Jamaspa

Jamaspa
Illustration of Jamaspa in the Shahnameh
In-universe information
Affiliation	Vishtaspa
Nationality	Iranian

Jamaspa (Avestan: 𐬬𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬁𐬯𐬞𐬀 Jāmāspa; Avestan pronunciation: [d̠ʒaːmaːspa]) is a figure from the Iranian national history, where he appears as an official at the court of Vishtaspa and overall important figure in the early history of Zoroastrianism.

Name

The name Jamaspa is widely considered to be a contraction of tetrasyllabic jāma-aspa, an Avestan compound term, where the second word means aspa, i.e. horse. This term is also found in the names of people like Vishtaspa, Arjaspa and Lohraspa. Since they all originate from the same story, it has been interpreted as an important element in their culture. However, the meaning of the first term is unclear. One interpretation connects jāma- to Vedic kṣāmáh-, with the meaning burnt, singed. On the other hand, Gershevitch proposed leading horses, whereas Schwartz has argued for he who bridles horses.

In the Avesta

See also: Avesta

In the Avesta, Jamaspa first appears in the Gathas with his brother Frashaoshtra, both from the clan of the Hvōgva. He is described as a counsellor and chancellor of Vishtaspa, the patron of Zarathustra, and quickly converts to the new faith. In the later texts found in the Young Avesta, Jamaspa also appears. In the Aban Yasht, he is grouped with people from the Gathas, and set apart from other, probably pre-Zoroastrian figures of the Iranian national tradition. In the Frawardin Yasht, he is again praised jointly with Frashaoshtra and Vishtaspa.

In later tradition

According to later tradition, it is Jamaspa, who acquires a leadership role in the Zoroastrian community after the death of Zarathustra and it is him who writes down his teachings in the Avesta. He is a prominent figure in the Jamasp Namag (Story of Jamasp), also known as Ayatkar i Zamaspik (Memorial of Jamaspa). This text discusses a number of topics framed as a dialogue between him and Vishtaspa. He also appears in works like the Denkard, the Ayadgar i Zariran and the Shahnameh.

References

Bibliography

• Boyce, Mary (1987). "Ayādgār Ī Jāmāspīg". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 126–127.
• Malandra, William W. (2008). "Jāmāspa". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. XIV. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 456–457.
• de Menasce, Jean P. (1983). "Zoroastrian Pahlavi Writings". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 3(2). Cambridge University Press.
• Gershevitch, Ilya (1969). "Amber at Persepolis". Studia classica et orientalia Antonino Pagliaro oblata. Vol. II. Roma: Herder. p. 981.
• Jackson, A. V. Williams (1965). The Prophet of Ancient Iran. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992). Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen - 1. Band. Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universität. Archived from the original on 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
• Schwartz, Martin (1975). "Proto-Indo-European √gīem-". Monumentum H. S. Nyberg. Acta Iranica. Tehran, Liège: Bibliothèque Pahlavi.
• Yarshater, Ehsan (1983). "Iranian National History". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 3(1). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-24693-4.