The legend of incest marriage in ancient Iran (The first part)

The legend of incest marriage in ancient Iran (Dr. Alireza Shahpour Shahbazi)

It has been two thousand five hundred years that the issue of marriage with incest has sparked controversy among ancient Iranians and has created ambiguities in the interpretation of the legal and social conditions of our ancestors.. A group, relying on historical texts, consider the marriage of ancient Iranians with their closest people as an undeniable fact, and some people, considering the high morals of the ancient Iranians and the respect they have given to the law and family rights, such a thing is a source of accusations by foreigners and misinterpretation by researchers. They know and try to protect their fathers from such (( accused )) be excused. In the present research, we first give a history of previous researches, then we carefully find the written evidence, and then we will prove with regard to some unknown issues that:
1. Marriage with mahrams was not legal in ancient Iran.
2. Despite this injustice, there have been some historical cases of such marriages.
3. The word khoyit wadatha (Pahlavi:Khoitok ten) And the book form of that expression which is the first meaning (( Marriage with relatives)) gives, due to misinterpretation of words that are equivalent (( Girl )) And (( self)) And (( sister )) been, to (( Marriage with incest )) It has been interpreted and has become a source of confusion for Greek, Roman, Armenian, Christian, Islamic and even Zoroastrian mullahs..

One: Previous researches
The first person among the Europeans to discuss the issue of marriage with incest among the ancient Iranians was Barnaby Brissen, who in 1590 gave an explanation based on the writings of the Greeks and Romans. ( papaya. 1710 edition, Strasbourg, pp. 157-158, 491 and later (The first edition was not found) ) Since then, in the histories of philosophy and religion, as well as in general histories, his material was repeated with additions, until Thomas Hyde in 1700. (The history of Iranian religions, under the marriage chapter) and A.H. Anquetil Duperon in 1771 (papaya. read the book- Avesta, Vol. 3, index, sub-words of Khuyyt and Dashah) They looked for references from Iranian and Arab texts for the topic and added to it. In 1820, Y. G. Rood wrote the first research book about the traditions and religious beliefs of Persians and related peoples. (The book of sacred traditions and religious revelations of ancient Balkhians, Medes, Persians and others), the issue of marriage with incest had become part of the debates related to the opinions of Iranians. Of course, Adolf Rupp and Friedrich Spiegel tried to interpret this issue based on two hypotheses: One is that this work was done only among Iranian nobles and kings, and that too because of the great effort to preserve the purity of the blood and preserve the heritage in the family, and the other is that its origin was non-Aryan and related to the native Mughans. It has reached the Aryans. ( Religion and traditions of Iranians, pages 110 to 113; Spiegel, Archeology of Iran, vol. 3, p. 678 and later)
Wilhelm Geiger re-examined the Zoroastrian evidence on the matter ( Civilization of Ancient Eastern Iranians, pp. 245 and later) And it was especially remembered that one of the Zoroastrian saints named Ardaviraz was proud that he had seven of his sisters as wives.. (Ardaviraz was an only son with seven sisters and is considered one of the Zoroastrian saints, but his historical existence has not been proven.. We will talk about him below, Rec. Footnote) At the same time, Pizzi pointed out the evidence of marriage with mahrams in Iranian epic legends ( Muzeon, Vol. 2, 1883 edition, pp. 366 and later) And R. von Echtkelberg pointed out ( A few words about the Iranian epic of Weiss and Ramin, quoted by Inostrantsev, Research on the Sassanians, p. 193, note) The whole story of Weiss and Ramin is based on the marriage of Weiss with his brother Viru. ( Weiss and Ramin, pp. 4-42, of course the reader knows that Viro is Weiss' nephew. Also plain, footnote)
These articles were very expensive for Zoroastrians. First, the Zoroastrian religion neither in Iran nor in India recognized such a marriage, nor approved it.. According to the Zoroastrian opinion, Khoeit and Datse means (( Marriage with relatives/relatives )) is not (( Marriage with incest )). In other words, they also understood the same concept as Muslim Iranians, i.e. the marriage of a cousin's daughter with a cousin's son, a cousin's daughter with a cousin's son, etc.. According to them (( Marriage with incest )) It was an ugly slander and slander that pagan Nazarenes or Jews, Christians and Muslims used against ancient Iranians, and it has no historical foundation.. For this reason, one of the greatest Zoroastrian scientists, Darab Pashutan Sanjana, opposed the theory of Western scientists and disrupted their work.. ( Especially in his translation of Dinkord, p. 96, Sanjana ordered in his translation, everywhere in Dinkord, to reverse the words and materials related to khuituk des in such a way that the concept of marriage with incest did not come from it at all.: Rek, Naiberg's Objection, Pahlavi Guide, Vol. 2, p. 224, who says that it was only after the printing of a photo of Dinkord that this issue became known.) It was that the most distant researcher of Pahlavi texts, E. And. West, a detailed article called (( Inside means khuitok ten )) Wrote ( This 42-page article was the basis of the work of all those who later worked in this field, and we declare here that it was also our main source.) and as an addition to the Pahlavi texts, the second volume (which included prosecutor Dinik and Manoujhar's letters) He published it in 1882. ( Pahlavi texts, vol. 2, pp. 389 to 430) This article did not cover all aspects of the issue and was only an answer that West gave to Sanjana's order, and in order to make this answer convincing, he gathered all the materials he knew from Pahlavi books and Zoroastrian traditions and obtained such a comprehensive research. He said that it is not old yet. ( Despite all the objections that have been raised to this article, whenever we look at it with fairness, we see that West's goal was never to accuse Iranians, and unlike some other Westerners and even Easterners, who do not shy away from making accusations and As his ancestors enjoy, West has not neglected the search for the truth) But Darab Pashtun Sanjana did not sit quietly and wrote a book in response to West's article, which did not succeed because it was controversial. ( The imaginary custom of marriage with incest in ancient Iran, Bombay, 1888) Later, Redieh Jamshid Kavasji Katrak suffered the same fate ( Marriage in Ancient Iran, Bombay, 1965. The major drawback of this work and similar writings is the carelessness in references and bringing up illusory interpretations and denying the clear text of the verses, documents and traditions, and no one can take them seriously and only The fact that the enemies of Iranians have made such accusations ignores the evidence or interprets the texts as they wish.) Instead, Western scientists such as. Hobsman- James Darmstadter- to. C. Casartelli- A. Cohen- Emile Benoist- Ferdinand Yosti- Konstantin Inostrantsev- ک. Bartholomew- Arthur Christian Sen- w. And. Kingsmill- to. e. Gray and A. By integrating Zoroastrian and modern Persian sources into Western evidence, Kerenman made the issue of marriage with mahrams in ancient Iran more certain.. (Hobshman, on marriage with relatives among Iranians, German Journal of Oriental Studies, Volume 43, 1889, pp. 308-313- Darmstadter, especially in the translation of Zend Avesta, vol. 1, pp. 126 to 134- Cohen, in a note on Hobshman's article, same magazine, p. 618- Casartelli, Oriental evidence about Khuituk des, Journal of Babylonian and Oriental Documents, 4th vol., 1890, pp. 97ff.- Casartelli, De-religious philosophy during the Sasanian period, pp. 156-160- Yousti, History of Iran based on Iranian jurisprudence, vol.2, p.682- Inostrantsev, Research on the Sassanians, pp. 123 and following- Bartholomew, Dictionary of Ancient Iran, column 1860- Bartholomew, Women in Sasanian Law, translation, pp. 32 and 33- Christian Senn, Iran under the Sassanids, French 323, translation pp. 48-347- King's Mail, Marriage and Burial among the Ancient Persians, Athenaeum Magazine, 1902, pp. 96ff.- Gerai, Marriage in Iran, the custom of marriage with mahrams, Hastings Encyclopedia, Volume 8, 1915, pp. 456-459- Kernman, Sister Marriage in the Ancient World, pp. 17 to 27. Here we should mention that references and words of ancient Greek and Roman historians were collected by Carl Clement in the following book.: carl clement,sources of Persian religious history,Bonn,1920 )
In the meantime, Iranian scientist Ali Akbar Mazaheri devoted a full chapter to this topic in his book on France ( In the book Iranian Family in the Pre-Islamic Era, French pp. 117 and later, translation, 118 to 143) which was later used by Saeed Nafisi and others (Especially in the articles he wrote in Mehr magazine against the ideas of Jamshid Saroushian and also in the book Tarikh Sociali Iran, Vol. 1, Tehran, 1342, pp. 35-42, he repeated it without citing his main sources.) Since then, research has been done on this issue from time to time, but no one has found anything new to say and they have been content with repeating the same thing over and over again. ( Among the articles that deserve to be mentioned, one is written by Fry called Znaai ba Moharam Zoroastrian. Another is an article by Kalima, about the problem of marriage custom in ancient Iran, the third is a very interesting article by Spooner: Iranian kinship and marriage. And there is another article full of related and unrelated content from Buchi. and an article on family law by Mansour Sheki in Daneshnameh Irani, Vol. 9, pp. 184-189).
We will not do so in this article, but first we will classify all the written evidence according to the subject and determine the validity of each category, and then the reason for the transformation of the interpretation of Khoyyt and Dashah from (( Marriage with a relative )) To (( Marriage with incest )) and at the end we point out that such a development was not unique to the ancient Iranians.

two: Written evidence
Written sources about (( Marriage with incest )) In ancient Iran, it is divided into several groups in terms of narrative sources, or in other words, documentary sources: Greek, Roman, Syriac, Muslim and Zoroastrian. If we only had the Greek, Roman, Syriac and Muslim evidence, we could consider the main issue to be the result of the intentional or unintentional mistake of ignorant writers and with the stigma (( slander )) And (( slander )) Let's count them as rejected, but the truth is that the Zoroastrian evidence for this issue is no less than the Nazarene testimonies, and for this reason, none of the testimonies can be dismissed without logic..
According to the subject, written evidence can be divided into three categories. Some people just talk about (( Marriage with incest )) They drive between this group and that group, or because of their merits (( Your personality )) they remember. this (( Generalizations )) Most include written certificates. The second category can be (( Allegorical and legendary cases )) He read and it contains evidences of marriages with incest among gods, warriors and kings, completely legendary, and the purpose of their expression is to make Mohsen appear so official.. The third category is dedicated to a number of historical people who (( Marriage with incest )) It has been attributed to them. In examining these three categories, it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity of the narrations of the first and second groups, but in the case of the third group, we can reach logical conclusions..

1. General evidence
In this category, our oldest witness is Antisthenes ( Around 444 to 371 BC ) It is written that the Athenian Alki Biades followed the Iranians until he went there (( Like them, he got along with his mother, sister and daughter)) ( Quoted by him in Athens, book 5, paragraph 63). After him Xanthus the Lydian ( At the same time, Ardeshir II ) is writing: (( Meghan sleeps with her mother and if she wants to, she also sleeps with her sister and daughter. Plus they share freely about their spouses.)) ( Quoted by him in the book of Clement Alexandrian, Strometa, Book III, Chapter 11, Paragraph 1). Ketziyas, the physician of Ardashir II, claimed that (( Iranians openly have sex with their mothers)) ( According to Tertullian in his Apology, Chapter 9, Clement, pp. 69-70, none of Ctesias's writings are extant and only fragments of them- That too in the form of options- We know that all of them have been collected and evaluated very competently by Felix Jacobi. papaya. Jacobi, Scattered Fragments of Greek Historians, Volume III, Volume C, pp. 416-517). Sotio who lived from 200 to 150 BC says (( Iranians do not burn the dead- As was the popular custom in Rome- But they are not ashamed to mate with their mother and sister)) ( Quoted by Diogenes Laertes from him in the Book of Philosophers' Lives, vol. 1, paragraph 7). Catullus around 84 to 54 BC (( Impure Iranian religion )) He criticizes that he is allowed (( Mughans are born from the pairing of mother and son)) ( Poems, fragment 90, quoted by Fox-Pemberton, p. 29). Strabo, who lived from 63 BC to 19 AD, says (( Among the Mughals, marriage, even if it is with the mother, is according to the traditions of the ancestors)) ( Geography, Book XV, Chapter 20, Paragraph 734. A little earlier in 733, Strabo had emphasized that he did not know such things himself, but other historians had said, and this statement shows well how something that A writer has made a chapter, repeating others, it has become a historical text). Philen Alexandrian, who lived from 20 BC to 40 AD, has brought that (( Iranian nobles marry their mothers and the sons born from such marriages are highly praised and even- If the news is true- They deserve royalty)) ( In the book De Specialibus Legibus, chapter three, paragraph 13). Cantus Coritus Refus wrote about 70 AD that (( Among Iranians, sex with children (girls) Self-possession is easy.)) ( In Alexander's History, Book VIII, Section 2, Paragraph 19). Plutarch, who lived from 46 to 120 AD and was an anthology of earlier historians and writers and many books about famous men and ethics (morals) Instead, one place in the praise of Iskandar says that among other things, he taught Iranians to respect their mothers instead of marrying them. ( Inder Far Iskander Sr., Ethics: C1, chapter 5, item c328). And in another place he writes that Purushat ( full of joy; The Iranian face is Persianis.)Ardashir II's mother forced her son to marry her daughter Statira and not pay attention to the beliefs and customs of the Greeks. ( Life of Ardashir, paragraph 23, apparently from the history of Ctesias). This last explanation is very surprising, and we will return to it. Sextus Impericus, who lived in the second century AD, wrote that marriage with one's mother was common among Iranians ( In Pyrrhonis Hypotyposes, chapter 3, paragraph 205, quoted by Fox- Pemberton, p. 76). Lokian from 120 to 180 AD and Ptolemy from around 100 to 178 AD also spoke about the legality of marriage with incest. ( Lucian, Pharsalia, Vol. 8, Paragraph 48; Ptolemy, Four Epistles, Tetrabiblon, vol. 2, p. 17, cited in facsimile- Pemberton, p. 62). Around 120 AD, Minucius Felix mentions the legality of marrying one's mother ( Octavius, paragraph 31. Clement, pp. 7 to 56). And Tatian around 170 AD also mentions that it is Mohsen ( An address to the Greeks, vol. 1, p. 28). Clement Eskenderani writes: (( Until they grow up, Iranian boys surrender to the fire of their lust like a wild boar and sleep with their mothers, sisters, and wives and do not go through countless concubines.)) ( Fax quote- Pemberton, pp. 72 and 73). Bardisani ( Bardisan) He said about 154 to 233 AD: (( The custom of Iranian men was to marry their mother, sister and daughter. This tradition was not specific to Iranian Mughans, but all those who lived abroad, such as the Mughans of Media, Egypt, Phrygia, and Galatia, followed the same path.)) ( According to Yuzi Bius from him. Reck, Clement, p. 69). The famous Diogenes, who lived in Alexandria during the time of Ardeshir Popkan, has repeated Sotio's claim ( Lives of Philosophers, translated by Hicks, vol. 1, p. 9). Origen at the same time (( Iranian law that allows the marriage of a mother with a son and a father with a daughter )) He has spoken, and he says from Kalsus around 170 AD, I am surprised that by mentioning this law, he considers Iranians to be an inspired race. ( Refusal to Kelsus, Volume 5, Chapter 27, Paragraph 597; Volume 6, Chapter 80, Paragraph 693) ( This statement carries a sign of racial prejudice that Erigen showed in his speech). Clement the False who lived from 350 to 400 says: (( It is a custom among Iranians to marry a sister and a daughter )) And he adds that some of the Mughans of Iran have gone to other regions such as Khorasan, Media, Egypt, Phrygia and Galatia, and their descendants still keep this custom and leave it as a legacy to their descendants. ( In Recognitions, Vol. 9, Chapters 20 and 21, quoted by facsimile- Pemberton, p. 91). The same matter was also brought by Basil in 330 to 379 AD in a more general way ( Letters, 258. Quoted by Clement, p. 86 of it). John Chrysostom, who died in 407, also mentioned the pairing of Iranians with his mother and sister ( A fake treatise attributed to Seth, Liber apocryphus nomine Seth, Column 638. Quoted by facsimile- Pemberton, p. 98). Jeremiah ( Jerome ) The saint who lived from 348 to 420 AD claimed that some (( The strong and rival nations of the Romans, namely the Persians, the Medes, the Hindus, and the Abyssinians, fought with their mothers and grandmothers and their daughters.)) ( Rebuttal to Jouinian, Adversus Jouinianus, book II, paragraph 7, quoted by Clement, p. 88). Theodora said 393 to 457 AD: (( In the past, the Persians followed the Zaradash tradition ( زرتشت) They used to go, mating with the mother and sister and even the daughter was considered valid, but now according to the fishermen's tradition- Apostle Christ- They have come out, they have thrown away these yellow laws.)) ( Sermons, vol. 9, p. 33. Quoted by fax- Pemberton, p. 104). After these, the one who spoke the most about this is Agathias, a contemporary Roman historian of Anushirvan Dadgar.. He was very familiar with the history and culture of Iran and gave a summary of the book Khodanameh or the official history of the Sassanid period based on the translation that one of his friends had written, which is considered one of the most important sources of the Sassanid period. ( papaya. ع. Shapur Shahbazi, a summary of Khodanameh in a Greek narrative, Sokhvara: A collection of articles in memory of Dr. Parviz Natal Khanleri). Agathias writes about Iranian marriage (Agathias, History, book II, paragraph 24) : (( Ancient people of those areas (It means the states of Iran) They did not have the beliefs they have today, not about the ceremony (cave dwelling) The dead and not about the unconventional tradition of marriage. Persians today have a very shameful custom, not only do they mate with their brothers and sisters without shame, but even fathers sleep with daughters and even worse.… The boy also sleeps with the mother. The fact that this is also a new heresy comes from the story that Nenias his mother… Semiramis, who had an opinion on him… Killed by hate. If this custom was accepted by law, I think Nanyas would never have done such a heinous thing… It is said that Ardeshir, the son of Dariush, also suffered this calamity because his mother Proshat wanted to sleep with him. Ardeshir did not kill him, but drove him away with anger and hatred, as you said, that wish was neither right nor customary in human society.. But today's Persians despise and ignore almost all the customs of the past and have adopted new customs that can only be called the heresy of Nabob, and in this deception they have eaten the teachings of Zoroaster, the son of Ahura Mazda. (The reader can find out the extent of Agathias' true understanding of Iran's religious issues from this obvious lie. In none of the times and among none of the Zoroastrians, Ahuramazda's son was called).
From this testimony of Agathias, it appears that marriage with incest is considered heresy. After him, anyone who said anything is repeating the matter, except for Photius of Byzantium, who lived in the 9th century, and quoted by Ctesias, who said that a Persian nobleman during the time of Darius II had married his sister. ( Authority, Bibliotheca, chapter 72, paragraph 54 : Teri Takhme, Teritouchmes, Ardeshir II's brother-in-law and Darius II's son-in-law, had a sister from her father's side, named Roshank, who was a beauty and a master in archery and skilled in javelin shooting.. Teri Takhme fell in love with him and slept with him and separated from the mistress of Ardeshir's sister). Here we should also mention the Armenian evidences, which are mostly related to the legend of Zarvan, which has no real connection with marriage with mahrams, but it is taken as an example of such a marriage. ( All these evidences have been given by Zahner in the book of Zarvan with text, translation and commentary). Also, the Armenian historian Elishe said that Yazdgerd II, along with orders to Armenians to observe the religion of Islam, also advised them to marry illegitimate women. ( Burned,History of Vardan and the Armenian War,tr.R.w.Thomson,London,1982,pp.103-104 ).
It is at the end of the Sassanid period that Syriac evidence is added to our documents. Most of them are found in the laws of Iranian Christians. For example, in the canon book of Eishua Bakht, the bishop of Fars, which was written during the period of Khosrow Parviz and later revised, we read that (( Marriage with incest is abominable. Even Zoroastrian followers reluctantly agree to such a bond, and usually a man's greed makes him do this to his sister or mother in order to get the inheritance.)) ( Zakhao's style in Syriac canon letters, vol. 3, pp. 1 to 201, especially pp. 33 and later, 97). The Code of Maraba, which was written at the end of the Sassanid period, does not allow marriage with incest, as well as the marriage of a man with his dead brother's wife. ( Tabab Zakhao, ibid., pp. 255 to 285, especially pp. 261, 265 and later). For some time, the Christian fathers used to leave Iranians who had become Christians with their wives in different ways (( Marriage with incest )) they had taken, to keep, but Maraba jumped in this way and forced the new Christians to leave their wives. ( The Book of Religious Associations, Dus Buch der Synhados, Brown Edition, pp. 93 and following; Bedijan, History of the Marjabals, p. 206 and after that and p. 254 and p. 282; Zahao, ibid., pp. 22-27, 31-35, 365-368). But that custom did not happen and Timothy I, one of the Christian fathers in the Islamic period, condemns the Nestorian Christians for following it. ( Brown, ibid., p. 131). After Islam, writers of history and tradition have occasionally attacked ancient Iranians who married their own sisters, mothers, and daughters. ( Inostrantsev, Mazaheri, Christian Sen and others have taken and interpreted these cases from Tabari, Masoudi, Biruni, Shahrashtani, etc.). And even in jurisprudence, cases in inheritance and marriage are dedicated to these issues ( Rashid Yasmi, note on the translation of Iran during the Sasanian era, p. 349: The second facet). For example (( Legacy of the Magi )) It is about the inheritance of taking or not taking the children who were born from marriage with incest. The evidence of Islamic books is so much that it requires a separate article, but since all of it is related to the attribution to the old period and there is not even one thing from the contemporary period in them, there is no benefit in repeating them.. We only remind that Sheikh Tusi and Sheikh Mofid (( It has been narrated that a person opens his mouth to insult the Magi in the presence of Imam Sadiq ( tissues ) They are married. Imam forbids him from cursing and tells him: Don't you know that this matter is in the eyes of the magicians of marriage? Every tribe makes a difference between marriage and adultery, and marriage is of any kind, as long as people are obliged to keep their contract.)) ( Ibid., and also Naseruddin Shah Hosseini, Translation of Women in Sasanian Law by Bartholomew, p. 3 and p. 7).
As we said earlier, if we only had these Greek, Roman, Syriac and Islamic evidences, we could say that these are all slander and slander.. However, we have texts that are primarily important for Zoroastrian religion and customs, and in these texts, we find many evidences of marriage with incest.. First, it should be known that the whole issue is about the word Avesta (( Your personality )) It rotates on the side of Khuitok Des ( And sometimes it is written Khoitok Dat and read Khoi Doda) ( Bartholomew, Dictionary of Ancient Iran, column 1860; Nyberg, Pahlavi Guide, vol. 2, p. 224; West, Pahlavi texts, vol.2, p.390). If we analyze it, it becomes: (( Your mood means ( relative ) ( Bartholomew, 1858, notices that khuish had a relationship with Iranian social classes, that is, khuish was mostly used for noble relatives.) And Vedsha means ( Marital ) ( Some Zoroastrians, of course, do not accept this meaning and suggest things like, good work, and a good deed that gives a relationship with God, which is not essential.) (Measure with wudu = woman ) And on top of each other (( Marriage with dependents )) Or (( Marriage with relatives/relatives )) it means ( Although this word itself is not common in the current Persian language, if we wanted to put an exact peer for it by comparison, we would have to say something like - self-inflicted- Let's write and make a will from it - adding to relatives through marital relationship). But the written evidence that we brought, especially what we will bring from Zoroastrian books, has caused this word (( Marriage with incest )) translate.
It is important to note that the word "khoeyt" and "dash" is not mentioned in the original Avesta. In the Gathas written by Zoroaster himself, the word Khoytu, meaning himself/herself, is mentioned, but there is no mention of Khoytu and Dastha. ( West, Pahlavi texts, vol. 2, pp. 390 and 391). Of course, the date of compilation of Avesta sections is not known. We consider the Gathas to belong to a little before one thousand years BC, and then we come to the Yasnai Heptan, which today is believed to be by Zoroaster himself. ( Boyce, Zoroastrian religion, pp. 20, 32 and 33, 62 and 63, 88 with references. Of course, it should be noted that the mentioned case has not been proven yet). And then we have the old Yashts - such as Mehr Yasht, Aban Yasht and Zamyad Yasht - of Haiti, which may have been used in the Achaemenid period, but in any case, we do not see any news of Khoeit and Dash in these places either.. The first place where this legal term is mentioned is in the 13th Yasna, paragraph 28, which says ( West, Pahlavi texts, vol.2, p.391) : (( from… I praise the Holy Khuity and Dastha, which is the best and the best and the most good thing that exists and will exist, which is Ahura and Zoroastrian.. )) The same article in Visperd, III, paragraph 18; Chapter 4, paragraph 8 and Vishtasep Yasht, paragraph 17, it is stated that the men who commit adultery, come together with the youth who are the best and wisest..
As West says: (( In none of these expressions, we do not see the meaning and nature of such a good deed.)) ( West, ibid). Another place where Khwayt and Datseh is mentioned is in paragraphs 35 and 36 of the eighth chapter of Vandidad ( V Dev Dutt)( That is, the anti-court law: The word Vendidad is a mispronunciation of this name.) It is recommended: (( After performing their duty, the dead must wash their head and body with the urine of cows and goats, and they should not use the urine of anyone unless it belongs to a man or a woman.)) Again, we see that here the real meaning of the word is not clear and it only assumes that a man could do it (( good job )) break it and make it ( same place). From these evidences, it is clear that the Pahlavi commentators of these Avesta texts have no special meaning (( good job )) The mentioned are not found in them. But when the Avesta commentator states verse 4 of Yasna 44, there is no room for doubt. Now, the translation of this Avesta verse, in addition to Pahlavi Dan's spiritual interpretation, which we have put in parentheses and marked with bolder letters. ( Quoted by West, ibid., pp. 392-394. For additional explanations, ref. Ibid., p.392, note 3) :
We sing like this in the whole world: what ( which he, who is Ahuramazda, took from it ) Good ( Khoytok-ten) (Is). By the help of Ahura Mazda, he knows that this one ( It means Spandarmaz- who is called the daughter of Ahuramzda in legends- It is a poetic interpretation, as we will mention below.) created ( that khuitok des do ). And it was through my father that he came to me (And Homan) It was raised by him ( That is, due to following the good nature of the creatures, Khuituk Des was done by his hand.) That is why she, who is his daughter, is doing a good job ( who is very kind)( That is, he did not turn away from Khuituk Des). He was not deceived ( That is, he did not turn his back on Khuituk Des ) He sees everything ( That is, what ) from which is Ahurmazdat ( in other words: He reaches all the duties and laws through the religion of Ahormazda).
As West has pointed out: (( All the references in this passage to Khuituk des are the additions of the Pahlavi translators who wanted to recommend that practice, but there is nothing of it in the Avesta text.. Only these additions show that the Pahlavi translators understood the concept of father-daughter marriage from Khuituk Des.)) ( West, the same source, pp. 393 and 394). The lack of credibility of such interpreters and translators of Mullah can be seen from here, which according to some of them is a part of the Avesta that (( Dubasroged Nesk )) ( It is necessary to explain that in Dinkord, where there is a summary of Nesks, there is no indication of such Nesks.) Named, it was full of details about Khuitok Des. But fortunately, the summary of this Nesk is available in the book of Dostan Dinik, 94, paragraphs 1 to 11, and we do not see the slightest reference to Khuituk Des in it. ( West, same source, p.394). Now we turn to other evidence. Kartir Mobad the Great during the time of Bahram II says that among the things he did throughout the world for the advancement of religion, he did one. (( There were many khuituk deshas everywhere.)) ( From the translation of Beck, Sasanian State Inscriptions, p. 433). Khuituk des is mentioned several times in the book Dinkord, but there, like Kertier's words, it is a general matter and it is recommended as an important good deed. ( West, same source, pp. 394 and following). In three paragraphs, it seems that the concept (( Marriage with incest )) It has been stated. One is in Dinkord, book 9, chapter 41, paragraph 27, which is quoted from the 18th paragraph of Varashtmansar Nesk Avesta ( that is lost ) Come: (( They encourage brother and sister to wish for marriage in order to do khuitok des in harmony.)) ( The same source, p. 395. The summary of this Nesk is given in Dinkord VIII, Chapter III, Paragraph 1: West, Pahlavi texts, vol. 4, p. 12, and a very detailed summary of it is given in Dinkord 9, chapters 24 to 46.- West, same source, pp. 226 to 303- And the article mentioned in the 18th chapter- The same source, p. 284 and following- Can be found). Here, of course, it is not said that the two of them will have sex together (( Together, with coordination )) And the meaning is not clear.
Second in Dinkord, book 9, chapter 40, quoted from chapter 14 of Bagh Nask ( which is also gone) There have been detailed explanations, which can be summarized as follows ( Summary of Bagh Nesk in the 9th Dinkord- Pahlavi texts, vol. 4, pp. 311 to 397- Chapters 47 to 59 are left. Fargard 14 in the same book, paragraph 60- Pahlavi texts, vol. 4, pp. 364 and later- Come) :
Whatever leads to the increase of generations is good, as Khuituk Das praised. Fatherhood is a great duty, and adding to oneself and oneself is the right way of reproduction, and this is Khuituk Des, and he who observes the right way of reproduction has praised Khuituk Des.. Experience shows that better generations are born from good generations, which means that generations become better with constant observance of good habits.. We can say this in another way, Spandarmaz is considered to be the daughter of Ahuramzda, because the wisdom of this one (Ahuramzda) including all ((Good idea)) (Armaity) Becomes. Based on this, wisdom and Armeity are both within Ahuramzda and Spandarmazd, that is, wisdom is from Ahuramzda and Armeity is from Spandarmazd, and (( Good idea)) (Armaity) The result is wisdom, just like Spandarmazda is the son of Ahuramzda. And this is a clear statement that in the opinion of someone who associates wisdom with Armeiti, Spandarmaz should be seen as the daughter of Ahuramzda..
As noted by West, this comment is also an allegory, and in it, Khuitok Des (( Marriage with relatives )) It has been understood and it is not known that its additional reference to the father-daughter relationship of Ahormazda and Spandarmaz was implicit in the marriage of the two of them. ( West, Pahlavi texts, vol.2, p.396).

The third tazkar of Dinkord is taken from Fargard 21, Bagh Nesk, which in the beginning according to West (( He gives a girl to a father in marriage as a woman is given to another man)) It gave a meaning and the meaning of Khuitok Des is straightforward (( Marriage with incest )) was doing ( The same source, p.397). But in his translation, Dinkord realized that the meaning of this paragraph has nothing to do with marriage and translated it like this: (( He entrusts his daughter to a paternal guarantor through a girl who teaches her to respect her father.)) ( Pahlavi texts, vol. 4, p. 382). Many researchers have not understood this and have relied on the translation of Ollie West and have gone astray.
Apart from these cases, it is stated in the Ardaviraznameh that Ardaviraz had all seven of his sisters as wives, and in his ascension he saw those who had performed khuituk and attained a high spiritual position. ( The Pahlavi text and its many translations have been published many times in the last two hundred years. Its main content was brought by West in Pahlavi Texts, Volume 2, pp. 397 and 398, and he added this interesting topic.: Is this more surprising than the story of the woman who married seven brothers in a row in the Gospel of Mark- Twelve, verses 20 to 22- and Luke- Twenty, verses 29 to 32- Have you mentioned it? In any case, the story of Ardaviraz's ascension is one of the most common and accepted Zoroastrian stories and has been translated into many languages ​​and translated into Persian at least four times.. There is also an old translation of it in poetry, which was published by Ki Khosro Jamasapji Jamasap Asa in Bombay with Pahlavi text and Gujarati translation in 1902.. But in this translation, Khuituk Des means marriage with relatives). Also, we read in Minawi Khard that Khuituk Des is one of the most praised works ( West, Pahlavi texts, vol. 2, p. 398 and later). And in Bahman Yasht, we read that even in the turbulent period of foreign domination (( A true man keeps the religious tradition of Khuituk Des in his family.)) ( The same source, p. 399). In chapter 195 of the third book of Dinkord, it is stated that Khuituk Des cleanses sins and removes darkness. ( The same source, p. 410 and following). And in chapter 287 of the same book, the benefits of good deeds are described in such a practical way ( The same source, p. 411). In a chapter of the sixth book of Dinkord, according to the words of the ancient clerics, it is said that if Khuituk Des is not observed, darkness will increase. ( same place). In the 7th book of Dinkord, he quotes from Avesta that he walks and walks ( The first man and woman whose names were written in different ways.) who were born from Gyumert's eggs by the will of Ahurmzda ( The same source, pp. 411 and 412) They performed good prayers, and among other things, they did Khuituk and started to multiply. In the same book, he quotes Zoroaster saying that among the good works, Khuituk Des is the most destructive of darkness and demonism, and it should be performed with rituals and by the hands of great priests. ( The same source, p. 412 and following) And when Zoroaster himself recommended such a thing, many people got upset and attacked him, and the advice was the best kind among them. (( father and daughter, and son and the one who gave birth to him, and sister and brother)) was rejected ( The reader should pay close attention to this religious protest against Fatwa's inadmissibility). Here, too, khuitok des exactly means (( Marriage with incest )) and there is no need to discuss it, it should only be noted that: Dinkord it in a traditional way that (( brought in ancient times)) He expresses not in the usual form of obedience. In the Prosecutor Dinik ( Chapter 37, Paragraph 82; Chapter 64, paragraph 6; Chapter 65, paragraph 2; Chapter 77, paragraphs 4 and 5) To the marriage of Meshi Ye and Meshi Yane through Khuitok Des ( Brother and sister ) Is mentioned ( West, Pahlavi texts, vol. 2, p. 414. We will see its details later). And in chapter 27, paragraphs 6 and 7 and chapter 28, paragraph 19, it is stated that Khuituk Des (Generally ) It should remain stable until the end of the world because promoting it to others will be a means of forgiveness for the most expensive sins ( same place). In the book Shaist ni Shaist, we read that one of the Zoroastrian fathers named Narse Mehr Barzin said three good sayings, one is that (( Khuitok Des can save the executioner.)) ( Tibb Tawadiya, p. 113- Chapter 8, paragraph 18- ). And in the excerpts of Zadsperm, it is stated that Khuituk Des was one of the three recommendations of Zoroaster to his followers. ( Chapter 23, paragraph 13- West, Pahlavi texts, fifth, p. 166). We read in Dosat Dinik that organizing Khuituk Des is a very good thing and it is because of it that full progress in this world is possible. ( papaya. West, Pahlavi texts, vol. 2, p. 414, for references). With all these evidences, if we did not have the next two certificates, we could still interpret all of this in such a way that: Well, khuitok des, which means marriage with relatives, is a very praiseworthy practice and very essential for the stability of Iranian society.. But with the two witnesses that we will bring, there is no doubt that the objective of Jame Dinkord III and Himit Ashe Vahishtan (It means the hope of his son Vahesht) From the term Khuitok Des (( Marriage with incest )) May has been. Here is the first witness from the third book of Dinkord, paragraph 82 ( Quoted from West, Pahlavi Texts, Vol. 2, pp. 399 to 410) : Here, a priest argues with a Jewish rabbi about the mohsenat khuitok des ( In the translation of Pashtun order, Sanjana wrote this chapter in paragraph 80, and his translation does not read with West's translation.) ( Measure with West's note, the same source, p. 399, margin 4, and Nyberg's explanation, Pahlavi Guide, vol. 2, p. 244). There have been other translations of this chapter ( For example, the translation of De Menasce, in the third book of Religion, pp. 85 and following. Saeed Nafisi- The source mentioned in footnote 19- He has also brought this chapter in the form of an anthology and distorted).
We follow West ( But we ignore frills): The harsh attack that a Jew made to a magician through the custom of Khuituk Des, and the answer that the cleric gave him from religious sources..
know that… Khuituk Des is cooperation and joint help of people to each other. Khuitok Des is a name that (( to give )) (Terrible self) is, and position (sometimes) It is that he brings about a very stable relationship between his own race and his own kind by maintaining and stabilizing the influence of the holy things, which according to the documents is the union between men and women from among his own race and in order to prepare and join the resurrection. the world. That bond of union, if we want to say it more clearly, takes place between a number of related races, or in the form of a bond with relatives. ( Nibanzdishtano) And among relatives, or with close relatives ( Relatives). And in my opinion, the most complete connection of three groups of close relatives ( closer ) It means father and daughter, and son and husband (Progenitor) ( It has replaced the mother and today it remains in the term "bardar" which means "pregnant".) He, and brother and sister.
( Here Mobad cites the words of the great Mobad to explain the story, which includes the story of creation and the first Adam: He is the creator, maker of everything and everyone, and the earth- Spandarmaz- It is made by him, and since she is of course female, she is considered his daughter, and from her, Zinda Mirai Goya. (Guymerton) created from whose seed all people will be born until the Day of Resurrection.)
It is like this because help (the creator who) Father (Is) from the girl (Spandarmaz) She has given birth to a child, this is called Khuituk Des. Again, it is stated in the religious documents that when Gyumert was leaving the world, his sperm fell on the earth, that is, Spandarmaz, who was considered his own mother, and from the union of the two, Meshiyeh and Meshiyene, as is the nature of the creatures, to desire They fell in love and came together, this is called khuituk des brother and sister. And many other pairs were born from them, and each pair always became a man and a woman, and all the people who have been, and are now, and will be in the future, are all the offspring of Khuituk Des.. It is from here that it is recommended by law, and wherever it is done, the result is the increase of the generation there. And I say that Diwan are the enemies of the people and wanting their destruction will be achieved through Khuituk Des. ( This work is a source of prosperity, health and increase, and it brings poverty, humiliation and weakness to the Divan.) And I say that the closer the children are to their origin in terms of seed and race, the more they will be fit, bright, wise, good-mannered, and possessive, and the excellence of arts, abilities, and other characteristics will be greater in them, and they will benefit from them more and will be more satisfied. have ( Here, Mobad mentions heterosexual marriages reluctantly and considers it like the pairing of a dog with a wolf and a donkey with a donkey, which brings an unpleasant result.).
And this is the pure benefit of keeping the race . I say that there are three types of love for brothers and sisters from what will come from them. One is when the child is born of brother and brother; One when the child is born of brother and sister, and one when the child is born of sister and sister ( In all three of these cases, children receive love from both sides and arts from both sides.) ( This is the main meaning of khuitok des. The rest of the content is made by legendaries). And this is the situation of those who are born from a father and a daughter or from a son and a mother… And he who sees the child of his child will be happy even if that child is from the seed of someone from another race and from another country.. And this is also a source of happiness and joy when a man sees that the son he has from his daughter becomes the brother of the same mother, and he who is born from the union of a son with his mother becomes the brother of his father.. The benefits of these actions are more than their losses, and if someone says that such an action is demonic ( The reader should pay attention to the protest against the dry fatwa! )It should be noted that if a woman has a disease in her private parts, isn't it better that her brother or her father or her child touch her rather than strangers? ( And isn't this better than a wedding ceremony between a Persian man and a Roman woman with kos and naqara? Doesn't staying at home and taking care of yourself lead to obstinacy and self-sacrifice? Don't getting a wife from the outside lead to a thousand worldly desires and desires? Doesn't being a stranger increase lies and fraud, and doesn't it lead to whims outside the home? Don't divorce and family fights happen between men and women who are strangers? On the other hand, do not family marriages bring constant efforts and comforts and endless affections?) And if, despite all that I have said, someone says that this work is a shameful waste ( Yet another reason why people have turned away from fatwas that are unacceptable), I must say that ( Depravity does not exist by itself and is metaphorical) For example, we and you hate the person who comes naked in the community and consider it shameful, but those who sit naked consider him to be handsome and beautiful.. Isn't it the fact that some people consider a meatball nose to be a beautiful face, and some people consider a long and eagle nose to be a source of pride and virtue? ( The same thing as in the poem: You see the hair and I find the curls of the hair, I find the eyebrows and the hints of the eyebrows) After all, beauty changes with time. There was a time when anyone who shaved his head committed a sin worthy of death. At that time, it was not customary in the country for people to shave their heads ( Consider that they should shave your head with a curse, which in Shiraz they still say malice to wish to be embarrassed.)But today I know a wise man who considers shaving his hair good and even considered it a good thing.… It's a good thing for us (Khoitok ten) It is divine advice, it is the preserver of the race and the reason for the completeness of the family… The loss is small and the profit is great… And all our ancestors and fathers have gone to it and benefited… And if someone says that the law has said about that custom later: (( Do not use it)) ( Another reason is that the official law has prohibited such works)Anyone who is aware of such a law should accept it, we are not, but every awareness knows that all awareness has arisen from Khuituk Des, because our knowledge comes from the connection of two components, one is inherent knowledge and the other is to be learned, and it is clear. that innate knowledge is female and learned knowledge is male, and since both are created by the creator, then they are brothers and sisters; And everything else that is complete is also born from the union of complete parts, such as water, which is female, and fire, which is male, and these two are considered brothers and sisters. ( Although they do not join together, they fuse together in the human body, just like if there is more water in the brain, it rots and if there is more fire, it burns.).
This was the longest and most solid Zoroastrian written evidence for drawing (( Marriage with incest )). The reader can clearly perceive for himself that this flamboyant defense was necessary because at the same time the custom was strongly attacked, and only a few priests prescribed it and few people followed it. ( It is necessary to remember that we also have such cases in today's society, where some clerics raise issues such as concubines and temporary marriages, but they are not liked and accepted by the majority of people, except for a few.). Indeed, in this far and wide interpretation, contradictory materials are intermingled and it is simply not possible to distinguish them, and for this reason, many people who have read the materials casually have been deceived by some sentences and have pretended that the whole matter is a general attribution. ( For example, Saeed Nafisi, Demnas, Fry, Bochi, Duchenne Gaiman and Kristen Sen. Even God Biyamarz Mansour Sheki fell into the same illusion and wrote in his article, "Family Laws in Ancient Iran", Daneshnameh Irani, Vol. 9, p. 184.: Marriage with mahrams, which was common among the nobles of many nations, was later generally performed at all levels of Iranian society, both high and low.. Many kings of Iran took their sisters and daughters as wives, such reckless extravagances have no result other than misleading the readers, even if the purpose of writing them is nothing but knowledge and friendship. ! ).
In the official law book of the Sassanid period, the book of the thousand rounds ( Matigan of a thousand Datestan) ( Typed and translated by Anahit Parikhanian; Previously, the contents of this book were mentioned by Mansour Sheki in his essay on Sasanian marriage.) It has been stated that if a father gives a daughter's inheritance to his daughter and then marries her, after her death, that woman will also have a share of her husband's inheritance. ( Part I, Chapter 44, Lines 8 to 12) ( Translated by Parikhanian, p. 119; Shaki, Sasanian marriage, pp. 335 and 336). And it has come back: If a father gives his daughter to a wife, after her death, she will inherit only a wife ( And not double inheritance) ( Ibid., lines 13 to 16) ( The same article, p.336). In the same book ( Part II, chapter 18, lines 7-12) It is stated that if a man pledges that this property ( or money ) In ten years, it will go to my son, on the condition that he marries my daughter, after ten years, he must hand over the property to the son, and if the two of them get married earlier, the change of ownership can be done sooner, but if the son refuses to marry, He opened it, belonging to that property ( or money ) It should not happen ( same place).
These cases from an official law book leave no room for doubt. The same is the case in the traditions of the great Zoroastrian Mobad ( Hope ) He is the son of Eshu Vahesht ( Demnas had translated and interpreted these cases before. But the book itself was edited by Safai Esfahani in 1980 in Cambridge ( Massachusetts ) printed. Shaki also used it in the Sasanian marriage article). One of the questions is in response to this issue, what should be done about a boy who has made a commitment to marry his sister or accepted the advice of his parents for that task but refused to do it? ( Question 22- Esfahani, pp. 155 to 158). Another question is that if a man marries his sister or mother even though there was no hope of getting them pregnant, does the reward of Khuituk Des include them or not? And the answer is yes ( Question 28- Esfahani, pp. 193 to 196). Another question is related to what should be done if someone quits but is unable to perform his duties due to old age or illness? ( Question 30- Esfahani, pp. 203 to 206). These cases, and cases that make it a sin to break the contract of Khuituk Des, prove that in the eyes of these commentators of the late Sasanian period, marriage with a mahram was Hassan. ( Measure with West's judgment, Pahlavi Texts, vol.2, p.410).
Even after the fall of the Sassanids, there were scholars who were from Khuituk Des (( Marriage with incest )) have understood and strongly defended it, while others have openly opposed it. The most detailed of these arguments are in a book of hadiths ( or fatwas ) It is said that the manuscript is from the 16th century AD, but the instructions in it are much earlier. ( The same source, p. 414 and following). West has obtained a summary of which we quote ( Here too, in order to emphasize the important points, we bring some sentences in bolder letters) :
The best thing a disbeliever can do is convert to religion ( One of the best reasons why accepting Nazarene people in religious society is still customary and acceptable.) And the best thing that a Behdin can do is to break the Diwan through Khuituk Des. Ahuramzda himself had done the same because when Zoroaster reached his presence and saw Amshaspandan with him, he saw Spandarmaz with a hand on his neck and when he asked the reason, Ahuramzda answered: (( This is Spandarmaz who is my daughter and the code lady of my heavenly world and the mother of all beings)). Zarathustra said: (( When these things are said in the world, it creates a lot of confusion. How is it that you, O Ahuramzda, yourself say the same about this? )) Ahuramzada replied: (( O Zarathustra: This should bring the best blessings to the people! Once my first creations did it, you must do it too.! Because even though people have turned away from such a ceremony, they should not turn away ( What happiness is all near and of the same blood, and all calamities befall people because strange men come and women ( Behdin ) they take ) ( And they always take our girls out of the way) ( It refers to the descent of Zoroastrians among Muslim or Christian communities, as we see for example in the biography of Sheikh Abu Ishaq Kazrooni, who came from Zoroastrian families and in the fourth century converted most of the people of Kazroun to Islam with amazing efforts.) ( And the reward of Khuituk Des is such that it saves the sorcerer from execution).
(( In one of the religious sayings, it is stated that Ahuramzda recommended four good deeds to Zoroaster… Fourth, Khuitok des with him who gave birth to him, or with a daughter or with a sister… When Susyans appears, all the people will die and all the gods will be destroyed by the miracle of the disease.)) In the explanation of the article, it is stated that the mentioned types of Khuituk Des include half-brothers and sisters or illegitimate daughters. ( West, Pahlavi texts, vol. 2, p. 417). And again, in a long and naive story, it is admitted that Jamshid slept with his sister because he was drunk, but he immediately recounted the goodness of Khuituk Des with the highest qualities, and the reward was promised to be heaven, and someone was promised hell instead. is what prevents others from khuitok des, because (( What others consider a heinous sin is in our law a disobedience)) ( The same source, pp. 417 to 426. Again, here we witness people's objection to Fatwa's inadmissibility).
(( This is also stated in religion: Zarathustra said this to Ahuramzda: I think this is a bad thing ( ludo ) who do And it is very doubtful that I should do khuitok des as you said it is quite common among humans. ( Ahuramzda answers that this work is the reason for the evolution of everything and is necessary.) )).
None of our evidence has so clearly stated the truth: People have not paid any attention to the fatwa of a dry-brained cleric who considered such a thing permissible, and as West mentioned, his reference to this narration and that religious document is pointless because none of his alleged sources are true. is not ( This is West's judgment: The same source, p. 419 and later, and p. 427 and later).
For this reason, in the Persian narrations, which were copied in the 17th century, Khuituk Des does not mean marrying a mahram at all, but Iranian religious leaders in the fatwas they wrote for the Zoroastrians of India considered Khuituk Des a rewarding act, but it (( Bonding between cousins ​​and aunts )) have meant. And in response to the question of how are family relations in Khuitok Des, they said: The relationship between siblings is very good. In other words, khuitok des means marriage of relatives together and that's it ( The same source, pp. 427 to 430).

Click the opposite link to see the second part and continue this article: The legend of incest marriage in ancient Iran (Part II)