Typology of Pahlavi Prose Epics: A Narrative Analysis of Yadgar-e Zariran and Karname-ye Ardashir-e Babakan Based on Jakobson’s Linguistic Functions

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Persian Language and Literature, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Corresponding author, Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

10.22103/jll.2025.25534.3217

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the prominent status of Pahlavi texts in the history of Iranian literature and culture, the typology of pre-Islamic prose epics has largely relied on traditional classifications or broad, impressionistic interpretations, with limited attention paid to a systematic analysis of linguistic functions. Aiming to fill this gap, the present study conducted a comparative analysis of two major Pahlavi works, including  Yadgar-e Zariran (The Memorial of Zariran) and Karname-ye Ardashir-e Babakan (The Book of the Deeds of Ardashir-e Babakan), within the framework of Roman Jakobson’s sixfold model of linguistic functions. The theoretical foundations of the study were first reviewed, including both traditional and modern definitions and classifications of epic genres. Subsequently, the functional indicators of language were adopted as the basis of analysis. The study concluded by proposing a more precise method for the analysis and classification of epic texts from a typological perspective.
 
Method and Research: The study employed a combined methodological approach grounded in qualitative content analysis. Linguistic and narrative samples from each text were extracted through library-based research and analyzed comparatively in accordance with Jakobson’s six linguistic functions.
 
Findings and Conclusions: The findings indicated that in Karname-ye Ardashir-e Babakan, the referential function of language predominates. With its quasi-historical structure, report-like tone, and limited use of rhetorical devices, the text focuses primarily on conveying events and providing historical legitimization. In contrast,  Yadgar-e Zariran, emphasizing poetic and emotive functions, constitutes a full-fledged example of a prose epic. Its dynamic plot structure, salient characterization, and extensive deployment of rhetorical figures foreground the evocation of emotions. The results not only revealed a fundamental typological distinction between the two narratives but also offer a practical model for redefining the boundaries of prose-epic typology on a linguistic and objective basis. The application of Jakobson’s framework in this study further enables the extension of this model to the analysis of other Persian prose texts across later historical periods.

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References

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Journal of Prose Studies in Persian Literature
Volume 28, Issue 58
March 2026
Pages 41-59

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