In this episode, first we discuss myths and legends and then take you to the land of Iranian stories and relate the rest of the story of Choqoon dooz. We hope you enjoy the program.

Believing in the influence of stars on human life has overshadowed myths and legends across the world. This influence stems from Babylonian beliefs since astrology has its roots in Babylon. Felicien Challaye, French author of the book "The brief history of great religions" says in this regard:

"The Chaldeans believed some days are auspicious and some others are ill-omened. They have also named the week days by holy stars. The Greek and Romans have also done that."

In Mithraism, stars have been taken into consideration and are sanctified.

Hashem Razi, contemporary mythologist in the book "Ayeen-e- Mehr" says:

"Planets were considered as gods with many capabilities. These gods were influential in determining the fate of people."
In ancient countries like Iran astrology had dominated on societies and has been considered as the main theme of folk stories. In such stories, people resorted to astrologists for doing any important job. In the long story of Amir Arsalan Namdar which is an Iranian folk story we can see examples of prediction and fortune telling. Part of the story reads:

"Arsalan said: Hurry up. Khajeh stood up and took out his astrolabe and positioned it in front of the sun. He then found Arsalan's star dark."

In the valuable boom of Samak Ayyar which is the oldest long Iranian folk story, the fate of a princess called "Shahzadeh Khorshid" is predicted by a fortune teller. Also in the story of Hossein Kord Shabestari which is a folk story belonging to Safavid era, we read that Sheikh Bahaie predicts with the help of the science of math.

We said that once upon a time there was a boy called Ebrahim who fell in love with the king's daughter. Everyone tried to convince Ebrahim to forget about the king's daughter as the king would be angry if he hears the story. However Ebrahim didn't listen to anyone and was deeply in love with the princess. Once Ebrahim's uncles gave him money to start a business so that he would forget about the princess. But Ebrahim paid the money for freeing a dragon, a cat and a dog and along with these three left home to set off a journey in which he collected magical objects with which he summoned the princess he was in love with along with the palace she was living inside. Realizing that the princess was lost, the king sent an old woman to find her daughter. So the old woman got on a flying box, passed seas and deserts until she found the princess. And now the rest of the story.

Finding herself in front of the palace, the old woman entered it by any hook or crook. She walked inside until she found the princess in the balcony of the palace. The old woman then went forward and asked the princess why she was transferred to such a place. The girl who was confused by the old woman's question, started thinking. Then the old woman taught the princess that when Ebrahim comnes back home, she should ask him the reason.

It was dark when Ebrahim came back to the palace. As he walked into the palace, saw the old woman. He then went to the princess and asked her who the woman was. Trying to persuade Ebrahim that the old woman was not dangerous, the princess told Ebrahim that the old woman was poor and had no place to stay at night. Although Ebrahim didn't like the old woman spend the night in the palace, he agreed with the princess.

Before going to sleep, the princess went to Ebrahim and asked him why and how he had transferred the palace to such a place.

Ebrahim then told the princess that he was in love with her and by the magic ring, he had obtained during his journey, he had taken the palace there. The princess then took the ring and went to sleep.

After realizing that Ebrahim was fast asleep, the princes went to his room and touched the ring. It was then that five demons appeared with their arms crossed.

Startled at what he saw, the prince told one of the demons: "If you don't take me back home, I'll kill you."

The demons who were scared, threw Ebrahim out of the palace and took the princess and her palace to her land. 

Realizing that the princess was home again, the king celebrated her daughter's return home.

A few days later the king went to a fortune teller to tell him if her daughter would stay safe in the future. The fortune teller then told the king that since the princess was under the spell of some fairies, she would go everywhere the fairies wanted and nothing would help her return home…..

AE/RM/ME