Thursday, November 06, 2008
٤ :٢٢. شصتمين هفتهنامه: فراگير ِ ٢٤ زيرْ بخش ِ تازه ي ِ خواندني، ديدني و شنيدني
Copyright © 2005- 2008
All Rights Reserved.
١. گنجينهي ِ گوهرهاي ِ ملّيي ِ ايران: يك فيلم ِ ويديويي
در اين جا ببينيد ↓
http://jadidonline.com/images/stories/flash_multimedia/Iranian_national_royal_jewels_test/jewel_high.html
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامي از دكتر سيروس رزّاقيپور، كتابخانهي ِ ايرانيان- سيدني
٢. روزآمدشدن ِ يك تارنماي ِ ادبي - فرهنگي
تارنماي ِ "مُشت ِ خاکستر" به سردبيريي ِ فرشته مولوی، با نوشتهای به نام "هم روییي ِ سوزان ِ مشنگ با عیسا مسیح"، روزآمد شد. در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
٣. فراخوان براي ِ همايشي در زمينهي ِ شناخت ِ "سنگنوشتهي ِ پايكولي"، بازمانده از روزگار ِ ساسانيان
[King Narseh and the Paikuli Inscription]
Rastegar FamilyIraj Afshar Iranica Lecture SeriesCo-Sponsored by the Farhang Foundation
King Narseh and the Paikuli Inscription
Carlo G. CeretiUniversity of Rome (La Sapienza)President of Societas Iranologica Europea
Lecture 1: King Narsheh and his Reign (10:30am)Lecture 2: The Paikuli Monument and Inscription (2:15pm)Lecture 3: Herzfeld’s Travels to and Around Paikuli (4:15pm)
Saturday, November 1, 2008California State University, FullertonTitan Student Union Theater
Parking available in the State College Parking Structure adjacent to the TSUMap available at:
http://parking.fullerton.edu/Maps/
For additional information please call: 714-278-8475FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
___________________________________________
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامهايي از دكتر تورج دريايي، كالج فولرتُن- دانشگاه كاليفرنيا و دفتر انجمن ِ جهانيي ِ پژوهشهاي ِ ايرانشناحتي
٤. روزآمدشدن ِ هفتهنامهي ِ الكترونيك ِ ايراندُخت، همزمان با "جشن ِ آبانگان"
ايراندُخت، هفتهنامهي ِ الكترونيك ِ بانوان ِ ايران به سردبيريي ِ پري اسفندياري، با خواندنيهاي تازه، روزآمد شد. در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
http://www.irandokht.com/newsletter/weekly/newsletter_latest.php
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامي از پري اسفندياري، دفتر ِ ايراندُخت
٥. گزارشي از شب ِ دوم ِ کنسرت ِ پاييزهي ِ "استاد شجریان" و "گروه شهناز"
در اين جا بخوانيد و بشنويد ↓
http://awaz.ir/
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامي از امين فيضپور- شيراز
٦. هويّتِ ملّي و پروژهي ِ ملّتسازي: پژوهشي از "داريِوش آشوري"
در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
http://rouznamak.blogfa.com/post-377.aspx
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامي از مسعود لقمان، دفتر ِ روزنامك- تهران
٧. رهنمود و پيوند به شش گفتار ِ تاريخي، فرهنگي و جامعهشناختي
در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
Existential Cause of Islamic Regime and Religious Thinkers, by Dr. Esmail Nooriala:
http://www.newsecularism.com/Nooriala/102408-Umbilical-Cord.htm
Cyrus and the Communistic Anger, by Dr. Esmail Nooriala: http://www.newsecularism.com/Nooriala/103108-Majedi.htm
A Report of Dr. Javad Tabatabaei's Lessons on Marx, ''Marx and the Unhistorical Ideology'', by Shahrvand-e Emrouz: http://www.shahrvandemrouz.com/content/2735/default.aspx
And also see the below links: http://www.newsecularism.com/Nooriala/102908-Not-Without-Kurosh.htmhttp://www.aramesh-dustdar.com/index.php/article/51/ http://www.fakouhi.com/node/2888
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامي از پيام جهانگيري- شيراز
٨. تودهباوري و آشوبهاي ِ برآيند ِ آن: يك سخنرانيي ِ دانشگاهي
سخنرانيي ِ دكترعلي انصاري استاد تاريخ ِ روزگار ِ نو و سرپرست ِ انجمن ِ پژوهشهاي ايرانشناختي در دانشگاه سنت اندروز
برگزارنده: خانهي ِ آسيا و بُنياد ِ ميراث ِ ايران در لندن
زمان: شامگاه ِ دوشنبه ٢٠ آبان ماه ١٣٨٧/ ١٠ نوامبر ٢٠٠٨ ↓
Asia House and Iran Heritage FoundationPresent
POPULISM AND ITS MALCONTENTS
Lecture by Ali Ansari, Professor in Modern History and Director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at the University of St. AndrewsNovember 10, 20086:45-7:45 pmAsia House, 63 Cavendish Street , London W1G 7LPTickets £8 (includes free entry to the exhibition '30 Years of Solitude')An overview of the revolution 30 years on looking specifically at the developments in Iran since the accession of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the Presidency in 2005, with particular reference to domestic changes and Iran's relationship with the West. The presentation will conclude with reflections on possible future directions for the country.
Introduction
The presentation will look at the political developments which have affected the Islamic Republic of Iran over the last thirty years with particular attention on the rise of the Principle-ists and the Presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Continuing tensions between state and society, religion and nationalism will be assessed along with the means by which various political tendencies including the current administration of President Ahmadinejad have sought to reconcile the many conflicting trends and popular aspirations. Economic policy, social trends and outlook, along with Iran 's international situation in light of the current economic crisis will also be discussed with some projections for the forthcoming Presidential elections and its consequences.
Box Office
+ 44 (20) 7307 5454 or http://au.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk
Enquiries
Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street , London W1G 7LPTel: +44 (0) 20 7307 545, http://au.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk, http://www.asiahouse.org/
خاستگاه: رايانْپيامي از دفتر ِ بُنياد ِ ميراث ِ ايران- لندن
٩. نماهايي از"موزهي ِ لوور" ِ پاريس در يك فيلم ِ ويديويي
در اینجا ببینید
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از دكتر سيروس رزّاقيپور- سيدني
(با سپاس ِ ويزه از گيتي بانو مهدوي براي اجراييكردن ِ نمايش ِ فيلم در اين صفحه)
دربارهي اين موزهي ِ مهمّ در اين جاها بخوانيد و ببينيد تا بيشتر بدانيد ↓
http://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%87_%D9%84%D9%88%D9%88%D8%B1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Paris
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Louvre+Museum&spell=1
١٠. تارنماي ِ شخصيي ِ "استاد اسماعيل خويي": رهنمودي به جهان ِ انديشه و هنر ِ فرهيختهاي والا و شاعري توانا
در اين جا ↓
http://esmailkhoi.com/
١١. "فردوسي سراي ِ ايران": فردوسي در نظامآباد ِ تهران زندگي مي کند
گزارش ِ روزنامهي ِ اعتماد را در اين زمينه ، بخوانيد تا به اندازهي ِ دلبستگيي ِ ايرانيان به فردوسي و شاهنامه، پيببريد ↓
http://www.etemaad.com/Released/87-07-16/205.htm
١٢. "آدورنو" علیه ِ فرهنگ ِ بربریّت
نویسنده: نوشین شاهرخی
شهرزادنیوز: تئودور آدورنو (1903ـ 1969) جامعهشناس، تئوریسن موسیقی و فیلسوف برجستهی قرن بیستم آلمان به شمار میآید. وی در پژوهشی به نام "پرورش پس از آوشویتس" به لزوم تربیتی میپردازد که مانع از وقوع دوبارهی فاجعهی آوشویتس گردد. ↓
http://www.shahrzadnews.org/article.php5?id=1269
http://www.noufe.com/
١٣. نمونهاي از ارزشهای ایرانی: جامه و دستار ِ " پور ِ سينا"، نشان و نماد ِ دانشآموختگی در همهي ِ جهان
تصمیم گرفتم یك نمونه از ارزشهای ایرانی را – كه خودمان آنها را نمی شناسیم! – براي شما بازگويم.
لابُد تا به حال شما هم دیده اید كه وقتی یك دانشجو در دانشگاههای خارج می خواهد دانشنامهی خود را بگیرد، لباسي بلند و مِشكی به تن او می كنند و كلاهي چهارگوش كه از یك گوشهي آن منگولهاي آویزان است، بر سر ِ او می گذارند و بعد او لوح ِ دانشآموختگي را می خواند. از ما می پرسند كه این لباس و كلاه چیست؟ میگوییم این لباس شیطونك است كه اینها تنشان می كنند! امّا به اروپایی یا ژاپنی و یا حتی آمریكایی می گویی این لباس چیست كه شما بر تن ِ دانشآموختگانتان می كنید؟ می گویند ما به احترام
آنها به احترام
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از دكتر كاظم ابهري - دانشگاه ِ ادلايد، استرالياي ِ جنوبي
١٤. پيروان ِ شيوهي ِ شهرياريي ِ "كورش ِ بزرگ" در سرزمينهاي جُزايراني و جايگاه "كورش ِ بزرگ" در ادبيّات ِ سامي
گفتارهاي ِ فرشيد ابراهيمي در اين دو زمينه را در اين دو پيوندنشاني بيابيد و بخوانيد ↓
http://rouznamak.blogfa.com/post-383.aspx
http://rouznamak.blogfa.com/post-382.aspx
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از مسعود لقمان، دفتر ِ روزنامك - تهران
در زمينهي ِ تأثيرگذاريي ِ شيوهي ِ شهرياريي ٍ كورش در جهان ِ غرب، به فيلم زير بنگريد و گفتار ِ زمينهي ِ آن را به دو زبان ِ فارسي و انگليسي بشنويد ↓
http://www.theiranianhome.com/article.php?id=7120
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از دكتر سيروس رزّاقيپور، كتابخانه ي ايرانيان- سيدني
١٥. گفتاري در شناخت ِ پيشينهي ِ شكلگيريي ِ "شاهنامه" و ادامهي ِ سُنّت ِ حماسهسرايي پس از "فردوسي"
گفتار ِ سعيد اوحدي در اين زمينه را در اين جا (در يك فيلم ِ ويديويي) بنگريد و بشنويد ↓
www.maryamafshari.com/Media/ohady2.wmv
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از سعيد اوحدي - سوئد
در همين راستا، گزارشي از برگزاريي ِ همايش ِ شاهنامه از استوره تا تاريخ، به اين دفتر رسيد. متن ِ اين گزارش را در اين جا بخوانيد تصويرهايي از همايش را در ميانهي ِ آن ببينيد ↓
http://reirazi.persianblog.ir/post/483/
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از محسن قاسمي شاد - تهران
١٦. گفتاري دربارهي ِ زندگي و دلمشغوليي ِ كهنسالان ِ ايرانيي ِ شهربند ِ غُربت ِ آمريكا
در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از مجيد نفيسي - لُس آنجلس
١٧. گفتمان ِ "روزگار ِ هخامنشيان" در گفت و شنود ِ دو استاد ِ تاريخ و فرهنگ و زبانْهاي باستاني با رئيس ِ مؤسّسهي ِ مطالعات ِ تاريخ ِ معاصر ِ ايران
متن ِ هر سه بخش ِ گفت و شنود ِ خواندنيي ِ استاد دكتر پرويز رجبي و دكتر عبدالمجيد ارفعي با عبّاس سليمي نمين را – كه به رغْم ِ گذشت ِ دو سال از زمان ِ اجراي ِ آن، همچُنان تازه است – در پيوندْنشانيي ِ زير، ببينيد و بخوانيد ↓
http://www.chn.ir/news/?section=2&id=32741
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از محسن قاسمي شاد - تهران
١٨. چرا واژهی ِ"فرآیند" نادرست است؟: پژوهشي ريشهشناختي در ساختار ِ يك كليدْ واژهی ِ پُرْبسامد در زبان ِ فارسيي ِ امروز
دوست دانشمند آقاي دكتر محمّد حيدري ملايري در رايانْ پيامي از نِپاهِشْگاه ِ (/ رصدخانهي ِ) پاريس، آگاهي دادهاند كه در زير ِ درآمد ِ Process از فرهنگ ِ سه زبانيي ِ ريشهشناختيي ِ اخترشناسي و اخترْفيزيك
[An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics, English-French- Persian]
http://aramis.obspm.fr/~heydari/dictionary/I_v1.html
ايشان از نگارنده خواستهاند كه ديدگاه و برداشت ِ خود را دربارهي ِ اين گفتار بنويسد. او نيز در پاسخْگويي به دوست، يادداشتي نوشت و به دفتر ِ ايشان فرستاد كه متن ِ أن را براي آگاهيي ِ خوانندگان ِ ارجمند ِ اين تارنما، در اين صفحه نيز نشرْميدهد ↓
درود.
دوست ِ دانشمند ِ گرامي،
از دريافت پيام تان خشنودشدم. ميبخشيد كه به سبب در سفر بودن، دير پاسخ ميدهم.
با آفرينْگويي به شما براي ِ پژوهش ِ ارزندهتان، مينويسم:
n بحث ِ ريشهشناختيي ِ شما در بارهي ِ نارسايي يا نادرستيي ِ فرآيند (به جاي Process) و پيشنهاد جاي گزين كردن ِ آن با فراروند، بُنيادين و دانشي است و به باور ِ من، جاي چون و چرايي در آن، باقي نميماند.
من خود تا كنون به پيروي از دانشوران و پژوهشگران ِ پيشْگام ِ خويش، فرآيند را به جاي
در پي گيريي ِ اين جُستار، نگاهي هم به فرهنگ هاي فارسي مياندازم:
لغت نامه ي دهخدا:
روند (اسم مصدر) چنان كه روال، در اين اواخر، اختراع ِ به غلط شده و مُنشيها و نويسندگان عامي در نوشتههاي خود ميآورند و از آن، روش و طريقه اراده ميكنند. روند نيز به معني ي طريق و روش و ترتيب به كار ميرود.
-- سبك، وتيره، روال، روش، طريقه، طريق.
-- راههاي تنگ و كج و معوج كوهستاني (يادداشت مؤلف).
-- پياپي، مستمر، دم ريز، متصل.
گويند اين بچه روند گريه ميكند (فرهنگ لغات عاميانه).
يكْ روند: يكْ ريز، پياپي
فرهنگ فارسي ي دكتر محمّد معين:
روند: رفتار، طريقه.
*
پيداست كه در اين دو فرهنگ، هنوز رويْكردي به كاربُردهاي جديد ِ اين واژه و برابري ي ِ احتماليي ِ آن، با Process يا Trend
امّا در فرهنگهاي تخصّصيتر ِ جديد:
دكتر محمّدرضا باطني در فرهنگ انگليسي- فارسي، در برابر
همو در برابر
كريم امامي در فرهنگ فارسي- انگليسي، روند را در برابر
و دو
در فرهنگ واژه هاي مصوب فرهنگستان (١٣٧٦تا ١٣٨٢)، هيچ يك از دو واژه ي روند و فرآيند نيامده است.
در فرهنگ فلسفه و علوم اجتماعي (انگليسي- فارسي)، اين برابرها براي
در همان فرهنگ، اين معادلها براي
در فرهنگ حسابي (انگليسي- فارسي)، پژوهش و نگارش دكتر محمود حسابي، در برابر
بر اين پايه، درمي يابيم كه هنوز از جست و جو در فرهنگهاي فارسي و نوشتارهاي در زمينه هاي جامعه شناسي، مردم شناسي، روان شناسي، فلسفه و نقد ادبي، نمي توان به تعريفي فراگير و بازدارنده (جامع و مانع) براي مفهوم ِ درست و دقيق ِ كليدْواژههاي انگليسيي ِ Process و Trend رسيد و برابرهايي قطعي و نهايي با حدّ و رسمي بازشناختني و بي چون و چرا براي آنها يافت. تركيب ِ فراروند – كه ايرج نيك آيين در ترجمههاي ِ خود از اثرهاي هانس يورگن آيزنك و فرويد در برابر
جا دارد كه براي كليدْواژهي
١٩. هویّت ِ ایرانی در شاهنامه
پژوهش ِ دكتر ابوالفضل خطيبي در اين زمينه را در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
http://www.atiban.com/article.aspx?id=242
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از فرشيد ابراهيمي - تهران
٢٠. "رنگهاي ِ ايراني" در فهرست ِ رنگهاي ِ شناخته در جهان
در فهرست ِ رنگهاي ِ شناخته در جهان، پنج رنگ به نام ِ "رنگهاي ِ ايراني" شهرتْدارند و با شناسهي ِ Persian
http://itline.ir/2008/10/persian-colors/
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از فرشيد ابراهيمي - تهران
برداشت ِ ويراستار:
عنوان ِ "رنگهایی از نژاد ِ پارسی" – كه بر متن ِ اين گزارش نهادهاند – از ديدگاه ِ انسان ِ آزاده و فرهيختهي ِ امروزين، پذيرفتني نيست. براي ما ايرانيان، بسنده و مايهي ِ سرافرازي خواهدبود كه در اشاره به همهي ِ وابستههاي ِ به ميهنمان در زمينههاي ِ تاريخ، فرهنگ، ادب ، دانش، صنعت، هنر و جُزْ آن، به يادْكرد از "ايرانيبودن" ِ آنها – آن هم در فراروند ِ داد و ستد ِ فرهنگي با همهي ِ مردم ِ جهان – بسندهكنيم و خُرسندباشيم و ديگرْ رنگ و انگ ِ " نژادي" و "قومي" – كه روزگارش سپري شدهاست – بر گفتارها و نوشتارهامان نزنيم.
٢١. از تشکّر براي ِ چشمْپوشي از نامْگذاریي ِ "خيابان ِ دکتر مُصدّق" تا فتوشاپ سْتالينی: مروري در تاريخ ِ بازْداري و حذف ِ "جُزْخوديها"!
در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
http://news.gooya.com/society/archives/076803.php
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از دكتر كاظم ابهري، ادلايد - استرالياي جنوبي
٢٢. جُستاري در ريشهشناسيي ِ واژهي ِ "كورش"
پژوهش ِ زهرا الماسي در اين زمينه را در اين جا بخوانيد ↓
http://rouznamak.blogfa.com/post-386.aspx
خاستگاه: رايانْْپيامي از مسعود لقمان، دفتر ِ روزنامك- تهران
برداشت ِ ويراستار:
پژوهشيست بايسته و ستودني و پشتوانههاي بااعتباري هم دارد؛ امّا برخي از دادههاي ِ آن بر پايهي نااستوار ِ"چُنين مينمايد" و"گويا" و "احتمال ميرود" قراردارد. ميتوان اميدواربود و آرزوكرد كه اين پژوهنده و ديگرْ همْتايان او كار را با كاوشي پُردامنهتر و سختْگيرانهتر پيبگيرند و به برآيند ِ پذيرفتنيتري برسند.
٢٣. خاموشيي ِ يك نويسندهي ِ ايراني در غُربت و سوگْوارهاي براي ِ او
امروز با اندوه آگاهييافتم كه بيژن كارگر مقدّم (١٣٢٧- ١٣٨٧)، داستان ْنويس ِ روزگارمان و از همگامان ِ جرگهي ِ ادبيي ِ شنبهشبها در لُس آنجلس، در غُربت از ميهني كه به زبان ِ آن و براي مردمش مينوشت، چشم از جهان فرو پوشيدهاست.
با پيونددادن به نشرگاه ِ سوگْوارهاي كه مجيد نفيسي، شاعر ِ شهربند ِ غُربت ِ غرب، به زبان ِ انگليسي براي ِ او سرودهاست، يادش را گْرامي ميدارم ↓
http://www.iranian.com/main/2008/hungry-traveler
٢٤. پژوهشي آگاهاننده دربارهي ِ پوشاك ِ سر در ميان ِِ ايرانيان
IRANIAN HEAD-DRESSES
Ali A. Jafarey,Buena Park, Southern California
Humans were attracted, right from the earliest days, by the heads of certain animals—horns on cattle and plumes on bird heads. That led them to decorate their heads with real or artificial horns and plumage. However, first, it was the cold weather that made humans to cover themselves from head to feet, and later, the hot rays of the sun made some to cover their heads in a way to shield their eyes. This led humans to head-dress.
The Iranians stand among the first, if not the first, in human history to have a head-cover for themselves. The main reason: They originally lived so close to the North Pole that they had "ten months of winter and two months of summer." The Avesta mentions saaravaara – head-cover (Vendidad 14.9). Broad and golden helmets (khauda, Persian khud) are also mentioned for a number of times. Achaemenian bas-reliefs and metal statuettes depict various types of Iranian caps, from a of Achaemenian to s of Sogdian, the entire Iranian nation from modern Persia to Tajikistan . History also shows that the Iranian dress of cap, shirt, undershirt, trousers, girdle/belt, stockings, shoes and overcoat has spread all over the world, and that what all of us wear, has been originally contributed by the Iranians over 1,000 years of prominence as a beneficial superpower (600 BCE-600 CE) in the world politics.
I may add that the above dress goes for both men and women, with the little difference of women having longer shirt garments and more ornaments. Incidentally, the Sassanian colored mosaics show that their women could compete in modern fashion shows with their "modern style" dresses.
The tribal dresses of the men and women, from the Afghans in the east to the Kurds in the west, and Azerbaijanis in the north to the Hormozdeganis on the Persian Gulf in the south, show how the tradition has been well preserved to this very day. These also tell us of the colors and other needle-sewn decorations. I remember well the caps my father and I had brought with us from Kerman when we settled in Karachi in 1925. They were the well-known kolah-e namad – felt caps that resembled the Median caps. They are still worn by some tribes. The color of our caps was the usual somewhat khaki. I remember brown, black and yellowish colors by our Iranian neihbors. The red felt, with a green ribbon wrapped at the bottom, was worn by the members of the Sayyed family (said as direct descendents of the Prophet of Islam).
The famous white, oblong "Gandhi' cap, made from hand-woven cloth, was the symbol of freedom during the “Nonviolent Freedom Movement (at the peak between 1930 and 1940,” and it continues to be a popular head-dress in India . Some classmates and I wore it during our high school days. One of my closest friends happens to be my brother-in-law' s brother-in-law and like me in the late 80's, he lives in Toronto , Canada . I also had the tasseled Turkish red-cap and the oblong brown sheepskin Afghan cap, until I met the Parsis in 1937 and adopted the pith sun helmet, the Indians using the English word of "hat" and the British, the Indian word of "topee" for it!!
It is this tradition that shows that the Iranian cap could be of any rainbow color or combined colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and/or violet. However, the most common of them was the white. This tradition has been well preserved by the Sunni Muslims of the Iranian stocks. The white cloth or hand woven caps, along with white shirts and trousers, are the most common, particularly among the priestly and elderly persons. And it is the cap which was more worn by the pre-Islamic Iranians. White, that would reveal any alien tint, was and is the sign of purity and cleanliness. I may add here that the Arabs did not have caps and went almost bareheaded, and that only some of the rich in the Yemen , Mecca and Medina wore what they had borrowed from the Sassanians.
The Phrygian cap of Mithras of the Mediterranean cult of Mithras, an Iranian cap worn by the people of the western Asia Minor (modern Turkey ) was sanguine, blood-red. It was conical with the top pulled forward. While the Greeks considered he Phrygians as barbarians, the Romans considered them as a symbol of freedom, a fact that most of the liberty movements in Europe and America were inspired by it and the red, conical cap is seen in sculpture, paintings and caricatures as representing freedom and the pursuit of liberty. Meanwhile, we see the people of Turkey , during their Ottoman Empire , wearing the famous red cap, and also, we had the soldiers of Nader Shah Afshar (1737 CE), called Qizilbash--red-head, because of their red caps. This is what has made the red cap quite popular among certain people, but other colors still outnumber the red, and the white stands on the top.
The Parsis of the Indian sub-continent, whose first batch came from Mazandaran, on the southern Caspian coast, and were later joined by other batches from the eastern Iran, have their own types and colors, perhaps a combination of the caps worn by the prominent batches. And red is one of them. Their priests have their white head-dress. While the Parsis purchase, each person for itself, the Iranians, born and brought up in a Zoroastrian family or a Zoroastrian- by-Choice, are not accustomed to it. That is why we see, at the religious functions, the Parsis with their well-fitting caps, but the Iranians and their colleagues wearing the caps provided by the temple at the entrance. The caps, all made of the same size, do not fit every head. Those who see good and understand, and are not after criticizing and condemning, smile at the fitting and colored caps of the Parsis as against the small or loose and not-fitting white caps of the others.
It may be pointed out that Mithra of the pre- and post-Gathic lore has no direct connection with the later Mithraism of the west. The Indo-Iranians had no Mithra/Mitra cult or creed, neither before the Gathic age nor after it. The talks about Mithraism in Iran are only a 50+ years old fanciful fiction with no authenticity behind it. However, because of the present circumstances, it has spread and some believe it to be a fact. The Indo-Iranian Mitra/Mithra is one of the prominent gods and that is it. Mitra (literally "Covenant") is the junior twin of the supreme god Varuna, in the Rig Veda and binds the Aryan tribes in a vow and compact. Mithra of the Avesta is also likewise "Vourugaoyaoiti – (lord) of wide-cattle- pasture," who is very strict in making the Aryan tribes abide by the covenant of pasture lands of living together and not violating any of set rights. He is very generous in rewarding the law-abiding and ruthless in punishing the vow-breakers. In the Rig Veda and the Avesta, he is neither a "sun god" nor represents "light." He is just the Deity of Covenant. Although his chariot and arsenal are mentioned, there is no description of what he is wearing—no cap or any other dress from head to feet. For those interested in Mehr Yasht, a collection of songs in his honor in the Avesta, I am giving a gist of it from my book The Avesta at a Glance as my PS. Those, who want to know more, may refer to http://www.avesta.org/ or better The Avestan Hymn to Mithra, Prof. Ilya Gershevitch.
To conclude, the Iranian head-dress has enjoyed a variety of shapes and colors, including red, brown, black and khaki but with white dominating, and it continues to follow the past in its innovations, in Iran and the entire world.
Sources: Dhalla, M.N., History of Zoroastrianism, New York, 1938; Geldner, K., Avesta, The Sacred Book of the Parsis, Stutgard, 1885-1896; Gershevitch, I., The Avetan Hymn to Mithra, Cambridge, 1957; Ghirshman, R. Persia from he Origins to Alexander the Great, Thames & Hudson, 1964; Jafarey, A.A., The Avesta at a Glance, Cypress, 1999 and The Zarathushtrian Religion, A Chronological Perspective, Cypress, 2008; Maxmuller, F. and Oldenberg, h., Vedic Hymns, Delhi, reprint, 1969.
I would welcome any contributing and/or enlightening comments supported by archeological, historical and anthropological evidences.
Ushta,
Ali A. Jafarey
4 Aban 3746 ZRE = 25 October 2008 CE
PS: Mehr Yasht:
It has 35 sections with a total of 146 stanzas. Here they are reduced in descriptive titles:
Section 1 stanzas 1-6: Ahura Mazda tells Zarathushtra he created Mithra as worthy of worship as Himself; Ahura Mazda tells Zarathushtra not to break a contract, even with a owner of False; Mithra, Fire and Fravashis grant boons to those true to contract; Audible veneration of Mithra — "Ahe Raya,' elaborated, perhaps the original of the stereotype.
Section 2:7-9: Warring heads of countries take precedence to invoke him or lose his favor and face defeat.
Section 3:10: Warriors venerate him on horseback.
Section 4:12-16: Mithra precedes the sun and surveys Aryan lands and bestows boons.
Sections 5-7:17-27: Mithra, all alone and supreme, punishes the anti-Mithra.
Section 8:28-30: Bestows houses, cattle and men to those who propitiate him and smashes those who provoke him. Stanzas 31-34: Prayer for boons.
Section 9:35 -43: On ravaging warpath, this time accompanied by three yazatas—Rashnu (Justice), Sraosha (Obedience), and Ashi (Reward).
Section 10:44 -46: All-out watch by Mithra and spies to notice and punish the slightest deviation from contract and to protect the righteous.
Section 11:47-48: Mithra, alone back on the war path, deprives contract breakers of their powers (stanzas 23-24 repeated).
Section 12:49-52: Ahura Mazda and Amesha Spentas build him an abode on Harâ the high mountain and he rushes, in company of Sraosha, Ashi and Nairyo Sangha (Manly Teaching), to slay contract breakers (cf VI).
Section 13:53 -59: With outstretched hands, Mithra complains to Ahura Mazda that in spite of all his benefits, people do not mention him in prayers (stanzas 31-34 repeated).
Section 14:60: In praise of Mithra.
Section 15:61-63: Mithra the watcher replenishes waters, grows plants and suddenly turns to deprive contract breakers of their powers (stanzas 23-24 repeated).
Section 16:64-66: In service of Mazdayasna Religion, he has Ashi, Parendi, manly Valor, Kayanian Glory, Firmament, Victory, Fravashis, and Nairyo Sangha on his chariot.
Section 17:67-69: Driving across Xvaniratha (the Aryan lands), Mithra has Glory, Victory (Verethraghna, Bahram), Ashi and Mazdayasna Religion along to frighten evil gods and owners of False.
Section 18:70-72: On warpath again, Victory (Bahram), in form of a furious boar, mutilates opponents.
Section 19:73-78: Again the complaint he is not mentioned in prayers and invocations.
Sections 10-21:79-82: In praise of Mithra.
Section 22:83-87: Mithra invoked (28-30 repeated).
Section 23:88-94: Haoma the priest venerates Mithra; haoma ceremony by one who recites Ahuna Vairya; Mithra acknowledged as Lord temporal and religious Leader.
Section 24:95-98: On warpath after sunset, Anghra Mainyu, Wrath and Procrastination recoil in fear.
Section 25:99-101: In his chariot with Sraosha, Ashi, Rashnu, waters, plants, Fravashis, he strikes at anti-Mithrians.
Section 26:102-103: Mithra, ever awake, inspects and promotes Mazda’s creatures.
Section 27:104-111: None can escape him, no matter where one is; dispenses health and wealth to worshippers and disease and death to those who do not venerate him.
Section 28:112-114: Invocation.
Section 29:115-117: Measures of contracts between various parties. Stanza 118: Mithra tells Zarathushtra that, when venerated, he frustrates the wish of Anghra Mainyu.
Section 30:119-122: Tells Spitama to venerate him and tell his disciples to do so also; tells how one should cleanse and undergo 50 bodily inflictions to drink Mithra’s libation.
Section 31:123-135: In golden chariot with Rashnu, Razishta Chista (Most Right Perception, a synonym of Daena, the Good Religion), Victory, Fire and Kayanian Glory, Mithra has an arsenal of arms to smash evil gods (daeva) and contract breakers over seven climes; Anghra Mainyu etc. recoil in fear (cf 95-98).
Section 32:136-140: Mithra visits prayer ceremony of the Righteous and not the un-Righteous.
Section 33:141-143: Ahura Mazda informs Zarathushtra that Ahura Mazda also venerates Mithra.
Section 35:144: Veneration of all-pervading Mithra.
Section 36:145: Veneration of Mithra, Ahura, stars, moon, and sun.
Several subjects, several repetitions and several versions. Divided and lying apart, all of them join to make a smooth running collection of short hymns in honor of Mithra.