The Link between Farr and Geography in Zamyad Yasht; Traces of the Holy Sistan

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Authors

1 History department, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr

2 M. A. in Ancient Iranian culture and languages

Abstract

 
 
The Avestan text Zamyad Yasht is composed of two distinct parts. The first part introduces a mythological mountain, while the second part of the text praises Farr (Iranian concept of Glory) and is known as Kayan Yasn. Textual and Linguistic analysis of the text shows that the two parts were originally independent. How can this joining of mythological geography and political issues be explained? It can be assumed that the Farr-i Kayani (Glory of Kingship, belonging to Kayanids or Kayanian dynasty) has an unknown but important relationship with mythological geography of Avesta. In this paper, based on other Iranian texts, we try to show that the scribers of the later text believed that Iranian political thought with its mythological expression had a link to mythological geography of Iran, that is, the territory of Sistan. Therefore, a paragraph of Zamyad Yasht that describes one of the holy effects of the land that is the mountain, has been added as an introduction to Kayan Yasn. Further analysis shows that according to the Zoroastrian beliefs, the territory of Sistan was the manifestation of the linking of these concepts. So, manipulation of Zamyad Yasht has been occurred in Sistan.

Keywords

References

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Historical Studies
Volume 9, Issue 1
October 2018
Pages 27-41

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