چکیده:
Le « mythe » est une notion culturelle très ambiguë. La littérature et la mythologie sont étroitement liées. La poésie et le mythe peuvent communiquer avec leur public avec un langage symbolique. A l'époque où l'être humain attribue à la seule raison la capacité de connaître la vérité, la littérature ne crée plus de mythe dans le sens ancien du terme, mais recrée plutôt des mythes antiques. En étudiant la présence des mythes dans la littérature, nous pouvons comprendre ses significations et fonctions dans la littérature contemporaine. Dans cet article, nous examinerons la reprise des éléments mythiques chez les figures majeures de la nouvelle poésie persane Akhavan, Sepehri et Chamlou, ainsi que dans Le Rêve mexicain de Le Clézio, écrivain français contemporain, en nous référant à leurs points de vue communs sur le mythe. Nous expliquerons enfin les raisons de la reprise des mythes et les fonctions de ces derniers dans la littérature contemporaine, dont l’intérêt pour le modernisme dans le style, échange des idées et la mise en scène des enjeux socio-politiques.
« اسطوره» یک مفهوم فرهنگی بسیار مبهم است. ادبیات و اساطیر پیوند نزدیکی با هم دارند. شعر و اسطوره نیز میتوانند با زبان نمادین با مخاطب خود ارتباط برقرار کنند. در عصری که بشر توانایی شناخت حقیقت را تنها از طریق عقل میپذیرد، ادبیات دیگر اسطوره به معنای قدیمی کلمه نمیافریند. بلکه اسطورههای کهن را احیا میکند. با مطالعه حضور اسطوره در ادبیات میتوان به معنا و کارکرد ان در ادبیات معاصر پی برد. این مقاله احیای عناصر اسطورهای را نزد شاعران برتر شعر نو فارسی، مهدی اخوان ثالث، سهراب سپهری و احمد شاملو، و همچنین در کتاب رویای مکزیکی اثر ژان ماری گوستاو لوکلزیو، نویسنده معاصر فرانسوی و با اشاره به دیدگاههای مشترکشان درباره اسطوره، مورد بررسی قرار میدهد. تا دلایل احیای اسطورهها و کارکردهای انها در ادبیات معاصر ایرانی و فرانسوی را روشن سازد که عبارتند از علاقه به مدرنیسم در نوشتار و نشان دادن مسايل سیاسی-اجتماعی و تبادل تفکرات بین نویسنده و خواننده.
The word myth rather reminds us of primitive cultures and the collective dream
of humans. In Iranian literature, myths appear more in poetry and among contemporary French writers
no writer has dealt extensively with the myths of other countries like Le Clezio. In his Mexican Dream,
myth is the main axis. We thus want to study the common features of the myth as well as its functions
in contemporary times. Why do these poets and writers turn to the revival of myths? How do these myths
function in contemporary literature and fit into modernism? How are myth and literature articulated or
how does literature become a support for myth?
Giving a precise and clear definition of the myth is not easy. In popular belief, myth is linked to
legends, stories, unreal things. The various approaches such as anthropology, psychology, sociology,
structuralism have each presented a different definition of myth. Critics have always focused attention
on the link between literature and myth, particularly poetry. Myths have always nourished literature.
The myth can be considered as an avant-text or better said a avant-non-text (non-literary) for literature.
Regarding the revival of myths in contemporary Persian literature, we can say that Akhavan's poetry
has an unwavering link with the masterpieces of Persian Antiquity. Non-Iranian myths have no place in
his poetry. Chamlou made a combination of Eastern and Western myths. Sepehri knew how to evoke
the myths of different nations in his poetic work and create new mythological elements. The modernist
poets mentioned above do, in fact, use these means to help readers understand their message. The
Mexican Dream is entirely devoted to the mythical world of Mexico before the 15th century and after
the Renaissance. Le Clezio evokes the attack of the Spaniards in Mexico. He calls ancient Mexico “the
lost paradise.”
Indeed, there is no consensus in the definition of myth, but we can find commonalities in Iranian and
non-Iranian myths. In mythical civilizations, religion, certain beliefs and convictions play an important
role. Creatures, plants, humans or gods with supernatural powers, particular ceremonies and rituals, the
question of creation and genesis are among the common points of myths. These common elements that
we found among the poets and writers studied bring to mind the concept of myth among ethnologists
and historians of religions. Although the history of creations or the nature of rituals and ceremonies are
different, what is important is that Le Clezio and the poets mentioned have a beautiful and pleasant
image of the world of myths and mythical man : a person who is in harmony with nature, who is
connected with the world, the universe and spirituality, and takes pleasure in life.
New poetry in Iran, unlike classical poetry, has more social, philosophical and intellectual content. Le Clezio's prose also always contains social and constructive messages. Modernism among the poets studied is linked to a new representation of the world. In this rewriting of myths by these poets, we encounter rare and strange terms and images. In The Mexican Dream, Le Clezio rejects the Western world by evoking Mexican myths. The writer compares the man of the mythical world to the modern Western man, in order to let the reader know which one is inhuman and which one is “civilized”. It expresses the problems and issues of the current world and contemporary man and also seeks a solution. Le Clezio composed The Mexican Dream in the form of a story. Which gives an impulsive and dynamic aspect to Mexican myths. There are innovations in this writing of myths at Le Clezio. He mixed subjectivity and objectivity. Its modernism through the resumption of myths is linked to a sort of crisis. It questions ways of thinking, representations of reality and even language itself.
The meaning of the myth is not entirely clear. But many common features and basic structure can be found in the myths of different countries. By resuming myths, the aforementioned poets and Le Clezio take up the myths of the past in the contemporary context, and in addition to bringing them back to life, transmit to the reader their social, political and personal points of view. And in this way they warn of many problems and even try to solve them. Through myth, these writers and poet also teach behavioral and moral patterns to readers. The value of the literary version of a myth will not be judged by readers by its authenticity, but by its writing style, its symbolic language and its message.
Myth rewriting brought ancient myths closer to the 20th century world and made them easier to understand for today's audiences. The survival of mythical stories depends on these rewritings and rereadings. Literature thus becomes a space for the confrontation of thoughts, opinions and countless problems that encourage readers to question and explore. The story of the myth and its main characters are already known to the reader. But what is important is that these myths charge the writing of these writers and poets with social and political connotations in a metaphorical and symbolic language. Furthermore, the entry of myth and the evocation of ancient myths in literature and poetry are already signs of the emergence of modernism, because it is the entry of a new language and, above all, of unprecedented themes in literature.
So, in total, there are three general reasons for the revival of myths in contemporary Iranian and French literature: the historical-social reason, which stages the historical and political events of society by comparing them, in a symbolic language and metaphorical, to events in legends and myths; the mental reason which makes possible the meeting and confrontation of the opinions and ideas of the writer and his reader within the framework of the myth; aesthetic reason, which follows modernism in prose or in poetic language.
Thus the study of myths remains in the order of logos, and we see that the myth precedes its literary career and determines its main function as the expression of social and political organization. Literary rewritings of myths add meanings to the borrowed reference, and create, one could say, modern myths in return. So, in total, there are three general reasons for the revival of myths in contemporary Iranian and French literature: the historical-social reason, which stages the historical and political events of society by comparing them, in a symbolic language and metaphorical, to events in legends and myths; the mental reason which makes possible the meeting and confrontation of the opinions and ideas of the writer and his reader within the framework of the myth; aesthetic reason, which follows modernism in prose or in poetic language.
Thus the study of myths remains in the order of logos, and we see that the myth precedes its literary career and determines its main function as the expression of social and political organization. Literary rewritings of myths add meanings to the borrowed reference, and create, one could say, modern myths in return. So, in total, there are three general reasons for the revival of myths in contemporary Iranian and French literature: the historical-social reason, which stages the historical and political events of
society by comparing them, in a symbolic language and metaphorical, to events in legends and myths; the mental reason which makes possible the meeting and confrontation of the opinions and ideas of the writer and his reader within the framework of the myth; aesthetic reason, which follows modernism in prose or in poetic language.
Thus the study of myths remains in the order of logos, and we see that the myth precedes its literary career and determines its main function as the expression of social and political organization. Literary rewritings of myths add meanings to the borrowed reference, and create, one could say, modern myths in return.