70-432: A parī is a supernatural entity originating from Persian tales and distributed into wider Asian folklore. The parī s are often described as winged creatures of immense beauty who are structured in societies similar to that of humans. Unlike jinn , the parī s usually feature in tales involving supernatural elements. Over time, the depiction of parī s was subject to change and reconsideration. In early Persian beliefs,
140-512: A battle between the destructive Ahriman and his hordes of demonic Div s and their Aneran supporters, versus the Creator Ahura Mazda , who although not participating in the day-to-day affairs of mankind, was represented in the world by the izad s and the righteous ahlav Iranians. The only written texts relating to religious come from prophet Zoroaster , initiated the reforms which would become Zoroastrianism. Iranian mythology
210-673: A maiden who died with her lover of plague in the Mountains of the Moon ( Ruwenzori ) rather than surviving in exile from the disease and the lover. The third gift, the one that gets the peri into heaven, is a "Tear that, warm and meek/Dew'd that repentant sinner's cheek": the tear of an evil old man who repented upon seeing a child praying in the ruins of the Temple of the Sun at Balbec, Syria . Robert Schumann set Moore's tale to music as an oratorio, Paradise and
280-406: A peri gains entrance to heaven after three attempts at giving an angel the gift most dear to God. The first attempt is "The last libation Liberty draws/From the heart that bleeds and breaks in her cause", to wit, a drop of blood from a young soldier killed for an attempt on the life of Mahmud of Ghazni . Next is a "Precious sigh/of pure, self-sacrificing love": a sigh stolen from the dying lips of
350-522: A potential devil ( dīv ), depending on obedience or disobedience. Arthur de Gobineau tells in his travel report about his 'three years in Asia' a story involving Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and parī . Shah Qajar is said to have had a strong inclination towards the Occult and had hold high respect for experts in the supernatural such as darvīshes . One day a darvīsh warned him that the prince needs precautions to meet
420-429: A prophet of Zoroastrianism religion and his mission. Mazdaism is a religion that has Ahura Mazda at the head of their gods, and in other words, it is Zoroastrian religion. After Zoroaster's death, Oshidar, Oshidar Mah and Saoshyant take over the leadership of Behdinan. Sushyant period is the period of evolution of Urmazdi creatures, and all divans from the generation of bipeds and quadrupeds are destroyed. Sushyant has
490-620: A separate people and had linguistic affinities with the non-Aryans of India, shares some myths contained in the Rigveda . The traditions and beliefs of these people influenced the beliefs of their later society, which was under the cultural domination of the Aryans. With the power of the Medes and then the Persians, a newer mythology, known as the comprehensive mythology of Iran, began. Researchers believe that before
560-569: Is already married, but she promises to give him her daughter in marriage if a girl is born to her. Ign%C3%A1c K%C3%BAnos Ignác Kúnos (originally Ignác Lusztig; 22 September 1860 in Hajdúsámson , Hungary – 12 January 1945 in Budapest , Hungary ) was a Hungarian linguist, turkologist , folklorist, a correspondent member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences . At his time he was one of
630-494: Is also known for the story of his Seven Labours . Another great hero is Jamshid (also given as Yama), who rules the world with justice. He is given power by the gods as a reward for his selfless devotion and uses it wisely. In Persian mythology and folklore , Jamshid is described as the fourth and greatest king of the epigraphically unattested Pishdadian Dynasty (before the Kayanian dynasty ). Edward FitzGerald transliterated
700-438: Is based on the battle between good and evil. Indo-Iranian peoples believed in two general categories of gods: Ahuras, and evil: Divan. The characteristics of these two ranks of gods among Iranians and Hindus, and were transformed into each other, in the sense that among Indians Ahuras became evil and Divan became good, And among Iranians, Ahuras became good and Divan became evil. They sacrificed for both types of gods. The purpose of
770-400: Is female. Mishiyeh is known as the father of humans and Mishyaneh as the mother of humans. Ahriman attacks their thoughts and they utter the first lie and attribute creation to Ahriman. They both repent and have seven pairs of children and die after living for a hundred years. The genealogy of the descendants of Mishiyeh and Mishyaneh includes the origins of many different races. The Iranian race
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#1733092998853840-449: Is from a couple called Siamak and Neshak. After them, Farag-Farwagin and after them the couple Hushang and Guzak are born. The fourth three thousand years: The third three thousand years ends in the middle of the era of Kay Lohrasp . The most important feature of this period is the emergence of Zoroaster . This period is the period of religious revelation. Ahura Mazda reveals the secrets of religion to Zoroaster, and he declares himself
910-554: Is in the early Islamic era; But most of them are based on the texts of the late Sassanid period . Some of the most famous of these books are Bundahisn , Denkard and the Vendidad . The other major source for Persian mythology is the Shahnameh (“The Book of Kings”) written by the Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi (940-1020 CE). In the mythological beliefs of Iranians before Zoroastrian,
980-510: Is prevalent in Persian myths as well as Zoroastrianism. Before the Medes , individual Aryan civilizations lived in this land, which mostly had no linguistic, racial, or even religious kinship with their neighbors outside the Iranian plateau, and sometimes they had solidarity. These tribes included Lullubi , Gutian , Kassites , and Urartu . The Elamites also had an old and well-known civilization in
1050-512: Is put in command of the Iranian army until the arrival of Tous . His most important adventure is in the story of Farud , where he fights with Turanian army along with other Iranian heroes. Rudaba : a Persian mythological female figure in Ferdowsi 's epic Shahnameh . She is the princess of Kabul , daughter of Mehrab Kaboli and Sindukht , and later she becomes married to Zal , as they become lovers. They had two children, including Rostam ,
1120-717: Is sacred and praised in Iranian and Indian beliefs, and they used to perform sacrifices for the gods in a similar manner. The oldest examples of the ancient form of Iranian mythology are references in Avesta , especially in Yashta . Because Yashta are above all a collection of prayer hymns, there are no detailed references to myths in them. Everything is closed and short. The most detailed texts about Iranian mythology are in Zoroastrian writings in Middle Persian. The final compilation of most of them
1190-628: Is sometimes to the extent of the similarity of the names of persons and places. The close languages of these two groups also confirm their common roots; Therefore, the origin of the mythology of these two nations has been the same in the distant past, but the migration of Indians from the Aryan plateau to lands with different nature and climatic conditions, as well as indigenous peoples, has brought about fundamental changes in their mythology and religious beliefs. There are good and evil forces in both of these myths. The names of their gods are close to each other. Fire
1260-400: Is the body of the myths originally told by ancient Persians and other Iranian peoples and a genre of ancient Persian folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Persians' own cult and ritual practices. Modern scholars study the myths to shed light on
1330-626: Is the same as what was found in Latin and Armenian texts. After that, the Sassanid period begins, and they are introduced as descendants of the Kayanians. The one who chose to follow Ahura Mazda, would live a good life with others, and the one who chose Ahriman, will become a source of strife. Death is a journey to the afterlife, and the soul of the dead person has to cross the Chinvat Bridge . Good souls found
1400-492: Is the world belonging to Ahura Maza, which is full of light, life, knowledge, beauty, and fragrance, and the second is the world belonging to Ahriman, which is dark, ugly, smelly, and full of sorrow and disease. Ahura Maza first creates Amesha Spenta , which are: Sepand Mino, Khordad, Mordad, Bahman, Ordibehesht, Shahrivar and Spandarmad. After the creation of Amshaspandan, Ahura Mazda creates the gods. Ahriman also creates Sardivan for each of Amshaspandans to deal with Ahura Maza. At
1470-424: Is untruth, one is fragrant and the other is bright, one is light and the other is darkness. In fact, serving good concepts is still one of the great mythological messages of Iran. In Iranian mythology, what can be seen everywhere in all mythological narratives is the presence of evil and evil forces in the world. These evil forces, which are considered to be the assistants of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman), are mentioned by
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#17330929988531540-537: The Iranian Plateau and its bordering plains . The Encyclopædia Iranica project uses the term Iranian cultural continent for this region. Most characters in Persian mythology are either good, or they are evil. The resultant discord mirrors the nationalistic ideals of the early Islamic era as well as the moral and ethical perceptions of the Zoroastrian period, in which the world was perceived to be locked in
1610-503: The Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ History of the Prophets and Kings , God creates parī at some point after the vicious dīvs . They ruled the world until it was given to a tribe of angels called al-jinn ( fereštegan ), those leader was Iblis . Although the parī lose their rank as representatives of the earth after the creation of Adam , they are still present during the time of Keyumar. It is only after
1680-481: The darvīsh was gone. The author of the tale was probably familarized with the tale on his travels to Tehran at orders of Napoleon III in 1855. The authors leaves a mark of mockery and used as a sign of the Persian's gullibility. Whether Gobineau's remark holds true or not, the story reflects the popularity of such belief in Iranian consciousness. In Thomas Moore 's poem Paradise and the Peri , part of his Lalla-Rookh ,
1750-501: The feudalistic background point to a date in the Parthian period of Iranian history . The story is about Vis, the daughter of Shāhrū and Qārin, the ruling family of Māh (Media) in western Iran , and Ramin (Rāmīn), the brother to Mobed Manikan, the King of Marv in northeastern Iran. Manikan sees Shāhrū in a royal gala, wonders at her beauty, and asks her to marry him. She answers that she
1820-402: The flood that they became hidden from the sight of humankind. Isma'ilite scholar Nasir Khusraw (1004 – between 1072–1088) elaborates on the concept of parī in his explanation of angels, jinn, and devils. He asserts that parī is the Persian term for jinn . Then, he proceeds that the parī s are divided into two categories: angel and devil. Each parī would be both a potential angel and
1890-531: The parī belong to the spiritual realm until love sprouts in their hearts, and they must join with their mortal lovers, being abandoned by their sisters to their own devices. Also, the first meeting between humans and parī occurs during the latter's bathtime. The parī s are usually considered benevolent in Turkish sources. Shamans in Kazakhstan sometimes consult parī for aid in spiritual rituals. Uyghur shamans use
1960-473: The parī . The affection of parī might soon turn into wrath, when he acted in a way which might offend him. He then prepares for a meeting at a pavilion outside the city. For the special occasion, the Garden was adorned with precious golden and silver vessels, jewellery, and costly furniture. After the sunset he fell asleep. When he woke up again, he found that there was that not only there was no parī but also that
2030-425: The parī s are also feared because they are said to abduct people and take them to their home-world, Parīstān , or punish people for social transgressions. The Persian word پَری parī comes from Middle Persian parīg , itself from Old Persian * parikā- . The word may stem from the same root as the Persian word par 'wing', although other proposed etymologies exist. The etymological relation to
2100-403: The parī s are morally ambivalent creatures, and can be either Muslims or infidels. According to Turkologist Ignác Kúnos , the parī in Turkish tales fly through the air with cloud-like garments of a green colour, but also in the shape of doves. They also number forty, seven or three, and serve a Fairy-king that can be a human person they abducted from the human world. Like vestals, Kúnos wrote,
2170-501: The parī s were probably a class of evil spirits and only later received a positive reception. In the Islamic period , the parī already developed into morally complex beings with a generally positive connotation of immense beauty, and late in the tenth century, were integrated into the Arab houri -tale tradition. They are often contrasted by their nemesis the ugly dīv s. Despite their beauty,
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2240-401: The 1st century AD. It has also been suggested that Gorgani's story reflects the traditions and customs of the period immediately before he himself lived. The framework of the story is the opposition of two Parthian ruling houses , one in the west and the other in the east. Gorgani originally belongs to Hyrcania which is one of main lands of Parthians . The existence of these small kingdoms and
2310-537: The Arabic Houri . However, the term has also been used as a synonym for jinn . At the start of Ferdowsi 's epic poem Shahnameh , "The Book of Kings", the divinity Sorush appears in the form of a parī to warn Keyumars (the mythological first man and shah of the world) and his son Siamak of the threats posed by the destructive Ahriman . Parīs also form part of the mythological army that Keyumars eventually draws up to defeat Ahriman and his demonic son. In
2380-449: The English word "fairy" is disputed. Some argue that there is no relation and that both words derive from different meanings. Others argue that both terms share a common origin: The English term "fairy" deriving from fier (enchant) and the Persian term from par (enchant). However, there is no consensus on either theory. Originally, the parī s have been considered a class of dēvatā and
2450-654: The Moon, and the fixed stars, with good. Such negative associations of the planets, however, are not supported in Avestan languages . In popular literature of the Islamic period, parī s are non-human beings with wings and magical powers. They are often, though not necessarily, female and employ an erotic appeal to mortal men. As early as the tenth century, parī feature as a template for the exquisite beauty of "the beloved" in Persianate folklore and poetry, echoing an identification with
2520-705: The Oriental Institute integrated into the Budapest University of Economics , and then from 1922 he taught Turkish linguistic at the university. In the summer of 1925 and 1926, invited by the Turkish government, he was professor at the Ankara and Istanbul Universities , besides this in 1925 he organized the Department of Folkloristics at the Istanbul University. He died during the soviet siege of Budapest . At
2590-585: The Peri , using an abridged German translation. Persian mythology Pontic Steppe Caucasus East Asia Eastern Europe Northern Europe Pontic Steppe Northern/Eastern Steppe Europe South Asia Steppe Europe Caucasus India Indo-Aryans Iranians East Asia Europe East Asia Europe Indo-Aryan Iranian Indo-Aryan Iranian Others European Iranian mythology, or Persian mythology in western term ( Persian : اسطورهشناسی ایرانی ),
2660-503: The aid of parī to heal women from miscarriage , and protect from evil jinn. According to the Kho , parī s are able to cast love spells , sometimes used by a spiritual master referred to as "Master of Faries". Sometimes the parī s would take interest in the life of humans and abduct them to invite them to weddings of fellow parī . Alleged abductions can be either physical or psychological, in which case their victims lose consciousness. During
2730-667: The beginning of his career he mainly focused on the dialectology , phonological and morphological matters of the Hungarian language as well as the ones of the Mordvinic languages . Being pupil of Ármin Vámbéry , his interest was directed towards Turkish language and philology. From 1885 until 1890, during his stay in Constantinople, he traveled to Rumelia , Anatolia , Syria , Palestine and Egypt . During his trip he observed and studied
2800-424: The bridge to be a wide road leading to heaven, and for bad souls who chose to follow Ahriman during their life, they fell from the bridge into hell. Persian myths is filled with famous heroes, to name a few: the greatest Persian hero is Rostam , who is the grandson of the hero Sām , and son of the equally Zal and Rudaba . Rostam was always represented as the mightiest of Iranian paladins (holy warriors). He rides
2870-548: The champion, Olad. Rostam and Sohrab : The tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab forms part of the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh by the Persian poet Ferdowsi . It tells the tragic story of the heroes Rostam and his son, Sohrab . Esfandiyār : a legendary Iranian hero and one of the characters of Ferdowsi 's Shahnameh . He was the son and the crown prince of the Kayanian King Goshtasp and Queen Katāyoun . He
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2940-494: The characteristics of the Turkish dialects, ethnography, folk poetry and folk customs of Turkish and other local peoples. The most significant merit of him was that he collected an impressive amount of folk tales and anecdotes that were published in Hungarian as well as many other European languages. As a recognition of his scientific contributions, he was elected a correspondent member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , but he also
3010-414: The conflict of Ahriman and his demons with Ahura Maza and his gods. Meanwhile, Ahriman kills the created cow, grains, plants and animals are created. After 40 years, a rhubarb branch grows from the seed of Keyumars , which has two stalks and fifteen leaves. These fifteen leaves are in accordance with the years that Mishiyeh and Mishyaneh, the first Adam couple have at that time. Mishiyeh is male and Mishyaneh
3080-607: The court in their records. It starts from Kay Lohrasp and ends at Garshasp. However, all these are mythological characters in the Avesta, and in the Zoroastrian texts of the Sasanian period, they are gods of the Izder race. Kayanian dynasty : The Kayanians are the second mythological dynasty of Iran, which in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is equal to the epic periods. It starts with Kay Kawad and ends with
3150-466: The creation of the world. He creates the sky, water, earth, plants, animals and humans in one year. The anniversary of these creations are six festivals, which are known as Gahambars . The main prototypes of creation are the cow, four-legged animals, and the human beings. At the end of the second three thousand years, Ahriman, with the help of his allies, returns and decides to destroy the current world. The third three thousand years: in this period, we see
3220-608: The earth, where the whole divan of "Zeed and Islah". Ahriman appears in 3 forms other than his image: Chelpasa (lizard), Snake and Young. Although he is mentioned in the Shahnameh of the Mardosh kingdom, in the Avesta he is a three-headed, six-eyed and three-nosed demon with a body full of scorpions. However, based on Zoroastrian writings, in the final days of the world, it is Ahura Mazda who will win over Ahriman and destroy him forever, and after that only goodness, light and health will remain in
3290-456: The end of the first three thousand years, a peace is made between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman that the last battle between the forces of evil and good will take place nine thousand years later. After the pact is concluded, Ahura Mazda utters the true prayer, Ahunur, and as a result, Ahriman falls to hell and remains unconscious there for the second three thousand years. The second three thousand years: After Ahriman's unconsciousness, Ahura Mazda begins
3360-550: The existence of a supernatural creature called parī . The term parī is attested in Turkish sources from the 11th century onward and was probably associated with the Arabic jinn when entering the Turkic beliefs through Islamic sources. Although jinn and parī s are sometimes used as synonyms, the term parī is more frequently used in supernatural tales. According to the book People of the Air ,
3430-556: The fall of Iran at the hands of Alexander. However, the Iranian narrative considered the reign of Alexander and the Greeks to be very short, and did not assume any time for the Seleucids, it also estimated the period of 450 years of rule of the Parthians to be only 200 years. The final data of the Parthian era in Iranian mythology deals with the battle between Artabanus IV and Ardeshir I , which
3500-698: The financial support of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Budapest Jewish community he spent five years in Constantinople studying Turkish language and culture. In 1890 he was appointed at the Budapest University as professor of the Turkish philology. Between 1899-1919 he was the director of the newly organized Oriental College of Commerce in Budapest. From 1919 until 1922 he held the same post at
3570-507: The legendary stallion Rakhsh and wears a special suit named Babr-e Bayan in battles. In the Shahnameh , Rostam and his predecessors are Marzbans of Sistan . Rostam is best known for his tragic fight with Esfandiyār , the other legendary Iranian hero; for his expedition to Mazandaran (not to be confused with the modern Mazandaran Province ); and for tragically fighting and killing his son, Sohrab , without knowing who his opponent is. He
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#17330929988533640-404: The main hero of the Shahnameh. Rostam's Seven Labours : a series of acts carried out by the greatest of the Iranian heroes, Rostam , The story was retold by Ferdowsi in his epic poem, Shahnameh . The Seven Labours were seven difficult tasks undertaken by Rostam, accompanied, in most instances, only by his faithful and sagacious steed Rakhsh , although in two labours he was accompanied also by
3710-558: The most recognised scholars of the Turkish folk literature and Turkish dialectology . He is the grandfather of American-Hungarian neuroendocrinologist, pharmacologist George Kunos born 1942, and of the Hungarian translator and publisher László Kúnos, born 1947. Kunos attended the Reformed College in Debrecen , then studied linguistics at the Budapest University between 1879 and 1882. With
3780-570: The name as Jamshyd . In the eastern regions of Greater Iran , and by the Zoroastrians of the Indian subcontinent it is rendered as Jamshed Bahram , is an Iranian hero in Shahnameh . He is son of Goudarz and brother of Rohham , Giv and Hojir . In the story of Siavash, he and Zange-ye Shavaran are Siavash's counselors. They unsuccessfully try to convince Siavash not to go to Turan . When Siavash goes to Turan and abandons Iranian army, Bahram
3850-402: The names of Div and Druq. These two have male and female genders, and against every good thing in the world. In Iranian mythology, the world is always the scene of conflict between these evil and good forces. Ahura Mazda and Ahriman have been at war with each other since eternity, and life in the world is a reflection of the cosmic struggle of the two. Ahriman's place of residence is the north of
3920-499: The periods of abductions, people claim to be able to see, hear, and interact with parī , and sometimes even report their words and appearance. Parī were the target of a lower level of evil Dīvs (دیو), who persecuted them by locking them in iron cages. This persecution was brought about by, as the Dīvs perceived it, the parī' lack of sufficient self-esteem to join the rebellion against perversion. Abu Ali Bal'ami 's interpretation of
3990-406: The possessors. In this period, Zoroastrian religion is presented and we see fundamental changes in the mythological history of Iran. The most important events of this period are related to Iran and Turan wars. The story of Arash belongs to the narratives of this period. In the Shahnameh, it is associated with the epic, and in it Rostam, who is a less prominent character in Zoroastrian texts, rises to
4060-523: The power of the Medes, a branch of Aryans migrated from Iran to India . That is why the ancient forms of Indian mythology are very similar to the ancient forms of Iranian mythology. The mythology of Iran was greatly influenced by the myths of the native peoples of the Iranian plateau and the myths of the Middle River. Researchers have shown these influences in many places in Iranian mythology. Indian and Iranian mythology are close in many ways. This proximity
4130-611: The religious and political institutions of not only Iran but of the Persosphere , which includes regions of West Asia , Central Asia , South Asia , and Transcaucasia where the culture of Iran has had significant influence. Historically, these were regions long ruled by dynasties of various Iranian empires, that incorporated considerable aspects of Persian culture through extensive contact with them, or where sufficient Iranian peoples settled to still maintain communities who patronize their respective cultures. It roughly corresponds to
4200-529: The sacrifice for the evil gods was to pay them a ransom to stop killing people. Sacrifice was made for good gods to seek help and blessing from them. On the other side of the fence is Zahhak , a symbol of despotism who was, finally, defeated by Kāve , who led a popular uprising against him. Zahhak ( Avestan : Aži Dahāka ) was guarded by two vipers which grew out from both 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 mythologies,
4270-512: The southwest of the Iranian plateau , but they were not of the Aryan race. These tribes, who controlled the southern half of Iran, the west and the northwest, had their own special myths. Not much is known about their mythology. However, Kassites mythology has some similarities with later Iranian civilizations, namely the Medes and Persians , especially in the names. The mythology of the Elamites, who were
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#17330929988534340-489: The stories of One Thousand and One Nights , a parī appears only in the story of Ahmad and Pari Bānu . The tale is a combination of originally two separate stories; the parī features in the latter, when Prince Ahmad meets the beautiful princess Pari Banu. Ahmad has to deal with difficult tasks he manages to comply by aid of his fairy-wife. From India , across Northern Pakistan , Afghanistan , and Iran to Central Asia , and Turkey , local traditions variously acknowledge
4410-404: The task of raising the dead. Each of these dead people pass through the Chinvat Bridge . Pishdadian dynasty : Pishdadians are the first dynasty of Iranian history according to mythological texts, which are related to Kay Lohrasp . This series of kings who brought the beginning of human civilization to Iranians and were able to record fire and use of metals and other living things and capturing
4480-400: The term dīvānah refers to a person who lost reason because they fell in love, as the beloved steals the lover's reason. In this regard, the parī features similar to the Arabic jinn . The jinn , unlike the parī s, do not have connotations of beauty however. In Middle Persian literature , comets have been identified with parī . Comets and planets were associated with evil, while the Sun,
4550-564: The top. These kings were probably considered the local kings of eastern Iran. Al-Biruni has compared the Achaemenids to the Kayanians in his works. However, it is clear that the last Kiyan king who is defeated by Alexander in mythological texts is the same Darius III of Achaemenid. A fusion of mythological history and real history: This period corresponds to the time when the Iranian mythological narrative coincides with concrete historical data such as stone inscriptions and Greek texts; It means
4620-454: The world at that time, the world was divided into seven regions, the center of which was called Khoonirth, and six satellite lands were around it. The sky had three levels of star base, moon base and sun base. Dark Mountain, which was located in Alborz , was considered the center of the universe. The message of Iranian myths is the confrontation of two gems of good and evil. One is truth and the other
4690-404: The world was round and flat like a plate. The sky was also imagined as stone and hard as a diamond. The earth in the center was completely flat and untouched, and there was no movement between the earth, the moon, and the stars. But everything changed by Ahura Mazda . The dynamism arose, the mountains were created, the rivers flowed, and the moon and stars began to rotate. In the general picture of
4760-417: The world. Creation takes place within twelve thousand mythological years. These twelve thousand years are divided into four periods of three thousand years. The first three thousand years begins with the birth of two children named Ahura Maza and Ahriman from Zarvan. In the first three thousand years, the world is Minoan and there is still neither place nor time. In this period, two entities are mentioned. One
4830-552: Was a symbol of evil, but many other animals and birds appear in Iranian mythology, and, especially, the birds were signs of good omens . Most famous of these is the Simurgh , a large, beautiful, and powerful bird; and the Huma bird , a royal bird of victory whose plume adorned Persian crowns. Peri (Avestan Pairika ), a beautiful albeit evil woman in early mythology, gradually became less evil and more beautiful. The conflict between good and evil
4900-504: Was the grandchild of Kay Lohrasp . Esfandiyār is best known for the tragic story of a battle with Rostam . It is one of the longest episodes in Shahnameh and is one of its literary highlights. Vis and Rāmin : a classical Persian love story . The epic was composed in poetry by Fakhruddin As'ad Gurgani in the 11th century. Gurgani claimed a Sasanian origin for the story, but it is now regarded as of Parthian dynastic origin, probably from
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