Mrs Kokab a Symbol of Iranian Hospitality
Mrs. Kokab a Symbol of Iranian Hospitality
Story of Mrs. Kokab (Kokab Khanum), one of the most popular Persian stories, was included in the second students' Persian literature book of elementary school which was written by Mohammad Reza Entezariyan from Bojnord city before the 1979 revolution in Iran, it was included in the textbook. The story of Mrs. Kokab is one of the minimal Persian stories that many students remember from the late 1970s to 1990s.
This story is about the hospitality of a woman named Mrs. Kokab who treats her intruding guests well. In this minimal story, a summary of the hospitality of an Iranian family is described in such a way that it can be visualized in the mind. It seems that in this short story, an attempt was made to convey the atmosphere of simple life to students.
Story text
"Mrs. Kokab, Abbas's mother, is a clean and devoted woman. He always keeps the milk bucket in a cool place. She covers a cloth on the bucket so that dust does not sit on it and it remains clean.
Mrs. Kokab makes something from milk every day. Sometimes she adds cheese yeast to it and makes cheese. Sometimes she adds yogurt yeast to milk and makes yogurt. And sometimes she gets butter from yogurt.
One day some guests' intruder came to their house. Mrs. Kokab made scrambled and boiled eggs. She also put bread, butter, yogurt and cheese on the table. Everyone praised the hospitality, manner and taste of Mrs. Kokab, when they were full, they thanked God for creating all these good blessings."
Iran and Iranians have a long history of hospitality and you can see its signs even in historical poems throughout the history of Iran. But what is the root of this Iranian table that is always ready for our guests and the belief to this sentence "the guest is God's friend"? "The guest is God's friend!" This short sentence introduces the model of Iranian hospitality to a large extent. In fact, this thinking has caused the spirit of hospitality in Iranians with its warmth and interest in warm interactions, and it doesn't even matter to them who the guest is, what is his relationship, is it a close friend or family members and relatives, or even who has stayed on the way, it means someone who has not managed to find a place to stay in that strange city. Or a neighbor to whom, as a courtesy, we bring food or welcome sweets to them after their arrival. For Iranians, it always a guest is dear, and this spirit of hospitality is a part of Iranian life, although it has increased and decreased over the course of history. In the following, you will get to know caravanserais as another symbol of Iranian hospitality and will know the role of food in Iranian hospitality customs.
Hospitality in Iran is widespread from normal visits, to special parties and events that are held for various religious or non-religious occasions. In other words, these parties are an excuse for Iranians to show hospitality and kindness.
As a sample: Hospitality of Iranians in the fourth lunar century
Ebn-e Hoqal, an Arab geographer in the fourth lunar century, said the following about the hospitality of Bouyeh dynasty and those around them: "The kings and men of Persia wear elegant and good clothes and treat those who come to them with chivalry and kindness. They are diligent in hospitality and preparing various dishes for the visitors. They decorate their tables with colorful and abundant foods, they order sweets and fruits to be brought to the guests before preparing the table. Their gatherings are free of light words and inappropriate gestures and low morals. They exaggerate in make-up, table setting and clothes. And among the elders of Persian, competition in such matters prevails. Even continuing and emphasizing Iranian hospitality, he said: "Just like all people live in the same family and in the same house, people go to each other's houses without having a history of acquaintance between them." And they welcome each other warmly. "Every property owner tries to prepare a large house so that he can receive guests better.
Caravanserais, another symbol of Iranian hospitality
In the distant past, when travel was not in the current style and were animal vehicles, caravanserais accommodation for travelers so that they could stay in them for free or at the lowest cost and relieve the fatigue of their journey. Caravanserais were so important in the past that in 719 AH, the governor of Samarkand, which is now a part of Uzbekistan country but was a part of Iran in the past, was ordered to set up an inn or a caravanserai so that, the travelers who pass through there can stay overnight and welcome them to the fullest way.
Ancient tradition of ‘bread and salt’
Eating bread and salt is one of the ancient traditions of Iran and in a way it can be considered as a part of the tradition of hospitality among nobles and heroes. In the Persian to Persian dictionary of Dehkhoda, it is said about the tradition of bread and salt in Iran: In Iranian culture, if a person has been a guest of another person for food, it is said that he ate his bread and salt, and that is why, the person who ate bread and salt with him is committed and obliged to maintain his friendship and loyalty. During in Iranian traditions, the combination of the word salt and some Persian words related to it can be seen, which indicates respect for the culture of bread and salt.
The role of compliments in Iranian hospitality
Compliments, which are a part of our verbal rhetoric as Iranians, are considered a part of our verbal habits that have made so much room in Iranian culture that for us Iranians, it may not be very noticeable or we cannot easily distinguish its examples in our daily conversations. But why has this word, which basically has Arabic roots, become a part of Iranian customs?
William Orman Beeman, a professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota and a Middle East expert on compliments among Iranians, says: "A key concept in compliments is the function that I describe as 'hand down', In other words, a compliment is a kind of lifting up the level other person and lowering oneself." He even explained that in a hierarchical society like Iran, this behavior creates social stability, because when both people do this, they reach equality. Yes! Compliments show the kind essence of Iranian people, and in fact, he has correctly described the compliments in us Iranians, and if we are right, compliments reach their highest level in Iranian parties and are an important part of Iranian hospitality.
Iranian hospitality according to foreign tourists
Jean Chardin, the famous French traveler during the Safavid era, wrote in his travelogue, "There is no caravanserai or inn in all the settlements located on the slopes of the mountains, travelers must be guests of the owners of the houses.
They enjoy eating and drinking there. I had no worries or discomfort during this part of my trip. Because my guide was arriving at the stop before me and preparing the house and food before my arrival. He was letting a fire and prepared a good stable for the horses. Wherever I wanted to give money to the host, the guide would not let me and said that such things are not customary here, and I would give him what I wanted to give to the owner of the house.
According to Jean Chardin, Iranians are "good manner, warm, friendly, calm and polite, and they do not hesitate to give appropriate and worthy compliments when they meet each other, and they visit each other during sad and happy events and celebrations". Warm reception and honoring of intimate guests, relatives and friends is undoubtedly one of the bright aspects of Iranian family culture. What is reflected from the perspective of an external observer can be useful in confirming this claim. Among the world travelers and orientalists, those who didn't know anyone in Iran and needed shelter and a place to rest and shake off their fatigue during their journey, especially when they reached places where it was not possible to build a caravanserai. Anyway, have left writings behind memories that it reflects the generosity and respect of the guest in the eyes of Iranian people.
Honoring a guest in Iran
Honoring the guest has been so prominent among Iranians that even the design of the house in traditional Iranian architecture can be analyzed and surveyed based on honoring the guest. From the front of houses and its canopy and the name of God on the door tile to the allocation of the guest room and hall or reception room, all of them show the value and importance that Iranians attach to the guest. Batoul Nayebi writes in an article, "Traditional architect, who acted to the chivalry texts and was adorned with good morals, by introducing special variables such as psychological values ??and ethical concepts, offered a different architectural atmosphere and promoted architecture based on high degree of value and richness."
What is remarkable about Iranian traditional architecture is that the information of knowledge, creativity and awareness is derived from different fields of science and techniques and based on the knowledge of psychological issues.
Iran's traditional architecture in the design and construction of houses can be considered as the symbolic aspect of Iranian hospitality. In the past, the doors of houses were rarely closed. The doors were open and a simple curtain covered the privacy of the house. The door of the houses is still not closed in many settlements and in the alleys of the old cities except at night. The doors were really open to the guests. In addition, sayings such as "a guest is God's friend", "a guest blesses to the house" and "a guest brings his own sustenance" have been on the tongues of Iranian people for centuries. This issue shows how much the guest is respected by the people of this land.
Felix Edouard Comte de Cercy, the French agent of the Mohammad Shah Qajar era, writes about the respect of guests by rich and poor people, especially emphasizing that the nomads also have it. He spoke with surprise about the hospitality of Iranian people; because, according to his own account, in places where they did not know him, they treated him with grilled lamb and provided a place of comfort and necessary supplies for a traveler.
Heinrich Karl Brugsch, a German traveler of the 19th century, in addition to praising the intelligence and worldview and the taste and poetry of the people of the land of Pol-e Firouze(Iran bridge of turquoise), writes in his travelogue, "In socializing with Iranians, what attracts attention the most is the politeness and respect that they give to each other. In this case, from the educated people to the common farmers of the villages, all their behavior is accompanied by politeness.
They welcome the new guest with the phrase "Welcome" and then ask about his "blessed existence" health with carefully selected sentences and phrases. The person who has been asked, in his turn, considers his health and even the good weather as the only result of the goodness, grace, mercy and kindness of the questioning person and then calls himself his servant and obedient and wishes that his shadow will never disappear from his head. Another expresses his gratitude with these words such as "You have favor to me" and leaves him with the words "Goodbye."
In his travelogue titled "From Khorasan to Bakhtiyari", Henry Rene D'Allemagne spoke about the hospitality of Iranians as follows: "Iranian hospitality is perfect and has worldwide fame. In a country where there are no guesthouses and caravanserais are far from each other, this quality of hospitality is highly commendable and worthy of appreciation. The owners who live by the highways welcome travelers with kindness and open faces. Their hospitality is always free, but it is customary for the traveler to tip his servants before leaving the host.
Madame Carla Serena, the Italian travel writer, also describes the etiquette of Iranians in this way: "The truth should not be overlooked, Iranians have a special grace and elegance in their manners and good behavior, and they have a very strong discernment and extraordinary natural politeness."
Abraham Valentine Williams Jackson traveled to the East in the early 20th century to research the ancient and historical works of Iran. In Tabriz, in front of the hospitality of the people, he praises the politeness and compliments of Iranians and their beautiful literature.
Colonel Charles Edward Yate, in his travelogue "Khorasan and Sistan", described the sacrifice of a sheep at the feet of the guest in Torbat Heydarieh city as a sign of respect. Also he, who is welcomed by the people in the villages of Dargaz County, writes: In the beginning, a man came with a tray full of grapes in his hand. Then another person brought a brazier or tray of fire with pecans in it and placed it on the ground in front of us.
The only difference was that in Sistan region, an old woman did it. I don't know what the origin of this tradition of smoking pecans was. I just know that people do it to cure evil eyes. They brought a sheep near the village and cut off its head in front of us and poured its blood on the ground. (Dr. Seyedhossein Hosseiniseddiq in an assistant professor of history at Islamic Azad University, Azam Sadat Hosseiniseddiq is a teacher with Shahroud City Education Department)
source: tehrantimes.com