Traces of the shaman archetype in the epic "Shah Ismayil"

Abstract

In this research paper, shamanic elements, archetypes, and structural manifestations preserved in the epic "Shah Ismayil," one of the fundamental examples of the Azerbaijani epic heritage, are analyzed. The article examines the miraculous birth of the hero through a patron-ediator (Dervish) and a sacred apple, the function of his horse (Gamarday) as a means of trance and celestial ascension in shamanic mythology, and his confinement in a dark space until maturity within the context of shamanic initiation. In the storyline, Gulzar's appearance in the guise of a gazelle is interpreted as the "animal-spirit" archetype, while Ismayil's journey to the enemy land is viewed as the shaman's esoteric descent into the Underworld. The study provides proof of the typological identity between the motif of the hero's eyes being removed and him being thrown into a dark well (cosmic tunnel) - followed by his understanding of the language of magical birds after emerging from the well and the subsequent restoration of his eyes through them - and the ritual of body dismemberment and the opening of the shaman candidate's "inner eye" (batin) in shamanic initiation. Consequently, the functional connection of the lover (ashik) type in the epic with the shaman archetype is scientifically substantiated.