Memorable Dances from the Days of War: A Study on the Form and Meaning of Kurdish Dances in North-Eastern Iran

Abstract

Kurdish folk dance is popular among Kurds living in north-eastern Iran and is performed in a circle. In this study, we investigate the formal structure and symbolic meaning of these dances through fieldwork and library research. After identifying, observing, and recording the formal structure of the performance form and movements of dancers in each dance, we refer to the oral information of local people, veteran dancers, and local researchers to discover the symbolic meanings hidden within these movements. The information gathered and the analysis conducted indicate that Kurdish groups and circle dances in north-eastern Iran—in terms of structure, the form of performance, and meaning—are influenced by the purpose of migration of these people from their homeland during the Safavid period to defend and protect Iran’s north-eastern borders.

Notes

1 Kurdish people migrated to the northern regions of Khorasan around 1600, Baluchs migrated to Khorasan’s central and southern regions between the early 1930s and the late 1970s, and Arab peoples migrated to Khorasan’s southern regions in the middle of the seventh century CE. The Bakhtiaris migrated to the southern regions of Khorasan mostly during the reign of Nader Shah around 1740. Also, Turks have settled along Iran’s eastern border in the North of Khorasan since the Seljuk era.

2 It is important to note that the Kurds of Khorasan did not directly fight against their enemies, but protected the regions under the control of the Safavids from the Uzbek invasion as border guards and soldiers. Kurds guarded the eastern borders for a prolonged period of time, forcing them to settle in different parts of Khorasan, sometimes establishing families and taking root. They gradually integrated with other ethnic groups living in Khorasan (Rezaee 2000, 234–35).

3 As the number and power of Kurds in North Khorasan increased from the end of the Safavid period through the Afsharid and Zand dynasties, especially during the reign of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (ruled from 1797 to 1834), many travellers and Iranian writers refer to today’s North Khorasan (Qochan, Shirvan, Dere Gaz, and Bojnord) as Kurdistan or North-East Kurdistan.

4 The term ‘arrangement’ refers to a song that has been adapted for a particular orchestra or instrument.

5 Jan Assmann is Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Heidelberg and an Honorary Professor at the University of Constance. In the 1990s, he developed a theory of cultural and communicative memory that has received much international attention. His book Cultural Memory and Early Civilization (first published in German in 1992) presents a ground-breaking theoretical analysis of memory, identity, and culture. The book investigates how cultures remember, arguing that human memory exists and is communicated in two ways, namely inter-human interaction and in external systems of notation, such as writing, which can span generations. Assmann defines two theoretical concepts of cultural memory, differentiating between the long-term memory of societies, which can span up to three thousand years, and communicative memory, which is typically restricted to eighty to one hundred years. He applies this theoretical framework to case studies of four specific cultures, illustrating the functional contexts and specific achievements, including the state, international law, religion, and science. Ultimately, his research demonstrates that memory is not simply a means of retaining information, but rather a force that can shape cultural identity and allow cultures to respond creatively to both daily challenges and catastrophic changes.

6 G. A.2, interview, February 2017.

7 Alawism is a religious sect that splintered from early Shi’ism during the ninth century. Alawites venerate Ali ibn Abi Talib, revered as the first Imam in the Shi’ite school, as the physical manifestation of God. Alawites represent an important portion of the Syrian population and are a significant minority in the Hatay Province of Turkey and in northern Lebanon.

8 Sama is a popular form of worship in Sufism. It is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice of dhikr. Sama means ‘listening’, while dhikr means ‘remembrance’. These performances often include singing, playing instruments, dancing, recitation of poetry and prayers, wearing symbolic attire, and other rituals (During and Sellheim 2012).

9 A jamkhane or cemevi is a place of worship and a gathering place for the people of Ahl-e Haqq (Yarsanis) and Alawites. Ahl-e Haqq or Yarsanism refers to followers of a religious-mystical order with particular religious etiquette and texts who consider themselves as Shi’a, although some of their beliefs are inconsistent with Islam. The sect, which is popular among Kurds, Lurs, and Turks in Iran, grew within an Islamic context. However, its origins can be traced back to religious beliefs, old intellectual traditions, and the folk culture of Persia before Islam emerged.

10 B. H., interview, June and July 2018.

11 B. H., interview, February 2017; G. A.1, interview July 2018.

12 B. H., interview, July 2018.

13 S. I., interview, February 2017.

14 R. M., interview, February 2017.

15 T. K. and B. H., interview, July 2016 and August 2017.

16 T. K. and B. H., interview, July 2016 and August 2017.

17 B. H., interview, July 2016.

18 Ever since the Safavid era (when the Kurds migrated to Khorasan), even when there was no longer any threat to the north-eastern borders, these dances continued to be performed to prepare warriors for possible battles.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Majidreza Moghanipour

Majidreza Moghanipour is Associate Professor in the Art Department at Shiraz University, Iran. His PhD is in art research from Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. He has been a faculty member of Shiraz University since 2016. His main research is in the field of traditional arts, folklore, and also the study of the presence of mythological thought in traditional cultures.

Babak Shamshiri

Babak Shamshiri is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Education and has been on the academic staff of Shiraz University, Department of Foundations of Education, Iran, since 2004. His PhD degree is in philosophy of education from Tarbiat Moddaress University, Iran. His fields of study are cultural studies and education, ethics and education, spiritual and religious education.

Ashkan Rahmani

Ashkan Rahmani is Associate Professor in the Art Department at Shiraz University, Iran. He gained a Doctorate of Art in traditional Turkish arts from Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey. He has been a faculty member of Shiraz University since 2016. He works on traditional arts, especially handicrafts.

Samane Radfar

Samane Radfar has an MA in art research from Shiraz University, Iran. She is from Khorasan and is interested in research in the field of folklore.