Abstracta Iranica

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Bois, Thomas
« La Forteresse de Dimdim ou l’épopée héroïque de Khan-Au-Bras-d’or ». The Journal of Kurdish Studies, V, 2005, pp. 1-18, introduction par Joyce Blau.

As the introduction explains, this article reproduces a lecture given by Thomas Bois at SOAS in 1972, and which remained unpublished at his death in 1975. Unusually for a Kurdish historical event commemorated in oral literature, the taking of castle Dimdim and the massacre of its inhabitants by Šāh ‘Abbās in 1609CE is also recounted in a written source, by Iskandar Beg Munšī, who witnessed the events concerned. Bois makes a very thorough comparison of various folkloric versions of the tale with the historical source and observes how heroic and fantastic elements are added to the historical nucleus. However, he treats them as if they were manuscript sources attesting some kind of Urform, not fully taking into account the implications of their existence as oikotypes; moreover he seems unaware that the name ‘Prince Goldenhand’ is older than this epic, being associated in the Šaraf-nāme (1596CE) with another hero who won back his castle from enemy occupation. Nevertheless, this article, both concise and rich, is an essential source of information on one of the most important traditions in Kurdish folklore.

Christine Allison

Pour citer cette recension

Christine Allison. Bois, Thomas, « La Forteresse de Dimdim ou l’épopée héroïque de Khan-Au-Bras-d’or ». The Journal of Kurdish Studies, V, 2005, pp. 1-18, introduction par Joyce Blau., Abstracta Iranica [En ligne], Volume 28, mis en ligne le : 18 septembre 2007. URL http://abstractairanica.revues.org/document21341.html. Consulté le 10 janvier 2009.