International Journal of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Science (IJASHSS) Available online at http://www.ijashss.com Volume 5, Issue 2 (2016) pp. 111-116 Original Article The Life and Death of Feridun in Shah-name Susan Fotohi Member of Faculty of Farhangian University, Campus of Bent-Al-Hoda Sadr Kurdistan Received: 19 March 2016, Revised: 18 April 2016, Accepted: 25 April 2016 ABSTRACT In this essay “Feridun” as one of the ancient Pishdadian kings whose life and fate has been mentioned in Pahlavi and Zarathustra-language books is comprehensively analyzed based on different aspects like his children, ethics, personality traits, fame summarizing dominant conceptions of Shah-name and his activities within it. Keywords: Shah-name, Pishdadian Dynasty, Feridun. Introduction “Feridun” is called “Fartan” is Pahlavi rock so as to hit it on his head. They roll it books and introduced as one of Pishdadian down and due to God’s order, the roaring 1kings in Shah-name. In national stories, sound of rolling rock made him wake up his father’s name is Atbin. Abtin is made of and he stops the stone by using magic. His writers’ inflection error1and semantically brothers come to know that is God’s will false. He was murdered by Zohak. and Feridun forgives them and doesn’t Feridun’s mother was called Faranak mention their faulty action. 4 leaving him in a plain to a guard In this essay, Feridun’ ethics, children, possessing a milch cow. Faranak asks him spiritual status and fame in Shah-name, his to nurture her infant with that cow’s milk. role in creating goodness and badness in The guard gave this infant to a religious world and raising long disputes between man living in mountains after he becomes Iran and Turan will be explored by paying 3 years old.2 Feridun had two younger attention to this fact that Iraj’s family brothers called Kianush and Purmaye (Iranian) and Tor’s family (Turanian) both helping him at the initiation of revolt and were descendants of Feridun. by his order offer making a cow-head cudgel by experienced iron smiths. 3 Feridun in Zarathustra Feridun’s brothers, when seeing his Feridun in Zarathustra is called affluence and happiness, draw a plant to “Thraetaona” constituted of two parts. The murder him so that when Feridun is first part is “Thrita” which means “three” sleeping on mountain side, they both go on and second section is “Vetavanat” that mountain top and pull up a big piece of signifies “Such” the equivalent of which is “Aton” in Pahlavi language and “Adon” in Comprehensive Dictionary of Shah-name, p. 152 Persian language. So the meaning of 1 Masaheb Dictionary, First Volume, p.43 2 Shah-name, Joll Moll, First Volume, p. 40-41 Above, p.46-47 3 4 111 | Page Fotohi Int. J. Adv. Stu. Hum. Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(2):111-116 Feridun in “Three Adons” or “Three Such” Trans: He is bred from lion’s den/you 5 should know that you can’t fight him His father’s name was Atoie which is You can’t fight side by side with equivalent of Sanskrit word “Aptya”. In him/nobody can organize arms like him Zarathustra he is usually called “Atoyane”. among the Turks This is an adjective meaning “Of Atoya A fighter that is descendant of Feridun/ is dynasty” which originates from Pahlavi a brave man never given birth to before language. 6 2-On the subject of majesty: Trans: May the creator stay permanent in Feridun’s Dynasty in Zarathustra poise/ which offered him every talent Feridun’s dynasty and Family line is May his head remain proud and his body mentioned in “Bandeheshn” book, chapter sturdy/ His personality higher than that of 31 article 7 which says: “Feritun Aspian is cosmos son of Portora Aspian, son of Sok Tura 3-On the subject of Domination over Aspian, Son of Portura Aspian, Son of Tura Zahak: Aspian, Son of Spidtura Aspian, Son of Trans: A common man was asked on his Kafrtura Aspian, Son of Ramktura Aspian, family/that who you are descended from. Son of Vanfar Ghashn Aspian, Son of Jam, He said: I am from God/ that rubbed Son of Vaive Naghan, Son of Aspian Portu Zahak’s descendants from ruling power Dainat”. 7 4- On passing Arvand river to dominate Zahak’s capital city: Reigning Regions of Feridun’s Sons in Trans: Feridun, on hearing that, got Zarathustra angry/and wasn’t scared of sea depth He got resolute right on that spot/and got In Zarathustra, the regions reigned by this on that speedy ship 3 sons have been named too. In “Farvardin His mind got kin on fighting/ and slid the Yasht”, article 143 the following sentences ship into the water have been written: “Peace and Blessing be His fellowmen got resolute/ and headed upon the good men and chaste women of towards the sea Turan. Peace and Blessing be upon good They got to the beach with firm men and chaste women of Sairime Lands. minds/from which they headed towards Based on written materials in books, Salm, city Tur and Iraj each have ascribed their names to their ruling lands.” 8 On his fighting ability The Fame of Feridun in Shah-name Trans: The brave men all acted like sturdy lions/all determined on revenge on Iraj 1-In terms of familial nobility, it was an In the interior red swords showed up/all honor for one to be considered as his showing wars within with swollen swords descendant: On division of world among his sons: Trans: the wound of sword and god’s 5 Above, p.48 wrath/ will result in one individual coming Turanian in Historical Perspective till Conversion to Islam, 6 out p.19-20 7 Poshtha, First Volume, p. 193 And like wise Feridun which did offer/ Above, P.194 lands to Tur, Iraj and Salm 8 112 | Page Fotohi Int. J. Adv. Stu. Hum. Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(2):111-116 Condolence of son’s death (Iraj) daughters of Yamin king for the three of them. Trans: Feridun which shed tears with pain Feridun tests them in order to get aware of and sorrow/ his eyes got full of water their intentions and forget the nasty drops like a sea. fantasies murmured on their intentions to Saturated with Iran’s sorrow, full of kingly murder one another. Feridun names them sorrow/ so poignant that moon didn’t rise based on their reactions and then divided up due to that. the known world among them. He called On making of Cow-head club that is his the older son which ran to stay away from special weapon Dragon “Salm”, the younger son which goes straight on to fight the Dragon “Tur” Trans: Draw on that club the face of and the youngest son that has both Jamshid/worshipper of moon and sun. features and fights without hurry “Iraj”. He The cow head/was ordered to be cut on it also called Salm’s wife as “Arezo”, Tur’s too wife as “Mah Azade Khoi” and Iraj’s wife as “Sahi”.9 On wisdom Feridun and His Children Trans: I saw him riding with high majesty/ wise and of grandeur The events happening with Feridun’s It was as if the Creator/ had bestowed him family is like opposition of goodness and evil surfacing as the murder of the On worshipping God innocent and retribution of the sinful people.This opposition is particularly Trans: God! You created a good universe/ shown within the whole period of the end of which can’t be seen from sky. sportsmanship the two stages of which Who can worship something other than begin with Iraj’s death and decease of you/sending his soul to hell? Siavash.10 Due to this, the God-worshipping Feridun/ In fact the seed of enmity between Iran got to such a position in life. and Turan initiated with division of On sportsmanship Feridun’s territory among his sons. He gave the East and Rome to Salm, Turan and Trans: No strongman like you have been China to Tur and Iran Cities and Naize- born on the Earth so high in levels varan plain to Iraj. Firdausi says that he chose Iraj for reigning over Iran because of Feridun’ Racial Origins conceiving him a finer ruler.11 Before dividing his throne among his sons, When Feridun was 16 years old, he visited Feridun ordered astrologists to look for his mother to ask of his racial origins. fortune of his sons. It was defined that Faranak replied him by saying that he is a fortune of Salm and Tur was inundated descendant of Tahmors. with peace and happiness while that of Iraj Feridun’s Children manifested nothing but revolt and war.24It Feridun had three sons two of which-Salm Shah-name, Hamidian, 8th Volume, p. 370 and Tur-were given birth by Shahr-Naz 9 and Iraj born by Arnavaz which later chose Shah-name, Joll Mole, p. 69 10 Life and Death of Sportsmen in Shah-name, p. 149 11 113 | Page Fotohi Int. J. Adv. Stu. Hum. Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(2):111-116 might be due to fear of his bad fortune that Trans: I wanted the truth held in Feridun kept Iraj by his side. World/wasn’t looking for separation in After a while, the feeling of jealousy brotherhood. showed up in both brothers and both tried Did people of ancient Iran accept a new to send a reproofing message to their order different from the initial one? Could father.