An Analysis of Wind's Mythical Status in Shāhnāmah

Wind, the powerful and invisible force of nature, to which a large part of ancient Iranian mythology is allocated, is known by such names as "Wāy" or "Wāyu", "Wāt", "Wātah", etc. and has various, complicated and mysterious faces in Iranian and some non-Iranian mythologies. According to the beliefs of ancient Persia, the wind is a god with two contrasting faces: good Wāy is the constructive spirit, blessed, blessing and supportive of the good and the virtuous; and bad Wāy is the destructive spirit, sinister, frightening, lethal and supportive of the bad and the vicious. The close association between myth and epic on the one hand, and the great influence of ancient texts and mythical tales upon Firdawsī on the other hand lead to the appearance of the god of wind in some wars and epic incidents in Shāhnāmah. Some characters in Shāhnāmah, such as, Rustam, Kaykhusraw and Siyāvash, exemplars of good creation, good nature and good manners, are supported in momentous occasions in general and battles in particular, by Wāy, the physical incarnation of the god of wind. Although Firdawsī did not directly refer to it, the mythical roots of this god can be justified in terms of numerous clues and evidence that have been so far collected. This article highlights the mythical incarnations of wind as the god of war and the supporter of Ohrmazean characters in legendary and epic chapters of Shāhnāmah.