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Hero’s War crying (declaiming) in Shahnameh Maryam Hashem University of payam noor Abstract

Ranting Among The Heros In Shahnameh( epic of kings)

Iran is one of the countries leading in epic storytelling. The Shahnameh is the most famous epic stories collection in Iran's literature. The current research intends to study the ranting, as one of the important features of epic. In other words, the epic speech is associated with ranting. Ranting is one of the features of the heroes, especially in the war fields. The feature has been observed in Iran and other nations. First, the meaning of ranting will be presented. Second, the other Iranian epic poets and how the wars were practiced in ancient Iran will be reviewed. Then, the eldest ranting in Persian literature will be reminded. Finally, a sample of the heros' ranting will be provided.

Keywords: Ranting, Heroes, Shahnameh

Introduction:

The Shahnameh is one of the most beautiful epic compositions in the world. This ancient epic story collection involves the history of the ancient Iran. It presents stories on wars and combats of the Iranian heroes and braves with other Aniranian heros and braves. When one reads the Shahnameh, he or she will be introduced with the Iranian customs and behaviors at the war fields. In ancient times, the combatants were offerring special behaviors in the war fields. The individual heros and braves were firstly telling their rivals about their races by using ranting. The Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021 heros were adoring their races with presenting their heroic and courage in previous wars. In this manner, their rivals were challenged. With expressing their races and courage which were mostly intertwined with enlargement, they were aiming their enemies' mentality, or in modern times known as psychological war, so that the war powers of their rivals could be lessoned and they could manage to win the war more easily. The Shahnameh is a beautiful example of these rantings. Having reviewed the ancient and modern writings on ranting, together with having

© 2016 The Authors. Published by European Science publishing Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of European Science publishing Ltd. 2 Maryam Hashem/ 00 (2016) 000–000

presented how the wars were practiced by Iranian army, and having given the eldest sample of ranting with their examples clearly been observed in Shahnameh, the current research intends to outline the beautiful custom, heros' ranting in the war fields.

Problem Description:

The Shahnameh is an epic composition which presented the Iranian ancient history and outlined how the Iranian kings were ruling their land and other regions. It is full of wars occurred in ancient Iran. Sometimes, a war was occurring between Iran and other countries while , sometimes, the Iranian heros and braves were asisting their friend and confederate countries while fighting against their common enemies. Ferdowsi managed to outline the war fields and the combat customs in a beautiful manner. The current research tried to study one of the customs of the war field, ranting of the heros. With giving examples from the ancient writings and the epic compositions, the research tries to study how ranting is done.

Necessity and Importance of Problem:

The Shahnameh is a life story of the ancient Iran. This big composition tells about the behaviors and characteristics of the kings, heros and braves whether in the war fields or out of them. Ferdowsi told about the ancient events. He outlined the wars between Iran and other countries or the wars occurred between the heros and braves. This way we are introduced with the methods and customs before the wars began. The originality of the research is that it outlines how the heros were behaving at the beginning of the war, or as it known as ranting.

Research Background:

When we review the theses and articles on Shahnameh, we can percieve that ranting was not perfectly regraded by those who did researches on Shanameh , e.g. Ghadam Ali Sarami and others. However, the heros' ranting wasn't also generally regarded in terms of the war fields.

Lexical Meaning: Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021 Ranting: reading poems on ranting and fighting mostly with bragging( Dehkhoda's dictionary): Boasting oneself( Moeen's Persian Dictionairy)

1- ( figure of speech) boasting oneself, 2- ( ancient) reading poems at fighting for boasting oneself( Amid Dictionairy)

Presentation of Epic and Ranting:

Given the fact that , in terms of meaning, the epic involves bravery and courage , the ranting is a kind of poem which tells about the wars and braveries and as Aristotle observed it is a kind of Maryam Hashem/ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2016) 000–000 3

imitation on the behaviors and manners of the great men . Mostly, the heros of the epic events are ambitious men whose attempts maintain a nation's sovereignty and independence while gaining honor for their country. Their wars , especially in Iranian heroic epics involve fighting between good and bad or a war among the divine powers( Professor Farough Safizadeh,102. 2012)

Shahnameh's best descriptions especially go to the war field. In the war field, the patched battles are sometimes are recalled which are important just as the wars among the teammates. In pitched battles, the rivals were introduced at first. Next, they were trying to avoid their rivals fighting which might lead to death. Normally, after throwing axe against each other, they were trying hitting with some bricks. Then , they were deciding to use swords( Zabihollah Safa, 233.1993)

The pitched battles are more common in Shahnameh. Mehrdad Bahar believed that most of the contents of Shahnameh are linked with the Parthian dynasty. For instance, Rostam , indeed as Sorena , the Parthian hero, lived in Sistan. Clearly, this indicates that these wars differ from those in Sassanid dynasty. Sometimes, before a big war, or after it, the army was returning back , some heros were chosen among the two fighting armies so that they could try pitched battle. In a pitched battle, the heros were going before their field marshals to get orders. Then, they were getting back to the field, boasting onesleves, claiming the field. The awl was being braought to the hero by a rider who could understand the languages of both rivals and was responsible for interpretting. Before begging to fight, the rivals were asking the interpretter about their rival's name. Next, they were boosting of their race and bravery while humiliating their rival. Finally, they were starting to fight by using spear, awl, sowrd and archery. If none of them were defeated, they would got off the horse and a wrestling began. The one who was defeated would be beheaded, his head would be put on the tip of the spear with which the winner would return back toward his army. The interpretor was safe and was feeling secure. The heros were agreeing not to harm him. If the hero was losing the awl , he would be percieved as black sheep of the family and the other heros would do their best to get back the awl. (Khanlari,576.1978)

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021 Ranting among the Iranian heros against their rivals is typically considered as boasting oneslef and a honor of the nation's race and originality and victories gained previously. The free Iranian people were respected in direct or indirect manner with boasting their braveries against the outsiders or as emerged within the honors of a hero in terms of his race and ancestry. This could be percieved as a research on the innate greatness of the older Iran. The most common psychological war in Shahnameh is the ranting of the heros before the pitched battle. Before the war began, each of the rivals were reminding the victories and braveries they had in the past while also humiliating their their rival enemey's race and originality in order to make them fear and scare. This could destroy their rival's mentality with paralyzing them when trying to think in a correct manner. In consequence they could manage to gain the upper hand and could pave the 4 Maryam Hashem/ 00 (2016) 000–000

way to win. The psychological war is commonly seen among the heros( Fallah, Gholamali, 14, 54-55, 113)

The sixth feature of hero is eloquence which means he should express the materials and contents by using repartee and fluency and should manage to boast himself, ranting against his rival enemy and shouldn't be failed to give incisive answers( Nadooshan, 1984). The ranting is one of the special speeches in the heroic literature which involves boasting of the heros and expressing their honors and activites. It is mostly applied at war times while also being observed in other situations. This is while other heroic or martial stories of the Shahnameh use few or none of these ranting speeches of the braves and warriors( Saramali Ghadami, 1989, 300).

After Frood was killed, Toos , as the commander of Iran's army, ordered to move toward the borders of Tooran. The army reached the bank of Kasehrood. A hero of Tooran, Plashan, welcomed them to prevent the Iranians entering. Giv was prepared to fight against him. However, Bijan asked his father to give up his decision and with giving armor to Sivosh, make him ready to fight against Plashan. Bijan weared the armor by Giv's help and went to fight against the enemy. First, he ranted and mentioned his bravery with boasting his race while humiliating his rival's race in order to destroy his mentality. Finally, he managed to defeat him( Ahmadi, Moslem, 2010, 89).

The most ancient speech of tthe Sasanid dynasty which contains ranting is the poem collection " The Assuric tree and the goat". The story is that in Assur city and the Surestan country, the palm tree involves a speech intertwined with fighting against goat. The tree claims it is superior than the goat in terms of some reasons which include the products and toold made of it and used by the society. Also, the reasons for its claim include the devices used for capturing and killing the goat. The goat aggressed out and began to curse the palm tree. In response, the goat claims its helpfullness for the society. Finally, with the goat moving from one mountain to another one, and with the tree remaining in its place, the story ends( Rooholamini, 2009,340).

The other example of speech at the ancient times occurred at the 4 th and 5 th Hijrah century Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021 when the heroic peoms including Hezar Beit ( a thousand couplets) by Daghighi Toosi were composed. Arjasb wrote a letter threatening Gashtasbshah and prevented him from following Zoroastra. He ranted as following:

" If you don't accept my advice and if you don't stop supporting Zoroastra, you will be captured in my iron prison. I will attack your country and I will destroy there. I will collect a big army of the Chinese Turks whom the land can not bear. I will make the Jeyhoon river full of blood and will make your see dry with the blood flow. I will fire your palace and will destroy your dynasty from its origin. I will fire all your land and will stitch your shoulders together by the spears( Maryam Hashem/ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2016) 000–000 5

Fallah, Gholamali, 14, 54-55, 112).

Another epic is Banoo Gashasb Nameh whose poet is not known and it is supposed that it was versified on speeches of the war occurred between Rostam against Faramarz and Banoo Gashasb at the third or 4th Hijrah centuries. When Banoo Gashasb stood against her enemy , Rostam, began ranting bofore fighting and gave a smashing answer against the ranting as following:

Rostam told Banoo Gashasb do't you know when I intend to fight , the whale escapes to the sea as it fears of me. It fears of me because of the power at my arms which can break the stones and can split the mountains of Caucasus. With my iron fingers, i can split the lion's heart and the tiger's skin. You will see my trappings in the war field. I told you this because I felt empathy to you and I thought you should be aware of the injuries. In response, Banoo ( Lady) told him you are thee shabby demon and I will defeat you. Now, we'd better go to the battle field and start to fight. There will be sufficient hesitation to see who are final triumphant in this field.

Reading these verses, we find when heroes were going to the battle field, they were ranting. No matter the heroes are man or woman, there we see that how this brave lady rant and speaks of his courage and strength and ridicules the hero calling him the shabby demon (kerachi Roohangiz, 2003, 71).

Rantings were sometimes short and long. In the long story of Rostam and Esfandiar, a large part of dialogues between them is formed (Sarami Ghadamali, 1989, 191).

Ranting in the story of Rostam and Esfandiar

Ferdowsi’s eloquence culminates in the battle of Rostam against Esfandiar. These two heroes are unparalleled not only in terms of power and popularity but also in eloquence. At first, Rostam wants Esfandiar to go his home for entertainment. In response, Esfandiar invites him to his home but repents and don’t send anybody to follow him. Rostam rides on his horse and go towards

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021 Esfandiar. When he meets Esfandiar, he complains of his infidelity and expresses his greatness.

Summary of verses translated into Persian:

Know that I am the guardian of my king’s crown. I destroyed the white demon and magicians. All enemies escape from battle before war. In battle field, I tie up their hand and foot behind horses by means of tether and capture them. Saying that thee be my guest mistakes you are higher in order than me. I only wanted not to kill by mine in the battle field. Sam the hero I call him fearless who lions left grove out of his courage.

Esfandiar apologizes him evades due to hot weather and invites Rostam to his binge party but 6 Maryam Hashem/ 00 (2016) 000–000

builds a place for Rostam in his left side not deserving to him and Rostam considers it as an insult to himself.

Rostam say angrily now see me in this party and know my art and race. Know that I am hero. Man should be great, pure-bred and highborn, generous and have a heart full of justice.

Esfandiar denounces Rostam’s race and says that a white hair and demon-like baby was born from Sam. Sam left this baby in the mountain and when she flies from her nest in search of food for her fledglings, she takes pity on the infant and raises him as her own. Sam adopted him as his baby because he has not any baby and becomes old man. My kings and ancestries give honor to your father Zal-e-Dastan. Rostam gets angry and praises his ancestry and mother. At first, he expresses his race and Sam’s braveries then his mother’s race and his courage in defeating demon and enemies. He says he sacrificed his single brave child for the sake of keeping Kay- Kavus’s crown. Finally, he says I have covenant since king Kay-Kavus and my state charter is from those times. In this time, Esfandiar says that you have said from your race and courage then listen to mine. Therefore, he starts to tell his race and courage. My father is Goshtasp getting his kingship from Lohrasp and my mother is daughter of Rome’s king. He killed Arjasp after freedom from prison and took revenge for Zartosht and other great men. He reminds of his courage in passing from seven Labours. Rostam says again from his courage. He ironically urge that I am guardian of king’s crown passing over to Lohrasp and he has made your father Goshtasp, in other words you owed this kingship to me.

Conclusion

According to the above statements, it can be found that ranting has been a technique for conversation that heroes were using it in the battle field. As such, they introduce themselves to the enemy before war and speak their race, greatness and courage whether in the battle field or out of it. In this conversation, they point out this remark to their rival from enemy troop accompanying with exaggeration and honors that you cannot withstand against me and you will die in this battle. As such, they could start a psychological war and cause to put fear and anxiety Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021 in the heart of their enemy depriving spirit and thinking power from him. This method has long been common among several nations. The points expressed in ranting includes honoring to their ancestries and reviving previous honors and greatness, denouncing rival’s family and ancestry, threatening the rivals and breaking down his spirit, honoring to defeat the great heroes, superiority of hero’s position toward Iranian nations. Ranting still exists in our time and its place were changed from the battle field to the competition one. One of the best references to this subject is Shahnameh (the epic of kings) which Ferdowsi has pictured it very well. Esfandiar smiles to the mordant speech of Rostam and says today take part in binge party and you will not see this party. Because when I come to the battle field, I can defeat you and send you with hand Maryam Hashem/ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2016) 000–000 7

tied before king. Rostam says with smile how this would be down while you neither see the battle field nor the heavy mace. In other words, he says you are loser of battle field not mine.

References:

Amini,Rooholah,2009, study in Iranian history from Zoroastrians to Ashkanian, Ghoghnos publicans

Safizadeh,Faroogh ,2012 resistance literature in Iran , Amir kabir Publicans

Nadooshan,mohammad , 1984 , life and death of heroes in shahnameh , yazdan publicans.

Karachi,Rooh angiz , 2003, The lady Goshasb , Humanities publicans

Sarami,ghadam ali,1989 , from flower's color to thistle pains, scientific and culture publicans.

Khanlary, Parviz, 1978 , war and army , Mehr magazine , 2nd year , no 5

Ahmadi, moslem, 2010 , war's Techniques in shahnameh , Dafoos publican.

Fallah, gholam ali,14TH year , no.54 , 55

Ferdowsi Abolghasem. (2007) shahnameh corrected doctor creator Tehran Great Islamic Encyclopedia. Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:17 +0330 on Tuesday September 28th 2021