Studying the Mythological Characteristics of Imam Ali (AS) In the Illustrations of Khavaran-nama Based on Campbell's Heroic Journey Model

Introduction: The Khavaran-nama, composed by Ibn Hassam Khusfi Birjandi, is an epic poem centered around the life of Imam Ali (A.S.). Written in the style and structure of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, this literary work offers a unique opportunity for the convergence and coexistence of religious heroes and national mythological figures. The main point of intersection between these two texts lies in their mythological portrayal of two prominent figures: Imam Ali, the sacred figure of Shi'a Islam, and Rustam, the legendary and national hero of Iran. The author, writing in the 15th century (9th century AH), seeks to preserve national identity while simultaneously expressing his religious beliefs by replacing mythological and national characters with real historical figures from Islamic and Shi'a tradition. The illustrated version of Khavaran-nama serves as a treasure trove of heroic scenes that raise questions regarding the logic behind the selection of these particular visual moments. Previous studies in this field have mostly focused on aesthetic analysis or the influence of earlier artistic traditions. Given that Joseph Campbell’s theory of the Hero’s Journey has become a widely accepted framework for analyzing mythological character development, this study aims to offer a new narrative-visual analysis of Khavaran-nama through the lens of Campbell’s mythological structure—particularly his model of the Hero’s Journey. To understand how these elements are integrated, it is essential to examine the mythological character development—especially the stages of the hero's journey. The theoretical framework of this study includes two key approaches: First, Joseph Campbell’s theory of the monomyth, which outlines the universal pattern of the Hero’s Journey in three stages—departure, initiation, and return. This process involves the transformation of the hero through symbolic trials and encounters with the collective unconscious. Second, the study draws on narrative analysis of visual art in Islamic-Iranian illustration. According to this approach, painters are not merely illustrators of text but creative interpreters who reimagine the story through visual signs and symbols.
Objectives and Questions: This paper discusses the potential overlap between Campbell’s ideas and the visual scene selection in the illustrated manuscript of Khavaran-nama, based on the above-mentioned frameworks. This approach not only offers a novel interpretation of the work but also provides a foundation for comparative studies between Islamic-Iranian art and mythology. Since Campbell’s Hero’s Journey model is considered a valuable tool in analyzing mythic character development, and understanding the illustrator’s method of selecting pivotal moments is critical, an analysis of the Khavaran-nama miniatures in light of this theoretical alignment proves highly insightful. The objective of this research is to analyze the miniatures of Khavaran-nama as visual representations of the epic and explore their alignment with Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Accordingly, the study seeks to answer two primary questions:  1. Is there a structural correspondence between the illustrations in Khavaran-nama and Campbell’s universal Hero’s Journey model? 2. If such alignment exists, how are Campbell’s concepts manifested in the depictions of Imam Ali (A.S.) within the illustrated scenes?
Methodology: The research methodology is a mixed approach, combining narrative content analysis, comparative alignment with Campbell’s stages, and semiotic examination of the miniatures. The statistical population comprises all 115 illustrations remaining in the original manuscript of Khavaran-nama, preserved at Golestan Palace. The sample analyzed consists of 75 miniatures in which Imam Ali (A.S.) is depicted as the central heroic figure. Each of these 75 illustrations is examined for its narrative content, its overlap with the stages of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, and the symbolic elements present in the imagery.
Results: The findings are presented in tabular form, accompanied by selected images that serve as representative examples. The results of the study directly address the main research questions. According to the findings, all 75 miniatures depicting Imam Ali (A.S.) in the Khavaran-nama correspond to the "initiation" stage of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Two of these miniatures, in addition to representing initiation, also include elements pointing to the "departure" stage. Within the initiation stage, all 75 illustrations fall specifically under the "Road of Trials" sub-stage. However, some of these also exhibit features related to other sub-stages of initiation: one image contains elements of "Crossing the First Threshold," one reflects "Belly of the Whale," 14 show "Atonement with the Father," 14 include motifs of "The Ultimate Boon," and 66 portray aspects of "The Return with the Elixir." The study concludes that the illustrator(s) of Khavaran-nama deliberately chose scenes that primarily align with the "initiation" and "transformation" themes of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey model, emphasizing the spiritual and symbolic evolution of the hero.