Esfandiyar

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Rostam and Esfandiyar in a miniature of the Shahnamah.

Esfandiyar also known as Esfandyar or Asfandyar ( Persian اسفنديار Esfandiyār ) was a legendary Iranian hero. He was the son and crown prince of the Kayanid king Goshtasp ( Middle Persian : Wishtasp from the Avestian Vishtaspa ) and his wife, the Byzantine king's daughter Katajun, and brother of Paschotan (also Paschutan; Middle Persian: Peschotan, Avestian: Peschotanu).

Surname

The name Esfandiyār is derived from the Middle Persian Spandadat or Spandyat (the two possible readings in the Middle Persian script), which itself is derived from the Avestian Spentodata (Spəntōδāta) with the meaning "given out of generosity" or "given by the saints" (for others For meanings of the word Spenta, see Amschaspand ). The Median reconstructed word * Spendata was probably the inspiration for the name of a Persian politician from the 5th century BC. BC, whose name in the Greek sources was Sphendadates . A Sassanid aristocratic family named Spandyat also bears a variant of the name Spandadat . Like many others, this family had taken its name from the Kayanid sex in order to legitimize itself and to emphasize the age of their sex.

In the shahnameh

The Esfandiyar of Legends is best known for his tragic battle against Rostam, which is described in Firdausi's Book of Kings, the Shahnameh . It's one of the longest chapters and one of its highlights:

Esfandiyar's father Goshtasp promises him the throne if he can repel an invasion of the distant provinces. Esfandiyar succeeds, but his father holds him off and sends him on a new mission to suppress a rebellion in Turan . Esfandiyar is successful again and after his return his father tries to send him away again and assigns the young hero - although he knows through a prophecy that Esfandiyar will die through Rostam -. To have Rostam chained for his arrogance and lack of respect for the king and brought to court. At first Esfandiyar disagrees and reminds his father of Rostam's fame, old age and his services to the empire, but eventually he gives in to his father's wishes and sets off for Rostam.

After he reaches Rostam's house, Esfandiyar brings the news to him. Rostam refuses to be chained, but agrees to accompany the young prince to his father. Esfandiyar insists on the chains, but Rostam prevails, but makes some concessions, and so the two finally meet for a duel. Since Rostam does not know that Esfandiyar had previously taken a bath of invulnerability, Esfandiyar manages to avoid Rostam's shots in the fight that follows, while the hero himself is seriously wounded.

Rostam asks for a break to tend his wounds and withdraws, where he then learns the secret of Esfandiyar's weakness: when Esfandiyar was swimming in the invulnerability bath, he had his eyes closed. This enabled the young prince to be defeated. When Rostam found out, he provided a forked arrow with a feather of Simurgh and a branch from a tamarisk tree . As the fight continued the following morning, Esfandiyar was shot in the eye.

literature

  • Jürgen Ehlers (ed. And translator): Abū'l-Qāsem Ferdausi: Rostam - The legends from the Šāhnāme . Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart, 2002, ISBN 3-15-050039-7 , pp. 249-340 ( Esfandiyār ) and 367 ( Katāyūn ).

See also

Web links