Persian Myths [antikvár]

Introduction Persian myths are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of Iran, they reflect the attitudes of the society to which they first belonged - attitudes towards the confrontation of good and evil, the actions of the gods, and the exploits of heroes and fabulous creatures. Myths play a crucial part in Persian culture and our understanding of them is increased when we consider them within the context of Iranian history. For this purpose we must ignore modern political boundaries and look at historical developments in greater Iran, a vast area covering parts of Central Asia well beyond the frontiers of present-day Iran. The geography of this region, with its high mountain ranges, plays a significant role in many of the mythological stories. Although the archaeological record shows that civilisation in Iran dates from before 6000 bc, it is only the period from c. 2.000 bc onwards that is of interest to us here. The second millennium is usually regarded as the age of migration because the emergence in western Iran of a new form of pottery, similar to earlier wares of north-eastern Iran, suggests the arrival of new people. This pottery, light grey to black in colour, appeared around 1400 bc. It is called Early Grey Ware or Iron i, the latter name indicating the beginning of the Iron Age in this area. The migration of Iranian-speaking peoples into Iran is a widely discussed issue, and many questions about how the migration took place remain unanswered. Certainly there was a break in tradition at sites on the southern slopes of the Alburz Mountains and in western Iran, where stone tombs were filled with rich grave goods. On the basis of linguistic evidence, these newly arrived peoples are regarded as having originally been among the Indo-Iranians who for a long period shared a common tradition while living as nomads in the Asian steppes of Russia. Eventually the two linguistically related groups separated and migrated southwards. By the middle of the second millennium bc, the Iranian group had moved into the highlands of Iran through the flat passable area south-east of the Caspian Sea, while the Indian tribes had migrated into the Indian sub-continent. Whether the migration was violent and whether the tribes moved in large groups are questions that cannot be answered with certainty. One can only see from the archaeological evidence a break from the previous traditions and the arrival of new pottery types and burial rites. Nor do we know what happened to the language of the indigenous population, which in most parts of the country was replaced by the Iranian languages of the newcomers.