#I had a Journey™ with the pomegranate

[tired-reader-writer]

Candidates For Isfan's Mother: A List™

@innerchorus @marchdancer I think the two of you will be very interested in this list.

If y'all want to use whichever name from this list to either name Isfan's mom or name an OC, please feel free to do so!! I'll be very happy!

Category 1: Moon-related names

I don't think moon-related names need much of an explanation! The moon is associated with wolves after all!

1. Mahsa: Like the moon

2. Mahin: Related to the moon

3. Haleh: Halo around the moon

“A popular choice in Iran and Turkey, Haleh is a variation of Hala, an Arabic name referencing the halo around the moon.”

4. Simin: Silvery, white

Simin doesn't mean moon, but moonlight is silvery, and on the off chance Isfan's hair might be, say, wolf-grey or some silvery variation, it's safe to assume his mother had the same hair colour as well. In which case, Simin would be a fitting name, wouldn't it?

Category 2: Flower-related names

5. Laleh: Tulip

“Besides roses, another Persian flower that is the national flower of Iran and is intertwined with Iranian culture, is Tulip or as Persians call it, Laleh, which means red. This spring-blooming flower does not need to be planted. Every spring, the tulips start growing and blooming to show its flaming petals to the people. Tulip can be found in Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges and is the symbol of the sacred blood of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their country. Tulip also shows the suffering for love and is used in Persian Poetry to describe how a lover suffered and failed to have his loved one.”

Not gonna lie, I just thought the name Laleh was cute. I know it symbolizes martyrs on a much bigger scale: i.e. political martyrs who bled for the country, but I can't help but think of how she sacrificed her own life to save her son.

And tulips can be found in the Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges of Iran, which can be seen on the following map:

Isfan and his mother were tossed into the mountains in winter to die, so mountains feel very relevant here. Mt. Damavand (Mt. Demavant in ArSen) is located in the Alborz mountain range, and as @innerchorus has headcanoned Shapur's ancestral lands in Gorgan, that would put them near the Alborz mountain range. The location and its symbolism (even if the latter is two steps to the left for my purposes) made me think of Laleh.

Also have an unrelated tidbit about another flower:

“By talking about Tulip, mentioning poppy flower, which is also the symbol of martyrs’ blood, is inevitable. This red flower can be found during spring in green fields to design nature with its shiny red color. The black core, which looks like a black heart inside a poppy flower symbolizes great sadness. Because of its color, Iranian poets used this flower to describe a broken heart.”

I just think it's neat!

6. Golnar: Pomegranate flower

Golnar comes from “gol”, meaning “flower” and “nar”, for “pomegranate”.

Buckle up babes because IT'S POMEGRANATE TIME!

I saw the word pomegranate, and immediately made the association with the myth of Hades and Persephone, and how the pomegranate fruit was associated with the underworld, where souls go after death.

“In Greek mythology, the pomegranate was known as the ‘fruit of the dead’ as it was said to have arisen from the blood of Adonis. It also prominently featured in the myth of Hades and Persephone. Hades, God of the underworld, used pomegranate seeds to trick Persephone into returning to the underworld for a few months of every year. Alongside death, the pomegranate symbolised fertility in Ancient Greece and Rome. It had a strong association to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, as well as Hera, the Greek goddess of marriage and childbirth. In Ancient Rome, newlywed women wore crowns woven from pomegranate leaves, and the juice of pomegranates was used to cure infertility.”

And I also found this interesting interpretation of the Greek gods here:

A snippet from that post that felt relevant here was: “Of course Hades snatched away a young girl from her mother’s arms, that’s what death does.”, furthering the association with death. Pomegranates are also winter fruits, and winter is often associated with death as well. In the myth of Hades and Persephone, the months Persephone had to spend in the underworld, aka the domain of the dead, it is winter on the surface because her mother Demeter refused to grow anything out of grief. Isfan and his mother were abandoned in the mountains in winter to die.

For the purposes of this, I am going to associate fertility with motherhood. You can see in the above quote that pomegranates are also associated with childbirth.

But the Greeks aren't the only ones who had pomegranate symbolism. Iran/Persia does too, and here's said symbolism:

“Most Famous Persian ceremonies such as Nowruz, Yalda Night and Chaharshanbeh Souri are the heritage of their Zoroastrian ancestors and since pomegranate is of great importance in Zoroastrianism, it must be present in all of these celebrations, specifically Yalda night. As pomegranate symbolizes fertility, rebirth and life in Persian culture, it definitely is the best fruit to be eaten on the longest and darkest night of the year.”

“Gulnar or pomegranate flower is a beautiful and delicate flower with red and cinnabar color petals that grow in Persia. This flower is mentioned in Persian literature to describe the beauty and delicacy of loved ones. Gulnar is not only used for its beauty but also as a treatment for diseases because of its medical values. It can be used to heal wounds, and its tea can help with heavy menstrual bleeding. This flower is full of Antioxidants, so it is used for beauty purposes as well. It is also regarded as a magical fruit in Persian myths. The divine warrior of ancient Iran, Esfandiyar ate a pomegranate and became invincible as mentioned in the world's longest epic poem book, Shahnameh.”

Nights are longest in winter!

And that last bolded sentence was what caused me to go down a rabbit hole trying to find associations of Esfandiyar (Isfan's namesake and inspiration) and pomegranates— and boy did I find some mentions!

“It is also believed that the invulnerability of Esfandiar (Iranian legend) was related to this sacred fruit.”

“In Persian mythology Isfandiyar eats a pomegranate and becomes invincible.”

“In Persian mythology, Esfandiar ate a pomegranate and became invincible.”

Though Esfandiyar's Wikipedia article made no such mention of the pomegranates, instead attributing Esfandiyar's invulnerability to a prophet instead:

“According to the epic Shahnameh, Esfandiyār was the Crown Prince and a Divine Warrior of ancient Iran who supported the prophet Zartosht (Zarathustra), enabling him to spread the religion of Zoroastrianism. He also fought against many apostates and enemies of Zartosht to do so. In return, Zartosht gave Esfandiyār a chain and armor from Heaven. The armor made him invincible and the chain had the power to bind anyone, even a demon or evil magician, making them unable to escape. Zartosht also gave a Divine blessing to the prince and declared that anyone who would spill the blood of Esfandiyār (killed him) shall suffer a cursed life of bad omens until the day he dies and even after death would be condemned to hell.”

(I wonder if Isfan getting to fight a Zahhak sorcerer was inspired by this... The chain that can “bind demons and evil magicians”...)

Zartosht was also known as Zoroaster:

“Zoroaster (/ˈzɒroʊæstər/, /ˌzɒroʊˈæstər/; Greek: Ζωροάστρης, Zōroastrēs), also known as Zarathustra (/ˌzærəˈθuːstrə/, /ˌzɑːrə-/; Avestan: 𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬚𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀, Zaraθuštra), Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra (Modern Persian: زرتشت, Zartosht), is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism. He is said to have been an Iranian prophet who founded a religious movement that challenged the existing traditions of ancient Iranian religion, and inaugurated a movement that eventually became a staple religion in ancient Iran. He was a native speaker of Old Avestan and lived in the eastern part of the Iranian plateau, but his exact birthplace is uncertain.”

I have not read the Shahnameh yet, so I cannot say which version is definite, but if we were to believe Esfandiyar's invulnerability came from eating a pomegranate (and who says Zartosht couldn't have given him a pomegranate instead?), I think this ties in quite neatly with Isfan's mother. Even if it wasn't invincibility, she did give him “armor”, all the clothes she had except a thin layer, to shield him from the cold. So we have:

Death

Winter

Fertility, motherhood, childbirth

Associations with Esfandiyar

So yeah. I'm pretty fond of this one!

This isn't all the significance and symbolism pomegranates have in Iran, however, and Golnar certainly isn't the only variation of the name:

“Furthermore, Persians tend to name their female children with words related to pomegranate. Some of the most popular names are Gol'nar, Nar'dokht, Nar'een, Nar'gol.”

“In Zoroastrianism, the ancient monotheist religion of Iran, the pomegranate is still in the centre of each ritual and even marriage ceremony or funeral. Being an eternal sacred element for the Zoroastrians, it is carried to the marriage proposal ceremony along with the bouquet and sweets as the symbol of love, life and alliance. Many great poets and writers have used its unique features to describe the beauty of the beloved, the sorrows of the heart, the taste of life, etc. It is so rooted in Persian culture that there is even a specific poem about pomegranate in primary school books.”

Category 3: Names that have links with characteristics I associate with her

I associate her with hope and faith, and headcanon that she hoped Isfan would be destined for great things, and Shapur, who had been kind to the two of them in the past, would come save them.

7. Iman: Faith, hope

Iman is a unisex name! :D

8. Arezou: Desire, wish

Arezou is derived from the Middle Persian “ārzōg” for “desire” or “wish.” Arezou is common in Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, and India.

9. Roya: Dream, vision

Variations: Ruya

Category 4: Drawing from the myth

I thought, “But what about Esfandiyar's mother from the myth? Could I perhaps use that?” and here's what I found:

“Esfandiyār or Espandiyār (Avestan: Spəntōδāta-; Middle Persian: Spandadāt; Persian: اسفندیار) is a legendary Iranian hero and one of the characters of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. He was the son and the crown prince of the Kayanian King Goshtasp and Queen Katāyoun. He was the grandchild of Kay Lohrasp.”

“Katāyoun (Persian: کَتایون) is a female figure in Shāhnāmeh and Iranian mythology. She is the wife of Goshtāsb and the mother of Esfandiār. In Shāhnāme, she is the daughter of the Kaiser of Rûm. But in Avestā and in Pahlavi texts, she is an Iranian girl and a descendant from Nowzar. In Avestā and pahlavi texts, her name is mentioned as Hutaosā.”

Her name apparently means “Queen of the World” (though I have only seen this on one source), I'm not sure if this name might be reserved for highborn daughters, like the name Alfarīd is.

So there we have it!! Ten name candidates for Isfan's mother!! This was so fun to research and put together. What are your favourites? I'm pretty fond of the two flower names, and Iman or Roya!

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #heroic legend of arslan #meta #? #I guess? #Isfan's mother #this was so fun #I had a Journey™ with the pomegranate #I hope you enjoyed that part as much as I did