Masculinity as the Main Element of the Identity of a Worthy Woman in Iranian Tradition - Case Study of Samak Ayyar and Hossain Kurd

Just as in the ancient Iranian culture, being a man was a set of physical and moral traits and it was extended in the Islamic era, in Persian epic texts after Islam, this attribute maintained its value. Many women can be seen among the male characters of epic stories. The positive character of the women in these stories, while maintaining the physical characteristics and female morals, have some traits that are specific to the concept of masculinity in Iranian culture. This issue continues as a historical sequence in epic texts from the early centuries after Islam to the late pre-modern centuries. This research seeks to examine the issue of what place the characteristic of masculinity has had in the definition of female identity in Persian epic texts? To examine this issue in detail, two famous epic texts of Samak Ayyar and Hossain Kurd have been selected so that the stability and change of this identity can be evaluated based on the time interval between them. According to the findings of this research, courage and warrior ship, which are the most basic characteristics of the concept of masculinity in Iran, have been extended as an important part of the meritorious attribute for women in both texts.