Persian mythology
Persian Mythology is the collective term for the beliefs and practices of the culturally and linguistically related group of ancient peoples who inhabited the
Iranian Plateau and its borderlands, as well as areas of
Central Asia from the Black Sea to
Khotan (modern Ho-t'ien, China).
The central collection of Persian mythology is the
Shahnameh of
Ferdowsi, written over a thousand years ago. Ferdowsi's work draws heavily, with attribution, on the stories and characters of
Mazdaism and Zoroastrianism, not only from the
Avesta, but from later texts such as the
Bundahishn and the
Denkard as well.
The characters of Persian mythology almost always fall into one of two camps. They are either good, or they are evil. The resultant discord mirrors the ancient conflict, which in Persian mythology is based on the Zoroastrian concept of the dual emanation of
Ahura Mazda (
Avestan, or
Ormuzd in later Persian).
Spenta Mainyu is the source of constructive energy, while
Angra Mainyu is the source of darkness, destruction, sterility, and death.
Found in abundance in Persian mythology are the
daÄ"va (Avestan, Persian:
div), meaning 'celestial' or 'bright'. These divinities were worshipped in pre-Zoroastrian Mazdaism, and as in
Vedic religions, the adherants of the pre-Zoroastrian form of Mazdaism considered the
daÄ"va holy and sacred beings. It is only after the religious reforms of
Zarathustra (Zoroaster) that the term
daÄ"va became associated with
demons. Even then the Persians living south of the Caspian Sea continued to worship the
daeva and resisted pressure to accept Zoroastrianism, and legends that involve
daÄ"va survive to this day. For instance, that of the legend of the
Div-e Sepid (white
daÄ"va) of
Mazandaran.
Moreover,
Angra Mainyu or
Ahriman in Persian, once the Zoroastrian epitome of evil, lost its original Zoroastrian/Mazdaist identity in later Persian literature, and was ultimately depicted as a
div. Religious depictions of
Ahriman made in the era following the Islamic invasion show
Ahriman as a giant of a man with spotted body and two horns.
|
Relief in Tus depicting popular mythical stories of Iran. |
The most famous legendary character in the Persian epics and mythology is
Rostam. On the other side of the fence is
Zahhak, a symbol of despotism who was finally defeated by
Kaveh the Blacksmith who led a popular uprising against him. Zahhak was guarded by two vipers which grew out of his shoulders. No matter how many times they were beheaded, new heads grew on them to guard him. The snake like in many other Oriental mythologies was a symbol of evil. But many other animals and birds appear in
Iranian mythology and especially the birds were signs of good omen. Most famous of these is
Simorgh, a large beautiful and powerful bird,
Homa, a royal bird of victory whose plume adorned the crowns and
Samandar, the phoenix.
Pari (
Avestan: Pairika), considered a beautiful though evil woman in early mythology, gradually became less evil and more beautiful until the Islamic period she became a symbol of beauty similar to the
houris of
Paradise. However another evil woman, Patiareh, now symbolizes whores and prostitutes.
*
Aryan mythology*
Islamic mythology*
Persian deities*
Zoroastrianism*
Cup of Jamshid*
Arash*
Fulad-zereh*
Persian literature*
Homa, the ancient griffin of
Persepolis.
*
Flying carpet* Iran almanac and book of facts 1964-1965. Fourth edition, new print. Published by Echo of Iran, Tehran 1965.
*
CAIS Articles on: Ancient Iranian Mythology*
Indo-Iranian MythologyIran Almanac 2006 is also published. http://www.iranalmanac.com
