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صفحه 1 از 7
Bakhtiyari Dances
Bakhtiari Dances Known to stem from Lurs and named Great Lur after the 4th century Hejira (Iran's Central Tribes, Javad Safinejad, P.IO3), Bakhtiaris are one of the most ancient tribes and nomads in Iran. Herodotus supposed them to be the earliest Iranian ancestry who, within the 6th and 7th centuries B.C, dwelled at the foot of Bakhtiari mountains, east of Shushtar, and on the two sides of karun river and then mingled with Elamites, the other natives of the land (An Introduction to the Knowledge of Tribes, Iraj Afshar Sistani, P.454). Today, Bakhtiaris' territory encompasses the province of Charmahal Bakhtiari together with parts of Isfahan, Lurestan, Kohkiluye Boyer Ahmedi, Fars, and Khuzistan provinces (Iran's Comprehensive Geography, Rabi' Badi'i, Vol. I , P.77; Fundamentals of the Sociology of Tribes, Heshmatollah Tayyebi, P.321); and their language has its roots in Pahlavi that itself, due to the geographical circumstances of its territory, for long remained intact (Iran's Comprehensive Geography, Vol. I, P.76; An Introduction to the Knowledge of Tribes, P.489). The name Bakhtiari was stated in the historical source books of the 8th century Hejira (The Selected History, Hamdoll3h Mostowfi, P.541); and some have considered it to be a combination of "Bakht" and "Yar" [these two words denote "fortune" and "friend" respectively] with reference to Bakhtiaris' help to Safuvids in the achievement of victory in war, while others believe it to have originated from Bachteria (Greek) or Bakhtarian (Westerners) (History of Bakhtiari, Sardar As'ad Bakhtiari, P.5; Bukhtiari Dictionary, Abdol'ali Khosravi, P.62; An Introduction to the Knowledge of Tribes...) or from the name of the tribe Bakhtiarvand (HistolY and Geography of KhltZistan, Mohammad-Ali Emam- Shushtari, P.173). Probably, after Safavid era, this tribe was parted into two groups of Haft leng (Durki, Behdadvand, Dinarani, Bab babadi, Se Dehestani, Janaki; all have a summer territory, south of the area, with greater population and rather more poverty-stricken) and Chahar leng (Mohammad Salehi, Moguyi, Kondolru, Meymund, Zolaki; with a summer territory, north of the area, with less population and rather more wealthy). Here, "Leng" denotes the "mare's limb" a!1d also a "tax unit", and plus relates to the four and seven leaders son of Bakhtiaris by a couple from two distinct territories (Tribe of Lurs, Sekandar Amanollahi Baharvand, P .185) or comes from Avestan, meaning "river" (Bakhtiaris' Music and Songs, Kazem Pure, footnote, P.16).
Throughout the Iranian history, Bakhtiaris have been brave and warlike people. As examples of this, mention should be made of their participation in the battle against Afghans in 1134 Lunar Hejira which led to Afghans' defeat, the presence of their leaders in Nader's and Karim Khan's military, their protest against Aqa Mohammad Khan, and involvement in the Constitutional Movement (Iran's Central Tribes, Javad Safinejad, P.109). Traditionally, Bakhtiaris' tribe is known to be composed of a few divisions named as: Qesmat, Tciyefe, Tire, Tash, Owlad (Korbu), Behun (Khanevar). Along with bravery, Bakhtiaris are renowned to be great gunmen and hunters, skilled in husbandry and, above all, possess such hospitality that right upon the entrance of any guest into a bride's tent they rush to him kissing his hand welcome and putting his hands on their forehead and eyes as a sign of dedication (manifesting the highest hospitality of the host).
Brides are commonly covered with a long white veil (chador) overall having a colored handkerchief (doiiq) sewed on it. Then, riders rush to the scene passing ahead of the bride's white tent (symbol of marriage) and shooting. dohol and karna (Musical Instruments) players, namely Tushmiil, come and play along the dance group. Men and Women dance in two seperate groups (Wheat and Barely) coming together from-time to time to dance jointly. Amongst the joy and excitement raised by shaking colorful handkerchiefs, ornamented sequins, women and girls clap and play dtiyere [an Iranian membranophone instrument] singing songs like Hana- Hana, Dayne, May Gol, Yaram Ey Gol and putting henna on bride's and groom's hands. Tushmals start playing the melody of Tarke bazi [a dance played by two men holding two sticks in their hands] as soon as men with rods in their hands appear on the dance area fighting a symbolic fight and attempting to overpower the other. Then, replacing these men, comes a group of women in colorful, joyous and brilliant dresses joining the other in a circle, shaking handkerchiefs (Dastmal bazi) and rounding to purge the whole tribe from the evil, wicked and dark and bring light and color to it. The bride and the groom turn round the fire set before the bride's chamber (Hejiegdh or Dorghun) together three times, the act that symbolizes the sanctity of fire in Aryan beliefs and rites; they step into the bride's chamber (Hejle) with the right foot (Choqdkhor or Bazoft) representing the weight of rightness and purity amid Iranian ancestral religions and rituals. Upon the entry, Tushmal performs a particular tune, Dovar Pd Rdste vardlir (girl, put your right foot) and Hey Rou Hey Rou (a custom from the tribe of Monjezi); meanwhile, three eggs are tossed to the tent's post (one to the yard's gate and two to the Hejle entrance, in rural areas) and a handkerchief stuffed with toasted rice, wheat and pastry (poshtqay) is tied to the bride's waist (Bibi Talla Yadollahi, Dah Cheshme).
Types of Bakbtiaris' Dances Bakhtiari music falls among the richest cultural and artistic treasures of Iranian history and possesses a wealth of dances; and traces of group dances with handkerchiefs have already been found in the paintings on pottery in the west of the country (the painting on the present CD's cover belongs t6 a date of 4600 B.C, Cheshme Ali). Some differences could be characterized in Bakhtiari dances between the branches of Chahar Leng, Haft Leng and other branches (rather with regard to Dastmal Bazi [a dance performed by use of handkerchiefs] and other dances). The most popular Bakhtiari dances share the same characteristics of other tribes' dances and are performed in circular and round-like forms. Legs move rather more diversely than hands and karna is used to order the body and hands, and dohole to regulate legs. Among the dances, the most skillful and demanding one is called OstAd [Ostad denotes "master"] (Sar Chupi) that denotes the master of dancers. Change in the rhythm and meter happens from slow to fast and includes the rhythmic cycles t and 3 . There is a dance (Tarke Bazi) peculiar to men and some others rendered exclusively by women (formerly by women and men together) in which, though at times arms bend at elbow and little fingers are brought together (esp. practiced by Chahar Lengs) quite as Azerbaijanis and Lurs or men's hand keep the others' waist in the manner of Kurds, such styles are not common and only hands, holding two handkerchiefs, wave up and down and legs step on an imaginary circular line in turn. Overall, there is great similarity between Bakhtiari and Qashqayi [an Iranian old tribe resident in the province of Fars] dances, so that the Bakhtiari Tarke Bazi resembles Hova vinamak of Qashqayis and its Dastmal Bazi some types of Heli in the latter tribe (See the CD of Qashqayi music).
The instruments used to perform dances include kama, dohole and sorna adopted for Gagiry ceremony [Gagrio means funeral]. Bakhtiari dances usually begins with a vocal introduction that is much like an announcement and called Awal kama or Bardasht played at the start of Tarke Bazi and Dastmal Bazi. Some believe the melody of Sar Naz and Sarvdar to be of the announcing type and used for gathering people before the dance ceremonies begin, but such an opinion never seems to be common among kama players. There are three types of Bakhtiari dances, practiced by men, women and both together.
1. Circular and Rounded Dances This group of dances like their equivalents among Lurs and Kurds in the west are performed by women in circles using handkerchiefs. Formerly, men also took part in such dances, but today this only happens when the dancers are all from the same family or its dependents.
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