Kay Kāvus (; ); sometimes ''Kai-Káús'' or ''Kai-Kaus'',
[ Firdawsī, ''The Sháh námeh of the Persian poet Firdausí''. Oriental Translation Fund. Volume 21 of Publications, Oriental Translation Fund. Translated by James Atkinson. Printed for the Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland; sold by J. Murray, 1832, 532.] is a
mythological shah
Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...
of
Greater Iran and a character in the ''
Shāhnāmeh''. He is the son of
Kay Qobād and the father of prince
Seyāvash. Kāvus rules Iran for one hundred and fifty years during which he is frequently though increasingly grudgingly aided by the famous hero
Rostam. He is succeeded by his grandson
Kay Khosrow.
The flying throne
''The Flying Throne of Kay Kāvus'' was a legendary eagle-propelled craft built by Kay Kāvus, used for flying the king all the way to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
.
Book Review: Into the Air
Social Studies for Kids
According to the '' Shāhnāmeh'', Kāvus had a flying craft
A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...
made consisting of a throne to the corners of which were attached four long poles pointing upward. It was made of wood and gold and he attached specially trained eagles. Pieces of meat were attached at the top of each pole and the ravenous eagles were chained to the feet. As the eagles tried to reach the meat they caused the throne to fly. The craft flew the king all the way to China, where the eagles grew tired and the craft came down. Rostam eventually had to rescue the king who, miraculously, survived the crash.
See also
* Perses (son of Andromeda and Perseus)
References
External links
Unmuseum on the Flying Throne of Kay Kāvus
Kayanians
Longevity myths
Persian mythology
Shahnameh characters
Mythological kings
Legendary flying machines
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