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The stories and legends about the early Persian king Kay Kaus as preserved in Persian and Arabic sources represent popular reminiscences of the history of the Neo-Babylonian kings, such as Nabonidus and Nebuchadnezzar.
1. Kay Kaus was passionately interested in the observation of the Moon, the Sun, and the stars. According to Firdausi, this interest became so intense that he undertook a flight to heaven “in order to see the Moon and the Sun and to count the stars one by one.” To judge from a remark by al-Taˁālibī, Kay Kaus’ love of the celestial bodies was prompted by his religious belief; for this author informs us that the early Kayânian kings adored the stars, and particularly the Sun, the Moon, and the planets Venus and Mercury. This is in accordance with Nabonid’s devotion to the moon-god Sin
2. Kay Kaus rebelled against the religion of god in al-Iraq. This is in accordance with the thinking of Babylonian priests, who regarded Nabonid’s religion as heresy.
3. He took a military expedition against Arabia (al-Taˁālibi). Firdausi names as the destination of Kay Kaus’ campaign an otherwise unknown country Hāmāverān, which name meant to designate the entire Arabian peninsula. This may be compared to Nabonidus’ longer stay in Arabia during his reign.
4. Seated on a golden throne, he attempted to ascend to heaven.
5. Kay Kaus constructed a lofty tower which is located by some sources in the vicinity of the city of Babylon. According to Firdausi, this structure, which was surmounted by a cupola of onyx, was an observatory destined to become a permanent home for the science of astronomy. Other writers credit Kay Kaus with such devotion to the observation of the heavenly bodies that he built even two such observatories, one situated in Babylon and another one on the Tigris river, near the later city of Baghdad.
6. Kay Kaus was the first king to reside in Balh whence he had moved from al-Iraq.
7. He was stricken by temporary but complete madness. This is in concordance with what Babylonian priests thought about the Nabonidus’ heresy, and with the picture given of Nebuchadnezzar in the Daniel.
Bibliography
| Lewy 1949, 31-32 | Lewy, Hildegard. “The Babylonian Background of the Kay Kâûs Legend.” Archiv Orientální 17 (1949) 28-107. |
Amar Annus
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