Afrasiyab Executes Nauzar Wellcome L0068903

Afrasiab ( fa, ''afrāsiyāb''; ae, Fraŋrasyan; Middle-Persian: ''Frāsiyāv, Frāsiyāk'') is the name of the mythical king and hero of Turan. He is the main antagonist of the Persian epic Shahnameh, written by

Ferdowsi Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi ( fa, ; 940 – 1019/1025 CE), also Firdawsi or Ferdowsi (), was a Persians, Persian poet and the author of ''Shahnameh'' ("Book of Kings"), which is one of the world's longest epic poetry, epic poems created by a sin ...

The mythical king and hero

Afrasiyab (The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp)

According to the '' Shahnameh'' (''Book of Kings''), by the Persian epic poet

, Afrasiab was the king and hero of Turan and an archenemy of Iran. In Iranian mythology, Afrasiab is considered by far the most prominent of all

Turanian {{Short description, List of groups of people Turanian is a term that has been used in reference to diverse groups of people. It has had currency in Turanism, Pan-Turkism, and historic Turkish nationalism. Many of the uses of the word are obsolete. ...

kings; he is a formidable warrior, a skilful general, and an agent of Ahriman, who is endowed with magical powers of deception to destroy Iranian civilization.Yarshater, E., "Afrasiab", '' Encyclopædia Iranica'' - digital library; accessed January 18, 2007. He is brother to

Garsivaz Garsivaz (also Garsiwaz, Gersiwaz or Karsivaz) ( fa, گَرسیوَز ) is a mythical Turanian character, referred to in ''Shahnameh'' ('Book of Kings') by the Persian epic-poet Ferdowsi. He is the brother of Afrasiab Afrasiab ( fa, ''afrāsi ...

, and the son of Pashang. According to Islamic sources, Afrasiab was a descendant of Tūr (Avestan: ''Tūriya-''), one of the three sons of the Iranian mythical King Fereydun (the other two sons being Salm and Iraj). In '' Bundahishn'', he is named as the seventh grandson of Tūr. In Avestan traditions, his common epithet ''mairya-'' (deceitful, villainous) can be interpreted as meaning 'an evil man'. He lived in a subterranean fortress made of metal, called Hanakana. According to Avestan sources, Afrasiab was killed by Haoma near the ''Čīčhast'' (possibly either referring to Lake Hamun in Sistan or some unknown lake in today's Central Asia), and according to Shahnameh he met his death in a cave known as the Hang-e Afrasiab, or the dying place of Afrasiab, on a mountaintop in Azerbaijan. The fugitive Afrasiab, having been repeatedly defeated by the armies of his adversary, the mythical King of Iran

Kay Khosrow Kay Khosrow ( fa, کیخسرو) is a legendary king of Iran of Kayanian dynasty and a character in the Persian epic book, ''Shahnameh''. He was the son of the Iranian prince Siavash who married princess Farangis of Turan while in exile. Befo ...

(who happened to be his own grandson, through his daughter

Farangis Farangis ( fa, فَرَنگیس) or Frigis ( fa, فریگیس) is a female character in the Persian epic ''Shahnameh''. She is the eldest daughter of Afrasiab, king of Turan. She is also the second and favourite wife of Siyâvash, the saintlike ...

), wandered wretchedly and fearfully around, and eventually took refuge in this cave and died.

Hypotheses

Ernst Hertzfeld believed that the name

Parsondes Parsondes was the king of the Cadusii, who, according to Ctesias, was a Mede of Persian origin. Name The name Parsondes probably comes from the important city of Parsindu, which was located among the mountains of Namri, on the road to Ecbatana. ...

is etymologically identical to the name Afrasiab. Tabari in his works mentions the derivative Afrasiab / Aspandiat under the name of the Hephtalite king Akhshunvar or Akhshunvaz.

References

External links

* Ehsan Yarshater
"Afrāsiāb"
'' Encyclopædia Iranica''
Afrasiab featured in Rostam Comic Book

The battle of Rustam and Afrasiab
on Asian miniature {{Shahnameh Shahnameh characters

The mythical king and hero

Hypotheses

See also

References

External links