Paristan
In Persian cosmology, Paristan or Pariestan (Persian: پریستان Pariyestân, Paristân, "Land of the Peris"; also Koh-i-Qaf or Qafkuh) is the home of peris.
Muslim folklore
Although originating in pre-Islamic Persian literature, peris and Paristan were adopted in the wider Middle Eastern folklore and, through the spread of Islamic culture eastward, in the Muslim mythology of Central and South Asia. With peris being identified as benevolent (often female ) jinn in early Quran translations into Persian,[1] Paristan became what can be fairly compared with the fairyland/elfame of European folklore.
Mount Qaf
The alternative name Koh-i-Qaf or Qafkuh "Mount Qaf" was used by Persians both as the name of a legendary mountain and for the "strange" and unknown territory of the Caucasus Mountains which marked the extent of their knowledge and influence.[2]
Inhabitants of the land are depicted as young beautiful fair females with golden hair and light eyes. This was probably a reference to the actual people living in the Caucasus region and the historical Indo-European people such as the warrior women of the Sarmatians, Scythians, Massageteans, and Alans.
See also
References
- Hughes, Patrick; Hughes, Thomas Patrick (1995). Dictionary of Islam. ISBN 9788120606722.
- كوه قاف در اسطوره و عرفان ايراني Archived 2009-02-19 at the Wayback Machine