''Khvarenah'' (also spelled ''khwarenah'' or ''xwarra(h)'': ) is an

Avestan Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...

word for a

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

concept literally denoting "glory" or "splendour" but understood as a divine mystical force or power projected upon and aiding the appointed. The neuter noun thus also connotes "(divine) royal glory", reflecting the perceived divine empowerment of kings. The term also carries a secondary meaning of "(good) fortune"; those who possess it are able to complete their mission or function. In 3rd- to 7th-century

Sassanid The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

-era inscriptions as well as in the 9th- to 12th-century texts of Zoroastrian tradition, the word appears as Zoroastrian

Middle Persian Middle Persian, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg ( Inscriptional Pahlavi script: , Manichaean script: , Avestan script: ) in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasania ...

''khwarrah'', rendered with the Pahlavi ideogram ''GDE'', reflecting

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

''gada'' "fortune". Middle Persian ''khwarrah'' continues as

New Persian New Persian (), also known as Modern Persian () is the current stage of the Persian language spoken since the 8th to 9th centuries until now in Greater Iran and surroundings. It is conventionally divided into three stages: Early New Persian (8th ...

''k(h)orra''. These variants, which are assumed to be learned borrowings from the Avestan, are the only

Iranian language The Iranian languages, also called the Iranic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau. The Iranian language ...

forms with an initial 'xᵛ-'. In all other dialects, the word has an initial ''f-'' (see details under related terms, below).

Etymology and related terms

Avestan ''khvarenah'' is probably derived from Proto-Avestan ''*hvar'' "to shine", nominalized with the ''-nah'' suffix. Proto-Avestan ''*

hvar Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For''; ; ; ) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis (island), Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, with a high east–west ridge of M ...

'' is in turn related to Old Indic ''svar'' with the same meaning, and together descending from Proto-Indo-Iranian *''súHr̥'' "to shine", ultimately from

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...

''*sóhr'' "to shine". Other proposals suggest a linguistic relationship with Avestan ''xᵛar-'' "to eat". Of the numerous

Iranian languages The Iranian languages, also called the Iranic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau. The Iranian langu ...

in which the word is attested, the initial ''xᵛ-'' is evident only as Avestan ''khvar(e)nah'' and as Zoroastrian

''khwarrah'', from which

''khorra'' then derives. In other Iranian dialects the word has an ''f-'' form, for instance as

Median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

and

Old Persian Old Persian is one of two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of the Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native speakers as (I ...

''farnah-'', from which Middle- and New Persian ''farr(ah)'' and adjectival ''farrokh'' derive. For many decades, the ''f-'' form was believed to represent a specific Median sound-law change of proto-Iranian ''xᵛ-'' to ''f-''. The hypothesis has since been shown to be untenable, and the proto-Iranian form is today reconstructed as ''*hu̯'', preserved in Avestan as ''xᵛ-'' and dissimilated as ''f-'' in other Iranian dialects. Pre-Christian

Georgian kings This article lists Georgian monarchs, and includes monarchs of various Georgian kingdoms, principalities and duchies. Georgian monarchs: * List of monarchs of Georgia *List of Georgian royal consorts * List of mothers to monarchs of Georgia ...

of the

Pharnavazid dynasty The Pharnavazid ( ka, ფარნავაზიანი, tr) is the name of the first dynasty of Georgian kings of Kartli (Iberia) preserved by '' The Georgian Chronicles''. Their rule lasted, with intermissions, from the 3rd century BC to t ...

were divinely assigned ''kxwarrah'' and its loss usually led to the monarch's imminent death or overthrow in Georgian kingship. Many of the monarchs had names based on this etymological root like Pharnavaz, Pharnajom and Pharasmanes. The word was borrowed into the

Georgian language Georgian (, ) is the most widely spoken Kartvelian language, Kartvelian language family. It is the official language of Georgia (country), Georgia and the native or primary language of 88% of its population. It also serves as the literary langu ...

as ''p'ar '. Huvishka

In the Iranian languages of the Middle Period, the word is also attested as Bactrian ''far(r)o'', Khotanese ''pharra'',

Parthian Parthian may refer to: Historical * Parthian people * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery sk ...

''farh'', Sogdian ''f(a)rn'', and

Ossetic Ossetian ( , , ), commonly referred to as Ossetic and rarely as Ossete, is an Eastern Iranian language that is spoken predominantly in Ossetia, a region situated on both sides of the Russian-Georgian border in the Greater Caucasus region. ...

''farnæ'' and ''farn'', though in these languages the word does not necessarily signify "glory" or "fortune": In

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, Sogdian ''farn'' and Khotanese ''pharra'' signified a "position of a Buddha," that is, with "dignity" or "high position." This meaning subsequently passed into Tocharian. In

Manicheanism Manichaeism (; in ; ) is an endangered former major world religion currently only practiced in China around Cao'an,R. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''. SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 found ...

, Sogdian ''frn'' signified "luck" and was a designator of the "first luminary". Manichean Parthian ''farh'' again signifies "glory." In Scytho-

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

and

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

culture,

Digor-Ossetic Digor Ossetian (; ) also known as Digor Ossetic or Digor-Ossetic, is a dialect of the Ossetic language spoken by the Digor people. It is less widely spoken than Iron, the other extant Ossetian dialect. The two are distinct enough to sometimes ...

''farnæ'' and

Iron-Ossetic Iron Ossetian ( ) also known as Iron Ossetic or Iron-Ossetic, is one of the two main dialects of the Ossetic language along with DigorThordarson, Fridrik. 1989. Ossetic. Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum, ed. by Rudiger Schmitt, 456-79. Wiesbade ...

''farn'' signified "peace, happiness, abundance, fortune." The term also appears as a borrowing in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

'' pʿarkʿ'', but with a greater range of meaning than in Iranian languages.

In scripture

Bisyllabic ''khvarenah'' is only attested once in the

Gathas The Gathas () are 17 hymns in the Avestan language from the Zoroastrian oral tradition of the Avesta. The oldest surviving text fragment dates from 1323 CE, but they are believed by scholars to have been composed before 1000 BCE and passed dow ...

, the oldest hymns of Zoroastrianism and considered to have been composed by the prophet himself. The one instance of Gathic ''khvarenah'' occurs in ''

Yasna Yasna (;"Yasna"
''

Yasht A Yasht (, ) is a hymn of praise composed in the Young Avestan language and dedicated to specific Zoroastrian divinities. The term commonly applies to the collection of 21 Yashts, although it may also refer to other texts within the wider Avest ...

''s, the younger Avesta's collection of 21 hymns dedicated to individual divinities. Two distinct forms of ''khvarenah'' are discernible in ''

'' 19:. * ''kavam khvarenah'' (''kauuaēm xᵛarənah''), the fortune of the ''kavi''s, the Kayanian kings * ''akhvaretem khvarenah'' (''axᵛarətəm xᵛarənah''), glory that both divinities and mortals should strive for. Similarly ''Yasht'' 18, although nominally dedicated to

Arshtat Arshtat () is the Avestan language name of a Zoroastrian principle and signifies either "justice". or "honesty.", col. 205. As a substantive, ''arshtat'' designates the divinity Arshtat, the hypostasis of "Rectitude" and "Justice". Her standing ...

, is a short 9-verse ode to a third variant of ''khvarenah''; the

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

''khvarenah'' (''airiianəm xᵛarənah'') that is created by

Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...

and that is "full of milk and pastures," vanquishes the ''

daeva A daeva (Avestan: 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 ''daēuua'') is a Zoroastrian supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, the ''daeva''s are " gods that are (to be) rejected". T ...

''s and the Un-Iranians. ''Yasht'' 19, which is nominally dedicated to

Zam Zam () is the Avestan language term for the Zoroastrian concept of "earth", in both the sense of land and soil and in the sense of the world. The earth is viewed as a primordial element in Zoroastrian tradition, and represented by a minor div ...

"Earth", further typifies ''khvarenah'' as a ''

yazata Yazata () is the Avestan word for a Zoroastrian concept with a wide range of meanings but generally signifying (or used as an epithet of) a divinity. The term literally means "worthy of worship or veneration",.. and is thus, in this more general ...

'',. that is, itself "worthy of worship." The same hymn includes a list of divinities and mortals who perform their duties due to the power of ''khvarenah''. Among these are the mythological Kayanian kings – the ''kavi''s (''kauui''s) – who are rulers through the grace of, and empowered by, ''khvarenah''. ''Khvarenah'' is however also glory held by divinities:

has it (19.9-13), the

Amesha Spenta In Zoroastrianism, the Amesha Spenta (—literally "Immortal (which is) holy/bounteous/furthering") are a class of seven divine entities emanating from Ahura Mazda, the highest divinity of the religion. Later Middle Persian variations of the ter ...

s have it (19.14-20), the other

s as well (19.21-24). Yima loses it thrice, in turn to

Mithra Mithra ( ; ) is an ancient Iranian deity ('' yazata'') of covenants, light, oaths, justice, the Sun, contracts, and friendship. In addition to being the divinity of contracts, Mithra is also a judicial figure, an all-seeing protector of Truth ( ...

Thraetaona use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place ...

and Keresaspa. ''Khvarenah'' assumes the shape of a bird when leaving Yima. (19.35-36, 19.82) According to ''Yasht'' 13.14, the waters flow, the plants spring forth, and the winds blow through the ''khvarenah'' of the

Fravashi Fravashi (, ) is the Avestan term for the Zoroastrian concept of a personal spirit of an individual, whether dead, living, or yet-unborn. The ''fravashi'' of an individual sends out the ''urvan'' (often translated as ' soul') into the material wo ...

s. In ''Yasna'' 68.11, the waters of Aredvi Sura are invoked to bestow radiance and glory. ''Khvarenah'' is also associated with the waters in other texts; with the world-sea Vourukasha in ''Yasht'' 19.51 and 19.56-57; with the Helmand river in ''Yasht'' 19.66ff. It is also identified with

Haoma (; Avestan: ) is a divine plant in Zoroastrianism and in later Persian culture and Persian mythology, mythology. has its origins in Indo-Iranian religion and is the cognate of Vedas, Vedic . Etymology Both Avestan and Sanskrit derived from Pr ...

, together with which it plays a seminal role in the legend of the birth of Zoroaster. In these passages, ''khvarenah'' has a seminal and germinal implication, being both fiery fluid and living seed. In ''Yasna'' 60.2, the family priest is seen to request joy and blessings for the righteous, good nature, truth, prosperity, power, and glory for the house in which he offers prayers. The hymn to Mithra speaks of the divinity as the "dispenser of ''khvarenah''" (''Yasht'' 10.16, 10.128, 10.141). Other texts describe Mithra as "most endowed with glory" (''Yasht'' 19.35, ''

Vendidad The Vendidad /ˈvendi'dæd/, also known as Videvdat, Videvdad or Juddēvdād, is a collection of texts within the greater compendium of the Avesta. However, unlike the other texts of the Avesta, the ''Vendidad'' is an ecclesiastical code, not a ...

'' 19.15). In ''Yasht'' 19.46,

Akem Manah Aka Manah is the Avestan language name for the Zoroastrian daeva "Evil Mind", "Evil Purpose", "Evil Thinking", or "Evil Intention". Aka Manah also known as Akoman in Middle Persian and Akvan in New Persian, represents the malevolent force of sens ...

, the demon of "evil purpose" attempts (but fails) to seize ''khvarenah''. The Iranian ''khvarenah'' and

Dahman Dahman or Dahman Afrin is the Avestan language name of a Zoroastrian concept, later considered to be the embodiment of prayer, and ultimately (also) as a divinity, one of the ''yazata''s. ''Dahman Afrin'' in its true sense literally translates t ...

, the hypostasis of prayer, render

Bushyasta Bushyasta (Avesta, ''būšyāsta'', ''būšiiąstā'') is the Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrian demon (''daeva'') of sloth. Her stock epithet is "the long-handed". In scripture as well as in later tradition, Bushyasta (Middle Persian: ''Bushasp'') is ...

- the demoness of "sloth" – powerless (''Yasht'' 10.97, 13.4). At the final renovation of the world, the royal glory will follow the ''Saoshyant''s (''Yasht'' 19.89).

In tradition

In the 9th-12th century texts of Zoroastrian tradition ''khvarenah'' (→

''khwarrah'') is a spiritual force that exists before the creation of the ''tan-gohr'', the mortal body (''

Bundahishn The ''Bundahishn'' (Middle Persian: , "Primal Creation") is an encyclopedic collection of beliefs about Zoroastrian cosmology written in the Book Pahlavi script. The original name of the work is not known. It is one of the most important extant ...

'' II.7ff, ''Zadspram'' 3.75). In these later texts, the glory appears to be acquirable through learning and knowledge (''Bundahishn'' II.9ff). ''Khwarrah'' continues to be identified with astral bodies (''Dadistan-i Denig'' I.25, I.35-36), but its primary function is in its role as the divine glory of kings, the continuation of the Avestan notion of the ''kavam khvarenah''. New in tradition is an identification of ''khwarrah'' with religion, as in "the great ''khwarrah''-bestowing force of the pure religion" (''Dadistan-i Denig'' I.36) The '' Kar-namag i Ardashir'', a collection of hagiographic legends related to

Ardashir Ardeshir, Ardashir or Ardasher may refer to: Throne name of several rulers * Artaxerxes (disambiguation), the Hellenized form of Ardeshir * Ardashir Orontid, ''r.'' 5th century BC, Armenian king from the Orontid dynasty * Ardashir I, ''r.'' 224– ...

, the founder of the

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

, includes (4.11.16 and 4.11.22-23) a tale in which Ardashir – who at that point in the story is still a vassal of the Arsacid Parthians – escapes from the court of the last Arsacid king, Ardavan. In the story, Ardashir makes off with much Ardavan's treasure, as well as Ardavan's favourite concubine, and is being chased by Ardavan and his troops. On the road, Ardavan and his contingent are overtaken by an enormous ram, which is also following Ardashir. Ardavan's religious advisors explain that the ram is the manifestation of the ''khwarrah'' of the ancient Iranian kings, which is leaving Ardavan and the Parthians in favor of a new emperor. The representation of ''khwarrah'' as a ram reappears on Sassanid seals and as an ornament in Sassanid architecture. ''Khwarrah'' also appears in Sassanian crowns as a bird with a pearl in its beak. Depictions of ''khwarrah'' as a bird are allusions to the Avestan myth of ''Yasht'' 19.35-36, 19.82 in which ''khvarenah'' takes the shape of a bird as it leaves Yima (MP: Jamshid), a metamorphosis similar to that of the yazata of victory,

Verethragna Verethragna or Bahram () is a Zoroastrian yazata. The neuter noun ''verethragna'' is related to Avestan ''verethra'', 'obstacle' and ''verethragnan'', 'victorious'. Representing this concept is the divinity Verethragna, who is the Hypostasis ( ...

. The crown as a repository of ''khwarrah'' is also attested in the Paikuli inscription of Narseh, which describes the punishment meted out to an individual who has been "driven by

Ahriman Angra Mainyu (; ) is the Avestan name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of the Spenta Mainyu, the "holy/creative spirits/mentality", or directly of Ahura Mazda, th ...

and the ''dev''s" to steal ''khwarrah'' by placing the crown on the head of a false ruler. Another ubiquitous motif in Sassanian art is the symbol of a boar, which is a representation of the protection of the ''yazata''

(MP: Wahram) given to rulers that hold ''khwarrah''. The ring of kingship that appears in Sassanian investiture reliefs is often identified as representing ''khwarrah''. This is also the case for the ring held by the bearded figure in the Achaemenid winged sun-disk symbol that is traditionally considered to represent a ''

fravashi Fravashi (, ) is the Avestan term for the Zoroastrian concept of a personal spirit of an individual, whether dead, living, or yet-unborn. The ''fravashi'' of an individual sends out the ''urvan'' (often translated as ' soul') into the material wo ...

'' (MP: ''fravahr''). The Achaemenid winged sun-disk has in its entirety also been occasionally been interpreted as a representation of ''khvarenah''.''cf.'' . That ''khwarrah'' – in addition to its significance as "royal fortune" – also signified "fortune" in a general sense is demonstrated by the use of an

ideogram ''GDE'' in the Middle Persian texts of the

and post-Sassanid periods. The custom of using this Aramic ideogram to represent ''khvarenah'' is probably inherited from Achaemenid times.

Syncretic influences

"The fundamental motif of Iranian kingship, a hereditary dynastic charisma .. which, could however be lost, was at the root of ideas that were widespread in the Hellenistic and Roman periods." For example, as the ''tyche basileos, fortuna regia,'' the saving grace (luck) of fortune of a king; and probably also the royal ''farrah'' in the ''tyche'' of the various Hellenistic rulers of the

Seleucid The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great, a ...

and

Arsacid The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

periods as well as of the

Kushan ''Kushan'' or Kushana may refer to: * Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan ...

kings. Because the concepts of ''khvarenah''/''khwarrah'' and Aramaic ''gd(y)'' circulated in the same areas and have many characteristics in common, it is possible that the Mesopotamian concept influenced the Zoroastrian one. On the other hand, ''khvarenah'' may also be a facet of Zoroastrianism's Indo-Iranian cultural inheritance since ''khvarenah'' appears to have a parallel in Indic ''tejas,'' in which kingship is likewise associated with the bright splendor and power of light and fire. The concept of the royal ''khwarrah'' survived the 7th century downfall of the

, and remained a central motif (for instance as the ''farr-e elahi'') in the culture, philosophy and epics of Islamic Iran.

In culture

*The 1995

Ossetia Ossetia ( , ; or , or , ) is an Ethnolinguistics, ethnolinguistic region on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians. The Ossetian language is part of the Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian b ...

n film "ФАРН" (en:Farn) produced for North Ossetian Television by Murat Dzhusoyty.

External links

BABYLONIA ii. Babylonian Influences on Iran

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * . * . * . * . * . {{refend Yazatas Ancient Iranian religion Iranian words and phrases