The Archetype of Festival Culture: Symbolism in Nawruz and Korean Festivities

Abstract

Although Persia played a major role as an archetypal culture, traditional scholarship holds that it degenerated into a “lost civilization,” and only its intermediary role between Eastern and Western civilizations has been recognized. Even so, the customs and ritual ceremonies of Persia, particularly as seen in the festival of Nawruz (the New Year Festival), have the oldest cultural roots in the world, and their influence is still prevalent globally. There is a need to rediscover Persian civilization and culture, which has been pushed to the margins, to reinterpret its symbols, and to restore its position as an archetype. This paper utilizes the festival of Nawruz as a primary example of the lasting influence of Persian culture, as seen in the Iranian Festival of Fire, symbolism in certain numbers and rituals, and the correlation of several ritual images from ancient Persia to their more contemporary counterparts in Korea and other Asian regions. Keywords: Persian culture, Nawruz festival, Korea, East Asian History, Symbolism of the Numbers, Significance of the Two Fishes, Festival of Fire