Semantic and Narrative Implications of the Covenant Element in four Classical Texts

The present study, adopting a narrative semantics approach, investigates the overarching signifier “Covenant” in four prominent classical Persian literary texts (Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Fakhr al-Din As’ad’s Vis and Ramin, Nezami’s Haft Peykar, and Nezami’s Khosrow and Shirin). In these texts, the covenant is not merely a recurring theme but a semiotic structure that transcends the narrative level and acquires meaning-making functions. The aim of this research is to analyze the narrative mechanisms that, by focusing on the narrative element of the motif and considering it as a signifier in itself, illuminate the overarching network of the covenant signifier. This situation is demonstrated through a descriptive-analytical method with an emphasis on recurring narrative elements within scenarios such as oath-taking, loyalty, political betrayal, and so forth, showing how the covenant operates within the internal structure of the narrative and what semantic consequences it entails. The findings indicate that in each of these texts, the covenant appears as a narrative construct which, while differentiated in historical perception and character development, shares meaningful commonalities at the cultural semiotic level. Here, the covenant functions as a factor for establishing or breaking human bonds, preserving individual or collective identity, and regulating power relations, which according to a specific pattern—a religious discourse rooted in ancient Iran—has shaped the progression and conclusion of the stories.