Arasch
Arasch or Kay Ārasch (lit. King Ārasch ), in Latin script in English mainly as Ārash ( Persian آرش[ ɒːˈraʃ ]), is a mythical hero of Iranian mythology . King Arash became with the mythical king of the Avesta Kavi Arshan , literally ruler of Arshan ( Avesta ) or Eraxschan ( Old Persian), equated to legitimize the archaic dynasty and to extend their family tree. The historical era must therefore be placed immediately before the archaemid dynasty, while the Avestan Kavi Arshan is a title that the conqueror of Arshan gave himself around 1000 years earlier. Persian literature has a gap of around 1000 years here, which has been cleverly covered by the pun. It is not clear whether Kay Ārasch is also a title or not, it is probably a nickname.
The legend
A brother of Kai Kawus was ' quickly '. According to legend, he sacrificed himself in the war against Turan to defend the borders of ancient Iran in Central Asia . The legend of the "archer Ārash" has its origins - like most Iranian folk tales - in Aesthetic Central Asia ( see: Khorasan , Transoxania ).
Legend has it that the Iranians were on the verge of defeat and Turan's armies had advanced to the shores of the Caspian Sea . In order to humiliate the Iranians, the Turanians offered them that one of their best men should shoot an arrow that would then determine the border between Iran and Turan. The warrior Ārasch volunteered and asked the god Ahura Mazda for assistance. At that moment, Ārasch's soul merged with the magic arrow, his body fell to the ground and died, and the arrow, propelled by the spirit of Ahura Mazda, flew from the south bank of the Caspian Sea over 2500 km into the steppes of Central Asia. For centuries this region became the border between the Iranians and the Turan people, protected by Ahura Mazda.
Meaning and roots
Ārasch is one of the most popular heroes in Iranian mythology . His name is also synonymous with “arrowhead”, “courage” and “cleverness”. The Tirgān Festival is still celebrated in his honor .
The Prince Kaus and Arash are in the writings of Zoroaster mentioned. Presumably they belonged to a noble tribe of the Aryans , who lived around 2500 BC. They immigrated to Central Asia and the highlands of Iran and became ancestors of the Bactrians and Sogdians , and thus the ancestors of today's Persians and Tajiks .
The name Ārasch is possibly derived from the Avestian word arshan , the legendary city of the forefathers, which “courageously” and “valiantly” achieved its independence and thus initiated the beginning of Persian historiography. So arschan was soon equated with arsha, courage.
See also
Web links
- Bahram Bayzai : The Poem Arash (Persian)
- A. Tafażżolī: ĀRAŠ . In: Ehsan Yarshater (Ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica (English, including references)