Talk:Sasan Kingdom/@comment-32770183-20170804151803

There might be a possible relation to Iran in Islamic lore and "knights" (and tangentially, to European-style lances). The traditional Islamic name for Iran/Persia is "Faris", and the Arabic word for knight is "Firaas" (فراس). Persia is thus traditionally seen in Islamic lore as a land of knights, as is seen in the Muslim take on Persian mythology in the Shah Nameh. Knightly martial arts are referred to in Arabic as Furusiyya: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furusiyya Then there is this mystical explanation by a Sunni Muslim mystic: "With the blossoming of Islamic civilization, cermonial deriving from the Persian court became widespread and the Persian penchant for chivalry was renewed. It is certainly suggestive that the same letters in Arabic may spell either “Persia” or “horseman.” Indeed, the importance of chivalry in Persian culture probably contributed to Shi`ism’s popularity, given the Shi`ite focus on the Imam `Ali, a paragon of Islamic chivalry (may Allah ennoble his face). Further afield, there is a marked Persian presence in the Grail legends of Western chivalry, as was first elaborated upon by the Zoroastrian scholar Jehangir Coyagee. It is perhaps worth noting here that the Norsemen of Europe, whose warrior traditions also flowed into the Age of Chivalry, were likewise called Majus by the Muslims."