Forud: The Tragic Son of Siyavash
Forud in the Shahnameh: the young son of Siyavash and half-brother of Kay Khosrow, wrongly slain by the very Iranian army sent to avenge his father, a great tragedy.
Read article →Kurdish History Journal
Kurdish Art and Culture
Articles filed under Kurdish Art and Culture.
Zavareh: The Loyal Brother of Rostam
Zavareh in the Shahnameh: the loyal brother of Rostam and son of Zal, who fought at the great hero's side through the wars and died with him in Shaghad's treacherous pit.
Read article →Shaghad: The Betrayer of Rostam
Shaghad in the Shahnameh: the jealous half-brother of Rostam who plotted the great hero's death in a pit of spears, only to be slain by the dying Rostam's last arrow.
Read article →Rohham: Hero of the House of Gudarz
Rohham in the Shahnameh: the loyal paladin of the House of Gudarz, son of Gudarz and brother of Giv, victor at the Battle of the Twelve Rooks in the wars for Siyavash.
Read article →Klash: The Handmade Shoes of Kurdistan
Klash, the handmade Kurdish shoes of Hawraman: the white, hand-stitched footwear of cotton and leather worn with traditional dress, a UNESCO-honored craft and symbol of identity.
Read article →Kurdish Kilims and Carpets: The Weaving of Kurdistan
Kurdish kilims and carpets: the great weaving tradition of Kurdistan, from the bold tribal kilim to the famed Bijar and Senneh rugs, woven by Kurdish women in wool and symbol.
Read article →Jli Kurdi: The Traditional Dress of the Kurds
Traditional Kurdish dress, jli kurdi: the colorful layered national costume of the Kurds, from the men's shal u shapik to the women's kras and kawa, a proud symbol of identity.
Read article →Govend: The Kurdish Circle Dance
Govend, the Kurdish circle dance: the hand-holding communal dance also called halparke, led by a handkerchief-waving serchopi, the heart of Kurdish weddings and Newroz.
Read article →Deq: The Traditional Tattoos of Kurdish Women
Deq, the traditional Kurdish tattoo: the ancient hand-poked markings worn by Kurdish women for protection, fertility, beauty, and tribal identity, now being revived.
Read article →Buka Barane: The Kurdish Rain Bride
Buka Barane, the Kurdish Rain Bride: the ancient rain-summoning ritual in which children carry a decorated doll through the streets in time of drought, pleading for rain.
Read article →Pir Shalyar: The Ancient Festival of Hawraman
The Pir Shalyar festival of Hawraman: the ancient Kurdish ceremony on the fortieth day of winter marking the wedding of the wise healer Pir Shalyar and a Bukharan princess.
Read article →The Peri: The Fairy Beings of Kurdish Folklore
The Peri in Kurdish and Iranic folklore: the beautiful winged fairy beings, once feared as demons and later beloved as fair spirits of the mountains and waters.
Read article →Mor Kirin: The Yazidi Baptism and the Sacred Springs
Yazidi baptism, mor kirin: the sacred rite of the White Spring at Lalish, in which holy water is poured three times to seal a Yazidi into the faith and community.
Read article →The Khandans: The Sacred Lineages of the Yarsani
The Khandans of the Yarsani faith: the sacred hereditary lineages founded by Sultan Sahak, each led by a Sayyed, that organise the People of Truth and guide every believer.
Read article →The Farr: The Divine Glory of Kings
The farr in Iranian tradition: the divine royal glory that rests on the just king and abandons the tyrant, the central idea of kingship in the Shahnameh.
Read article →Sekandar: The Alexander of the Shahnameh
Sekandar in the Shahnameh: the Persianized Alexander, made a son of Darab, world-conqueror and seeker of the Water of Life, whose reign closes the legendary age.
Read article →Dara: The Last King of the Legendary Age
Dara in the Shahnameh: the last king of the legendary Kayanian line, half-brother of Alexander, betrayed by his own ministers and mourned by the conqueror who defeated him.
Read article →Darab: The Foundling King
Darab in the Shahnameh: the foundling son of Queen Homay raised by a fuller, who recovered his throne and, in the epic, fathered both Dara and Alexander the Great.
Read article →The Chinvat Bridge: The Crossing of Souls
The Chinvat Bridge in Zoroastrian belief: the bridge of judgment every soul must cross after death, widening for the righteous and narrowing for the wicked.
Read article →Homay: The Queen Who Ruled Iran
Homay in the Shahnameh: the rare reigning queen of Iran, daughter of Bahman, who ruled with justice for years and set her infant son Darab adrift to keep her throne.
Read article →The Yazidi Pilgrimage to Lalish
The Yazidi pilgrimage to Lalish: the sacred journey every Yazidi hopes to make once in life, with its barefoot rites, the Silat bridge, the White Spring and Sheikh Adi's tomb.
Read article →Bahman: The Avenger King of Iran
Bahman in the Shahnameh: the son of Esfandiyar who became king of Iran, avenged his father by destroying the house of Rostam, and fathered the line of Darab.
Read article →Katayun: The Queen Who Chose for Love
Katayun in the Shahnameh: the princess of Rum who chose Goshtasp for love, became queen of Iran and mother of Esfandiyar, and pleaded in vain against his fatal duel.
Read article →Zarir: The Martyr-Hero of the Holy War
Zarir in the Shahnameh and the ancient Memorial of Zarer: the gallant brother of Goshtasp, commander of Iran, martyred in the holy war for the faith of Zoroaster.
Read article →