Taʿziye

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Ta'zieh performance in the Golestan Palace
Historic Ta'zieh performance photographed by Antoin Sevruguin
Actor in a Ta'zieh performance, photographed by Ernst Hoeltzer , 1873

Taʿziye or Taʿzieh ( Persian تعزیه) Is a religious drama with musical performances, in which the martyrdom of the Shiites revered Imam Husain ibn Ali (Hossein) , the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed is staged. Ta'zieh performances mainly take place in Iran , where they were also organized by Mir Qorā at the court of Nāser ad-Din Shah in the 19th century , but also in Shiite communities in India , which is also the scene of the drama.

Taʿzieh was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010 .

action

Ali ibn Abi Talib , father of Hussain ibn Ali, was the victim of a Kharijite assassination attempt by Ibn Muldscham in Kufa . Qasem, son of Hasan ibn Ali , betrothed to Husain's daughter, decides to go to war against the enemies of Ali. Husein, the leader of the troops, explains that the young Qasem is not ready to fight because he is not old enough for jihad . Qasem bursts into tears. Even his mother cannot comfort him that he cannot take part in the war. His mother finally talks to Husain, but he refuses again at first. At the mother's pleading, Husain lets himself be softened. However, he orders that Qasem first marry and then follow suit.

Zainab, Husain's sister, goes to Fatemeh, Husain's daughter and Qasem's fiancé, and tells her about her father's wish. Fatemeh is also in mourning over the death of Ali, but despite her grief, wants to go ahead with the marriage. The mother of Qasem refuses to marry at the moment because she cannot insult Ali's mother, who is crying for her dead son. But Husain also orders her to obey his instructions.

After the women have removed their mourning robes and adorned the bride, the bride is supposed to be brought to the wedding ceremony on Ali's horse, but Fatemeh refuses to mount her dead brother's horse. Husain now makes his horse available and the bride and groom go to the wedding ceremony. Now Qasem declares that he wants to go to war. The bride asks Qasem for a sign that she will recognize him on Judgment Day . Qasem explains that she can recognize him by his many wounds and his battered body. Qasem gives his mother his will and says goodbye to his bride.

Qasem arrives on the battlefield. After a violent fight, he falls seriously wounded from his horse and is beheaded. Husain rushes to the dying man's aid, but can only hold the dying man's severed head in his arms. Husain returns and instructs his sister that Fatemeh should dress in black and that Qasem's mother should ask forgiveness in his place.

The appearance of the main characters is accompanied by characteristic melodies and rhythms played by a musical group with the cylinder drum dammam , cymbals, trumpets and other instruments. At the end of the performance there is traditionally not applause, but moaning, crying, vengeance and remorse.

literature

  • Peter Chelkowski (Ed.): Ta'zieh - Ritual and Drama in Iran. NYU Press, New York 1979. ( excerpt ).
  • Werner Ende : The Flagellations of Muḥarram and the Shi'ite 'Ulamāˈ. In: Der Islam 55 , 1978, pp. 20-36.
  • Eckhard Neubauer: Muḥarram customs in present-day Persia. In: Der Islam 49 , 1972, pp. 249-272.
  • Karl Schlamminger, Peter Lamborn Wilson : Weaver of Tales. Persian Picture Rugs / Persian tapestries. Linked myths. Callwey, Munich 1980, ISBN 3-7667-0532-6 , p. 146 f.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jean During, Zia Mirabdolbaghi, Dariush Safvat: The Art of Persian Music . Translation from French and Persian by Manuchehr Anvar, Mage Publishers, Washington DC 1991, ISBN 0-934211-22-1 , p. 35.
  2. ↑ Official homepage of UNESCO
  3. ↑ Sadeq Humayuni: An analysis of the Ta'ziyeh of Qasem. In: Celkowski, 1979, pp. 12-23.