مجله مطالعات ایرانی
پیاپی 4 (پاییز 1382)

The first mythological theme of Now Ruz is the myth of renovation and recreation of time. The concept of renovation mostly appears in Iranian, Indian and Mesopotamian New Year festivals which is, to some extent, related with the myth of creation of cosmos and natural elements, and is inevitably referred to the concept of Farshkart or resurrection. Yima (Jamshid) with his multiple mythical characters is widely described in the old narrations, especially in Avestan, Pahlavi and Persian texts. A survey of these texts could reveal the background of Now Ruz among Indo-lranian tribes in the first millenium B.C. The return of Frawahrs or the spirits of the dead at the eve of Now Ruz and the relationship of Farwardinagan festival with 'Grand Now Ruz' are among other important themes of Now Ruz. Zoroastrian six cyclical festivals, Gahanbars, and the most important of all, Hamaspathmaidhya or the Spring Festival, reveals the persistence of the belief on creation of man in Iranian culture. The myth of Rapithwin, god-keeper of underground water and his resurrection concept is also related with Now Ruz. The narration of Twelve Pillars of Cosmos which are chewed and destroyed by daevic forces and their reconstruction at the eve of Now Ruz, is another mythical theme.

The Iranian poets have frequently talked of "drinking wine to the toast of someone". The frequency of the event suggests that it has a mythical background. The article is to expound the above theme in Persian literature. The author opines that the surviving myth is the remnant of sacrificial ritual at the threshold of the gods on the first day of all new years (The First Day of the Month Farwardin) which has undergone changes. The changes, as the author believes, have turned the myth into a ceremony to commemorate the memories of the friends who are out of sight.

The article endeavors to introduce the live spirit, one of the gods of the second stage of creation in Manichaeism religion. The live spirit has an extraordinary central role in the Manichaeism myths concerning cosmogony [Creation] and eschatology. Here, one could vividly observe the effectiveness of ancient Iranian beliefs on Manichaean thoughts.The methodology used in investigation is based on library and document analysis wherein the gathered information, is presented, classified and analyzed based on descriptive method.

Animals have had a surprising role in the mythology of ancient Iran.The horse, having a mythical relation with Ahura Mazdā in Iran, has been of much assistance to the lives of the people. Furthermore, it has had eminent economic and social importance. The present article studies, from one side, the social and economic importance of the horse in the lives of the Iranians, and from the other, shows its relation to the Iranian mythology.

The present article aims at investigating the educational doctrine of Zoroastrianism. The author first describes Zoroaster's life, cosmology and anthropology and then introduces the educational goals of the religion. The educational doctrines of Zoroaster are set forth in eleven principles based on Yasna.Of prime importance in Zoroastrianism is particular attention paid to the world, society and mankind. The teachings can provide man with spiritual and psychological safety in both worlds. Unfortunately, Zoroaster's teachings were confined to theoretical thoughts of the ancient world and the school was deprived of taking advantage of the practical opportunities by the powerful, ruling class, having their own special goals.

The present article aims to investigate the historical background of baths and bath taking in Iranian culture based on document analysis method. The author first studies the articles on the evolution and construction of baths in the myths of nations.Then, he investigates the different aspects of baths and bath taking in Islamic Shariah focusing on the necessary and forbidden aspects of bath taking according to Islamic texts. He then reminds the duties of the 'Mohtasab' (Municipal Control Officer) concerning baths. The author then introduces bath scents and perfumes. Legends concerning 'bath and jinn' and the reason for these legendary aspects come next. Finally, the author ends up his article with a discussion on "bath and the Persian literature".

'Yadegar-e Zariran', a Pahlavi text remaining from pre-Islamic era, is a drama reflecting the Iranian world view on theatre, due to its content and thematic structure and supposedly unique performance. The play is an epic on the religious war between Iranians worshipping Mazdayasnā and people of Touran following Divyasna, from one side and a tragic play mourning the death of the heroes from the other.Confrontation of the good and the evil as a fundamental Iranian world view based on the belief in death, resurrection and God's will, has given the text a theatrical aspect, both in the Pahlavi origin titled 'Yadegar-e-Zariran' and the account as narrated in the 'Shahnameh Ferdowsi'. This has remained as an Islamic passion play after many centuries, manifesting the effectiveness of the persistent Iranian world view peculiar to the theatrical art of the country.

The article starts with a short biography of Saheb-ibne Abbad. Then, the author casts a glance at Saheb's humane traits such as love for knowledge, private and public liberality, glory of ruling along with human modesty, patience and manliness considering people's rights, faithfulness, passion for cultivation and prosperity of the country and Shiite nobility. The author discusses the above traits when necessary, referring to the views expressed by outstanding scholars and valid sources.

In this article, the author has attempted to introduce briefly 'denkart VI', its general features, and its importance as an evident model in Iranian andarz (wise sayings) literature. Finally 50 sayings [377-432] of the middle Persian work have been translated into Persian.

The sun has been both an agent of terror and praise in all prehistoric religions, but with the advancement of knowledge and awareness, it found special holiness and glory in ancient Iran.In this article, following the trends of the holiness of the sun, the author analyzes the ancient illustrations and related writings. Sun's illustrative symbols are traced through the monuments surviving from ancient Iranian civilization, while the written symbols of the sun are studied in the Avestan and the western middle Persian texts. There is also a comparison made between Indian and Persian myths concerning the sun.

Trying to present specimens of pre-Islamic poetry, the author tries to show the degree it has been affected by the ancient Iranian culture and language. The article is divided into two sections; first, cultural and second, language influence of ancient Iran on poetry and literature of pre-Islamic Arabs. In each section, relevant evidences have been presented and briefly analyzed if deemed necessary.

Managing large and small communities has been considered a crucial and vital task since long ago. In ancient Iran, the wise have paid attention to the above, too. Minoo-i-khrad (heaven of wisdom), a tract of wise sayings and advice in Pahlavi language contains numerous teachings for the various classes of society including managers and rulers. The sayings are in fact scattered throughout the invaluable work.The author who has prepared the article based on document analysis and library research, intends to collect, classify and analyze managerial hints in order to show the traits, specifications and duties of the managers in ancient Iran. The material is then analyzed, classified and presented according to descriptive method. Of prime importance, is the wise and right insight of our ancestors cast upon and their logical expectations from a decent manager. Here, the reader finds out how our ancestors, corrected the behavior of the managers in order to keep the community safe both in this world and the next.