Jamaspa
| Jamaspa | |
|---|---|
Illustration of Jamaspa in the Shahnameh | |
| In-universe information | |
| Affiliation | Vishtaspa |
| Nationality | Iranian |
Jamaspa (Avestan: š¬¬š¬š¬±š¬š¬š¬Æš¬š¬ JÄmÄspa; Avestan pronunciation: [dĢ ŹaĖmaĖspa]) is a figure from the Iranian national history, where he appears as an official at the court of Vishtaspa and overall important figure in the early history of Zoroastrianism.[1]
Name
The name Jamaspa is widely considered to be a contraction of tetrasyllabic jÄma-aspa, an Avestan compound term, where the second word means aspa, i.e. horse. This term is also found in the names of people like Vishtaspa, Arjaspa and Lohraspa.[2] Since they all originate from the same story, it has been interpreted as an important element in their culture. However, the meaning of the first term is unclear.[1] One interpretation connects jÄma- to Vedic kį¹£ÄmĆ”h-, with the meaning burnt, singed.[3] On the other hand, Gershevitch proposed leading horses,[4] whereas Schwartz has argued for he who bridles horses.[5]
In the Avesta
In the Avesta, Jamaspa first appears in the Gathas with his brother Frashaoshtra, both from the clan of the HvÅgva.[6] He is described as a counsellor and chancellor of Vishtaspa, the patron of Zarathustra, and quickly converts to the new faith.[7] In the later texts found in the Young Avesta, Jamaspa also appears. In the Aban Yasht, he is grouped with people from the Gathas, and set apart from other, probably pre-Zoroastrian figures of the Iranian national tradition.[8] In the Frawardin Yasht, he is again praised jointly with Frashaoshtra and Vishtaspa.[1]
In later tradition
According to later tradition, it is Jamaspa, who aquires a leadership role in the Zoroastrian community after the death of Zarathustra and it is him who writes down his teachings in the Avesta.[7] He is a prominent figure in the Jamasp Namag (Story of Jamasp), also known as Ayatkar i Zamaspik (Memorial of Jamaspa).[9] This text discusses a number of topics framed as a dialogue between him and Vishtaspa.[10] He also appears in works like the Denkard, the Ayadgar i Zariran and the Shahnameh.[1]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Malandra 2008.
- ^ Yarshater 1983, p. 437.
- ^ Mayrhofer 1992, p. 430.
- ^ Gershevitch 1969, pp. 177 ff..
- ^ Schwartz 1975, p. 10.
- ^ Jackson 1965, p. 22.
- ^ a b Jackson 1965, p. 76.
- ^ Yarshater 1983, p. 413.
- ^ de Menasce 1983, p. 1194.
- ^ Boyce 1987.
Bibliography
- Boyce, Mary (1987). "AyÄdgÄr ÄŖ JÄmÄspÄ«g". EncyclopƦdia Iranica. Vol. III. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 126ā127.
- Malandra, William W. (2008). "JÄmÄspa". EncyclopƦdia Iranica. Vol. XIV. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 456ā457.
- de Menasce, Jean P. (1983). "Zoroastrian Pahlavi Writings". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 3(2). Cambridge University Press.
- Gershevitch, Ilya (1969). "Amber at Persepolis". Studia classica et orientalia Antonino Pagliaro oblata. Vol. II. Roma: Herder. p. 981.
- Jackson, A. V. Williams (1965). The Prophet of Ancient Iran. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992). Etymologisches Wƶrterbuch des Altindoarischen - 1. Band. Heidelberg: Carl Winter UniversitƤt. Archived from the original on 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- Schwartz, Martin (1975). "Proto-Indo-European āgÄ«em-". Monumentum H. S. Nyberg. Acta Iranica. Tehran, LiĆØge: BibliothĆØque Pahlavi.
- Yarshater, Ehsan (1983). "Iranian National History". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 3(1). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-24693-4.