Rites of Nakhl-Bardari of Mount Sefid’s Shrines, based on the Myth of Daughter’s Absence

Abstract

The annual ritual of Nakhl Bardari in the Mount Sefid’s Shrines in the village of Wash involves rich mythical elements. The mythical axis of the ritual is the absence of a number of religious saints in the shrines of olia-allah and Ka’beh Koochak of Mount Sefid, which has a fundamental resemblance to the theme of the “Myth of Daughter’s Absence” in the Iranian plateau. The myth associated with the dream, the absence of the pursuit of goodness, and the sacred status of the source or spring. The abovementioned belief also forms the centerpiece of the Mount Sefid’s Shrines so that the Nakhl as a casket is moved from the village to the shrines annually on Safar 28th (AH). This rite implies ancient beliefs and is rooted in Iranian faiths. The different mix of organizers is also interesting, with the presence of Abuzeydabad residents coming from far off the plains to commemorate their migration between the Karkas Mountain’s countryside and the desert of Abuzeydabad. The set of beliefs and rituals of Mount Sefid and its shrines is very similar to the Iranian ritual of cattle sacrifice or rainmaking on the 36th day of the spring in Esfanjan, East Azerbaijan.
 

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