Taken from: A story of conquest and adventure: the large Faramarzname; Marjolijn van Zutphen.

 

Introduction

As part of his lengthy travels, Faramarz reaches both ends of the earth. The first part of his journey takes him to the lands of the West (khawar). He first sails past a number of islands, which are in turn inhabited by King Farasang, King Kahila, the Dawal-payan, the Pil-gushan, the Brahmans, a giant bird, a dragon and the Zangis, after which Faramarz and his men reach the mainland and at the end of a six-month march arrive in Qirwan. This name is known to be synonymous with the end of the earth, and in the poem this country is indeed said to lie next to the mountain range that surrounds the world. From Qirwan, the Iranians head in the opposite direction, towards the lands of the East (bakhtar). They sail across a vast ocean towards Chin and Machin (China and the adjoining lands to the south-west) and reach several more fictional places, such as the island inhabited by horse-headed people (Asp-saran), an island on which lies a mountain with a fortress containing king Hushang’s tomb (ancient king of Persia: the very first ruler was Gayumart his son was Siyamak and his son was Hushang) and the country of king Farghan, which adjoins the land that leads to the mythical Mount Qaf. As this mountain is well known to lie on the edge of the world.

 

p122-124

Faramarz (1) goes to the island of Farasang and the king of that island fights Faramarz; Faramarz kills him and plunders that island.

In this manner, Faramarz sailed for more than three months. Beneath him was water and above him the sun and the moon. After that, an island appeared before him, which stretched for more than a hundred parasangs. (2) It was called Farasang by name, and on it lived a king with intellect and ambition (6), who possessed elephants, drums, treasures and soldiers. He held both the title of king and the crown and the court. When he was informed that the army of the champion of an enlightened mind was coming to his country, that renowned man lined up an army of warriors all suitable for battle. He led them to the seashore, in order to cause destruction to the enemy. His valiant warriors had bodies like black mountains (=Zangis) and were all bellicose and eager to fight. In their hands they held swords and heavy maces made from whale ribs or elephant bones, whilst a group of them had grabbed hold of slings, which with their blows could lay low a mountain. In height they were like a mountain and their pace was fast as the wind; you would think they might be the offspring of demons. They were strong men with formidable bodies, going to war with elephants’ tusks. Running in the manner of Azargoshasp (3), they could pull warriors off the back of a horse, and when someone fell into their hands, their life thereafter would not last very long: with their teeth they would tear him apart like a mountain sheep, and they would eat him on the spot, totally raw. (cannibals)

When Faramarz son of Rostam (4) left the water, he was quickly taken up by their fight and anger. The entire army left the ships, so that black dust rose up to the sun. They lined up in search of fame and honour, and grabbed their maces and swords in their fists, whilst the drums roared and the trumpets blared, as the army leader spurred on his army from its place. They rained arrows down onto those fierce demons like rain from a dark cloud on the first day of spring. The island’s army started to rage, and its roars reached the kernel of heaven. The rocks from the slings, the whale ribs and the bones turned the earth into a tight spot for the Iranians and darkened the sky, making the heads of the proud men weary. With a shower of rocks like hail, the slings rained down death onto the Iranians: when the rocks came down from the sky onto the shields, they pierced the shields just like sharp arrows, so that the shield-bearers started rotating on the battlefield from the molestation by the black rocks. Countless Iranians were wounded by the rocks from the slings in that battle. That large army endured hardship from those feisty, fierce demon-warriors. When the army leader saw this, he took up his mace, spurred on his tall and speedy steed and pounded them with his heavy mace, like a smith’s hammer on an anvil. Many of those demon-faced men were killed by the heavy mace and its severe blows. One fierce demon came towards him; it seemed as if his head rubbed the wheel of heaven. His dreadfulness would eat up the soul of an ill-tempered demon or beast. With a bone in his hand, of which the length was more than forty cubits, he went to contend with the champion of the world. He swung the bone at the champion, but the brave warrior lifted up his shield over his head and stretched out his fist like a male lion, grabbed him by his waistband, tore him from his saddle and dragged him from his place like a tall mountain. He threw him onto the ground like a huge rock, while the troops were looking on from both sides. He ordered his head to be cut off his body and to be thrown towards his renowned army.

Next, he took his lance and like the wind fell upon those evil-doing fierce demons. He looked where the king’s position was, whether it was on the left or on the right-hand side, and he galloped until he reached the presence of the king, while the world became invisible in the dust. He thrust his lance at his waistband and lifted him from his saddle like a ball. He rode in a gallop towards the Iranian army, threw that king down and ended his life. When the king without equal had been felled, his flock was left without a shepherd and was trodden underfoot. That country and its fields were subjected to plunder, whilst fathers sought a way out at the cost of their sons. The Iranians got hold of a lot of booty and captives, as well as ivory thrones, golden seats and golden crowns from the city. Everyone obtained a large portion out of that battle.

For two months they remained there in happiness, and at the end of those months the army embarked to leave there. Someone was appointed to command that land and then they stirred up the foam from the sea with their ships.

 

p150-151

Faramarz goes to the lands of the West, he sees a mountain on his way and the captain gives an explanation; Faramarz kills a bird, a description of that bird and an account thereof.

When they had remained some time in that place, the army got going along the sea route. The Brahman came to say goodbye and Faramarz took profit from his words. After they had rubbed their cheeks together, the famous hero set off in his ship. They sailed fast as the wind over the surface of the water, like fire over the earth, their hearts full of haste. One evening, a mountain appeared before them, of which the height rose up for more than ten miles. When the day had been obscured by the dark night, the army leader came close to that mountain. As he raised up his head from amongst his men and suddenly looked at the side of the mountain, something appeared just like the sun, the likes of which he had never seen, shimmering like sunshine. The lion-grabbing leader ordered the old captain to quickly sail the ship towards that place, and posed him a question, asking, ‘What is that thing in this dark night?’

The captain opened his lips to speak and gave him this answer: ‘This is a bird; nothing on earth is as amazing as this. His length and width are two miles. Lions and elephants flee from his claws. When he takes flight towards the sky, the sky becomes hidden by his two wings. The heavens tremble in dread of his wings and those eyes of his are luminous like the sun. Out of fear of him, not one kind of bird or gazelle in this country or these regions dare pass by him, nor do men, tigers or brave elephants, fierce dragons or roaring lions, flying birds, demons or fairies. It would be best if we quickly moved away from him. He undoubtedly will come down from above like a mountain in a powerful assault upon anyone who passes by here. He would quickly lift him from the surface of the earth: in his claws he treats a mountain like straw. He would carry him from the lowlands to the dark clouds and tear him apart whilst still in the sky.’

That night, the army leader stayed in that place, and when the sun showed its shining crown, the huge bird took off in flight, so that the world turned black under the span of its wings (5). From up high it made for the ship, in order to lift it from the surface of the sea like foam. When Faramarz saw the bird in that manner, he got excited and let out a shout. The brave warrior strung his bow and, as the bird came downwards from the sky, he placed an armor-piercing arrow with black feathers, which would make a mountain beg for mercy, on his bow and pulled back the knot, drawing back the open side of the arrow on the string. When the left and the right sides were aligned and the straight bow was bent, the curve of his bow became dejected with fear.

After he had brought the thumb-stall next to his ear, the arrow jumped like a fish from his thumb-stall: the poplar-wood arrow hit a wing of the bird and made the world a tight spot for the flying bird. The arrow pierced it through and kept on flying after it had made the bird’s body powerless and deformed. High up, it turned upside-down and fell downwards, making the sea and the mountain tremble with its body mass, as it fell like a black mountain. The army was amazed at its appearance. The skillful hero came out of the ship like a raging elephant, with his sword in his hand, and he hacked at its stature with his sword until it was cut in pieces, so that that terrifying bird was rendered destitute. He picked out its beak, face and claws, as well as many bones and its breast and wings, and carried them back with him, then entrusted them to the treasurer, so that they could be counted.

 

P155

Faramarz arrives in a pleasant place and disembarks there to go hunting; a dragon appears and Faramarz kills the dragon.

………………… For three months he stayed in that pleasant country, night and day with harps or at the hunt. He saw many amazing things in that place and led the army further from there, where he saw entire mountains of ruby and crystal, which brought commotion into everyone’s heart. The warriors with their golden belts carried off many red and yellow rubies and other gems, before they with contented hearts returned happily to their ships and embarked as quickly as the wind.

 

P155-156

Faramarz arrives in the West, in the country of the Zangis; they fight and Faramarz kills the Zangis.

As they approached the region of the West, news about them reached the king of the Zangis, who arranged his army for battle. His army consisted of more Zangis than could be counted: the sight of his endeavoring soldiers like a range of mountains would deject the eye. In height they were like

mountains, in face like demons, and a dragon would turn weak by the stratagems of their fists. They had no weapons of war to lay their hands on, nor any horses, coats of mail, maces or arrows, but they held bones in their fists with which they could defeat a mountain in a fight, whilst they at a time of valor would not flee from a sword, a lance, a mace or a dagger. Raging, they went to the battlefield and came bravely to fight against the Iranians.

When Faramarz saw their actions in that manner, the famous hero lined up his army, and he fought and battled against those Zangis, inflicting destruction upon their malevolent souls. A dust-cloud rose up from the field of war which robbed the color from the face of the sun. The army leader spoke to his leaders as follows: ‘You need neither swords nor heavy maces, but you must seek to fight with bows and arrows and nothing more, for God will be our assistant and the solver of our problems.’ Howls and shouts were emitted by the army and a cloud rose up from the battlefield, which cloud rained down a shower of death that hit nothing but bodies, shoulders and helmets. Many leaders of the Zangis were thrown upside-down, but they did not turn their heads away from the battle against the Iranians. They charged towards the Iranian army, coming full of vengeance and eager to fight, so the army leader ordered his men to draw their sharp swords and to stir up the battle with their fighting spirit. They drew their swords and heavy maces, and the large armies mingled with each other.

Amongst the aspect of the Zangis and the dust of the army, the swords on the battlefield appeared like lightning flashing from a black cloud, as they kept coming down upon their heads, shoulders and crowns. Many renowned Iranians and Zangis sacrificed their heads in search of fame and honor.

For three days and three nights the battle went on in such a manner, with the swords and the bones scattering heads. On the fourth day, a fierce wind rose up and brought a dust-cloud of fate to the plain. It blew in the faces of the Zangi soldiers, so the Iranians performed a charge. The army

leader made an attack with his sword and defeated everyone at whom he hit out. His troops, all grouped together in this manner, went towards their enemy like a range of mountains and with their swords killed many from that renowned army on the battlefield, which was like a diamond sea turned into a mine of rubies, as the heads of the corpses were crushed under the hooves. Faramarz, the army leader of enlightened mind, running in every direction with a sword in his fist, with each blow hacked off ten heads from their shoulders and with his shouts filled the entire world with noise. Those brave soldiers had had enough and started fleeing high and low, running like mountain sheep from the claws of a wolf, so that that large army became dispersed. The entire country of the Zangis was subjected to plunder and the world was made into a tight spot for the Zangi hearts: their heads, hands and feet all over the plain were eaten by falcons, vultures and eagles. When that entire country and tillage had been pillaged, the Iranians sought their way from there to another kingdom.

 

East Africa in this epic adventure.

The stories important for East Africa are all grouped together (between p122 and 156). A big difference with other epics is that Faramarz does not concur the world for Islam but for himself. (He is not trying to convert them to Islam.) But he really is a devout Muslim who prays a lot and many high-level religious discussions appear in the book. He leaves India towards the West to reach East Africa, and by doing so gives proof of the regular connection India-East Africa. In the first island he reaches after leaving India; the island of Farasang with a Zangi army of cannibals fighting with whale bones, but with a king not described as a primitive cannibal; he after plundering it still leaves somebody in charge of the island. After that he only kills and plunders. Further west he meets a giant bird still further west on an island mountains of crystal and then reaches the west and its first Zangi King plus army. Recognizable elements from other epics and descriptions of East Africa are describing the inhabitants as cannibals, being giants (here mountains) fight with whale bones and elephant tusks. And they do not have horses. (In other texts is added they fight mounted on bulls.)

From Madagascar two elements are included: the giant bird (Aepyornis maximus) and the crystal mountain. The Roc bird appears often in epic stories and crystal palaces instead of crystal mountains also. The dog-headed people, the lemurs of Madagascar are absent.

 

Taken from: Farāmarz, the Sistāni Hero: Texts and Traditions of the Farāmarznāme and the ... By Marjolijn van Zutphen

 

6.3.3 The Land of the Zangiyan and the Demons of Kalankuh

 

Another country where Faramarz stops is that of the Zangiyan (ff. 109r—-110r). These people are described as tall and black. Instead of fighting with regular weapons of war, they use bones. Although Faramarz succeeds in defeating these people, it takes him four days and costs him many casualties, which testifies to their pugnacity. That the Zangiyan are known for their bellicose behaviour and frightful appearance becomes clear from a number of accounts about their fights against Eskandar. They firstly appear in a short episode of the Shahname (see my webpage of Ferdowsi 1000AD). Eskandar opposes their fierce attack and has them all slaughtered. Here, these black people are identified as Abyssinians, inhabitants of the land of Habash.

 

In addition, the story of Faramarz on Kalankuh harks back to another episode of the Eskandarname, (see my webpage: Ann; Iskandarnamah 12th to 14th) in which its protagonist fights against demons that are described as ‘man-demons, diw-e mardoman. Eskandar deals with demons that have retreated into a fortified city. In this story, the demons appear together with cannibalistic Zangis. Like in the longer Faramarsname’s story of Kalankuh, the demons of this story are also associated with sorcerers. Since Eskandar keeps the demons away by drawing a magic circle, they seek the assistance of magicians in an attempt to gain victory. In this manner, the stories of Eskandar’s dealings with the Zangis and the diw-e mardoman have been combined into one in the longer Faradmarsname. So, the episode of Faramarz’s dealings with the Zangis derives from an altogether different narrative. This episode is probably also based on an Eskandar tradition, but one of a far more general nature. It effectively contains little more than a repetition of the account that the Zangis are bone-wielding blacks, such as is told in the Shahname. This means that the longer Faramarsname combines stories about demons and Zangis of divergent origins.

 

(1) Faramarz is an Iranian legendary hero in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (Book of Kings). He was son of Rostam and at last killed by Kay Bahman. The book Faramarz-nama, written about a hundred years after Shahnameh, is about Faramarz and his wars. Also he is mentioned in other ancient books like Borzu Nama.

(2) parasangs: 1 parasangs or farsakhs = 2.8 nautical miles/ about 5km.

(3) Azargoshasp – name of the founder of one of the most sacred Zoroastrian fire-temples and consequently also of that fire-temple; the name is also used as a metaphor for speed, as it literally means fire-stallion.

(4) Rostam – Iranian warrior, famous Shahname hero and father of Faramarz; is also called Tahamtan or Piltan (‘Elephant-bodied’)

(5) the world turned black under the span of its wings: The giant bird of Madagascar is also known in China and Chao Ju-Kua (1226) describes it as: and the great p'ong birds which so mask the sun in their flight that the shade on the sundial is shifted.

For the giant bird Roc who lived in Madagascar see my webpages of Buzurg (955) and Marco Polo (1295).

(6) as the description of the king is totally different from the description of his soldiers who are cannibal Zangis it might be that this is an island with a mercenary army; so not in Africa but close by. He also treads the island differently; after the victory and the plunder he appoints a new king. After that he only kills and plunders.