Faranak: The Mother Who Saved Faridun
- Daniel R
- Jun 3
- 13 min read
Introduction
Faranak is one of the great mothers of the Shahnameh, the Persian Book of Kings: the brave and devoted mother of the hero Faridun, who saved her infant son from the tyrant Zahhak and so preserved the deliverer who would one day overthrow the serpent-king and free the world.
When the tyrant Zahhak, warned by a dream that a child named Faridun would bring about his downfall, sought to destroy the infant, it was the courage and devotion of Faranak that saved her son. After Zahhak's agents killed her husband Abtin, Faranak hid the child, entrusted him to the keeper of the wondrous cow Barmayeh whose milk nourished him, and at last fled with him to the safety of Mount Alborz. Without her, the tradition makes clear, Faridun could never have lived to free the world from the tyrant.
Like all the figures of the Book of Kings, Faranak belongs to the shared epic and mythological heritage of the Iranian peoples, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians, the Lurs, and others of the Iranic world. To know Faranak is to encounter one of the great and admirable mothers of the epic, the brave woman whose devotion and courage saved the infant hero and so made possible the great deliverance from the tyranny of Zahhak.
Contents
Who Is Faranak?
Faranak is a noblewoman of the Shahnameh, the wife of Abtin and the mother of the great hero Faridun, the deliverer who would overthrow the serpent-tyrant Zahhak. She is remembered above all for her courage and devotion in saving her infant son from the tyrant, who, warned by a dream that a child named Faridun would bring about his downfall, sought to destroy the boy. After Zahhak's agents killed her husband Abtin, Faranak hid the infant, entrusted him to the keeper of the wondrous cow Barmayeh, whose milk nourished him, and at last fled with him to the safety of Mount Alborz, where he was raised. When Faridun came of age, it was Faranak who revealed to him his true lineage and the fate of his father, setting him on the path to overthrow the tyrant. She is one of the great mothers of the epic, the brave woman whose devotion preserved the hero and made possible the deliverance of the world.
Wife of Abtin
Faranak was the wife of Abtin, a noble man of the line descended from the ancient kings, in the dark age of the tyranny of Zahhak. Abtin was, in the tradition, a descendant of the royal line of Jamshid, and thus of noble and royal blood, though living in hiding or in danger under the oppressive reign of the serpent-king.
As the wife of the noble Abtin, Faranak belonged to a family of high and ancient lineage, the line from which the deliverer Faridun would spring. But the dark age of Zahhak was a perilous time for such a family, for the tyrant, fearing the prophecy of his downfall, sought out and destroyed those who might threaten his reign. Abtin, the husband of Faranak and the father of Faridun, was caught by the agents of the tyrant and killed, his brain, in the tradition, fed to the serpents that grew from Zahhak's shoulders. The death of Abtin left Faranak a widow with an infant son in a time of great danger, the tyrant seeking the child's life. It is from this perilous situation, the wife of a murdered noble, alone with the infant who was destined to overthrow the tyrant, that Faranak's great deeds of courage and devotion arise. Her standing as the wife of Abtin and the mother of the endangered child sets the stage for her heroic protection of her son, the devotion that would preserve the future deliverer through the darkest peril. It is as the widow of Abtin, alone with the infant Faridun in the shadow of the tyrant, that Faranak rises to her great role in the tale.
Key Takeaways
Faranak is the brave and devoted mother of the hero Faridun.
She was the wife of the noble Abtin, killed by the tyrant Zahhak.
She saved her infant son from Zahhak, who sought the child's life.
She entrusted the infant to the keeper of the wondrous cow Barmayeh.
She fled with him to the safety of Mount Alborz, where he was raised.
She revealed to Faridun his lineage, setting him on his path.
Quick Facts
Name: Faranak
Role: Mother of Faridun; protector of the infant hero
Husband: Abtin, killed by Zahhak
Son: Faridun, the deliverer of the world
Great deed: Saving the infant Faridun from the tyrant
The wondrous cow: Barmayeh, whose milk nourished the child
Place of refuge: Mount Alborz
Significance: Preserving the hero who freed the world
Quality: Courage, devotion, maternal love
Heritage: Shared Iranic epic tradition
The Threat of the Tyrant
The danger that Faranak faced arose from the fear of the tyrant Zahhak, who, in the tradition, was warned by a dream and by his interpreters that a child named Faridun would one day rise up, overthrow him, and bind him. Terrified by this prophecy, the tyrant sought to find and destroy the child before he could grow to fulfil it.
The dream of Zahhak, in which he saw himself overthrown by a young warrior wielding an ox-headed mace, and the interpretation that named Faridun as his destined destroyer, set the tyrant upon a search for the child to kill him. This is a familiar and powerful pattern in myth and legend, the tyrant who, warned of his downfall at the hands of a child not yet grown, seeks to destroy the infant, only to be thwarted, often by the courage of those who protect the child. In the tale of Faridun, it is the threat of the tyrant, his determination to find and kill the infant who was destined to overthrow him, that creates the peril from which Faranak must save her son. The agents of Zahhak sought the child, and the danger was real and deadly, for the tyrant had already killed the child's father Abtin. The threat of the tyrant is thus the danger against which Faranak's courage and devotion are pitted, the deadly peril from which she must preserve the infant hero. It is the tyrant's fear and his search for the child that set the stage for Faranak's great deeds of protection, the mother's struggle to save her son from the power of the evil king who sought his life.
The Hiding of the Child
To save her infant son from the tyrant Zahhak, Faranak hid the child and sought a means to preserve and nourish him in safety. In the tradition, she took the infant Faridun to a meadow, where there was a wondrous cow named Barmayeh, and entrusted the child to the keeper of the cow, asking that he be nourished on its milk.
The wondrous cow Barmayeh, sometimes called Pormayeh, was a marvellous beast of the tradition, described as having a coat of many colours, and its milk nourished the infant Faridun in his hiding. For a time, the child was kept safe and nourished in the meadow, hidden from the agents of the tyrant. But the danger was not past, for Zahhak's search continued. In the tradition, the tyrant eventually discovered the hiding place; though Faranak had already fled with the child, the tyrant in his rage killed the wondrous cow Barmayeh and destroyed the place. The hiding of the child and his nourishment by the wondrous cow is a memorable part of the tale, the means by which Faranak preserved her son in his infancy, even as the tyrant's search drew ever nearer. The episode of the wondrous cow, in particular, is one of the marvellous elements of the tale of Faridun's preservation. The hiding of the child by Faranak, and his nourishment by the cow Barmayeh, is the first stage of her great work of saving her son, the devoted protection that kept the infant hero alive through the deadly peril of the tyrant's search, until she was forced to flee with him to a yet safer refuge.
The Flight to Mount Alborz
When the danger grew too great and the tyrant's search drew near, Faranak fled with her son Faridun to the safety of Mount Alborz, the legendary mountain, where the child could be raised in security beyond the reach of Zahhak.
In the tradition, when the hiding place with the wondrous cow was no longer safe, Faranak took her child and fled with him to Mount Alborz, the great and legendary mountain, where she entrusted the boy to a pious hermit or holy man who dwelt there, that he might be raised in safety and secrecy. There, on the mountain, far from the reach of the tyrant, Faridun grew up, nourished and instructed, until he came of age. The flight to Mount Alborz is the culmination of Faranak's work of saving her son, the removal of the child to a place of true safety where he could grow to manhood beyond the tyrant's power. The legendary mountain, a place of refuge and of holiness in the tradition, became the haven where the future deliverer was raised. The flight to Mount Alborz thus completes the great act of preservation by which Faranak saved the infant hero, carrying him from peril to peril until he was safe, and ensuring that the child destined to overthrow the tyrant would live to fulfil his destiny. It is through this devoted and courageous flight, and the hiding and protection that preceded it, that Faranak preserved Faridun, and so made possible the deliverance of the world from the tyranny of Zahhak.
The Revealing of His Destiny
When Faridun had grown to young manhood on Mount Alborz, it was Faranak who revealed to him the truth of his lineage and the fate of his father, setting him on the path to overthrow the tyrant Zahhak.
In the tradition, when Faridun came of age, he asked his mother about his true father and his origins, and Faranak told him the truth: that he was of noble and royal lineage, that his father Abtin had been killed by the tyrant Zahhak, and that the cruelty of the serpent-king oppressed the world. Learning the truth of his lineage and his father's fate, Faridun was filled with the resolve to overthrow the tyrant and avenge the wrongs done to his family and the world. In the tradition, Faranak, having told her son the truth, also counselled him with a mother's wisdom and caution, urging patience even as she revealed what he must know. The revealing of his destiny is the final part of Faranak's great role in the tale, for having preserved her son through his infancy and childhood, she now set him upon his path by telling him the truth of who he was and what had been done. This revelation transforms Faridun from a youth raised in hiding into the hero resolved to fulfil his destiny, the deliverer who would overthrow Zahhak. The revealing of his destiny by Faranak is thus the bridge between her preservation of the child and his great deeds as a man, the mother's final gift to her son, the truth that set him on the path to free the world.
Symbolism and Meaning
Faranak embodies, above all, maternal courage and devotion, the love and bravery of a mother who saves her child against all peril. As the woman who preserved the infant Faridun from the tyrant Zahhak, hiding him, nourishing him, and fleeing with him to safety, she represents the protective devotion of the mother, the courage that dares all dangers to save the child.
Faranak embodies, too, the crucial but often unsung role of the woman in the heroic tale, for without her courage and devotion, the hero Faridun could never have lived to free the world; the great deliverance depends, at its root, upon the bravery of the mother who saved the child. In this, Faranak represents the truth that the deeds of heroes rest upon the often hidden courage of those who preserve and nurture them. And as the one who revealed to Faridun his destiny, she embodies, too, the role of the one who sets the hero upon his path, the giver of the truth that calls forth the hero's resolve. In all this, Faranak is a figure of real significance and great appeal, embodying maternal courage and devotion, the crucial role of the woman in the heroic tale, and the one who sets the hero on his path. She is one of the great and admirable mothers of the epic, the brave woman whose love and courage preserved the deliverer and so made possible the freeing of the world from the tyranny of Zahhak.
Faranak and the Kurds
Faranak, like all the figures of the Shahnameh, belongs to the shared epic and mythological heritage of the Iranian peoples, a tradition that the Kurds hold in common with the Persians, the Lurs, and others of the Iranic world. The great tale of Zahhak and Faridun, in which Faranak figures as the hero's mother, is part of the common inheritance of these peoples.
It is worth noting that the tale of Zahhak and Faridun, to which Faranak belongs, has a special resonance in Kurdish tradition, for the overthrow of the tyrant Zahhak by the rising of the people, associated with the blacksmith Kawa and celebrated at Newroz, is held especially dear among the Kurds. Faranak, as the mother who preserved the hero Faridun who would accomplish this deliverance, belongs to this cherished tale. Yet it is honest and accurate to understand Faranak herself, and the wider epic in which she appears, as part of the shared Iranic heritage, rather than as a uniquely Kurdish figure, for the figures and tales of the Shahnameh are the common inheritance of all the Iranic peoples. As an Iranian people, the Kurds share in this broad heritage, of which Faranak is a part, even as the larger tale of Zahhak's overthrow holds a special place in Kurdish tradition through its connection with Newroz. In presenting Faranak, then, we present a figure of the shared Iranian heritage to which the Kurds, as an Iranic people, are heirs alongside their neighbours.
Debates and Misconceptions
What was the wondrous cow Barmayeh? In the tradition, Barmayeh, sometimes called Pormayeh, was a marvellous cow whose milk nourished the infant Faridun in his hiding, described as having a coat of many colours. To this cow, in the meadow, Faranak entrusted her child for a time, that he might be nourished in safety. When the tyrant Zahhak later discovered the hiding place, he killed the wondrous cow in his rage, though Faranak had already fled with the child. The wondrous cow is one of the marvellous elements of the tale of Faridun's preservation, and in memory of it, Faridun later had his famous mace forged in the shape of an ox or cow's head.
How important is Faranak to the tale of Faridun? Faranak is essential to the tale, for without her courage and devotion the hero Faridun could never have lived to overthrow the tyrant. It was she who saved the infant from the tyrant's search, hid him, had him nourished, fled with him to safety, and raised him until he came of age, and she who revealed to him his destiny. The whole great deliverance of the world from Zahhak rests, at its foundation, upon the bravery of Faranak in preserving the child, a crucial role often less celebrated than the hero's own deeds.
Is Faranak a specifically Kurdish figure? No; like all the figures of the Shahnameh, she belongs to the shared epic heritage of the Iranian peoples, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians, the Lurs, and others of the Iranic world, rather than a uniquely Kurdish figure. Yet the larger tale of Zahhak's overthrow, to which she belongs as the hero's mother, holds a special place in Kurdish tradition through its connection with Newroz. As an Iranian people, the Kurds share in this broad heritage, of which Faranak is a part, alongside their neighbours.
Related Topics
Faridun: the hero son whom Faranak saved and raised
Zahhak: the tyrant from whom Faranak saved her child
Kawa the Blacksmith: who roused the people for Faridun against Zahhak
Jamshid: the ancient king of the line from which Abtin sprang
Arnavaz and Shahrnaz: the princesses freed by Faranak's son Faridun
Iraj: a grandson of Faranak, son of Faridun
Newroz: the festival linked to the overthrow of Zahhak
The Shahnameh: the Persian Book of Kings, the great epic of Iran
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Faranak in the Shahnameh?
Faranak is a noblewoman of the Shahnameh, the wife of Abtin and the mother of the great hero Faridun, the deliverer who would overthrow the serpent-tyrant Zahhak. She is remembered above all for her courage and devotion in saving her infant son from the tyrant, who sought to destroy the child destined to overthrow him. She hid the infant, had him nourished by the wondrous cow Barmayeh, fled with him to Mount Alborz, and raised him, later revealing to him his destiny.
How did Faranak save Faridun?
Faranak saved Faridun through a series of devoted and courageous acts. After Zahhak's agents killed her husband Abtin, she hid the infant and took him to a meadow, entrusting him to the keeper of the wondrous cow Barmayeh, whose milk nourished him. When the tyrant's search drew near, she fled with the child to the safety of Mount Alborz, where she entrusted him to a pious hermit to be raised in secrecy, beyond the reach of Zahhak.
What was the cow Barmayeh?
Barmayeh, sometimes called Pormayeh, was a wondrous cow of the tradition whose milk nourished the infant Faridun in his hiding, described as having a coat of many colours. Faranak entrusted her child to the keeper of this cow for a time, that he might be nourished in safety. When Zahhak later discovered the hiding place, he killed the cow in his rage, though Faranak had already fled with the child. In memory of the cow, Faridun later had his mace forged in the shape of an ox-head.
Why is Faranak important?
Faranak is important because without her courage and devotion, the hero Faridun could never have lived to overthrow the tyrant Zahhak and free the world. She saved the infant from the tyrant's search, preserved and nourished him, fled with him to safety, raised him, and revealed to him his destiny. The whole great deliverance of the world rests, at its foundation, upon her bravery in preserving the child, a crucial role in the epic.
What did Faranak tell Faridun about his past?
When Faridun came of age and asked about his origins, Faranak revealed the truth: that he was of noble and royal lineage, that his father Abtin had been killed by the tyrant Zahhak, and that the cruelty of the serpent-king oppressed the world. This revelation filled Faridun with the resolve to overthrow the tyrant. Faranak, having told him the truth, also counselled him with a mother's wisdom, urging patience even as she set him on his path.
Is Faranak a Kurdish figure?
Faranak belongs to the shared epic heritage of the Iranian peoples, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians, the Lurs, and others of the Iranic world, rather than a uniquely Kurdish figure. Yet the larger tale of Zahhak's overthrow, to which she belongs as the hero's mother, holds a special place in Kurdish tradition through its connection with Newroz. As an Iranian people, the Kurds share in this broad heritage, of which Faranak is a part, alongside their neighbours.
References and Further Reading
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