Peshotanu (

Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...

Middle Persian Middle Persian or Pahlavi, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg () in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasanian Empire. For some time after the Sasanian collapse, Middle Per ...

''Peshyotan'', ''Peshotan'') is an

eschatological Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that negati ...

figure of the medieval texts of

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic on ...

tradition, in particular in the apocalyptic ''

Zand-i Wahman yasn The ''Zand-i Wahman Yasn'' is a medieval Zoroastrian apocalyptical text in Middle Persian. It professes to be a prophetical work, in which Ahura Mazda gives Zoroaster an account of what was to happen to the ''behdin'' (those of the "good religion" ...

''. In these texts, Peshotanu is an assistant of the

Saoshyant Saoshyanet (Avestan: 𐬯𐬀𐬊𐬳𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬧𐬝 saoš́iiaṇt̰) is the Avestan language expression that literally means "one who brings benefit", and which is used in several different ways in Zoroastrian scripture and tradition. In par ...

, the future benefactor who brings about the final renovation of the world. In these texts, Peshotanu is also one of the Zoroastrian "immortals" (''anoshag-ruwan'', "of immortal soul"), and the name ''peshotanu'' is an allusion to this idea; the Avestan language word literally means "of surrendered (pesh-) body (-tan)", and is also used as a common adjective as a euphemism for "deceased" (also in a derogatory sense of "of forfeited body" in the context of capital offenses). The development of the legend of Peshotanu has been traced from that of a dead prince whose departed spirit is honored (''

Yasht The Yashts are a collection of twenty-one hymns in the Younger Avestan language. Each of these hymns invokes a specific Zoroastrian divinity or concept. ''Yasht'' chapter and verse pointers are traditionally abbreviated as ''Yt.'' Overview The wo ...

'' 13.103) to that of the eschatological hero who is "he is immortal, undecaying, hungerless, and thirstless, living and predominant in both existences, those of the embodied beings and of the spirits." (''

Denkard The ''Dēnkard'' or ''Dēnkart'' (Middle Persian: 𐭣𐭩𐭭𐭪𐭠𐭫𐭲 "Acts of Religion") is a 10th-century compendium of Zoroastrian beliefs and customs during the time. The Denkard is to a great extent considered an "Encyclopedia of Ma ...

'' 4.81) In the genealogy of the

legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

ary

Kayanians The Kayanians (Persian: دودمان کیانیان; also Kays, Kayanids, Kaianids, Kayani, or Kiani) are a legendary dynasty of Persian/Iranian tradition and folklore which supposedly ruled after the Pishdadians. Considered collectively, the Kay ...

, Peshotanu is the youngest son of

Vishtaspa Vishtaspa ( ae, 𐬬𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬁𐬯𐬞𐬀 ; peo, 𐎻𐏁𐎫𐎠𐎿𐎱 ; fa, گشتاسپ ; grc, Ὑστάσπης ) is the Avestan-language name of a figure of Zoroastrian scripture and tradition, portrayed as an early followe ...

(Wistasp, Goshtasp, the patron of

Zoroaster Zoroaster,; fa, زرتشت, Zartosht, label=New Persian, Modern Persian; ku, زەردەشت, Zerdeşt also known as Zarathustra,, . Also known as Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastria ...

), and brother of Spentodata (Spandadat, Esfandiyar). In various texts, Peshotanu is portrayed as one of seven "immortal rulers", residing in

Kangdez Kangdez (literally "Fortress of Kang") is a legendary fortress in Iranian mythology, which resembles paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and ...

. — a mythical "Fort of Kang" that was initially in the other world (at "star level") but invited down to earth where it landed in eastern

Turan Turan ( ae, Tūiriiānəm, pal, Tūrān; fa, توران, Turân, , "The Land of Tur") is a historical region in Central Asia. The term is of Iranian origin and may refer to a particular prehistoric human settlement, a historic geographical re ...

(''Pahlavi Rivāyat'' 49). At the fort, Peshotanu and Hvarchithra (Khwarshedchehr), respectively the younger sons of Vishtaspa and Zoroaster, together with their righteous ('' ahlav'') army, await the final battle against Ahriman and his creatures. This description appears in ''

Bundahishn ''Bundahishn'' (Avestan: , "Primal Creation") is the name traditionally given to an encyclopedic collection of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology written in Book Pahlavi. The original name of the work is not known. Although the ''Bundahishn'' d ...

'' XXXIII, ''

'' VII and IX, and in ''Zand-i Wahman yasn'' VII. In ''Denkard'' IX, this information is attributed to the lost ''Sudgar Nask''. The principal source of information on the figure is the apocalyptic ''

'' (also incorrectly known as the ''Zand-i Vohuman Yasn'' or ''Bahman Yasht'', which – despite these names – has neither to do with

Vohu Manah Vohu Manah ( Avestan: 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬵 ''vohu manah'') is the Avestan language term for a Zoroastrian concept, generally translated as "Good Purpose", "Good Mind", or "Good Thought", referring to the good state of mind that ...

nor is it an Avestan language ''

''). The ''Zand-i Wahman yasn'' is a pseudo-prophetic account of what was to happen to the Zoroastrians and their religion in the future. In the second half of that text, Peshotan is described as a "protector of the religion", who brings about a revival of the faith at the end of the " eleventh millennium." Until that revival – which supposedly will come when the ''daeva''s will have exceeded their term of rule by 1,000 years – Peshotanu remains at "Khandez" with 150 of his disciples. Thereafter, so the tale, Peshotanu will come down to battle the armies of the demons and restore Iran and its religion. In the fight, Mihr (Avestan:

Mithra Mithra ( ae, ''Miθra'', peo, 𐎷𐎰𐎼 ''Miça'') commonly known as Mehr, is the Iranian deity of covenant, light, oath, justice and the sun. In addition to being the divinity of contracts, Mithra is also a judicial figure, an all-seeing ...

) will intervene on Peshotanu's behalf, and together they will drive the demon Kheshm (Avestan:

Aeshma Aeshma (Avestan: 𐬀𐬉𐬴𐬨𐬀 ''aēṣ̌ma''; Old Avestan: 𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬆𐬨𐬀 ''aēšəma'') is the Younger Avestan name of Zoroastrianism's demon of "wrath." As a hypostatic entity, Aeshma is variously interpreted as "wrath," "rage, ...

) and his forces back into the underworld.

References

{{Zoroastrianism Zoroastrian eschatology