10-16-2008
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مدیر کل سایت کوروش نعلینی
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تاریخ عضویت: Jun 2007
محل سکونت: کرمانشاه
نوشته ها: 12,700
سپاسها: : 1,382
7,486 سپاس در 1,899 نوشته ایشان در یکماه اخیر
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Kurdish and Iranian Month names
By Siamak Rezaei Durroei
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| In previous issues of KURDICA [3] we explained the meaning of Kurdish months. What are the origins of these months and what is their trace in the history? We will look at these issues in this essay. The Kurdish months are not the names of angels or people, but the names are closely linked to the overall conditions of weather, people and nature. "Befranbar (snowing)" is the first month of winter when it snows in Kurdistan. "Rêbendan (Blocking of the roads)" is the second month of the winter in which some of the roads are closed or blocked.
The Kurdish months are contrasted with Zodiac and Persian months in the following table. The Modern Persian months are based on [1] and the Old Persian months are based on [2].
Zodiac | Kurdish | Persian | Old Persian | Aries | "Xakelêwe"
(fresh grass) | Farvardin
(religion-glory) | Âdu-kanaisha
(channel-digging) |
| Taurus
(Ram) | 1) "Banemer"
(Summar place)
2) "Gulan"
(Flowers) | Ordi-behesht
(right-best) | Dhûra-vâhara
(Bahar) |
| Gemini
(Twins) | Cozerdan
(barley-harvest) | Khor-dad
(water-protector) | Dhaigar-chi
(garlic-collecting) |
| Cancer
(Crab) | Rezber
(grape tree) | Tir(Swift)
(rain protecor) | Garma-pada
heat-moment |
| Leo
(Lion) | Poshper
(flying-crop) | [a-]Mor-dad
(Im-mortality) | *Dhurna-baxshi
?-giving |
| Virgo
(Virgin) | Gelawêj
(gathered crop) | Shahr-ivar
(desirable-city) | *Garma-baxshi
heat-giving |
| Libra
(Balance) | Xermanan
(harvest) | Mehr
(Mithra) | Bâga-yâdi
(God-worship) |
| Scorpio
(Scorpion) | 1)Xezelwer
2)Gelarêzan
(leaf-dropping) | Ab-an
(Water) | *Vrk-aj/zana
(wolf-driving)
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| Sagittarius
(the archer) | Sermawez
(cold-wind) | Azar
(Fire) | Âchi-yâadiya
(Fire-worship) |
| Capricorn
(the goat) | Befranbar
(snowing) | Dey[dar]
(creator) | A-nâma-ka
without-name |
| Aquarius
(water bearer) | Rêbendan
(road-Blocking) | Bah-man
(Good-nature) | *Zam-ima
(Winter) |
| Pisecs
(fish) | Resheme
(blackness) | Esfand[-armatia]
(holy-love) | viyaxna
digging |
| Table 1: Zodiac, Kurdish and Persian Months The Modern Persian months, unlike Kurdish, are based on religious and Zoroastrian months. As the data shows the old Persian months are closer to the Modern Kurdish months and they are based on the climate change and farming events. [2] suggests that these months are analgous to the Babylonian months. Still there are some connections between Old and New Persian months (like Fire [worshipping]) which are missing in Modern Kurdish, but the names of seasons of spring and Winter in both Modern Kurdish and Persian are similar to the vahar and Zam months in old Persian. It is interesting to note that the present Modern Persian months were not even used by Cyrus and Dariush (the kings of Persia) in their inscriptions and this change has happened in a later time. Kurosh even refers to the Babylonian God Mardukh in his inscriptions which shows the transition from Babylonian influenced notions to the Zoroastrian terms in later periods. Dariush was the first Persian king who refered to Zarostarian Ahuramazda as his main supporter (probably against his rival's use of Mithra), but even he did not refer to other Zoroastrian terms like Zardusht, Ahriman and their angles and months.
The Kurdish data suggests that the wolf-driving interpretation for "vrk-azana" in [2] might be a wrong interpretation and if the Kurdish and old-Persian months refer to the same semantic notion (i.e. falling of the leaves) then vrk-azana corresponds to the present notion of barg-rizan in Modern Persian.
The Kurdish months should be constrasted in different Kurdish dialects and religions practiced in Kurdistan (such as Yezidism) to get a better understanding of the history of Kurdistan and its connection to the neigbouring regions and people. The history of Kurdish months and their etymology provides weakening evidence for the claim that the Kurds were strong beleivers of Zoroaster "Zardusht" in the past. If the Kurds were strong beleivers of Zoroaster, why they did not adopt the Zoroasterian months like Persians later?
References:
[1] Price, Massoume, "Iranian months: Origin of the names", http://www.persianoutpost.com/htdocs/IranianMonths.html
[2] Lecoq, Pierre, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide, Gallimard, 1997.
[3] Fatah, Rebwar and Rezaei Durroei, Siamak, New year Editorial of Kurdica, January 1998.
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مرا سر نهان گر شود زير سنگ -- از آن به كه نامم بر آيد به ننگ
به نام نكو گر بميــرم رواست -- مرا نام بايد كه تن مرگ راست
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