Very excited for the article on Leo! In Persian culture, the shir-o khorshid (lion and sun) is an important symbol. I’m so curious to see the similarities and differences!
Of course! The symbol is ancient but was popularized in Iran after the Sassanid Persian Empire was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate (Islamic Conquests of Iran, 654 CE), so about a thousand years after the period my writing usually focuses on. The shir-o khorshid was first a secular symbol from the classical era. It’s taken on many meanings since then, but notably the Safavid’s (Iran’s gunpowder empire of 1501-1736) reimagined the symbol to represent the state (lion) and Shia Islam (sun). It was later used as the official flag for the Imperial State of Iran (1973 to 1979) before the Islamic regime overthrew the last shah. By and large, the symbol is now used as a nationalist symbol that calls for a secular state, or at least a state that disentangles from sharia. During the recent Zan Zendegi Azadi (woman, life, freedom) protests that honored Mahsa Amini and other women killed by the Islamic Republic over headscarves, the lion was often replaced with a female figure for solidarity and equality. These days, the lion represents Jamshid (the first mythic shah of Iran) and the sun represents a bygone Iran that people long for. Many Iranians see the symbol as being irrevocably linked to the last shah of Iran, though, and take issue with that. Iran’s history is complicated, and the last shah of Iran was essentially a lap dog for the west, which to many Iranians is just as bad or worse than the totalitarian Islamic regime. My dad, for instance, has the shir-o khorshid tattooed on his arm, and the Achaemenid (First Persian Empire) symbol on his other arm. We’re very nostalgic people, but these symbols often mean different things to different folks, haha!
I should be very clear that I personally am not pro-nationalism or anti-Islam. Many, many Muslim Iranians are against the current regime, and will say themselves that the Islamic Republic has little to do with the Islam that they know and love. While I am Behdin, not Muslim, I do not solely blame the current state of Iran on religion, and I believe that (had the Arab Conquests of Persia not happened) the late Sassanid bastardization of Zoroastrianism/Behdin could have very well led to similar outcomes, with western oil exploitation being the most pivotal turning point in either string of history.
Keyon, you really ought to put this explanation on your stack. With Iran being excluded from most independent news sites in Europe, it’s good to hear another view. Iran or Persia was a great empire and a major cultural force in that region. Regardless of political or present-day religious events, the history and cultural meaning should not be swept under the carpet.
Thanks! You clearly already have a very in-depth understanding of the lion and sun so I don't think you'll learn a great deal, but you never know – I always find surprises when I come to take a close look at the iconography.
Enjoying your series very much. Perhaps Basin 2 is not an outlier. I see a third face as the circle itself with closed eyes at the top and an open eye central as the mouth. Just wondering.
Very excited for the article on Leo! In Persian culture, the shir-o khorshid (lion and sun) is an important symbol. I’m so curious to see the similarities and differences!
Perhaps you could elaborate further on that subject, Keyon. I’d love to get to know more.
Of course! The symbol is ancient but was popularized in Iran after the Sassanid Persian Empire was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate (Islamic Conquests of Iran, 654 CE), so about a thousand years after the period my writing usually focuses on. The shir-o khorshid was first a secular symbol from the classical era. It’s taken on many meanings since then, but notably the Safavid’s (Iran’s gunpowder empire of 1501-1736) reimagined the symbol to represent the state (lion) and Shia Islam (sun). It was later used as the official flag for the Imperial State of Iran (1973 to 1979) before the Islamic regime overthrew the last shah. By and large, the symbol is now used as a nationalist symbol that calls for a secular state, or at least a state that disentangles from sharia. During the recent Zan Zendegi Azadi (woman, life, freedom) protests that honored Mahsa Amini and other women killed by the Islamic Republic over headscarves, the lion was often replaced with a female figure for solidarity and equality. These days, the lion represents Jamshid (the first mythic shah of Iran) and the sun represents a bygone Iran that people long for. Many Iranians see the symbol as being irrevocably linked to the last shah of Iran, though, and take issue with that. Iran’s history is complicated, and the last shah of Iran was essentially a lap dog for the west, which to many Iranians is just as bad or worse than the totalitarian Islamic regime. My dad, for instance, has the shir-o khorshid tattooed on his arm, and the Achaemenid (First Persian Empire) symbol on his other arm. We’re very nostalgic people, but these symbols often mean different things to different folks, haha!
I should be very clear that I personally am not pro-nationalism or anti-Islam. Many, many Muslim Iranians are against the current regime, and will say themselves that the Islamic Republic has little to do with the Islam that they know and love. While I am Behdin, not Muslim, I do not solely blame the current state of Iran on religion, and I believe that (had the Arab Conquests of Persia not happened) the late Sassanid bastardization of Zoroastrianism/Behdin could have very well led to similar outcomes, with western oil exploitation being the most pivotal turning point in either string of history.
Keyon, you really ought to put this explanation on your stack. With Iran being excluded from most independent news sites in Europe, it’s good to hear another view. Iran or Persia was a great empire and a major cultural force in that region. Regardless of political or present-day religious events, the history and cultural meaning should not be swept under the carpet.
Joyce, you've put some wind in my sails. Need to iron out the details, but I think I'll work on including some kind of nonfiction segment!
Looking forward to it!
Thanks! You clearly already have a very in-depth understanding of the lion and sun so I don't think you'll learn a great deal, but you never know – I always find surprises when I come to take a close look at the iconography.
Saved for later reading!
Enjoying your series very much. Perhaps Basin 2 is not an outlier. I see a third face as the circle itself with closed eyes at the top and an open eye central as the mouth. Just wondering.
It's possible!