The University of Basrah Organizes a Seminar on Mythology in Narrative and Poetry
The Basrah and Arabian Gulf Studies Center at the University of Basrah organized a literary seminar entitled “Folk Mythology in Iraqi and Gulf Literature.”
The seminar aimed to highlight the presence of mythology and folk heritage across various literary genres, and to examine their symbolic and cultural dimensions in shaping narrative and poetic texts.
The first session featured three research papers. The first presented a critical reading of the novel “Jinn of Arabistan” by Osamah Almuslim, illustrating the use of jinn and mythological elements in narrative construction. The second paper explored the popular and metaphysical dimensions in the novel “Al-‘Asas” by Laila Al-Othman. The third paper examined the significance of collective ideas in the short story “Dhan” by Shaimaa Thaer, highlighting the role of collective consciousness and folk beliefs in shaping literary texts.
The second session included a study on the manifestations of myth in classical poetry. Another paper analyzed the myth of Aisha in the poetry of Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati, emphasizing its intellectual and symbolic dimensions. The final paper addressed fear-inducing symbols in popular discourse directed at children and their role in guidance and psychological influence.
The seminar recommended greater attention to mythological studies as an essential approach to understanding the cultural structure of literary texts, as well as promoting research on folk heritage and its relationship with contemporary literary discourse.
Department of Media and Government Communication
