Oath-taking ritual among the Talesh-speaking tribes of the Anbaran region

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license

Author

Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Oaths play an important role in Talesh folk literature and are embedded in the language of the Talesh people, who use them in their everyday speech to emphasize their honesty and commitment. In Taleshan society, oaths have a special place and are recognized as an important cultural and social element, and are used not only as a moral and religious obligation but also as a tool to establish identity and social cohesion. This tradition is seen in various ceremonies, including family covenants, social contracts, and even in prayers and invocations. These oaths are usually made using sacred elements such as the Quran, nature, and even ancestors and elders of the people. In some cases, individuals swear to prove their honesty or commitment to a promise, and this act is seen as a moral and social guarantee. This article examines indigenous and local oaths in the Anbaran region. First, field data was collected from adults in the Anbaran region, first transcribed and then translated, and it was determined that in the culture of the Talesh people of the Anbaran language, oaths have various types, such as: religious and Quranic oaths, patriotic oaths, sun and moon, sky and earth, night and day, water and fire, bread and salt, cemetery and the dead, and the lives of relatives. When they swear by the sun, they say Aza be haši moyǝ moyš. That is, swearing by the rays of the sun. which are discussed in the text of this research.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Publisher: University of Tabriz       Copyright © The Authors   

   

 

This is an open access article distributed under the following Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Iranian History of Culture
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 87-105

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 30 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 27 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 05 November 2025
  • Publish Date: 23 September 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics