Ferdowsi's Shahnameh: An Attempt to Save Aryan Tradition through Diminishing the Concept of Filicide [PP: 27-38] Esmaeil Zohdi Department of English Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Kerman, Iran Sohila Faghfori Department of English Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Kerman, Iran Corresponding Author: Mohammad Hussein Oroskhan Department of English Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Kerman, Iran ABSTRACT Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is filled with different numbers of filicides. Mostly in each of them, the older side is privileged over the younger one. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to investigate the notion of conflict between these two sides specifically in the tragedy of Rostam and Esfandiar with respect to its reason. As it is evident, Ferdowsi devoted a great deal of effort to revive the Aryan tradition ruined by Arab invasion through writing Shahnameh. Therefore, in most of the old/new conflicts, he favored the older side so as to restore the glory of the past traditions. Moreover, Ferdowsi has tried to show the unjustifiable stand of new side against the reasonable stand of the older side. Indeed Ferdowsi's willingness toward filicides in Shahnameh is actually showing his willingness toward the older tradition of Iran which has been destroyed by Arab invasion. Keywords: Filicide, Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, Arab invasion, father-son conflict ARTICLE The paper received on: 12/05/2015 , Reviewed on: 30/06/2015, Accepted after revisions on: 09/08/2015 INFO Suggested Citation: Zohdi, E., Faghfori, S. & Oroskhan, M. H. (2015). Ferdowsi's Shahnameh: An Attempt to Save Aryan Tradition through Diminishing the Concept of Filicide. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 3(3), 27-38. Retrieved from http://www.eltsjournal.org International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 03 Issue: 03 July-September, 2015 1. Introduction a Semitic religion and laws, a lot of its credit Ferdowsi (935–1020) is deemed to be one should be offered to the patriotic and poetic of the greatest Persian poets to have ever genius of Ferdowsi. lived. His persistent endeavor and personal Shahname is comprised of three sections sacrifices to save the identity, language and based on the stories that are narrated. Its first history of his motherland brought him a section, from Keyumars to Fereydun, lifetime of hardship, but earned him great narrates the story of mankind as a whole fame and honor for one of the greatest poetic coping with forces of nature and is called the masterpieces of all time- Shahnameh. Beside mythical section. The second part, from its utmost literary importance, Shahnameh is Manuchehr to Bahman, narrates the stories of written in almost pure Persian. This factor of legendary kings and warriors and how they Shahnameh has been pivotal for reviving the established the Iranian world and it is called Persian language which has been subsequent the heroic section and the last part narrates to the influence of Arabic language. the history of Iran during the reign of In fact Ferdowsi grew up in a culture Sassanid dynasty and is called the historical which was controlled by the Arabs for three section. hundred years because the Arab conquest of Among these sections, the heroic section is Persia in seventh century ended the great considered to be the most important one. civilization of the Aryans. Before the Because two-thirds of the Shahnameh is invasion of Iran by Arabs, Iran was known to devoted to this part and also it comprises the be a land of great civilization in which majority of scholar's researches on magnificent kings and emperors developed Shahnameh. This period extends from the and built Persian civilization. Kings like time of Manuchehr until the conquest of Jamshid, Darius and Anushervan, the Just, all Alexander the Great. The distinguished of them are always praised in the history and feature of this section is the prominent role civilization of Iran as architects of the Persian played by the Sistānī heroes who appear as civilization. These kings are mostly the backbone of the Persian Empire. considered to be the repository of wisdom Garshāsp is briefly mentioned with his son and divinity. However, Arab invasion ruined Narimān. Then the story of Narimān's son, this great civilization and established Islamic Sām, is told. Sām is the leading knight of laws as the accepted criteria for the nation. Manuchehr while controlling Sistān in his Precisely, at this juncture, Ferdowsi own right. Afterwards, Zāl comes as his undertook his venture to avoid extinguishing successor and his son, Rostam, becomes the all the good memories of Aryan tradition. leading hero of Shahnemeh. Therefore, Shahnameh is a marvelous By focusing on this part, one can see a work of assertion of the cultural identity, conflict between the older and younger language, values and the compendious heroes. The conflict has shown its face in history of a nation at a time when it was different contexts; and the story is received suffering from a tumultuous period of by different reactions. From time to time transition, transformation and the consequent novelty and youth are attributed to freshness confusion of the aggressive march of alien and vigor. However, in Shahnameh, influences. If today Iranian people can be generally being of novelty and young age is honored to have preserved its ancient culture, expressed to be unworthy and when a conflict values and identity despite adapting itself to occurs, the younger side is usually the one to Cite this article as: Zohdi, E., Faghfori, S. & Oroskhan, M. H. (2015). Ferdowsi's Shahnameh: An Attempt to Save Aryan Tradition through Diminishing the Concept of Filicide. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 3(3), 27-38. Retrieved from http://www.eltsjournal.org Page | 28 Ferdowsi's Shahnameh: An Attempt to Save Aryan Tradition … Zohdi, E., Faghfori, S. & Oroskhan, M. H be condemned. Mostly the outcome of these form. In this respect, an epic poem can aptly conflicts is the act of filicide. define heroism and simultaneously the One of these well-known conflicts is generosity of the ethnics and religion. This portrayed in "The Battle of Rostam and feature is available in all major poems of the Esfandiar". This tragic conflict is a unique world. Therefore, when one reads example of twofold filicide action in Shahnameh, he or she realizes the Iranian Shahname. By the word filicide, a broader moral, religious, intellectual, and cultural sense than committing the murder by one's aspects. And most importantly the different own hand is also meant in this paper. The religious views are discussed thoroughly in duality mentioned is due to the fact that a Shahnameh. king knowing through a prophecy that his son Although it is never expressed utterly in would be killed in the campaign, sends him Shahnameh, probably due to kings' to do the impossible, namely, to capture puritanical attitudes that would not accept Rostam, the mightiest hero of all the times; their national heroes as heathen; Iranian and Rostam who is called "World Hero" and kings and heroes in Shahnameh prior to considered the foster father of all the warriors Zoroaster were followers of Mithraism, "a and kings of Iran kills Esfandiar (Iran's crown basic element of which is sun worshiping" prince and its new patron warrior, who (Encyclopedia Britanica, 1995, 198). therefore should be protected by him as a Though, it is believed that Rostam has son). Therefore the younger side is destroyed converted to Zoroastrianism; through by the older side. symbols and rituals he possessed and Generally speaking, Shahnameh is filled observed; it is clear that he is still actually a with such examples of filicides. This paper Mithraism. Evidence for this is seen tries to justify why filicide, in its most throughout Shahnameh in various parts. A symbolic social meaning, is accepted and certain feature of Mithraist observed in even supported in Shahnameh. Accordingly, Shahnameh is heroes' and kings' exaltation it is asserted that Ferdowsi aimed at reviving and worship of sun prior to the coming of the Aryan tradition therefore he had to Zoroaster. They worship, ask for strength and attribute all that is pure and flawless to the old benevolence from sun and moreover they days, and older generation so as to save the pray to, and take oaths to sun, and address it older side. Thus, one can see an unreasonable as God (Ferdowsi, 2003, 263). In the battle of number of filicides in Shahnameh and it is Rostam and Esfandiar, Rostam swears to sun mostly well-justified. Indeed Ferdowsi's and seeks help from sun (ibid, 2003, p.1021). willingness toward filicides in Shahnameh is Another proof of Mithraism is that different actually showing his willingness toward the kings and heroes, including Rostam, had older tradition of Iran which has been maces whose heads were shaped like a cow's destroyed by Arab invasion. head (Ferdowsi, 2003, 43); and "cows were 2. Shahnameh: An Attempt to Save Aryan considered sacred animals and sources of Tradition power and creation in Mithraism" (Shamisa, Persian literature is the most persistent 1990, 31-32). Fereydun, another great literature in showing issues such as ethics, warrior of Shahnameh, is highly believed to religion and philosophy in literature. be a Mithraist because when Fereydun Considering the variety of literary forms, the ascended the throne and took Zahak down; he epic kind is the most suitable one for the ordered to make maces shaped as cows' head inclusion of the characteristics of educational (Ferdowsi, 2003, 37). In addition, Rostam's International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 03 Issue: 03 July-September, 2015 Page | 29 International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 03 Issue: 03 July-September, 2015 mace is referred to as the cow-headed mace sources, did not want to put blame on in various parts of Shahname including in Rostam, the national hero, by declaring him Rostam and Esfandiar combat.