A Question of Mediative Function of Kush-nameh as Historical Narrative

This paper examines a question of whether a neologism ‘faction,’ the mixture of fact and fiction can function as a historical narrative, focusing on a newly found Persian epic tale, Kush-nameh and recent artistic adaptations of it in Korea. This epic tale can be conceived as a historical narrative in three-folded reasons : First, it belongs to and follows traditional Persian epic tales that are largely based on real historical figures and events; second, the Silla parts that this work describes by and large accord with real historical facts that some authentic historical references and relics in Korea record and reveal; third, faction has begun to be recognized as a legitimate source in historical understanding mainly due to what is called the ‘linguistic turn’ in history. A series of artistic adaptations of this epic tale in such areas as fiction, children’s story, animation, dance music further reinforce historical contexts that the original text infers. In addition, some local governments including ancient Silla with its capital city and its outport within their current administrative districts have supported and utilized the Silla story of Kush-nameh and its adapted works in a way to (re-)positioning ancient cities or kingdoms into both ancient and modern global networks such as the Silk Road. With regard to historical accuracy and authenticity, this move is likely to raise a question of whether the genre of faction such as Kush-nameh and its artistic adaptations can deserve, as historical narratives, an earnest attention and consideration from academia for its potential meditative function. This paper concludes that literary works and their artistic adaptations may well deserve an earnest attention from academia as historical narratives.