The stories which form the basis of Persian mythology come from the early Persian religious belief Zoroastrianism, which actually is thought to be the basis of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The stories were passed down orally over the centuries until they were written down as part of the religious tradition of Zoroastrianism. The central theme of Zoroastrianism is a universal struggle between the forces of good and evil, so most of the mythological creatures fall within one of two categories. Persian mythology or Iranian mythology (Persian: اسطورههای ایران) is the body of the myths originally told by ancient Persians and other Iranian peoples, and a genre of Ancient Persian folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Persians’ own ritual practices.
AZHI DAHAKA
Azhi Dahaka was the great three-headed dragon created out of the lies of the “bad” deity, Angra Mainyu, to scare away any positivity in the world. Dragon-serpents (azhi) are often symbols of evil and chaos in Persian mythology. This creature is said to have a thousand senses so it can defend itself and hunt for prey at the same time.
SUROOSH AND DAENA
Suroosh and Daena are angels that assist the newly dead in their crossing from life to death. After the soul has left the body, it was thought to linger on earth for three days while the gods came to a decision regarding one’s life and final fate. The soul then approached the Bridge where Daena would appear and, for the good soul, would be a beautiful young woman, while, to the condemned, would appear as an ugly hag. Suroosh would guard the soul against demonic attack as it crossed the bridge to meet the angel Rashnu, judge of the dead, who would decide whether the soul went to the paradise of the House of Song or the hell of the House of Lies.
PERI
Peris are similar to fairies; they enjoy playing pranks on people, but they can also be helpful. They were thought to be spirits imprisoned in the fairy-form to make up for past sins. A Peri might bring a message from the gods or, alternatively, trick someone into believing some untruth. They were later thought by Muslim Arabs to serve the same purpose as angels.
GAVAEVODATA
Gavaevodata is the “Uniquely Created Bull,” who is thought to be one of the earliest creations of Ahura Mazda, the “good” deity of Zoroastrianism. Gavaevodata was so beautiful, it attracted the attention of Angra Mainyu, the “bad” deity, who killed it. The bull’s body was then transported to the moon and purified into seeds; these seeds became what all animals would feed on and fertilized the earth’s vegetation. Once animals were created, Ahura Mazda then created human beings and fire, but Gavaevodata was the first unique entity on earth, which established the high value the Persians placed on animals.
Manticore – Legendary Persian Sphinx
Whenever the word “sphinx” is mentioned people automatically think about the Great Sphinx of Giza. It’s not surprising because it is today the most famous and admired sphinx of the ancient world. However, we shouldn’t forget there were other, very similar creatures that are today mostly forgotten. One of them was the Manticore, the legendary sphinx of Persia. The Persian myth about the Manticore whose name means “man-eater” is very old. The Manticore was a bizarre creature that was said to have the body of a lion, the head of a man, bat wings, and the spiked tail of a scorpion. This combination made the Manticore extremely dangerous and the creature preyed not only on animals but also on humans. The manticore is described as having a keen appetite for humans and a howl like that of a trumpet.
ZAHHAK; THE LEGEND OF THE SERPENT KING
In the Shahnameh a poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD, Zahhak is an evil king who conquers Iran and who has serpents growing out of his shoulders. A long time ago in between the two great rivers Euphrates and Tigris there was a land called Mesopotamia. Deep inside the castle lived a cruel Assyrian king called Zahhak. His armies terrorised all the people of the land. All had been well before Zahhak’s rule in Mesopotamia. It was during the reign of a king called Jemshid that things started to go wrong. He thought himself above the sun gods and began to lose favour with his people. A spirit called Ahriman the Evil, seized the chance to take control. He chose Zahhak to take over the throne, who then killed Jemshid and cut him in two.
The simurgh is best described in a 13th century Persian book known as “The Conference of the Birds.” In it the author, Farid ad-Din ‘Attar (d. 1230), described how 30 of the birds (si means 30 in Persian, murgh is bird) decided to seek out their leader, the simurgh, the mythical bird who represents God. They had to pass through seven valleys which represent the spiritual way before they reached the simurgh. There they meditated and then asked the simurgh what was the secret of the mystery of the unity and plurality of beings. The answer was to annihilate themselves in the simurgh because there they would find themselves. In other words, this was one of the earliest examples of an allegorical journey in Middle Eastern mysticism.
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (d. 1273) is supposed to have been greatly influenced by ‘Attar’s work. As for the simurgh, in the Shahnama, the great 11th century Iranian epic poem of Ferdowsi, Prince Zal, the son of Saam was born an albino, so his father considered him the spawn of the devil and abandoned him to die. But he didn’t die because he was adopted by the simurgh and taken to her nest where she raised him. Years later, Saam regretted what he had done and when he learned his son was still alive, he called him back. As Zal left the simurgh’s nest, she gave him some of her feathers to burn if he ever needed help. Zal eventually became shah of Iran and fathered Rustam, the great hero of the Shah-nama.
A beautiful young woman lets down her long hair so that her suitor can climb his way up to her. But while Rapunzel’s prince does use her hair to climb up her tower, in the story of Rudabeh and Zal, found in the epic Shahnameh, the suitor rejects this offer. Zal is a young hero who was born with white hair, which was considered such an ill omen that he was abandoned as an infant on the side of a mountain, where he was found and adopted by a magical bird called the Simorgh. Rudabeh is the descendant of an evil serpent king. But despite these potential deterrents, the two of them become entranced with each other from afar and so arrange a rendezvous to meet in person. When Zal shows up, Rudabeh lets down her hair from the roof so that he can climb up to her—but Zal refuses, saying it wouldn’t be right for him to do so because he doesn’t want to hurt her, and uses a rope to scale the walls instead. That’s some old school Persian courtesy right there, and that romantic image of a young woman letting down her hair in the hope of romance is striking enough to be memorable no matter where it shows up.
One of the most famous figures in Persian legend is Rostam (the son of Zal and Rudabeh), whose story is also in the Shahnameh. Much like Heracles/Hercules from Greek/Roman myth, Rostam is born with incredible strength (in fact, he’s so large at birth that he necessitates the invention of the C-section). Rostam becomes a great hero and champion of his king. In one story, after the king and his army are captured by demons and rendered magically blind, Rostam sets out with his loyal steed, Rakhsh, to save the king. He faces seven obstacles (or labors) on the way, including a lion, a dragon, and some demons, and, of course, defeats them in order to save his king and restore his sight. While the madness and repentance aspects of Heracles’ twelve labors isn’t found in Rostam’s tale, Rostam is often likened to Heracles given their shared heroic status, immense strength, and series of labors.
ROSTAM AND SOHRAB
Another well-known part of Rostam’s story is the tragedy of his clash with his son, Sohrab. Rostam has a child with a woman named Tahmineh in a neighboring kingdom, but doesn’t stick around long enough to see the child’s birth. Tahmineh has a son, Sohrab, who grows up to become a warrior in his own right. Upon learning that he is the son of the great hero Rostam, Sohrab leads an invasion meant to put Rostam on the throne, but unknowingly ends up facing Rostam on the battlefield. Rostam kills Sohrab, not realizing that he killed his own son until it’s too late, and breaks down in grief. The story of a father killing his son is found in other tales in the west, perhaps most famously in Arthurian legend. Like Rostam, King Arthur fights a son he didn’t raise (Mordred) on the battlefield and slays him. In Arthur’s case, though, father and son kill each other. The mythological Irish figure of Cú Chulainn is another hero of great strength who ultimately kills his own son.
ESFANDYAR
Another hero in the Shahnameh, Esfandyar, undergoes seven labors like both Rostam and Heracles, but he also has a striking similarity with the Greek hero Achilles. Echoing Achilles’ animosity for his general, Agamemnon, Esfandyar is in a power struggle with his father, who pressures Esfandyar into attacking Rostam. Though Esfandyar is reluctant to attack such a beloved hero, he gives in and ends up fighting and grievously wounding Rostam. Luckily, Rostam’s father, Zal, is the adopted son of the Simorgh, a magical bird who happens to know that Esfandyar is invulnerable, except for one fatal flaw—his Achilles heel, if you will. Esfandyar can only be killed by striking at his eyes. With this knowledge, Rostam defeats Esfandyar, though his death is more ominous than triumphant for Rostam.
The epic romance of Vis and Ramin was written in verse in the 11th century, but the narrative is believed to date from the Parthian era, several centuries earlier. This story of two star-crossed lovers has echoes in the Celtic story of Tristan and Isolde (as well as the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere). While there is no definitive proof that Vis and Ramin is the sole source of Tristan and Isolde, the parallels are numerous and undeniable.
Chamrosh: Persian Mythology’s Mythical Bird
In Persian mythology there is a strange bird-like creature that dwells atop the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran. Little is known about this creature, but Persian legend describes the bird as a cousin of the legendary Simurgh. The Chamrosh is a giant mythical bird with the body of the dog. It lives on top of Mount Alburz in the north of Iran and spends its days beneath the Harvisptokhm (“the tree of all seeds”). It is believed that the Chamrosh would work in unison with the Simurgh to help life on Earth flourish. The Simurgh would collect seeds and bring them back to the summit of Mount Alburz, then the Chamrosh distributed the seeds across the ground with its wings, and ushers them into the Vourukasha – a heavenly sea that plays an important role in Zoroastrian and Persian legends.
World Mythology 