducted using a library-based ‎method. In this research, the authors aim to examine the battle with ‎the dragon as one of the most prominent heroic indicators in a ‎comparative approach with the epic Beowulf. ‎
Findings/conclusion: In this study, the reasons for the ‎hero's fight with the dragon have been analyzed and examined, ‎concluding that the theme of war and battle in heroic texts is one of ‎the core themes of an epic narrative, and the motif of battling a ‎dragon is an essential and recurring feature for a hero in most epics ‎around the world, with the theme of both epics revolving around the ‎conflict of good versus evil and ultimately the triumph of good over ‎evil and the malevolent.‎

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