Three Civilization-Building Kings in Avestā and Shāhnāmeh

Zare, Zahra; Alikhani, Babak

doi:10.22034/iw.2024.467640.1798

Three Civilization-Building Kings in Avestā and Shāhnāmeh

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

zahra zare ¹

babak alikhani ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor in Iranian Institute of Philosophy

10.22034/iw.2024.467640.1798

Abstract

The three civilization-building kings mentioned in the Shāhnāmeh, also described as the first kings in the Zāmyād Yasht of the Avesta, are Hushang, Tahmureth, and Jamshid. These three kings are considered the embodiment of the creative power of God Almighty, and they embark on a process of innovation and invention in six stages, and then in the seventh stage, they undertake a task more wondrous than any other. In Zoroastrian doctrine, the six creations of Ahura Mazda are, in order: the stony or metallic sky, water, earth, plants, animals, and humans. Especially Hushang, in his constructive works, followed precisely this divine plan and model.

This article seeks to explain the correspondence between the three aspects of Ahura Mazda -that is "Zamān", "Den", and "Gāh"- and the attributes and works of the three culture heroes.

Keywords

Zāmyād Yasht"

Ferdowsi'

s Shāhnāmeh"

Hushang"

Tahmureth"

, "

Jamshid"

Subjects