Bahmanagān
Encyclopedia
Bahmanagān or BAHMANJANA (Arabicized form of Middle Persian
Bahmanagān; forms such as Bahmaṇča or Bahmaṇčena are also found) was a Zoroastrian Iran
ian festival which was maintained until the Mongol invasion by Iranian Muslims.
which was the 11th month coicides with the day of Bahman (Bahman-rūz). Bahman
is one of the archangels of Zoroastrianism
. Henceforth, for each such a day in the calendar, the Middle Persian names of these were formed by addition of the suffix agān (association suffix and also a plural suffix) to the day-name. Festivities to celebrate the day took place among both the common people as well as the people associated with the courts. The festival is recorded by many authors including Biruni, Gardizi, Asadi Tusi
, Anwari
etc. According to Biruni and Gardizi, in Khorasan
, an assortment of meat and all sorts of grain, vegetables, and fruits were cooked together in a pot called dīg-e Bahmanjana (the pot of Bahmanagān). The population cooked this dish, treated each other to this dish and also it was widely sold on the Bazar
. According to Gardizi, the flowers of the plant named the red-Bahman (Persian: Bahman-e Sorkh) were mixed with fresh milk. He further continues that the people believed it to beneficial for the memory as well to keep away the evil eye.ʿAbd al-Ḥayy Ḥabībī, "Tarikh-e Gardizi", Tehran, 1347 Š./1968. It was usual to wear new clothes for this festival.
Today, the modern day Zoroastrian-Iranian festival of Bahmanrūz continues to be an especially holy day for Zoroastrians of Iran.
and in the form béhen into French. Two varieties, béhen rouge and béhen blanc, are found and still used in medicine.
Middle Persian
Middle Persian , indigenously known as "Pârsig" sometimes referred to as Pahlavi or Pehlevi, is the Middle Iranian language/ethnolect of Southwestern Iran that during Sassanid times became a prestige dialect and so came to be spoken in other regions as well. Middle Persian is classified as a...
Bahmanagān; forms such as Bahmaṇča or Bahmaṇčena are also found) was a Zoroastrian Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian festival which was maintained until the Mongol invasion by Iranian Muslims.
Festival
In the old Zoroastrian calendar, when the day of the month coincides with the name of the month, then a feast (Persian: Jashn) was held. In this case, the month of BahmanBahman
Bahman may refer to:* Bahman, the Zoroastrian Amesha Spenta* Bahman, the 11th month of the year in Zoroastrian & Iranian calendars, named after the Zoroastrian concept* Kai Bahman, a mythological king of Iran...
which was the 11th month coicides with the day of Bahman (Bahman-rūz). Bahman
Bahman
Bahman may refer to:* Bahman, the Zoroastrian Amesha Spenta* Bahman, the 11th month of the year in Zoroastrian & Iranian calendars, named after the Zoroastrian concept* Kai Bahman, a mythological king of Iran...
is one of the archangels of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
. Henceforth, for each such a day in the calendar, the Middle Persian names of these were formed by addition of the suffix agān (association suffix and also a plural suffix) to the day-name. Festivities to celebrate the day took place among both the common people as well as the people associated with the courts. The festival is recorded by many authors including Biruni, Gardizi, Asadi Tusi
Asadi Tusi
Abu Mansur Ali ibn Ahmad Asadi Tusi is arguably the second most important Persian poet of the Iranian national epics, after Ferdowsi who also happens to come from the same town of Tus. He was a poet, a linguist and copyist of ancient manuscripts.- Life :The information on Asadi's lifetime is scant...
, Anwari
Anwari
Anwari , Persian poet, was born in the Khawaran district of Khorasan early in the 12th century. He enjoyed the special favour of the Sultan Sanjar, whom he attended in all his warlike expeditions...
etc. According to Biruni and Gardizi, in Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
, an assortment of meat and all sorts of grain, vegetables, and fruits were cooked together in a pot called dīg-e Bahmanjana (the pot of Bahmanagān). The population cooked this dish, treated each other to this dish and also it was widely sold on the Bazar
Bazar
Bazar may refer to:* Bazar, Afghanistan* Bazar, Azerbaijan* Bazar, Łódź Voivodeship * Bazar, Lublin Voivodeship * Bazar, Masovian Voivodeship * Bazar, Ukraine...
. According to Gardizi, the flowers of the plant named the red-Bahman (Persian: Bahman-e Sorkh) were mixed with fresh milk. He further continues that the people believed it to beneficial for the memory as well to keep away the evil eye.ʿAbd al-Ḥayy Ḥabībī, "Tarikh-e Gardizi", Tehran, 1347 Š./1968. It was usual to wear new clothes for this festival.
Today, the modern day Zoroastrian-Iranian festival of Bahmanrūz continues to be an especially holy day for Zoroastrians of Iran.
Bahman Plant
This plant is the same as the equivalent modern Persian term zardak-e ṣaḥrāʾī (a wild carrot), which blooms in the month of Bahman (January–February). It has a red or white root. Since it was a medical plant, it is mentioned in Arabic medical texts from which it passed into LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and in the form béhen into French. Two varieties, béhen rouge and béhen blanc, are found and still used in medicine.