---

---

---

---

---

Girl in a Fur Coat is the name of a motif in which a girl escapes her father's harassment. She is looking for a way to escape and find the solution in a skin that covers her from head to toe. This motif, which is classified in the Arne-Thompson list under number 510B, is called "donkey skin". In the classification of Iranian tales, it is called "Cinderella" and in the classification of Arabic tales it is called "shirt like the sun, shirt like the moon and shirt like the stars". This article tries to introduce the mentioned type because it is not well-known among Iranian researchers of folk literature. In addition, by using the collection of works in which the folk tales of Iran as well as the lands of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq and Jordan are gathered, the Iranian and Arabic narratives are analyzed. To this aim, these narrations can be divided into several categories. Studies show that based on the girl's solution to escape from her father's house, the narrations of this motif can be divided into three categories: 1-510B: The girl hidden in the object; 2-510B: Girl in a fur coat / wooden mannequin; 3-510B: The girl and her brother. Also, this research, based on Propp's hypertext model, seeks to find the beliefs and customs that make up the "fur-clad girl". Myths and customs found in Zurvanism and Zoroastrianism can be considered as the origin for this type in Iranian stories, because it mentions the intercourse of Ahura Mazda with his mother, sister and daughter, and considers "xᵛaētuuadaθa" a ritual and sacred act.
 

---

History of the research
The present research is conducted based on Baloch oral narratives and songs of minstrels known as "Pahlavans". The main source of the story is the narrative of the minstrel known as "Kamalan Hout" popular mainly at the center and south of Balochistan. In the present article, we have stated the content and analyzed the main motifs of the story using the descriptive and analytical methods and sometimes using the comparative study according to the existing poems and narrations and collection of data extracted by library studies.
Aims, questions, and hypothese:
Balochi verse stories are a part of Iranian literature being unknown for non-Baloch and Iranians. In addition to popularization of Baloch culture and literature, publication of these poems can result in more acceptable conclusions in research adapting some similar stories in Iranian literature. In this research, we try to answer the following questions:
1. Which Iranian nations the Bālāč epic belong to? 
2. What is the place of the story in Balochi literature?
3. What are the main motifs of the story?
Introduction of Bālāč story
The story has four main heroes: Dōdā, Bālāč, Nakibō and Bibagr. In Balochi culture and literature, Dōdā is the symbol of dedication and protection, Bālāč is the symbol of retaliation, Nakibō is the symbol of loyal friend, and Bibagr is the symbol of dictatorship and depredation.
Dōdā and Bālāč were brothers and Dōdā was older and newlywed, and Bālāč was 12 years old. To revenge his brother's death killed to defend him, Bālāč only had Nakibō by his side, his butler. Hence, they agreed to revenge his death. They first resorted to the famous Sufi "Osman Marvandi" known as "Qalandar Laal Shahbaz". They both went to his tomb in Sēvan. To attract the cooperation of Nakibō, Bālāč made a big promise to him: he swore in Laal Shahbaz court that if Nakibō helps to kill the murderer of his brother, he will give Dōdā's widow wife, horse, clothe, and throne to him.
Bālāč asked Laal Shahbaz once to give him a power to run so fast to take the deer. His prayer was granted and he could take deer in the plain. Therefore, Bālāč trusted his power and asked the permission of Shahbaz to leave there to take part in battle. After bearing many hardships, Bālāč and Nakibō could revenge the brother's death finally. Sometime later, Nakibō said to Bālāč: "you promised me to let me marry Dōdā's widow after overcoming the enemy. Now, it's the time to do as you promised".
Bālāč thought if Dōdā's widow married Nakibō, he would be reprimanded by people saying: Bālāč made Dōdā's widow marry his butler. To get rid of the irritating thoughts of Nakibō's good deeds, Bālāč put an arrow in the bow and shot it at Nakibō's chest and he died. Betraying his loyal friend, Bālāč broke his oath in Laal Shahbaz court, he picked his arrow and bow to return to his homeland. However, due to breaking his oath, his eyes came out of his sockets and fell on the soil when he had only taken about seven steps. Then, he crawled toward Nakibō and regretted it. Finally, he died beside him due to the pain and sorrow.
Main discussion
Epic is one of the main types of literature of which various definitions are offered by researchers. Epic is a narrative poem with the heroic theme and national feature in which unusual events are happening (Shafiei Kadkani, 1993, p.9). Bālāč epic is one of the most famous Balochi epic stories existing for hundreds of years.
Today, in literature studies and research, motifs and their function are the most important issues to study and analyze the literary works. A motif is the element, event, speech, subject or theme repeated in literary works and is often evident in one or more stories concurrently or non-concurrently in the stories of one age or different ages, the stories of one nation or different nations, and sometimes in special types of stories (Parsanasab, 2009, p. 23)
Motifs are similar in the world's literature, because the circulation of literature works originates from common needs of audiences and is affected by the unconscious collective fact of humans in different eras so that common archetypes lead to similar motifs (Dori, 2019, p. 82)
According to the definition, motifs of Bālāč story are very diverse, but since the story is epic, heroism and epic motifs are more prominent.
Conclusions
Bālāč story is the most famous Balochi epics. Over time, narrators have used epic, heroic, dignified and wonderful motifs to narrate it and have made it dynamic. The story includes supernatural and miracle features so that the story's events are mixed with supernatural themes. In the story, epic and heroic motifs are more frequent due to their epic. Motifs of Bālāč epic include: epic motifs such as hero, bravery, revenge, fast run, deception, night battles, unique horse, bearing hardships, swearing, warfare skills, taking an oath and fraternity; dignity motifs such as meeting the saints, hearing revelations and prediction, prayer and its granting, dream; wonderful motifs such as Bālāč's eyes coming out of his sockets after breaking his oath, and Bālāč and Nakibō being invincible against the powerful enemy. The main motif of the story is taking revenge.

Bibliography
Dori, N., & Zareapour, P. (2019). Comparative study of common motifs in court love literature (Tristan and Iseult Romance and Khosro and Shirin Poem). Farhangestan Comparative Literature Review, 9(1), 81-105.
Parsanasab, M. (2009). Motif: definitions, types, functions. The Quarterly Journal of Literary Criticism, 5, 7-41.
Shafiei Kadkani, M. (1993). Types of literature. Persian Language and Literature Education Review, 32, 4-9.
 
 

---

 Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV) and Beet curly top virus (BCTV) are responsible for the curly top disease in sugar beet Beta vulgaris L. and many other plants. Mixed infection by BCTIV and BCTV in sugar beet plants results in a synergistic interaction, with more severe symptoms than plants infected by either virus, accompanied by an increase in BCTIV and a decrease in BCTV titers. Interaction of the Replication associated protein (Rep) with the nonanucleotide motif within the origin of replication is crucial for the replication of the geminivirus genome. Using an in silico approach, we investigated the possible contribution of the interaction between Rep and the nonanucleotide motifs in the interference between BCTIV and BCTV in mixed infections. The physicochemical characterization of both Reps was performed, and their secondary and tertiary structures were predicted by SOMPA tool and I-TASSER server, respectively. Then, the binding affinity of each Rep towards cognate and non-cognate viral nonanucleotide motifs was assessed using Docking simulations. Cluster analysis of HADDOCK revealed that the total binding energy of BCTV Rep toward its cognate nonanucleotide motif was lower than for the BCTIV complex, confirming a higher affinity of BCTV encoded Rep for its nonanucleotide motif. Interestingly, the BCTIV Rep showed the highest affinity for the nonanucleotide motif of the non-cognate BCTV nonanucleotide motif. Since the replication of geminiviruses relies on species-specific Rep interactions and activities, this result could be considered responsible for the competitive interference of BCTIV towards BCTV.

 

---

One of the basic fundamental factors of knowing mythological sources, and preserving and promoting them is to conduct scientific studies in the field of popular folk culture and literature. Swearing, in its various forms, is one of the rituals that has long been manifested in Iranian popular folk culture and literature in various ways. In this study, we analyzed the bite-taker ritual, as an instantiation of swearing (Var) in the Bakhtiari tribe. It was assumed that this ritual takes root from the traditions of ancient Iran. Emphasizing its importance among the Bakhtiari people, this ritual was known to recognize the right-doer from the wrong-doer. So far as the bite is concerned, right from the wrong and the correctness of the word is the importance of the bite from the perspective of the Bakhtiari people. In this study, firstly, the story of bite-taker was narrated and, secondly, their literary manifestations and mythological aspects were investigated. The data was qualitative, and the method of data collection was based on field-library sources. The method of data analysis was in the form of qualitative content. After examining various sources and analyzing the literary and mythological manifestations of motifs of the bite-taker test in the Bakhtiari people, it can be argued that this ritual is a remnant of the ritual of drinking sulfur water in ancient Iran, which, by preserving mythological elements among Bakhtiari people, is believed to be the last solution to prove the truth of the word and distinguish right from wrong. Besides, some certain elements of this test, such as the presence of fire, wearing perfume and white clothes before the test, and perfume, are considered as reminiscent of the story of Siavash in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh.
 

---

The literature of popular culture, based on beliefs, thoughts, and desires, has featured many adaptations and revisions of mythical epic narratives. It has been used as a model to create new stories that afford insight into the general perception and perspectives on these tales. This study aims to undertake a comparative analysis of the characters, actions, and mythical epic motifs of the story “Kor-e Asb-e Siah” in Bakhtiari culture and the story of "Siavash" in Shahnameh using document analysis. The comparative investigation encompasses an examination of their social backgrounds, physical attributes, and actions of stepmom characters, horse characteristics, and seeking asylum in another land. The results demonstrated significant similarities between these two stories; the main protagonists are princes with indeterminate maternal lineage, possessing corporeal beauty and horses that share similar qualities such as color, intelligence, and the ability to jump high. Additionally, their stepmothers are seeking for a sexual desire, both ultimately taking refuge in another land, getting married, and building a city and palace for themselves. Nevertheless, there are divergences between these stories; the story of Siavash features more politically motivated character behavior, whereas “Kor-e Asb-e Siah” emphasizes on familial matters. Hence, it could be concluded that “Kor-e Asb-e Siah” in Bakhtiari culture is a creative retelling or adaptation of the story of Siavash.
 

---

Various studies have been conducted on lullabies, and the lullabies of different ethnic groups have been examined from different aspects, for example, the article "Lullaby, the oldest enchanting whisper of the mother" by Moghaddasi (2013) which deals with the structure and topic of lullabies. The article "Lullaby, the music of woman’s role in the transmission of oral culture" by Vodjani (2004) which refers to the role of woman in the transmission of oral culture. "Investigation of lullabies between three folks of Azari, Kurdish and Gilak" by Haghgou (2013) examines and compares the theme of lullabies among these ethnic groups. In the article "Taking a Look at the origin and themes of Iranian lullabies" by Hasanli (1999) investigates at lullabies as one of the poetic types of children's literature. The article "Motifs in Sabzevari lullabies" by Vahdanifar and Davari (2021) specifies the way of motif formation in Sabzevari lullabies, and introduces the most common motifs used. Studying the background of the research shows that researchers have often collected and categorized lullabies in different dialects and geographical regions, but so far there has been no independent research on Azari lullabies and analysis of their themes and motifs.
Research goal and questions
The present study focuses on the necessity of paying attention to popular literature, especially Azari lullabies, and while protecting this treasure, it examines and analyzes the motifs in the lullabies in order to make the reader more familiar with the cultural, economic and social attitudes and beliefs, religious identity and customs of the people of the region. In this research, we seek to answer these questions:

1. What is a motif?
2. How are motifs formed in the investigated lullabies?
3. What are the most common motifs used in these lullabies?

Discussion
Lullabies are one of the branches of folk literature and the first songs for children, which are included under the children's literature category in terms of dealing with children. Although the original composers of the lullabies are unknown, the simplicity of the language and the practicality of the lullabies among people is one of the secrets of the durability of these beautiful verses. The themes of lullabies are echoes of thoughts and spiritual reflections, social and political concerns, individual and collective emotions and desires that can be affected by the geographical, cultural, social, and political conditions of the society. In this research, an attempt has been made to analyze 120 common Azeri lullabies using the descriptive-analytical method. The aim was to introduce the lullabies of these people, to reflect on their inner reflections, individual and social emotions, religious thoughts, and social and cultural conditions of the mothers of that time. We divided the lullabies into five categories based on the theme: religious motifs, nature motifs, maternal wishes and threatening their child's enemy’s motifs, cultural and social motifs, and family and relative motifs. Among these motifs, the motif of nature with 42 items and the motif of maternal wishes with 28 items had the highest frequency. The results of the research show that the composers of the lullabies have used various motifs to enrich their lullabies’ themes and without knowing and analyzing these themes, it is not possible to know the main concerns of the concepts of these lullabies.
"A motif is a word, a sentence, a state, an image or an idea that is repeated in a literary work and plays a special role" (Zeitouni, 2002, p. 69). Since every repetition is of interest in stylistics, the motif as an important repeated element in literature can also be considered for stylistic review and criticism. Motifs that the author is aware of repeating and uses as a literary skill to express an opinion and draw the reader's attention to a specific topic, enriching the creation of atmosphere, characterization, coherence and thematic dimension of his work, are called self-conscious motifs. However, motifs that originate from the individual and collective experiences of the author and appear and repeat in the works of the author or poet in a completely random manner without any preparation, are unconscious motifs. Since the human mind has two conscious and unconscious parts, depending on which part the motif is present in, it is considered a conscious or unconscious element (Dehghan et al. 2011, p. 93-4). While examining the motifs in the lullabies, we noticed that some motifs are repeated accidentally and unconsciously, without their composers having a specific meaning for these repetitions. But in many motifs, the repetitions are purposeful and their composers have consciously used the format of lullabies to impress the audience and promote their ideas and thoughts. In other words, it can be said that: "lullabies carry with them a kind of narrative trick from the perspective of the audience. Because in lullabies, the mother addresses her child, but what she says has nothing to do with the child, and these narratives are her or other mothers' wishes that have been institutionalized in the heart of popular speech" (Salajegheh, 2008, p. 424).

Conclusion
 As a part of the oral literature of the society, lullabies are derived from the mentality of the mass of people and indirectly convey various concepts to the mind of the listener. In the current research, we first investigated the formation of motifs in lullabies using the content analysis method, and then we identified frequent motifs in Azari lullabies and classified them. In this research, 120 Azari lullabies were examined and it was observed that in terms of motifs and recurring themes, Azari lullabies can be divided into five general categories: religious motifs, nature motif, cultural, political and social motifs, maternal wishes and family and divided relatives’ motifs. In examining the motifs, we notice that some of them are repeated accidentally and unconsciously, without their composers having a specific meaning for these repetitions. But in many cases, most of the motifs are purposeful works that their composers have consciously repeated to prove and promote their worldview and beliefs to the readers. Deep thinking about the content of the lullabies shows that most of the lullabies have common features despite the geographical and dialectal differences, among them simplicity and fluency, collective character, imagination, similarity of theme, consecration of beauty and goodness, etc. can be mentioned. Mothers convey their emotions and feelings to the audience through lullabies in the form of simple motifs, and this simplicity of expression makes the audience interested and therefore, the motifs have a greater effect on them.

References
Dehghan, E., & Taghavi, M. (2011). The functions and types of motif in Sadegh Hedayat’s stories. The Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Literary Criticism Quarterly, 4, 91-115.
Salajege, P. (2008). From this eastern garden. Institute of Educating Children and Adolescents.
Zeytouni, L. (2002). Mojam Mostalehat Nagdol Revayat. Darolnahar.
 

---

Ancient geographical texts contain valuable information in the field of folklore studies, as they often focus not only on the climatic conditions, but also on the way of life of the people. Athar al-Bilad wa Akhbar al-'Ibad by Zakariya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, a geographical text from the 7th century AH, is a work in which the author, relying on various sources, has tried to present a picture of the seven climates and the culture and beliefs of their people. Among the transmitted folk culture, the ordeals are noteworthy.
The author, who is himself a judge, has mentioned examples of ordeals, most of which are considered divine judgments, such as the belief in the purifying properties of hot and cold water (the ordeal by fire and water). Ordeals related to the purity of the origin/body (passing through a cave/crevice, a pure spring) and sacred places and objects, and the judges of the ordeals (the chain of justice and the staff of Solomon).
The present research has addressed the precedents of these cases in different cultures and nations on the one hand, and the continuity of the rituals in later times, trying to consider them as a universal theme and from this perspective, investigate the symbolic/mythological aspects among them.
 

---

Some of the results of this paper are: various processes of thematising and making theme can be categorized in two main groups: direct processes and indirect processes. The first and prevailing process obtains themes through the evident signs and explicit meanings of a text. Three of these evident signs include the direct utterances of the narrator or fictional characters in the text, elements of fabula (events and persons presented in the deep structure of text), and literary conventions (genre, schools, theories, or some current conventions in literary or artistic institutions). This process usually displays familiar, canonical and traditional themes. Because of their familiarity, these themes don’t need to be explained or justified by critics. In contrast, the indirect process achieves the theme of a work by relying on implicit and constructed meanings, using strategies such as the concepts of literary theories (like sexual or political concepts), formal devices and their meanings (like focalization, metalepsis, or parody), extracting non-objective motifs (like reflection or pretense), or even combining these strategies. The second type of themes, due to their strangeness, must be justified by a critic precisely and for this reason, they display that the critic is aware of his/her strategies. Finally, relying on the second process of theme making and thematising, I introduced the themes of some of the literary and cinematic works such as Hafiz’s poems, Birds by Alfred Hitchcock, and Invasion by Sharam Mokri.

---

One of the key motifs in Shahnameh is the struggle between evil and good. Motifs serve a unique and essential role in the text’s visual and narrative networks because of their distinctive repeating feature and characterization. As a result, they assist in enhancing the text’s semantic layers. In Shahnameh and epic literature, the struggle between evil and good permeates human social interactions and appears as motifs in heroic and epic stories. Motifs are used by the painter to create visuals throughout the text visualization process, and visual elements are placed in the composition in line with the motifs employed in the literary text and take on the function of symbols and signs. This study examined the roles that literary motifs play in the visualization of an epic narrative and in shaping the visual narrative. The main research question was: What functions do the literary motifs from Rostam’s Seventh Labor play in rendering paintings and transforming the text of Shahnameh into a visual text, and what techniques does the painter employ to visualize such motifs. A descriptive-analytical methodology was used in this qualitative study. A desk study was used to collect the data. The results showed that the motifs of the text are represented in the visual symbols and signs of the paintings. Paintings can be composed and planned utilizing these aspects in accordance with the priority of motifs employed in the literary narrative thanks to this visual translation from the literary text.
Extended Abstract
Recurring and salient in pictorial and narrative networks of the text, motifs have a prominent and fundamental role in literature. They foreground the literary text, adding layers of meaning. Good versus evil is a major motif in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh where the struggle eventually surfaces in humans and social life, manifested in the form of heroic stories and epics. The battle of Rostam and Div-e Sepid (the White Demon) is one of Shahnameh’s stories illustrated frequently in the miniatures of different periods, spotlighting the importance of its illustration. The general theme of the “Haftkhān” (known in English as the “Seven Labours of Rostam”) is the hero (good) saving Iran and the king from the demon (evil) and ultimately, his victory over evil after undertaking seven difficult tasks. The major motifs in the literary text used in this narrative network include real human characters (hero or good or Rostam), real-bestial characters (Rakhsh), mythical-legendary elements (evil force or Div-e Sepid), events encompassing the main actions in the story (slaying Div-e Sepid, overcoming evil, and dropping the blood of the demon’s liver in Kay Kavus’s eyes to restore his sight), symbolic objects (the blood of the demon’s liver), natural elements (black cave), unusual incidents (the seven labours). In the process of illustration, the miniaturist uses motifs to produce the images. Therefore, pictorial elements become symbols when they are placed in the composition according to the motifs. The contribution of literary motifs to shape the pictorial narrative in the illustration of an epic was a central discussion in this article. This study attempted to answer the following main questions: What is the role of literary motifs of the “Haftkhān” in the illustrated miniatures of the story and the process of turning the text of Shahnameh into pictorial text? What techniques have miniaturists used to manifest these motifs in the illustrations?
Bound and free motifs, which form the narrative network of the text, were extracted and compared with the illustrated versions of the stories in miniatures. The purpose of this study was analysing the place of the literary motifs of the “Seven Labours of Rostam” in the formation of illustrated miniatures of this story. In this qualitative descriptive-analytical study, the data were collected through documentary and library research.
The results showed that pictorial signs and symbols in the miniatures appear in congruence with the manifestation of the motifs in the text. Such an illustrated translation of the literary text has led miniaturists to utilize motifs used in the plot based on their priority in the composition and framing of their works.

 

---

The imposed war and sacred defense was the most important event that occurred in our country in recent decades and affected all dimensions of the community. Literature was also an issue that was influenced by the imposed war, and writers and writers from various perspectives and with various tools described the events of the incident in their works.
By studying poetry and stories that have been created in the Holy Defense, it can be seen that the authors have used common themes to convey their concepts, which are repeated in most of these writings, and can be described more precisely by referring to these themes as "motif." "motif" is a semantic or structural element of the story, where repetition is the most important feature of the story, which increases the semantic and aesthetic richness of the story. They also have a lot of efficiency in criticizing and analyzing different subject matter.
In this research, with the discovery and classification of the materials in the novel "Golab Khanum" by Ghasemali Ferasat, its relation with the elements of the story was examined. The results of the research show that various types of material, such as persons, objects, events, places, etc. throughout the novel, have been used to create different elements of the story such as personality, space, space, conflict, suspension, and so on.

---

Knowledge of literary genres is one of the oldest and most influential intertextual approaches that has been used to classify texts since the past and has been subject to change. But the background of the theory of genres in Iran is less than a century, and its justified application in a comprehensive way in many fields and literary trends is still facing ambiguities and challenges. For example, in classifying ancient narratives, the question arises: on what basis and with what considerations can the dominant literary genres in these texts be proved? The lack of serious research and criticism in response to this question has led researchers over the decades to classify ancient Persian stories by resorting to self-invented, unscientific literary terms without methodological explanation, while the common terms not only fail to give a comprehensive indication of the content and linguistic characteristics of such narratives, but even keep them in a genre indecision or lead them to several similar genres. Since one of the functions of motif study is to determine the literary genre of the texts, the present study has attempted to draw on the Aristotelian theory of genres to utilize this potential talent and prove for the first time through the method of inductive reasoning and relying on the statistical community based on the study various motifs of three stories of Abu Tahir Tarsusi that their literary genres belong to the epic.
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Prose stories, as one of the oldest currents of Persian literature, are voluminous and generally sequential texts (with supplementary appendices) and report on the actions of kings, generals, and warriors who are often in the shadow of history or in a few cases are basically imaginary and are considered to be created by the minds of storytellers.
1-1. Significance of the Study
Despite their ancient background, the Persian prose epics have not yet found a certain place in the history of Persian literature from the point of view of literary genres, and in research they are generally presented under vague terms such as story, legend, romance, folktale, fantasy, or romance. The above terms, in the absence of comprehensive information on the content and linguistic characteristics, are unable to determine the parent literary genre or subgenre for the above narratives, and often focus unilaterally on the type of narrative or some elements of the story, and sometimes overlap with other non-homogeneous texts. And they leave the literary genre of the text in limbo. Most importantly, researchers have not yet found a methodological and theoretical approach or a logical explanation to justify the use of these terms for the texts in question.
1-2. Problem
The main problem is how to get beyond the stage of asserting the genre and unrelated literary terms and reach the stage of hypothesizing the definition of literary genre and proving it through in-text investigations. So far, the researchers who have written in the field of criticism of fictional narratives have referred to the literary genre of fictional narratives only with short phrases and self-made titles, but the present research attempts to rely on the frequency of the statistical approach and the representation of the statistical community, the hypothesis of a coherent flow of narratives. Prove a story in the literary genre of the epic.
1-3. The Purpose and Method
The main purpose of the study is on the function of the thematic approach in determining the literary genre of the narrative, using a statistical method. Therefore, based on the theory of Aristotelian genres and using the thematic approach, the themes mentioned in the three narratives of Dārāb-Nāmeh, Qirān Habaši, Musayyab-Nāmeh were first analyzed in an inductive manner and divided into four sections: Epic and Ayyāri, Lyrical, Amazing and Dignity. Based on the obtained frequency results, the premise of determining their literary type is then proved.
1-4. Literature Review
Although studies have been done in the last decade on the subject of literary genre in the form of authorship and translation, the field of research focusing on Persian literature has been completely neglected due to the importance of motif in determining the literary genre of the text, and there is no research to support this.
1-5. Theoretical Basis
1-5-1. Motif
Motif is one of the terms defined by Russian formalists to understand the cause-effect relationships of the components of a narrative. "Motif" refers to structural and semantic elements such as actions, events, concepts, and objects that have become exemplary elements through repetition. Although it is not considered a fixed part of the narrative, it is a temporary feature that gains importance in a particular narrative situation and usually due to its repetition. Besides the central role of subtexts in knowing the cause-effect relationships of the components of the narrative, the most important function of subtexts is to help in the classification and typology of narratives, which has not received much attention so far.
1-5-2. Literary Genres
If we are to have a scientific view of literature, we should be able to classify literary works as far as possible, and to place similar kinds of literary works in special classes relatively rather than absolutely. After all, the most important characteristic of science is that it can classify; this task is accomplished in literary studies by the approach of "literary genres." Motif is considered one of the main characteristics of literary genres, and its role in this field has not received much attention so far. A literary genre is characterized by a set of features and formal structures that occur in an orderly, cohesive, and simultaneous manner, and motif is one of the most important features mentioned.

1-6. The Case
Since Abu Taher Tarsusi is considered the most prominent narrator in the field of ancient Persian prose narratives and a considerable number of authentic fictional texts are also attributed to him, motif analysis was given preference in determining the literary text type on the basis of the three selected narratives by Tarsusi, which are briefly presented below.
1-6-1. Abu Taher Tarsusi
Abu Taher Tarsusi was born at the beginning of the second half of the fifth century of the Hijri (450 AH) and the last period of his life coincided with the end of the first decade of the second half of the sixth century of the Hijri (560 AH). His works include Dārāb-Nāmeh, Qirān Habaši, Musayyab-Nāmeh, Abu Muslim-Nāmeh, Qahramān-Nāmeh, Farāmarz-Nāmeh, Houšang-Nāmeh, Ayyār-Nāmeh, Tavārikh-Nāmeh.
2. Discussion
2-1. Epic and Ayyāri Motifs
According to the results, 1534 instances of common epic and Ayyāri motifs were observed in all three narratives, and among them, Abu Taher Tarsusi provided the highest number of epic and Ayyāri motifs in Qirān Habaši with 549 instances. This is followed by Musayyab-Nāmeh with 538 cases and Dārāb-Nāmeh with 447 cases in second and third place.
2-2. Lyrical motifs
Based on the results, 270 instances of common lyrical motifs were observed in all three narratives, of which Abu Taher Tarsusi in Qirān Habaši provided the most space for lyrical motifs in Qirān Habaši with 125 instances. This is followed by Dārāb-Nāmeh with 117 instances and Musayyab-Nāmeh with 28 instances in second and third place.
2-3. Amazing motifs
Based on the results, 433 instances of surprising common motifs were observed in the three narratives, of which Abu Taher Tarsusi provided the most space for the occurrence of surprising motifs in Dārāb-Nāmeh with 303 instances. This is followed by Qirān Habaši with 77 cases and the Musayyab-Nāmeh with 53 cases in second and third place.
2-4. Dignity motifs
Based on the results, 275 common motifs of dignity were observed in the three narratives, of which Abu Taher Tarsusi in Dārāb-Nāmeh provided the most space for the expression of dignity motifs with 190 instances. This is followed by Qirān Habaši with 63 instances and Musayyab-Nāmeh with 22 instances in second and third place, respectively.
3. Conclusion
After examining the three narratives of Dārāb-Nāmeh, Qirān Habaši and Musayyab-Nāmeh using the motif analysis approach and evaluating the set of their motifs in four parts, according to the report, a total of 2512 common motifs have been identified from these narratives. With 1534 cases, amazing motifs with 433 cases, dignity motifs with 275 cases, and lyrical motifs with 270 cases have the highest frequency in the narratives. Based on this content approach, the three mentioned narratives show their obvious belonging to the epic genre among the long traditional narratives of Iran due to the predominance of epic motifs in them.
 

---

Among gliadins, α-gliadins are important active proteins in triggering celiac disease in human beings owing to the presence of toxic epitopes. A set of 177 α-gliadin gene sequences and the corresponding proteins were analyzed. Twenty accessions of hexaploids including 1, 14, and 5, respectively representing A, B, and D, with no intact CD-epitopes in α-gliadins, were identified. Twenty-two and 13 conserved motifs in non-repetitive domains NR1 and NR2, respectively, of α-gliadins differentiated all the amino acid sequences encoded by A genome of both diploids and hexaploids. Most of the amino acid sequences encoded by D genome (70 of 75 in hexaploids and 13 of 16 in diploids) could be identified by 22 amino acid motif. Large variations and lesser number of intact CD-epitopes was observed for α-gliadins belonging to B genome. As compared to diploids, repeat length of polyglutamine repetitive domain QII of B genome was lower in hexaploids indicating loss of Q residues during evolution of hexaploid wheat. The information can be used in assigning any α-gliadin sequences onto A, B, and D genomes and identifying wheat accessions with lesser CD-epitopes. The result presented here will be useful for the wheat improvement programs aiming for the management of celiac disease in human beings.
 

---

The Sassanid era is one of the brightest periods of art and civilization in Iran. There are major remains of many different types: monumental rock reliefs, silver vessels, stucco architectural decoration, and seals.
Sassanid art and culture could affect on the Islamic arts in Iran, including in the field of urbanism, architecture, textiles, metallurgy, painting, pottery. There are a lot of motifs that are very similar to the Sassanid ones.
 The Sassanid Empire had an enduring legacy in the Islamic period. On the one hand, the continuation of certain artistic techniques, such as silk production, plate, and stucco, may be attributed to the caliph’s practical marshaling of Sassanid artists to the service of the new state. In some cases, motifs on the artwork of the Islamic era do not show only a simple pattern of previous art, but we see full compliance and a copy of the Sassanid motifs. The pottery as well as cultural and artistic works belonging to the Islamic period too show that they were not unaffected by the Sassanid period. Here, an attempt is being made to study the transition of culture and art of the Sassanid era to the Islamic period. The study of the pottery motifs in the Islamic period can specify the amount of influence and the reasons for the transfer of Sassanid art. This research focuses on the designs of Islamic pottery that are much similar to the Sassanid motifs.
 

---

A type of needlework known as Zoroastrian embroidery (Zartoshti-douzi) was common as decorative art in ancient Iran. The art of ornamenting women's clothing with patterns arranged in a coherent visual and aesthetic way prompts following question: Which visual and semantic structures were allowed to be sewn as Zoroastrian embroidery motifs onto women's dresses? The inquiry is particularly highlighted since they were seen as the most striking cultural symbols in the ethnic garment of the time, bearing the grave responsibility of preservation and continuation of Zoroastrian women's identity throughout the historical period of Islamic Iran. Accordingly, the present study attempts to conduct a formal and thematic analysis and decode these motifs. Such studies can provide a deeper insight into the dominant artistic sphere, and the resulting knowledge will serve a reliable reference for understanding other Iranian ornamental needlework in garment design. Data analysis shows that motifs were taken from natural, floral, and animal elements, which, in ancient Iranian culture and belief, carried symbolic values and meanings as eternity and immortality, recreation, thriving and growth, enlightenment, exuberance and dynamism, wisdom, blessings, and fertility. These concepts were regarded as realizations of women's wishes, desires, and ideal aspirations, and were sewn onto pieces of clothing one way or another in accordance with their extent of sacredness. Visually speaking, they were used in a variety of forms from realistic to abstract, and manifested colorful imagery using different sewing styles and silk threads.

---

Sufficiency in the conventional sense of symbols has prevented them from defining new concepts. On the other hand, the foundation of factors that shape the patterns leads to the decipherment and production of a new meaning. The role of the peacock has always been a symbol of pride, glory, and beauty. However, understanding the visual difference between the twelfth-century peacock motif carpet and the previous specimens doubled the need to reproduce the new meaning. Auxiliary text was needed to achieve this goal. With such an approach, Sheikh Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi's " Loghat-e-Moran seems appropriate. It's as if our Loghat-e-Moran for a text was an image of an altar rug peacock in the Metropolitan Museum, and as a result it was read accordingly. Understanding the meaning of the peacock motif based on the thematic application of the carpet and the above treatise is the main purpose of this article. The result shows that the peacock, in addition to its common meanings, was a symbol of longing and sorrow. This research is based on the qualitative method and developed and described based on the motif of the altar peacock carpet in the meaningful context of the text Loghat-e-Moran by Sheikh Ishraq. In terms of classification, it is descriptive and analytical study.

---

Seals have been important as one of the archaeological findings with various motifs and functions from the past which recount different aspects of human life. The use of seals with various designs can be seen during the Achaemenid period (5th century B.C), including a number of cylindrical seals that have been obtained from Persepolis and have the themes of heroism combined with animals. Therefore, the analysis can provide important information about the cultural and artistic structure which ruled on Persepolis. In this article, an attempt is made to analyze Achaemenid seals and the reasons for their use as well as an investigation about patterns and their influence on the native Iranian art and other nations, particularly Mesopotamia. This is a descriptive-analytical research in terms of method and the data are derived from librarian sources. Therefore, the researcher will examine and categorize the designs and themes of Persepolis seals and then compare them with the art of other nations, especially the Middle East, and the conclusion is based on the analytical comparisons. The conclusion provides the information that seals with heroic themes and mythical animals of Persepolis have an extreme similarity and adaptation from Mesopotamian seals, especially Assyrian, and they have received the most influence in terms of content and structure from the Assyrian seals. However, in terms of credibility and dynamic, Persepolis seals have similarities and differences with Assyrian and other nations. While as some distinctions, the researcher must mention the special staging of the spaces on seals, which has made them unparalleled. While among indigenous peoples who lived on the plateau of Iran, these seals are more influenced by Mannaeans art than anywhere else; and even the animal themes on the seals were closer in terms of form to the motifs found in Hasanlu, Ziviyeh and Qalaiji than Assyrian.