ابژه ها و تغيير مراسم ديني

Changes in Objects of Religious Ceremonies

This article compares objects of religious ceremonies in Tehran in pre- and post-revolutionary times. The main research question is: Have mourning rituals (as part of the cultural realm) changed in the contemporary period ? As religious objects are the tangible features of mourning ceremonies, the research question may also be rephrased as: Have material obgects in mourning ceremonies held in Tehran in changed? To answer the research question, objects of mourning ceremonies used in Tehran in pre- and post-revolutionary times are compared utilizing documentary, participatory observation, and interview methods. Research findings reveal that the culture of mourning ceremonies with objects as its manifestation is changing in Tehran. Old objects such as the banner, the script, and the podium have survived by acquiring new functions in the contemporary ceremonies. In addition to these, new objects, for example pictures of martyrs, texts of political slogans, audio cassettes, and musical instruments have entered contemporary ceremonies in response to recent cultural and social conditions such as the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War. Due to the vastness of the subject and the diversity of mourning ceremony objects, only some of the changes are confirmed in this article.