Mehrdad Bahar
Encyclopedia
Mehrdād Bahār (b.1930, in Tehran
; d. 13 November 1994, in Tehran) was a prominent Iranist, linguist
, mythologist
and Persian historian.
Mehrdad Bahar, was the youngest son of Persian poet Mohammad Taghi Bahar
. He held a PhD degree in Persian literature
and Ancient Iranian languages
from Tehran University. He received an MA degree in "Ancient and Medieval Persian history" from the University of London
where he studied with Professor Mary Boyce
at the School of Oriental and African Studies
. He began his career as a linguist with focus on Middle Persian
. Later in his career he became interested in Persian mythology. His theories on the ancient roots of many aspects of Persian culture are well accepted among the mythologists (some controversial yet).
His works on Persian mythology
are mainly focused on major non-Aryan
/Iranian
influences, most of all Mesopotamian mythologies.
Mehrdad Bahar's most notable work is his translation of the most famous Middle Persian
text, Bondahesh(n). His other prominent work, A Research on Persian Mythology (two volumes) consists of a collection/compilation of different Zoroastrian Middle Persian
texts and a systematic analysis of their roots. The second volume, however, was incomplete when Bahar died in 1994. His closest colleague, Katayoun Mazdapour, completed the editing task the following year.
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
; d. 13 November 1994, in Tehran) was a prominent Iranist, linguist
Iranian languages
The Iranian languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages which in turn is a subgroup of Indo-European language family. They have been and are spoken by Iranian peoples....
, mythologist
Persian mythology
Persian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of the Iranian cultural continent which especially consists of the state of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, they reflect the...
and Persian historian.
Mehrdad Bahar, was the youngest son of Persian poet Mohammad Taghi Bahar
Mohammad Taghi Bahar
Mohammad-Taqí Bahār , widely known as Malek o-Sho'arā and Malek o-Sho'arā Bahār , is a renowned Iranian poet and scholar, who was also a politician, journalist, historian and Professor of Literature...
. He held a PhD degree in Persian literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
and Ancient Iranian languages
Iranian languages
The Iranian languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages which in turn is a subgroup of Indo-European language family. They have been and are spoken by Iranian peoples....
from Tehran University. He received an MA degree in "Ancient and Medieval Persian history" from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
where he studied with Professor Mary Boyce
Mary Boyce
Nora Elisabeth Mary Boyce was a British scholar of Iranian languages, and an authority on Zoroastrianism...
at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
. He began his career as a linguist with focus on Middle Persian
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...
. Later in his career he became interested in Persian mythology. His theories on the ancient roots of many aspects of Persian culture are well accepted among the mythologists (some controversial yet).
His works on Persian mythology
Persian mythology
Persian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of the Iranian cultural continent which especially consists of the state of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, they reflect the...
are mainly focused on major non-Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
/Iranian
Ancient Iranian peoples
Iranian peoples first appear in Assyrian records in the 9th century BCE. In Classical Antiquity they were found primarily in Scythia and Persia...
influences, most of all Mesopotamian mythologies.
Mehrdad Bahar's most notable work is his translation of the most famous Middle Persian
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...
text, Bondahesh(n). His other prominent work, A Research on Persian Mythology (two volumes) consists of a collection/compilation of different Zoroastrian Middle Persian
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...
texts and a systematic analysis of their roots. The second volume, however, was incomplete when Bahar died in 1994. His closest colleague, Katayoun Mazdapour, completed the editing task the following year.