Global Mythology’s Stand in Formal Education: A Comparative Study of Epic Literature of Iran and the World

Ancient myths worldwide have long been cherished as a precious heritage and an effective means to transfer cultural, moral, and educational concepts to different generations. As a result, they play a significant role in shaping nations’ collective identity. The purpose of this study is to examine the global mythologies’ stand in formal education in Iran by providing a comparative study of The Shahnameh by the renowned Persian poet, Abu I-Qasim Ferdowsi, and The Iliad and The Odyssey by the ancient Greek poet, Homer. In this study, after analyzing the textbooks’ contents, interviewing students and teachers, and examining scholarly articles, it was revealed that the students have little to no formal education about mythology and epic literature; They especially had a limited understanding of the intercultural themes in epic literature. Despite mythology’s promising depository of cultural, moral, and educational identity, which can enrich formal education, it is still missing from schools’ curricula. This study highlights the significance of incorporating global mythology and epic literature from Iran and other parts of the world in school books. To do so, various solutions are offered to teachers and authors to create a deep and lasting understanding of literature through engaging and comparative studies. Finally, the study findings suggest that understanding mythology is key to cultivating the cultural identity, developing comparative thinking, and engaging students’ interest in studying literature.

کلیدواژه ها:

Mythology ، Epic literature ، Formal Education ، Shahnameh ، The Iliad and Odyssey