Glossary

Glossary

abaaya: a cloak or mantle worn by women

abdug: a cold yogurt drink

Adaran: the second-highest class of sacred fires; must be tended by priests

adarga: plain round or oval shield, covered with leather or metal

Afrit: a member of the third rank of the djinni

alif: the first letter of the Parsine alphabet

Atluriya: citizen of the sunken city of Atluri; pl.: Atlurim

ba: the second letter of the Parsine alphabet

Badawi: (pl.) tribes of the desert nomads

Bahram: the holiest class of sacred fires; must be tended only by highly purified priests; the king of fires, overhung by a crown

baklava: pastry rolls filled with chopped almonds, flavored with cardamom, and drenched in honey after baking

bazaar: an open-air market of many individual stalls

burga: a stiff mask worn by women, often embroidered or embellished with coins and other decorations

cadi: a judge or civil magistrate

camekan: the outer room of the hammam, where clothes are taken off and piled neatly

caravanserai: an inn providing merchants and wayfarers with shelter, food, and storage facilities for their beasts and goods; fee is generally based on one’s ability to pay

chelo: a steamed rice preparation

cubit: a unit of length, approximately twenty inches or fifty centimeters

Dadgah: the third-highest class of sacred fire; may be tended by laymen

daeva: a demon, spawn of Rimahn, created to torment mankind and promote chaos

dahkma: a tower of silence, on which corpses are placed for vultures to eat the dead flesh

dhoti: a loincloth fashioned from a long narrow strip of cloth wound around the body, passed between the legs and tucked in at the waist behind

dinar: a gold coin of high value, equal to 1,000 dirhams; one dinar could buy a small village brewery

dirham: a silver coin of moderate value, equal to 100 fals; 1,000 dirhams equal one dinar; one dirham could buy a pony keg (150 glasses) of beer

diwan: a couch for reclining; also, an official audience or court held by a king or other ruler

djinn: a descendant of the illicit union of humans and daevas in the early ages of the world; mortal, but magically powerful and long-lived; pl.: djinni

druj: (s. & pl.) an evil creature who worships Rimahn and the lie; may have some magical abilities

durqa: a square, depressed area in the center of a qa’a, usually paved with marble and tile and containing a small fountain

emir: a nobleman ranked below a wazir

fal: a copper coin of low denomination; 100 fals equal one dirham; one fal could buy one glass of beer

fauwara: an ablutions fountain in the center of a sahn

fravashi: a person’s heavenly self, to be reunited with the soul after the great Rehabilitation at the end of time

ghee: clarified, browned butter

gnaa: a rectangular headcloth for women, usually worn over the top of the shayla

grimoire: a magician’s book of incantations, runes, and magical formulas

hammam: a public steam-bath house

haoma: the ephedra plant; grows on mountains; is ritually pounded and pressed to yield a fluid that is tasted during rituals, symbolizing man’s eventual gaining of immortality

hizam: a waistbelt to secure weapons to the body, hold money and other items

homunculus: a creature of clay made to resemble a human being and magically given life

hookah: a water pipe

hosh: the central courtyard of a house, off of which other rooms open

hummus: a mixture of ground chick peas, garlic, and spices

Jann: (s. & pl.) a member of the fifth and lowest rank of the djinni

Jinn: (s. & pl.) a member of the fourth rank of the djinni

kaftan: a long, floor-length overrobe with full-length sleeves

khandaq: a sewage sump, a pit for gathering the city population’s bodily wastes

khanjar: a curved bladed dagger, worn in a sheath in the hizam

kismet: unavoidable Fate

kohl: a powder of antimony, used as makeup to darken the eyelids

Kushti: (s. & pl.) a ritual rope or thread given to a child at investiture; its interwoven threads and tassels are highly symbolic; used during prayers

leewan: a paved platform about one -quarter of a cubit above central floor level, usually covered with mats or carpets

madrasa: a school, usually attached to a temple; teaches both secular and religious topics

maidan: a central square or plaza within a city

Marid: a member of the second rank of the djinni

milaaya: (s. & pl.) a colorful sheet worn by women as a mantle

milfa: a semitransparent black scarf drawn over the lower part of the face; worn in public by women

minaret: a tall, slender tower attached to a temple, where an everlasting flame burns in tribute to and as a symbol of Oromasd

minbar: a high, raised pulpit with a flight of steps, from which sermons are preached in a temple

musharabiya: a carved wooden grill of close latticework covering the street-facing windows of a house

nan-e lavash: a thin, dinnertime bread similar to flour tortillas, but crisper

niaal: (pl.) thonged sandals

parasang: a unit of length, approximately three miles or five kilometers

peri: a descendant of the union of humans and yazatas in the early ages of the world; mortal, but magically powerful and long-lived

pilau: a boiled rice dish, often with other spices and ingredients such as almonds, raisins, etc.

qa’a: principal room of a house, where guests are entertained

rahat lakhoum: an expensive confection of lichi nuts, kumquat rind, and hashish

rimahniya: (pl.) fanatical cult of assassins who worship Rimahn and welcome chaos

riwaq: a covered arcade with pillars dividing it into open sections surrounding on three sides an open area (sahn) in the center of a temple

rukh: a gigantic, magical, flesh-eating bird

saaya: a jacket with gold embroidery, worn by men

Sadre: a white shirt given to children at their investiture, which they are supposed to wear always next to their skin; putting it on symbolizes donning the Good Religion

sahn: an open courtyard in the center of a temple where the faithful gather to pray and hear sermons

saif: a sheathed short sword worn in the hizam at the waist

salaam: a word of greeting, meaning both “hello” and “peace”; also, a deferential bow of greeting or respect

sari: a full-length dress wrapped around the body

satrap: a provincial governor

Shaitan: a member of the first, and most powerful, rank of the djinni

sharbat-e porteghal: an iced drink of orange and mint

sharshaf: an oversized shawl worn when a woman leaves her mother’s home for her future husband’s; also worn at prayer

shaykh: the leader of a tribe, profession, or other group; usually elected for his age and wisdom

shayla: a rectangular, tasseled headcloth worn by women as part of a two -piece headgear; the tassels at the top dangle on either side of the face

shish kebob: a dish of beef or lamb and vegetables, cooked on a skewer over an open flame

sicakluk: the inner room of the hammam; the steam room

sidaireeya: a high-collared, open-front, waist-length jacket with elbow-length sleeves, worn by women over the Sadre; often highly decorated

simurgh: the magical bird who perches in the Tree of Knowledge

sirwaal: (pl.) long baggy trousers, gathered at the ankles, with a sash to draw in the waist; worn by men and women

sofreh: a cover placed over a carpet or over the ground while eating to give stability to the plates and protect the carpet; usually one of stiffer, waterproof leather is covered by another of cloth

soguluk: the middle room of the hammam where bodies are washed and massaged

taraha: a rectangular, black gauze scarf with beaded, embroidered, braided, or tasseled ends; worn over the head by women

thawb: a full-length, long-sleeved garment similar to the kaftan but fuller cut; also a capacious overdress worn by women

turban: a fine cloth worn wound around a man’s head

wadi: a ravine formed by runoff rainwater

wali: a superintendant

wazir: a royal minister and political adviser

yasht: a special hymn composed to a yazata

yatu: an evil magician

zarabil: (pl.) cloth slippers, often embroidered

zibun: an ankle -length outer garment opening down the front; closes right over left at the waist, forming a waist-deep open vee in front; slits upward along each side from the hemline and slits at underarm seams from the edge of the short sleeve to the shoulder seam, to allow the decorated robes underneath to show through

ziyada: an outer courtyard surrounding a temple on three sides

The Parsine Pantheon