Classical Persian Literature

Classical Persian Literature

Bādeyaldā and bād e ardā: The etymology of the name of one of the characters of Abū Muslim Nāma

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Leila Varahram
assistant professor of Ancient Iranian Languages and Culture, Faculty of Literature and humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran,Iran
10.30465/cpl.2026.10635
Abstract
abstract
“Bādeyaldā” Samarkandi is one of the heroes in the epic narrative of the Abū Muslim Nāma and one of the central figures in the Zamajī Nāma, a sequel to the Abū Muslim Nāma. The meaning of his name, in its current form, appears ambiguous. This article demonstrates that “Bādeyaldā” is a form of the Middle Persian phrase “wād ī ardā”, which was used as a formula in this language. The phrase derives from the Avestan phrase vāta- aṣ̌auuan, meaning metaphorically the "righteous" or "virtuous" wind, referring to one of the primary attributes of the Wind God (Vāta) in the Avesta. The Middle Persian phrase likely became Bād Ardā in New Persian and, due to some phonological features in the northeastern regions of Iran, transformed into the proper name” Bādeyaldā”. In Central Asia, this name became associated with the heroic figure of the Abū Muslim Nāma and Zamajī Nāma. This naming convention probably occurred after the 4th century AH, during the Ghaznavid period, when the core narrative of the Abū Muslim Nāma in its present form was finalized. The character of “Bādeyaldā” would then have been incorporated into the narrative either during this period or in subsequent centuries.
Key words: “Bādeyaldā”, “wād ī ardā”, “ashavan wind”,” Abū Muslim Nāma”, “Zamajī Nāma”
Introduction
Bādeyaldā, one of the ʿayyārān (bandit heroes) appearing in the epic narrative cycle of the Abū Muslim nāma and its affiliated tales—such as the Zamjī nāma—occupies a distinctive place as a figure lacking any identifiable historical prototype. Unlike Abū Muslim and certain other heroes of the same literary tradition, Bādeyaldā is wholly fictional. Within these narratives, he is introduced as a native of Samarqand. The development of the Abū Muslim epic cycle, including both Abū Muslim nāma and Zamjī nāma, appears largely attributable to the creative activity of storytellers and oral narrators active in Afghanistan and Central Asia. The precise etymology of the name Bādeyaldā, however, has remained elusive. The present study argues that this personal name ultimately derives from an Avestan formula once common in northeastern Iran and, through recognizable historical and phonological developments, re emerged in Islamic period epic material as the name of one of the heroes of the Abū Muslim nāma and its continuations.
Materials and Methods
The first component of the name—bād (“wind”)—clearly denotes the natural phenomenon of air in motion. The association is thematically apt: agility, speed, and stealth are among the defining attributes of ʿayyār heroes in Persian heroic bandit (ʿayyār) cycles; they are thus metaphorically likened to the wind in their swiftness of movement. The second element—yaldā—is far less transparent. It is highly improbable that it corresponds to the Syriac loanword in Persian meaning “birth,” later applied to the winter solstice night.
In the compound Bādeyaldā, the first element bād (Avestan vāta-) evokes not only the natural phenomenon but also one of the two deities (yazatas) associated with this element in the Avesta. These divine figures, particularly revered in Sogdiana, Bactria, and adjacent regions of Central Asia, received cultic veneration. Within narrative contexts emphasizing speed and motion—such as the exploits of the ʿayyārān—the divine personification of Vāta (“Wind god”) provides the closest religious analogue. Iconographically, this deity appears on Kushanian coinage as a bearded runner; his name is rendered in Bactrian as ΟΑΔΟ (Oado), corresponding to Middle Persian wād and New Persian bād.

Discussion
One of the epithets of Vāta in the Avesta is aṣ̌auuan- (“righteous,” “follower of aša”). The Avestan adjective aṣ̌auuan- from Old Iranian *artāvan , is reflected in Middle Iranian forms such as ardā(y) in Middle Persian, ardāw in Parthian, and ʾrtʾw in Sogdian. It continues to appear in syntactic association with bād. Several Middle Persian texts, including the Andarz ī Dānāyān ō Mazdyasnān, the Kārnāmag ī Ardašīr ī Pābagān, and the Zand ī Wahman Yasn, employ the phrase wād ī ardā (“the righteous wind”), where ardā functions as an epithet qualifying bād.
In Sogdian the compound appears as wʾtʾrtʾw, in which ardā has evolved from an adjective into an integral component of the divine name—no longer a mere epithet, but a fixed theonym signifying the Wind deity himself.
From these linguistic facts it may be inferred that the name of the Abū Muslim nāma hero originated from the Middle Persian expression wād ī ardā (“the righteous/holy wind,” literally “the wind devoted to Aša”), which in turn reflects the Avestan “vāta- aṣ̌auuan-”. In the Avestan religious context, aṣ̌auuan initially described Vāyu, other wind deity who has an evil aspect besides his righteous face, before secondarily extending to Vāta. This formulaic compound survived in Middle Persian ritual vocabulary and eventually fossilized into a poetic expression designating swift or mighty winds.
The form Bādyalda as attested in New Persian results from subsequent phonological developments characteristic of Central Asia and northern Afghanistan—specifically, the insertion of a /y/ before word initial syllables containing /al/. The phonetic transformation from bād ardā → Bādyalda. Given that the earliest stratum of the Abū Muslim nāma tradition dates to the Ghaznavid period, the introduction of Bādilda as a proper name cannot predate the 4th century A.H. (10th century C.E.).
Conclusion
Accordingly, the name of the fictional ʿayyār, Bādeyaldā, rather than being an arbitrary invention, should be understood as an heir to the ancient Iranian poetic language: his name, metaphorically meaning “the swift wind,” aligns perfectly with his legendary agility.
Keywords
Bādeyaldā&‌rdquo
wād ī ardā&‌rdquo
ashavan wind&‌rdquo
&‌rdquo
Abū Muslim Nāma&‌rdquo
&‌ldquo
Zamajī Nāma&‌rdquo
Subjects
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Classical Persian Literature
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 42
Spring & Summer
August 2026

  • Receive Date 10 December 2024
  • Revise Date 17 November 2025
  • Accept Date 18 November 2025
  • Publish Date 23 July 2026