Nowruz (Nouruz, نوروز, Наврӯз, MP: Nōgrōz): Iranian New Year and Some of its History
In more modern times, it falls on the spring equinox, the first day of spring. It's celebrated by millions around the world 🌼🌸
Photo: Safavid picnic tile, @V_and_A
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Numerous later sources link it to the Indo-Iranian figure/king Jamshid/ Yima
Unfortunately it does not appear that scholars like @sasanianshah have sufficiently considered the origin of Nowruz.
If we require evidence for hypotheses, I have no issue if some evidence
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is provided linking this celebration with Babylonian calendars. Otherwise, it's pure conjecture.
It's true that some ideas could have been borrowed from other nations throughout time, but Nowruz' origins appear to be in Central-northern Asia & predate Iranians' migrations
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There are a number of points to consider: this celebration did not depend on a sedentary lifestyle, agriculture or changing of the seasons as Dr. Rezakhani & others assume.
Instead, considering a few factors together make it fairly clear that it is a celebration of light
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of warmth, over darkness & cold.
1: Hypothesis that Iranian groups migrated from northern Asia
2: Aspects of Jamshid's story in Widēwdād: "Upon the material world the evil winters are about to fall, that shall bring the fierce, deadly frost..."
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It is also pure conjecture that this myth is related or was taken from Mesopotamian cultures. Similarities to "flood myth" can be simple coincidence
3: The continued religious & cultural views of Iranians that "north" was the place of evil & cold, and not part of Erānshahr
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North in MP and early modern Persian (e.g., in Rudaki, Ferdowsi's works etc.) being Bākhtar = Apākhtar in MP, possibly signifiying memory of an earlier "ice age" or long cold in northern parts of Asia
4: Existence of Nowruz among Sogdians & Khwarazmians...
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granted this could be from a later period
5: Mention of Nowruz among some Indian groups, including by Biruni
6: The different calendar systems of Iranians & Babylonian calendars (solar vs. lunisolar), adoption of Egyptian calendar later in Achaemenid period
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7: Finally to circle back, no actual evidence provided for origin from a Babylonian festival
In short, scholars need to at least consider these points before proposing a non-Indo-Iranian origin for this very ancient festival & celebration.
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As far as I know, these have not been considered properly.
Mention of Nowruz in MP text Mah farvardin Ruz khordad, ~ 6-7 C CE
With many important Zoroastrian & Iranian events noted for this date (6th of Farvardin)
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Denkard, Book 3: ~ 9-10 C CE
"Hence innumerable men adhere to the Noruz or New Year's day and perform good deeds. And on this glorious day the people of all countries from the times of the old Peshdadians downwards have been rendered happy and full of joy by their kings."
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Manichaean text, with MP writing:
This could very well be of older (Parthian) origin on celebration of Nowruz
āmad nōg rōz ud nōg *šādī. āmad nōg rōz, awar-ā nōg *šādīh. āhār winnār ī zīndagān purr šādī
آمد نوروز و نوشادی/آمد نوروز، بیا نوشادی/خوراک آرای که زندگان پُرشادی
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Sogdian celebrations of Nowruz: according to a number of scholars, part of the Afrasiab murals (648-651 CE) depict Nowruz celebrations
e.g., Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity: Rome, China, Iran, and the Steppe, ca. 250–750, 2018, ch. 16, Grenet
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Although we cannot be sure if Parts of Persepolis depictions are related to Nowruz, we can be more certain about Afrasiab murals
The "main subject is the reception of delegations from various peoples of Asia at Nowruz (the Zoroastrian New Year)."
"The southern wall shows
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Varkhuman leading a procession to the mausoleum of his parents on the sixth day of Nowruz (the one reserved for royal celebrations)."
"It was demonstrated at a conference held in Venice in 2005 that this iconographic program was structured by a calendar synchronism that
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occurred in 660 & again (though not so perfectly) in 663: in those years the sixth day of Nowruz according to Sogdian calendar, summer solstice, and Chinese festival of dragon boats all fell on same day. This synchronism allowed Varkhuman to appear as a master of universal peace"
"At the left end of the eastern wall, one can see two astrologers with an armilla between them... in the painting under discussion the pupil wears Indian dress, while the seated teacher might still be interpreted as Greek... This painted composition could be considered
a discrete signature of the Indian astrologists who inspired the program of the “Ambassadors’ Painting.”
Although we can't be sure, this scene from time of Sogdians in China (Shi Jun’s Sarcophagus) could also depict Nowruz celebrations
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Ya'qubi (897–898 CE): mention of Nowruz & Mehregan
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Gardizi (11th C CE)
Link between Nowruz & Jamshid
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Biruni (973-1050 CE): Translation of The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries (Arabic: کتاب الآثار الباقية عن القرون الخالية )
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Biruni (973-1050 CE): Nowruz among Sogdians (called ~ Nausard)
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Biruni (973-1050 CE): Mention of Nowruz among Hindus: as far as I know, Iranian scholars have NOT examined connections between legend of Jamshid in Iran & its Indian counterpart, nor Indian Nowruz /new year traditions, nor Hindu scriptures. This is a big problem when
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we simply accept what some western writer, ignorant of much, has said about our past. Proper research needs to be done. Let's not keep Iranian studies on life support with the bare minimum necessary to publish papers, books etc., let's actually give a sh-- ...
..."whilst all ...
the other Canons are derived therefrom,--is their Naurôz, a great feast among them. In the first hour of the day they worship the sun and pray for happiness and bliss to the spirits (of the deceased). In the middle of the day they worship the sun again, and pray for the
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resurrection and the other world... On the same day they make presents to each other, consisting of precious objects and domestic animals."
The Indian tradition as explained by Biruni sounds a lot like Nowruz and could be connected to aspects of Farvardinegan as well.
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St. Petersburg: Allegorical representation of Emperor Jahangir and Shah Abbas (1618 CE, Safavid Period)
In a corner the painter writes: because Nowruz was near, he finished the painting in haste!
چون نوروز نزدیک بوده، نقاشی را به "تعجیل" کشیده!
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In short, #NOWRUZ is a very ancient Iranian celebration and most likely originates from before Iranian migrations to Persis & more western lands. It's likely from memory of a great "ice age" or cold weather in northern Asia, and relates to legendary Indo-Iranian Jamshid.
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Though more research is needed on this topic, like most of Iranian history.
چون سپرم نه میان بزم به نوروز
در مه بهمن بتاز و جان عدو سوز
(Rudaki)
همه ساله بخت تو پیروز باد
شبان سیه بر تو نوروز باد
(Ferdowsi)
Also see paper on catastrophic climate event which likely led to migration of some Iranian groups, and transition from sedentary, agricultural society
"Paleoecological crisis in the steppes of the Lower Volga region in the Middle of the Bronze Age (III–II centuries BC)", 2017
Also see: Prolonged cooling interrupted the Bronze Age cultures in northeastern China 3500 years ago, 2021, doi.org/10.1016/j.pala…
These among other papers have not been considered by Iranian scholars!
In short, Happy Nowruz. Enjoy this very ancient Iranian celebration!
More evidence: Linguistic evidence
See Indo-European roots for Persian Ruz = Day; and Roshani = Light, as well as the Pazand dictionary
Raochangah or Raoghna in Avestan is the root of both Ruz (day) and light in MP & modern Persian, and in Avestan meant "light"
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As such, the supposed Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬐𐬀 𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬗𐬀𐬵 "navaka raoghnah" = New Light, which corresponds well with the hypothesis here of much older origin of Nowruz
Scholars have also not considered if Sogdian word can be traced to older eastern languages, possibly Avestan
or if it's derived from Middle Persian. My guess is that it will point to older, separate origin of Sogdian word. More research in this area is also necessary!
نوروزتان پیروز 🙏🌼🌸🌻
Happy #Nowruz 🌸🙏
Another mention of #Nowruz
In important work "Selections from Zādspram", ~ 9th C CE, in relation to Zoroaster's life
"ōwōn paydāg kū uzīd ī sīh *sāl ī az bawišn frāz, māh [ī] spandarmad ud rōz ī anagrān pad ān kustag kē nōg-rōz frāz čehel [ud] panǰ rōz ǰašn ī wahār-būd xwānd"
Mention of Nowruz 🌸in Shahnameh of Ferdowsi in relation to Jamshid's story;
and in Vis and Rāmin (ويس و رامين) by Gurgani: 11th C CE poem from Parthian original.
نوروز بزرگ آمد آرایش عالم
میراث بنزدیک ملوک عجم از جم ...
عنصری
Nog roz (#Nowruz) and Mihragān from documents in the "Pahlavi Archive", published: Weber, 2022
1: Berk. 142
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2: Mention of Nowruz in Berlin 5 (and mention of new clothes!)
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And two papyri on celebration of Mihragān = Mehregan (مهرگان)
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