Farānak ( fa, فَرانَک) is a female character in the Persian epic ''

Shahnameh The ''Shahnameh'' or ''Shahnama'' ( fa, شاهنامه, Šāhnāme, lit=The Book of Kings, ) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50 ...

''. She is married to Abtin and the mother of

Fereydun Fereydun ( ae, 𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀𐬊𐬥𐬀, Θraētaona, pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭩𐭲𐭥𐭭, ; New Persian: , ''Fereydūn/Farīdūn'') is an Iranian mythical king and hero from the Pishdadian dynasty. He is known as an emblem of victory, jus ...

Etymology

Farânak is derived from the word ''Parvâneh'', which means "

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

" in Persian. Like many other words and names in Persian, the letter P was transformed to F in post-Arabic period, as the letter P does not exist in Arabic. Parvânak, meaning "the little butterfly", is another name for the Persian

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...

, also called ''siâh-goosh'' , which means "black-eared" in Persian. Both the name ''siâh-goosh'' ("black-eared") and ''parvânak'' ("little butterfly") refer to the pointy long black ears of the Persian lynx that look like butterflies. The Persian lynx or caracal accompanies the

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

as the lion is a strong hunter and often leaves some food for the lynx which is a much smaller cat. In return, the lynx has a much stronger sense of smell and can lead the lion to the prey.

Attestation

Farânak as a female name was first documented in Shâhnameh, for the character who was married to the good man Abtin, and the mother of the character

, a great hero who later became a king. The name for the character Farânak, who stood by these strong men, may have created and inspired by the story of the relationship between the Persian lynx and the lion; she who walks in front of the lions.

References

* Warner, Arthur and Edmond Warner, (translators) The Shahnama of Firdausi, 9 vols. (London: Keegan Paul, 1905-1925) (complete English verse translation) Women in Shahnameh {{Shahnameh-stub