Garshasp
GarshÄsp (گرشاسپ) is the name of a monster-slaying hero in Iranian mythology. The Avestan form of his name is KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa and in Middle Persian his name is KirsÄsp.
KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa / KirsÄsp in Zoroastrian literature
In the Zoroastrian religious text of the Avesta, KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa appears as the slayer of ferocious monsters, including the Gandarəβa and the Aži Sruvara. In later Zoroastrian texts KirsÄsp is revived at the end of the world to defeat the monster DahÄg.
KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa is the son of Θrita and belongs to the SÄma family. Θrita is originally the name of a deity; cf. the Vedic Trita.
KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa and the Aži Sruvara
According to the Zoroastrian holy book, Avesta, KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa once stopped on a hill to cook his midday meal. Unbeknownst to KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa, the hill was actually the curved back of a sleeping dragon—the Aži Sruvara. As KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa's fire began to crackle merrily, the heat from it caused the dragon to stir from its sleep and overturn the hero's kettle. The startled KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa fled, but, on regaining his composure, returned to slay the dragon that had spoilt his lunch.
Later texts, the Persian Rivayat and Pahlavi Rivayat, add more details. According to them, the Az Ä« SrÅ«war was a dragon with horns, with huge eyes and ears, and teeth upon which the men it had eaten could be seen impaled. It was so long that KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa ran along its back for half a day before he reached its head, struck it with his mace, and killed it.
KÉ™rÉ™sÄspa and the Gandarəβa
Another monster that KirsÄsp fought was the Gandarəβa, Middle Persian Gandarw. (This name is cognate to the Indic gandharva, but the exact way in which the word acquired its respective meanings in Indic and Iranian cultures is uncertain.) The Gandarw lived in the sea. It was also enormous, big enough to swallow twelve provinces in a single gulp, and so tall that when it stood up the deep sea reached only to its knee and its head was as high as the sun. The Gandarw pulled KirsÄsp into the ocean, and they fought for nine days. At last, KirsÄsp flayed the Gandarw and bound it with its own skin. KirsÄsp, weary from the combat, had his companion AxrÅ«rag guard the Gandarw while he slept, but it proved too much for him – the Gandarw dragged AxrÅ«rag and KirsÄsp's family into the sea. When KirsÄsp awakened, he rushed to the sea, freed the captives, and killed the Gandarw.
KirsÄsp and DahÄg
The Zoroastrian text called the SÅ«dgar tells that when the monster DahÄg, who is now bound in chains on Mount DamÄvand, bursts free of his fetters at the end of the world, KirsÄsp will wake from death (his corpse having been guarded from corruption) to destroy DahÄg and save the two thirds of the world that DahÄg has not devoured.
GarshÄsp in Persian literature
In the ShÄhnÄma
Garshasp or Garshasb was a king who ruled over parts of Greater Persia. Certain of his deeds are recounted in the epic poem ShÄhnÄma, which preserves, in late form, many of the legends and stories of Greater Persia. Garshasb had been ruling for more than 50 years when the royal family fell victim to black magic and were killed one after the other. Legend has it that there were a few members of the Garshasp clan who survived, but also that they remain enchanted to this day. GarshÄsp is only tangentially mentioned in the ShÄhnÄma. There he appears as a distant ancestor of the hero Rostam, who lived at about the same time as King Fereydun. GarshÄsp is the father of NarÄ“mÄn, who is the father of SÄm, father of ZÄl, who is in turn Rostam's father.
GarshÄsp in the GarshÄspnÄma
GarshÄsp received his own poetic treatment at the hands of Asadi Tusi, who wrote a GarshÄspnÄma about this hero.
In the GarshÄspnÄma, GarshÄsp is the son of Esret (اثرط), the equivalent of the Avestan Θrita, and grandson of Sham (Avestan SÄma). His genealogy goes back through other characters not mentioned in the Avesta: Sham is the son of Tovorg (طورگ), son of Å Ä“dasp, son of Tur, who was an illegitimate son of Jamshid by the daughter of Kurang, king of ZÄbolestÄn, begotten at the time that Jamshid had been deposed was fleeing from the forces of ZahhÄk.
ZahhÄk reigned for 1000 years, and so was still king at the time that GarshÄsp was born. On one occasion when ZahhÄk was traveling in ZÄbolestÄn, he saw GarshÄsp and encourages him to slay a dragon that had emerged from the sea and settled on Mt. Å ekÄvand. Equipped with a special antidote against dragon-poison, and armed with special weapons, GarshÄsp succeeds in killing the monster. Impressed by the child's prowess, ZahhÄk now orders GarshÄsp to India, where the king – a vassal of ZahhÄk's – has been replaced by a rebel prince, Bahu, who does not acknowledge ZahhÄk's rule. GarshÄsp defeats the rebel and then stays in India for a while to observe its marvels and engage in philosophical discourse.
After returning from India, GarshÄsp woos a princess of Rum, restores his father Esret to his throne in ZÄbol after the king of KÄbol defeats him, and builds the city of SistÄn. He has further anachronistic adventures in the Mediterranean, fighting in Kairouan and Córdoba.
When he returns to Iran, his father dies, and GarshÄsp becomes king of ZÄbolestÄn. Although he has no son of his own, he adopts NarÄ“mÄn as his heir, who would become Rostam's great-grandfather. The poem ends with another battle and dragon-slaying, followed by GarshÄsp's death.
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Rule
Preceded by Zaav |
Legendary Kings of the ShÄhnÄma 2432-2441 (after Keyumars) |
Succeeded by Kei Qobád |
References
Encyclopedia Iranica, "GARŠĀSP-NĀMA", FRANÇOIS DE BLOIS
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