Examining the reasons for the fusion of the mythical face of Jamshid and Suleiman, by examining two preserved carpets in the Iranian Carpet Museum in number 277 and 1692

Abstract

The present study examines some reasons for the fusion of Shahnameh myths and Semitic mythology, focusing on two characters, Jamshid and Suleiman. In Persian literary and historical texts, we often witness the fusion of Iranian mythology and Semitic mythology. For example, in a narrative of Bal’ami's history, "Gayumarth" - which is referred to as the first human creation of Ahura Mazda or human prototype in sources such as the Avesta and Bundahishn- is identified with "Adam" - as the first human according to the Torah and the Qur'an-. Jamshid and Suleiman also have such a fate. As in the literary texts, sometimes we witness identifying or attributing the characteristics of these two characters to the other or mentioning each of these characters by a different name. This paper, while examining the images of two preserved carpets in the Carpet Museum of Iran[1] related to Jamshid and Suleiman, by referring to mythological, historical and literary sources, seeks to answer the question that between Jamshid (as a mythical character of Iranian mythology) and Suleiman (as a historical-mythical character in the Semitic culture and the people of Bani Israel) What are the story similarities and common behavioral characteristics and how and why are these two mixed together? Some researchers have considered the reason for this issue to be the "confusion" of the two, but the authors believe that in addition to the unconscious confusion of these two Iranian and Semitic characters, these two have been consciously have been considered as one; that this was due to "adaptation" and reconciling national figures with religious figures in the old Iranian society.

[1]. The present paper was written following the conclusion of the MOU between the Center for Chinese Research of Allameh Tabatabai University of Iran (CCR) and the Carpet Museum of Iran on 13/7/2024. With thanks to Mr. Mohammad Javad Inanlu Shahverdi, head of the Carpet Museum of Iran, for providing the pictures of these carpets.