µþ´¡±á¸éÄ€²Ñ SON OF GÅŒDARZ, a hero in the reigns of Kay KÄÅs and Kay Ḵosrow, renowned for his valiant service in all the wars (&³§³¦²¹°ù´Ç²Ô;Äå³ó-²ÔÄå³¾²¹, Moscow, II-IV). During SÄ«Ävoš’s war with AfrÄsÄ«Äb (q.v.), BahrÄm and Zanga-ye ŠavarÄn become SÄ«Ävoš’s counselors after Rostam is sent back from the battlefield. After SÄ«Ävoš’s flight to TÅ«rÄn, BahrÄm is put in command of the Iranian army until the arrival of ṬÅs. The most memorable episode involving BahrÄm is in the story of FerÅd. Halfway along the route of the march against TÅ«rÄn, ṬÅs orders BahrÄm to go and capture a mounted warrior, whose presence on a hill overlooking the Iranian army has made ṬÅs anxious. On coming face to face with the young warrior, BahrÄm recognizes him to be FerÅd, a son of SÄ«Ävoš and a half-brother of Kay Ḵosrow. FerÅd has resolved to go over to the Iranians so that he may join with them in avenging his father’s blood. BahrÄm goes back to ṬÅs, but ṬÅs rejects BahrÄm’s excuse for not having carried out his order and sends others to do the task. FerÅd is eventually slain by Bīžan and RahhÄm. BahrÄm considers the killing of FerÅd to be a wrong for which the Iranians deserve punishment by God. The subsequent loss of many Iranian troops, who are caught in the snow, and further defeats at the hands of the Turanians seem to him to be divine retribution for the shedding of FerÅd’s blood. Seeing himself as somehow to blame for FerÅd’s death, he no longer cares for his own life. Later on in the same campaign, he loses his whip in a battle. He takes the dropping of the whip which had his name on the handle to be a bad omen, and fears that the enemy may find it and make false boasts. Against the advice of his father and brother, BahrÄm rides to the battlefield at night in search of the whip. After binding the wounds of an Iranian soldier who has been presumed dead, he finds the whip and dismounts to pick it up; but just at that moment his horse hears some mares neighing and bolts. BahrÄm runs to catch it, but finds himself surrounded by foes. He refuses to surrender, but is overwhelmed by the Turanians and killed by TažÄv.
According to the Mojmal (p. 91), BahrÄm was the master of ceremonies (amÄ«r-e majles) in Kay Ḵosrow’s reign.
Search terms:
| &²Ô²ú²õ±è;بÀµØ±Ø§Ù… | bahram | bahraam | pesare godarz |
(Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh)
Originally Published: December 15, 1988
Last Updated: August 24, 2011
This article is available in print.
Vol. III, Fasc. 5, pp. 522-523
Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh, “µþ´¡±á¸éÄ€²Ñ-E GÅŒDARZ,” Encyclopaedia Iranica, III/5, pp. 522-523, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/bahram-son-of-godarz (accessed on 30 December 2012).
