THE MUHARRAM MYSTERYAS REFLECTED IN THE DRAWINGSOF V. KHODJABEKYAN AND V. VERESHCHAGIN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32653/CH222%25pKeywords:
Muharram, mysteries, processions, Khojabekyan, Vereshchagin, verbal and visual texts, arkAbstract
This article reconstructs the 19th-century Shiite mourning rituals and passion plays (ta'ziyeh) of Muharram through the analytical lenses of visual and verbal anthropology. Geographically focusing on the regional traditions that evolved within the Tiflis and Baku provinces of the Russian Empire as well as Persia, this study utilizes ethnographic accounts and fine arts data to conduct a comparative analysis of these practices. By examining textual descriptions published by S. Marr, I. Bertels, E. Berezina, and M. Gorky alongside sketches and paintings by V. Vereshchagin and V. Khodjabekyan, the authors demonstrate how disparate regional variations of the Muharram mysteries complement one another. Textual analysis decodes the structured ritual itinerary, mapping out chronological stages such as elegiac readings, mourning processions, flagellation rituals, lamentations, and formal ta'ziyeh theatrical performances. Concurrently, the visual documentation captures the multi-ethnic composition of the participating musicians, complex character mise-en-scènes, and the unexpected integration of wrestlers and acrobats into public processions. The study identifies three primary performative topographies utilized during the Ashura rituals: enclosed spaces, mobile street processions, and ritualized spaces along riverbanks. Furthermore, both verbal and visual data reveal distinct regional iconographic techniques used to represent the Imam Ali as a symbolic lion. A defining characteristic of these Ashura rituals is the vast proliferation of variant ta'ziyeh scripts, all bound by the foundational narrative commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (Shahsei-Vahsei). Specifically, this article analyzes four drawings by the Armenian artist V. Khodjabekyan documenting two distinct moments of the Muharram mystery in Tiflis (1880), alongside three works by V. Vereshchagin capturing the rituals in Shusha. Correlating these visual datasets with contemporary written narratives allows the authors to reconstruct historical performance scenarios, ultimately offering conclusions regarding the trajectory of secularization within these traditional religious mysteries in the modern era.
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