The virtues of Nōgrōz and Mihragān - From the Kitāb al-maḥāsin waʾl-aḍdād

The book Al-maḥāsin waʾl-aḍdād, attributed to Jāḥiẓ, but probably compiled in the late eleventh century, contains a chapter on two Persian festivals, Nōgrōz and Mihragān. The compiler has quoted an account of the origins and celebration of Nōgrōz in Persian times by Xusravī (Arab. Kisrawî), but has omitted his description relative to the Mihragān festival. He also deals with presents by different people on the occasion of Nōgrōz. An important thing in this description, for the survey of the Persian calendars, is the division of a month into six equal parts.

Xusravī (Arab. Kasrawī) says that:

The first one who brought in the Nōgrōz, and instituted the status of the kings (šāh), and founded the ensigns of royal power, and extracted silver, gold, and metal (or, minerals), and made tools (and armor) of iron, and tamed horses and other beasts (of burden), and recovered pearls (from oysters in the sea), and extracted musk and amber and other perfumes, and built palaces, and made factories, and dug canals, was Jamšēd son of Vīvanghān (yimō xšaētō vīvaŋvhatō puθrō).

The basis on (the introduction of the Nōgrōz) was, that on Nōgrōz he reigned the world, and made habitable the regions of Ērānšahr, i. e., the land of Babylon (Babylon was called dil ī ērānšahr ‘the heart of Persia’ in the Sasanian times). Thus Nōgrōz was in the origin of what established his kingship, and it remained to be the preparatory (institution of the feast of the kingship), and became a tradition (or, law) (Arab. سنّة translates Pers. ēvēn). He ruled as king for a thousand and fifty years. Then Bēvarasp (baēvarә.spasan) killed him, and ruled after him for a thousand years until (the accession of) Frēdōn (θraētaona) son of Aspiyān (āθβyāni, a usual epithet of Θraētaona).

Ḥabīb (أبوتمام( حبيب)بن أوس الطائي) says about him: “As if he were Dahāk (dahāka) in his malefaction in two worlds, and as if thou werest Frēdōn!”

Then Frēdōn sought Bēvarasp (i.e., Dahāk), and ruled after him for a thousand and fifty years. He captured him in the land of the Occident, and chained him, and imprisoned him at mount Dumbāvand, and then fulfilled the number (of years) God had prescribed him to live. The imprisonment of Bēvarasp by Frēdōn happened on the day in the middle of the month Mihr, (i.e.) the day of Mihr (16th day); then that day was called Mihragān.

Thus the Nōgrōz pertains to Jam, and the Mihragān to Frēdōn. Nōgrōz is the older by two thousand and fifty years.

Jam had divided the days of the month, and fixed the first five days (of Fravardīn) for the nobles; and the next five days as the days of the Nōgrōz of the king, to receive presents and to accord favours; then the next five days for the king’s servants; and the five days following for the king’s intimates; and then the five days for his army; and then came five days for the common people; this makes on the whole thirty days.

Mihragān was introduced by Frēdōn when he took Bēvarasp as captive on the day of Mihr (rōz ī mihr).

Straight after putting on the fine dress and holding a royal meeting requisite to both these two days (of Nōgrōz and Mihragān), a man enters who is agreeable by his name, expert in auspiciousness, with a cheerful face, with a glib tongue (or, eloquent), and stands in the presence of the king, and says: Allow me to enter!

The king asks him: Who are you? And where do you come from? And whither do you go? And who does accompany you? And with whom do you appear? and what is with you?

And so he replies: I come from the two auspicious ones; and I am going to the two lucky ones; and with me goes every victorious one; and my name is Xujastag (Pers. hu-jastag); New Year accompanies me; and I bring to the king glad tidings, and greetings, and a message!

The king says: Let him in!

And to him says the king: Come in!

And he puts in the presence of the king a tray of silver around which are set cookies baked from (many) types of seed, such as wheat, barley, millet, sorghum, chick peas, lentils, rice, sesame, broad beans, and cowpeas. Seven grains of each item of these cereals are picked and placed around table (خوان , Pers. xvān) (each category of grains by the side of its cakes). In the middle (of the table) are set seven twigs of the trees by which and in the name of which they practice augury, and the sight of which is considered as a good omen, such as the willow, the olive, the quince-tree, and the pomegranate-tree. From these (trees) are cut (twigs) up to one node, or two nodes, or three nodes. And each twig is there in the name of a chief town among the chief towns (of Ērānšahr). And on several places (of the table) it is written thus:

abzūd abzāyed abzōn parvār farroxīh frāxīh ‘It increased, it will increase, increase, sustenance, happiness, amplitude’

Besides, seven white saucers are placed on this table, and white drachmas of that year’s coinage, and a new dēnār (or, gold coin), and a bunch of rue (إسبند, Pers. spend). All this the king accepts while the messenger wishes for him immortality, permanent reign, welfare, and glory.

On this day the king does not consult anymore, being worried that it appears to him something he hates, and follows him the whole year.

The first thing presented to the king is a dish of gold or silver, with white sugar and peeled fresh Indian nut (/coconut), and bowls of silver or gold. He starts with some freshly milked milk mixed with fresh dates. Then he eats the coconut (powder mixed with) dry dates, and offers of it to those he likes, and tastes a piece of his favourite sweet.

On each day of the Nōgrōz period they let fly a white falcon.

It is taken as a good augury to start the day (of Nōgrōz) with a bit of pure fresh milk and a (morsel of) fresh cheese.

All the kings of Persian kings looked upon these things as bringing good luck.

On each day of the Nōgrōz period water is stealthily procured for the king in a jar of iron or silver. He says that: It has been procured stealthily by these two auspicious ones, and the two lucky ones bear it. On the neck of the jar is placed a necklace of green sapphire strung on a golden long thread on which are threaded beads of green chrysolite. That water is procured stealthily by virgins only from water downstream of water-mills and aqueducts fed from sources.

When the Nōgrōz falls on Saturday (on the Sabbath day), the king orders the head of the exile (i.e., responsible to the king for the Jewry of Ērānšahr:رأس الجالوت , Aram. ריש גלותא (ryš glwtʾ)) 4000 drachmas. The reason of that is not known, except that it has been considered as a custom and has become like the poll-tax.

Twenty-five days before the Nōgrōz they build in the inner court of the royal palace twelve pillars of brick. On one of the pillars they sow wheat, on another pillar barley, on another rice, on another lentils, (on another corn), on another broad beans, on another millet, on another sorghum, on another beans, on another peas, on another sesame, and on another vetch. They do not reap except with music and chant and play. This ceremony falls on the sixth day of the Nōgrōz. They spread what has been reaped in the hall, and do not take it away until the 16th day of the month of Fravardīn (rōz ī mihr ī māh ī fravardīn). They sow those grains to make an augury. It is said that: That grain which is best grown and most perfect ripe indicates that the same kind of grain, sown in that year, would grow best. And for the king the sight of growing barley was especially a good augury.

On the day of Nōgrōz the master of the archers (Pers. frahangbed ī kamāndārān) gives to the king a bow and five arrows; and the king offers a citrus to the superintendent of the Court.

And then are sung, in the presence of the king, the song of address, and the songs of spring, and the songs in which they narrate about the sons of heroes (Pers. kay(ān)), and describe rain-storms (or, weather forecast), and the songs (of) Āfrīn, Xusravānīg, Māδarostānīg, and Pahlbed. The Persians mostly sing (the songs of) Pahlbed who flourished under the time of Xusrō Abarvēz. He was a native of Marv. There was among his songs a panegyric to the king and a recital of his times, his gatherings, and his victories –it is like poetry in the languages of the Arabs composed with melodies. Not a single day passed except that he had a new poem and an innovative music. There are songs in which he implored the king and asked him to be indulgent towards his margraves (المرازبة , Pers. marzbānān), and his generals, and interceded for a guilty with him. When some accident took place or some news came so that they were reluctant to reveal to him, then Pahlbed composed a poem about it, and set it to music, as he did when Šabdēz, the horse of the king (Xusrō Abarvēz), died, and no one did dare to announce (the death of Šabdēz to the king). Pahlbed expressed what happened in an (enigma) song, stating that: The one stretching in the box, with loose body, neither eating fodder, nor moving!

The king said: It seems that he has already died.

Then, Pahlbed said: O king, you have said that!

The reason of water-sprinkling:

It is stated, as regards the cause of the pouring of the water that, the first person who spoke in the cradle, before Christ, was Uzav son of Tumāsp. His father, Tumāsp, died during the severe drought which ravaged the continents. Then Uzav began to talk, and called on God the blessed and supreme. And He sent down for people continuous rain, and made their land fertile (and arable), and their herds held onto life. So, they kept it as a custom to pour water (on that day).
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Attributes of the day

Xusrō said that: On a windy day to sleep; on a cloudy day to hunt; and on a rainy day to have fun and drink.

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