Ta’zieh, Iranian National Religious Art

All religions in the world have been established by people who have sacrificed their blood, their spouse and family and all of their pleasures in life.”

The Ta’zieh is a religious and national event for us Iranians; religious because it has roots in the bloody legend of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions and national because it has been combined with the Iranian culture and is held in most regions of the country.

An Introduction of Ta’zieh

The subject of the Ta’zieh is the confrontation of the two powers of the good and the evil, the light and the darkness. In the Ta’zieh, the “Ashqiya” (evil characters of Karbala) and the “Olia” (good characters of Karbala) confront one another.

The Ta’zieh became a public relations issue with its own behavioral and verbal symbols and customs in Iran. Ta’zieh serves as a bridge between Iranian legends and mysticism and Islamic religious ceremony.

“Ta’zieh is a historical and religious legend which has grown gradually through the years in suitable conditions and has now become a prominent symbol. Ta’zieh is not a single symbol; it is an enjoyable and valuable collection of several artistic and social aspects while being pleasant and memorable,” Dr. Jaber Anasori Ta’zieh expert says.

“The martyrdom of Horr, the martyrdom of the children of Zeynab, the martyrdom of Moslem, the martyrdom of Abolfazl and the martyrdom of Imam Hussein all state one reality, but the reality does not become repetitive when mentioned by different characters,” he stated.

The Ta’zieh is a sort of religious tragedy derived from Iranian mourning and storytelling customs. The large affection the people have towards Ta’zieh and the feeling of compassion they show towards Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions has encouraged Ta’zieh directors throughout time to make better and larger plays.

“This verbal-dramatic art began in Iran towards the end of the Safavid era in the Iranian society. It took shape gradually and reached its artistic peak in the Qajar period,” says Master Faqihi.

Abdullah Mowstofi once wrote, “Altogether more than 200-300 Ta’zieh ceremonies would be held in Tehran. Nowadays approximately several hundred Ta’zieh sessions, short and long, happy and sad, deep and superficial, remain from old and modern times in written format.”

“Many researchers believe that Imam Hussein mourning ceremonies began during the Buyid era. The first time mourning congregations appeared was in the Islamic lunar year of 352 in Baghdad in the time of Moazzodoleh Deylami. The first person to put the story of the sacrifices and resistances of the Imams and their companions to paper was Mulla Hussein Va’ezi Kashefi famous lecturer and writer of the Timurid period and author of the book ‘Mourning of the Martyrs’,” says Mowstofi.

Ta’ziehs are the oldest documents of dramatic literature of our country. Religious writings, public culture and historical and legendary accounts were what caused Ta’zieh literature to grow.

A certain emotional connection is established between the audience and the Ta’zieh singer during a Ta’zieh, which causes the Ta’zieh to be a type of religious publicity that strengthens religious beliefs in people and promotes their spiritual characteristics. When everyone wishes the death of the evil character in the Ta’zieh, it shows the depth and seriousness of the event!

Dialogues usually take place in poetry during a Ta’zieh and are usually sung by the Ta’zieh director, who is usually a person who in addition to having affection towards religion is familiar with poetry techniques.

“Ta’zieh poetry is usually simple and easily understood. Some poems are clear and unpretentious while others are weak and frail. The culture of the region and the talent and tastes of the local Ta’zieh director affects the meaning and word structure of Ta’zieh literature. Word use, spelling, and poetry mistakes exist in some verses, but these same poems have become a powerful and dramatic language in the Ta’zieh due to the local expressions they hold,” says Jaber Anasori.

Those who have dictated Ta’ziehs have never explained how they are performed but each Ta’zieh singer realizes with his own creativity what movement is necessary for what poem. For example, while singing the verses:

I shall not return from war alive

To sacrifice my life for the sake of Hussein

Oh sire! I am leaving to sacrifice my life

Even if arrows fall upon my body in thousands

Shozab turns to Imam Hussein (AS) and prepares to enter battle. A good voice is a necessity for every Ta’zieh. Every character, both on the evil and on the good side, must have a good voice.

Aristotle believed that the major affect of dramatic arts is creating illusions. He would say that a play must be powerful enough to cause the audience to forget themselves and consider the event happening in the play to be true.

The dramatic values of the Ta’zieh, the events of Karbala and the feeling of illusion that the Ta’zieh creates are so strong that in old Ta’ziehs, when professional singers would sing the Ta’zieh, the Muslim audience would feel so moved that they would become selfless and lose themselves.

Ta’zieh specialist Dr. Ali Bolukbashi, mentions a case of this deep effect: “It has been said that in a Ta’zieh in the city of Firuzabad in Fars, when after his war-taunting Shemr pulled his sword to kill Imam Hussein (AS), a Qashqa’i man jumped out of the crowd and hit the actor of Shemr with all his might. Shemr fell off his horse and was trampled by a camel carrying one of Imam Hussein’s daughters. The Qashqa’i man then screamed: “My sire was left alone one thousand years ago, but why should he fall victim to such a tyrant now that such an audience is watching?”

Bolukbashi says that knowing music, being aware of the different techniques and melodies, having a good voice having knowledge of poetry and poetry reading have all been essential in creating an effective Ta’zieh.

“Ta’zieh singers who had such an art could become popular and have a deep effect on the emotions of the audience and easily reach their objective which was to transfer the message of pain and sorrow,” says Bolukbashi.

In his book “Ta’zieh, a Treasure of Religious Acts”, Jaber Anasori writes, “From the viewpoint of phonetics, the musical instruments used in the Ta’zieh are magnificent and the knowledge that the Ta’zieh performers have of the instruments used is stunning. Shemr comes along with the loud noise of different drums, while the Confession of Horr comes with sounds of mourning and crying.”

Poems and songs of the Ta’zieh are of two types; the first type comes in acts of the good characters, which is mostly mourning and woe. The second type is that of the opposition, which comes harsh and without vocals.

“All those involved in the Ta’zieh, from the Ta’zieh gardan (director of the Ta’zieh) and the sponsors of the event to the Khademan (background actors who play the role of Imam Hussein’s followers) and the audience all consider attending the mourning session of Imam Hussein (AS) and pouring tears in his honor to be an opportunity to repent for their sins and gain divine affection,” says Bolukbashi.

Displaying the martyrdom of heroes and the toils of the martyrs of religion on one hand makes the religious man become aware of a divine power, which is apart from himself and on the other hand by creating unity in the belief and actions of Muslims brings them together.

All Karbala Ta’ziehs are based upon a battle between the good and the evil and the martyrdom of heroes of the history of humanity to hold such events keeps alive the sense of honor towards martyrdom for one’s belief and religion in a traditional society. The social objective of religion and religious rituals is to promote the spirit of battle and prepare Muslims for jihad and martyrdom. Attending religious events and rituals strengthens the Muslim’s faith and give him the peace of mind to depend on himself in the hardships of life.

JS/IS
END
MNA