Assistant Professor, Department of Handicrafts, Faculty of Arts and Humanities; Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
10.22034/ihc.2026.69839.1114
Abstract
In the folk culture of Bushehr, reed-stem dolls held both playful and ritual significance. Beyond serving as simple toys for children, these dolls were believed to protect girls from evil spirits and supernatural forces, locally referred to as the “people of the air.” The present study, conducted through ethnographic fieldwork and documentary analysis, investigates the symbolic representation of the four elements of existence—earth, water, wind, and fire—in these ritual dolls and explores their protective and purifying functions within local belief systems. The statistical population of the research included various practices of warding off evil in Iranian folk traditions, focusing specifically on the reed dolls of Bushehr as a case study. According to local belief, when a girl fell ill or was thought to be under the influence of malevolent spirits, the doll functioned as her substitute, transferring the harm away from her body. The ritual reached its conclusion when the doll was burned by an elderly or married woman, symbolizing the expulsion of evil and the restoration of both personal and communal harmony. This act also represented the natural cycle of transformation among the four elements: the reed, growing from soil and nourished by water, exposed to wind, and finally consumed by fire, returned once more to earth. Thus, the Bushehr reed doll embodied not only a cultural expression of protection and renewal but also reflected the feminine role in preserving cosmic balance and continuity in the traditional worldview of Bushehr Iran.
Jafari Dehkordi, N. (2026). Reed Dolls and the Zar Ritual in Bushehr: Representation of Cosmic Elements and Protective Beliefs. Iranian History of Culture, 3(1), 133-150. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2026.69839.1114
MLA
Jafari Dehkordi, N. . "Reed Dolls and the Zar Ritual in Bushehr: Representation of Cosmic Elements and Protective Beliefs", Iranian History of Culture, 3, 1, 2026, 133-150. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2026.69839.1114
HARVARD
Jafari Dehkordi, N. (2026). 'Reed Dolls and the Zar Ritual in Bushehr: Representation of Cosmic Elements and Protective Beliefs', Iranian History of Culture, 3(1), pp. 133-150. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2026.69839.1114
CHICAGO
N. Jafari Dehkordi, "Reed Dolls and the Zar Ritual in Bushehr: Representation of Cosmic Elements and Protective Beliefs," Iranian History of Culture, 3 1 (2026): 133-150, doi: 10.22034/ihc.2026.69839.1114
VANCOUVER
Jafari Dehkordi, N. Reed Dolls and the Zar Ritual in Bushehr: Representation of Cosmic Elements and Protective Beliefs. Iranian History of Culture, 2026; 3(1): 133-150. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2026.69839.1114
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