Keyumars

Keyumars or Kiomars () was the name of the first king (shah) of the Pishdadian dynasty of Iran according to the ''Shahnameh''.

The name appears in Avestan in the form of , or in medieval Zoroastrian texts as ''Gayōmard'' or ''Gayōmart''. In the Avesta he is the mythological first human being in the world. The corresponding name in Middle Persian is . In Ferdowsi's ''Shahnameh'' he appears as the first shah of the world. He is also called the (), the first to practice justice, the lawgiver.

The Avestan form means "the living mortal", from 'life' and 'mortal, human being'; cf. Persian 'human' ().

In Zoroastrian literature

According to the Zoroastrian creation myth, Gayōmart, who was neither male nor female, was the first human, or, according to the Avesta, he was the first person to worship Ahura Mazda. The Avestan forms ''Mashya'' and ''Mashyana'' appear as the male and female first humans; their names are versions of the word 'mortal'.

In the eighth book of the ''Denkard'', a reference is made to the lost '' Chihrdad'' (one of the 21 volumes of the Sasanian Avesta). Apparently, this volume dealt with how the world and mankind were created, including the creation of Gayōmart. References are also made to the '' Varshtmānsar'' nask, which also included information about Gayōmart which Ahura Mazda had given to Zoroaster: "For 30 centuries I kept the world from corruption and decay, when the 30th century came to an end the Dīvs assaulted Gayōmart ... But I finally repelled them and plunged them into the darkness".

The story of his creation

A concise summary of the story of Gayōmart according to Middle Persian texts is given by Zabihollah Safa:
But in other Zoroastrian traditions, it is said that Ahura Mazda married his daughter Spenta Armaiti and she gave birth to Keyumars, and later she gave birth to Mashya and Mashyana. These traditions are considered to be that Keyumars was born to the same mother as Mashya and Mashyana, and not that Mashya and Mashyana are the children of Keyumars.

In the ''Shahnameh''

Ferdowsi's 11th-century epic poem, the ''Shahnameh'', begins with the story of Keyumars. He was the first king to arise among humans, who at that time lived in mountain caves and wore the skins of leopards. Keyumars was also the first human to introduce royal practices and the preparation of food and was also the first practitioner of law and justice. He was so powerful that all humans, tame animals, and wild animals paid homage to him. God (Ahura Mazda) granted Keyumars the supernatural radiance called the ''farr'' (Avestan ), reserved for kings. His son Siāmak () was beloved of all except the Devil, Ahriman, who raised an army under the command of his own demonic son. When the angel Sorush (Avestan ) warned Keyumars, Siāmak led an army of his own. Siāmak accepted a challenge to single combat and died at the hands of the demon.

Keyumars mourned for a year, and then Sorush advised him to fight Ahriman once more. Siāmak's son Hushang (Avestan ) was grown by this time and led the army that defeated Ahriman's son, who was bound and beheaded. Keyumars died after a thirty-year reign, leaving his throne to Hushang.

See also

* Cosmic Man

References

Citations

Sources

* Modern English translation (abridged).
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* (complete English verse translation)

External links

''A King's Book of Kings: the Shah-nameh of Shah Tahmasp''
an exhibition catalog from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Keyumars

{{Shahnameh

Pishdadians
Legendary progenitors
Medieval legends
Zoroastrianism
Mythological first humans
Mythological kings
Pishdadian dynasty