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All these acts of [[self-mortification]] are performed in time with the accompanying cymbals and drums. The leader of each subgroup chants dirges in the same rhythm. The entire dasta pauses from time to time in front of a religious edifice or the tomb of a local saint or in a large open space, where one group beats itself rhythmically while the others join in the chanting. The tempo quickens until the excitement reaches an uncontrollable pitch, and then the march continues. The cries of the participants, who curse the villains of Karbala while proclaiming sympathy for Hussain and his companions in [[martyrdom]], are mingled with these mournful songs. | All these acts of [[self-mortification]] are performed in time with the accompanying cymbals and drums. The leader of each subgroup chants dirges in the same rhythm. The entire dasta pauses from time to time in front of a religious edifice or the tomb of a local saint or in a large open space, where one group beats itself rhythmically while the others join in the chanting. The tempo quickens until the excitement reaches an uncontrollable pitch, and then the march continues. The cries of the participants, who curse the villains of Karbala while proclaiming sympathy for Hussain and his companions in [[martyrdom]], are mingled with these mournful songs. | ||
Elias Canetti, the Nobel Prize winner in literature, described these processions as “an orchestra of grief, and their effect is that of a crowd crystal. The pain they inflict on themselves is the pain of Hussain, which by being exhibited, becomes the pain of the whole community. Their beating on their chests, which is taken up by the spectators, gives rise to a rhythmic crowd sustained by the emotion of the lament. Hussain has been torn away from all of them and belongs to all of them together” | Elias Canetti, the Nobel Prize winner in literature, described these processions as “an orchestra of grief, and their effect is that of a crowd crystal. The pain they inflict on themselves is the pain of Hussain, which by being exhibited, becomes the pain of the whole community. Their beating on their chests, which is taken up by the spectators, gives rise to a rhythmic crowd sustained by the emotion of the lament. Hussain has been torn away from all of them and belongs to all of them together” <ref>pp. 150-51</ref> | ||
==Participation in Mourning Processions== | ==Participation in Mourning Processions== | ||
The commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussain is charged with extreme emotion, not only in Persia, but also throughout the Shiʿite communities of the world. The belief that participation in the annual observances will be an aid to salvation on the Day of Judgment is at least a partial motivation for many mourning rituals. The suffering of Hussain and its commemoration thus became the very core of the Shiʿite faith. The dasta is the most common Shiʿite ritual. | The commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussain is charged with extreme emotion, not only in Persia, but also throughout the Shiʿite communities of the world. The belief that participation in the annual observances will be an aid to salvation on the Day of Judgment is at least a partial motivation for many mourning rituals. The suffering of Hussain and its commemoration thus became the very core of the Shiʿite faith. The dasta is the most common Shiʿite ritual. | ||
==Historical Development of Dasta== | ==Historical Development of Dasta== | ||
The first recorded public mourning ceremonies for Hussain in this form took place in Baghdad in the 10th century. Amir Moʿezz-al-Dawla (334-56/945-67) of the Shiʿite [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/buyids Buyid dynasty] ordered the markets closed on the day of ‘Ashura in the year 352/963. Processions of Shiʿites then circled the city, weeping, wailing, and striking their heads in grief. The women were disheveled, and everyone wore torn, black clothing. Hussain’s murderers were soundly cursed | The first recorded public mourning ceremonies for Hussain in this form took place in Baghdad in the 10th century. Amir Moʿezz-al-Dawla (334-56/945-67) of the Shiʿite [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/buyids Buyid dynasty] ordered the markets closed on the day of ‘Ashura in the year 352/963. Processions of Shiʿites then circled the city, weeping, wailing, and striking their heads in grief. The women were disheveled, and everyone wore torn, black clothing. Hussain’s murderers were soundly cursed <ref>Ebn Kathir, p. 243</ref> | ||
In the early 16th century the [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/safavids Safavid] shah Ismaʿil I (907-30/1501-24) declared Shiʿite Islam the state religion of Persia, which provided not only legal sanction but also royal backing and encouragement for Muharram observances. In turn it was the popular form of Shiʿite Islam, including the dasta and other Muharram rituals, that helped to spread Shiʿite doctrine across the Persian plateau. Foreign residents, ambassadors, merchants, missionaries, and travelers who spent varying lengths of time in Persia in the 17th and 18th centuries have left very rich accounts of what they saw. These accounts provide nearly a year-by-year record of the development of the pageantry of the dasta, chronicling increases in the number of participants costumed to represent various episodes in the battle of Karbala. Riders on camels and horses were followed by floats with living tableaux on wheels. Various attributes symbolizing the battle were incorporated: standards, banners, flags, guides, ensigns, turbans, helmets, musical instruments, and a variety of weapons, including swords, axes, bows and arrows, lances, shields, and even firearms. Some of these weapons (e.g., the firearms) may seem anachronistic to westerners, but the Shiʿites are attempting by this means to erase the time that has elapsed since Karbala and to equate the present with the past. Decorative devotional items were also added to the dasta: rugs, mirrors, plumes, lamps, brocades and silks, all of which increased the spectacle. Some of these items were attached to biers and coffins or hung from standards. Each dasta, organized by special committees representing various divisions of the town or the guilds, follows a prescribed order and precedence. | In the early 16th century the [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/safavids Safavid] shah Ismaʿil I (907-30/1501-24) declared Shiʿite Islam the state religion of Persia, which provided not only legal sanction but also royal backing and encouragement for Muharram observances. In turn it was the popular form of Shiʿite Islam, including the dasta and other Muharram rituals, that helped to spread Shiʿite doctrine across the Persian plateau. Foreign residents, ambassadors, merchants, missionaries, and travelers who spent varying lengths of time in Persia in the 17th and 18th centuries have left very rich accounts of what they saw. These accounts provide nearly a year-by-year record of the development of the pageantry of the dasta, chronicling increases in the number of participants costumed to represent various episodes in the battle of Karbala. Riders on camels and horses were followed by floats with living tableaux on wheels. Various attributes symbolizing the battle were incorporated: standards, banners, flags, guides, ensigns, turbans, helmets, musical instruments, and a variety of weapons, including swords, axes, bows and arrows, lances, shields, and even firearms. Some of these weapons (e.g., the firearms) may seem anachronistic to westerners, but the Shiʿites are attempting by this means to erase the time that has elapsed since Karbala and to equate the present with the past. Decorative devotional items were also added to the dasta: rugs, mirrors, plumes, lamps, brocades and silks, all of which increased the spectacle. Some of these items were attached to biers and coffins or hung from standards. Each dasta, organized by special committees representing various divisions of the town or the guilds, follows a prescribed order and precedence. | ||
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For a music sample, see Nowhe of Men's Mourning. | For a music sample, see Nowhe of Men's Mourning. | ||
For a music sample, see Nowhe Zeynab. | For a music sample, see Nowhe Zeynab. | ||
==References== | |||
{{reflist|30em}} | |||
==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||