A Magical Marriage in the Haft Peykar of Nezami A Comparative Study of Mythical Heroesof Iran and Greeceand the Joint Function of Astronomy and Alchemyin the Narrativeof Haft Peykar

With hisextensiveknowledgeof mythologicalstories, astronomy andalchemy, Nezamicreatesin Haft Peykara mysterious narration, which offers new dimensions and colors in every reading.Bahrām-eGōr, the hero ofNezami’s narration, goes through sevenstages toachieveself-knowledgeand perfection. This process ofindividualityterminateson a Friday by his marriage withthe Iranian Princess. Bahrām’s (Mars) marriagewith Iranian Princess (Venus) leads to his perfection from this point onward.A magical marriage is a balance between the male and female spirits.A sacred marriage (HierosGamos) is a union betweenagod and agoddess or a divine creature and ahuman being and often between aking and a goddess in particular. In alchemy, Venus and Mars are each symbolized with distinctive signs and each is in connection with a metal.Venus is associatedwith copper and symbolized with the sign of a sun with a cross underneath. Mars is associated withiron, and is symbolized with the sign of a sun with a cross above it. When these two stars become united, balance restoresagain to the life. In Nezami’s narration, the magical marriage is achieved by the marriage bond between Bahrām and the Princess. The purpose of this article is to clarify the issueof magical marriage in alchemy and mythology, and to unveil one of the hidden aspects of the story of the Haft Peykar. In addition, this article aims at offering a new version of perception of this magical narration with the help of symbolic possibilities of the passage and psychological viewpoints of Carl Gustav Jung.